Home
About
Newsletter
Advice & Assistance
Researh & Briefings
Deaths, Inquests & Prosecutions
Corporate  Crime & safety Database
Safety Statistics
Obtaining Safety Information
CCA Responses to Consultation Documents
CCA Advocacy
CCA Press Releases
CCA Publications
Support the CCA
Bibliography
Search the CCA site
Contact Us
Quick Links ->
Press Release
Other Press Releases
What's New on CCA Site
Home Page

Embargoed: 00.01 TUESDAY 7 OCTOBER 2003

Information Note

New Report shows Sharp Enforcement Differences between Local Authorities

The CCA has undertaken an analysis of how different local authorities enforce health and safety law which shows wide divergences in the levels of inspection and investigation between the different local authorities. The report, "Safety Lottery: How the Level of Enforcement of Health and Safety Depends on Where you Work," is published by the public section union, UNISON, and the CCA.

The report is the first time that a comparative analyses has been made of individual local authorities on a number of different enforcement criteria. It identifies the local authorities which:
•  undertake the most and least inspections and investigations;
•  impose the most and least number of enforcement notices;
•  have the most and least number of inspectors"

To see what UNISON says about the report contact their press office (see below).

Local authorities are responsible for enforcing the law in more premises than the Health and Safety Executive. They are responsible for offices, retail and wholesale shops, warehouses, fuel and storage depots, residential care homes and premises involved in catering, leisure, cultural or consumer and other services.

To see further details of the report, click here

A Sample of key findings are as follows

Rossendale District Council reported no visits of any kind to its 1,540 registered premises, Kennet District Council, with 1,226 premises undertook 1,515 visits
Lambeth reports no inspections of its 7,680 premises, Mansfield District Council, with 1,640 made 1,109 inspections
90 local authorities investigated every single reported injury to a worker, 17 local authorities investigated less than 10% of reported injuries
Milton Keynes investigated all of its 351 injuries (62 of which were major) Wigan MBC only investigated 3% of its 315 injuries (39 of which were major)
While Solihull MBC imposed 65 notices from its 422 visits - one enforcement notice for every eight visits - Ashford only imposed one notice in relation to its 1,116 visits
East Dunbartonshire had 4 inspectors for its 1,105 premises, the London Borough of Islington reported it had one part-time inspector for its 3,418 premises.

Summary of the Best and Worst

Top 10 local authorities with the highest ratio of visits to premises
Kennet D.C.; Mansfield D.C.; St Helens M.B.C.; Thanet D.C.; Brignorth D.C.; Clackmannanshire U.A.; Test Valley B.C.; Derwentside D.C.; South Norfolk D.C.; Havering.
Bottom 10 - lowest ratio of visits to premises
West Oxfordshire D.C.; Blackburn U.A.; Isle of Wight Council U.A.; North Devon D.C.; West Somerset D.C.; Wycombe D.C.; Telford and Wrekin U.A.; Sandwell M.B.C.; Redbridge; Rossendale D.C.
Top 10 local authorities with the highest ratio of inspections to premises
Mansfield D.C.; Derwentside D.C.; St Helens M.B.C.; Inverclyde U.A.; Brignorth D.C.; Clackmannanshire U.A.; Congleton B.C.; South Norfolk D.C.; Orkney Islands Council; Teesdale D.C.
Bottom 10 - with the lowest ratio of inspections to premises
Telford and Wrekin U.A.; Lewisham L.B.C.; Sandwell M.B.C.; West Somerset D.C.; Blackburn U.A.; North Devon D.C.; Isle of Wight Council; Redbridge; Rochford D.C.; Wycombe D.C.; Rossendale D.C.; Lambeth
Top 10 local authorities which investigated all of its over 100 reported injuries suffered by workers
Milton Keynes U.A.; Northampton B.C.; Coventry City Council; Bromley; Basingstoke Deane; Wolverhampton M.B.; West Lothian U.A.; Rushmoor; East Riding of Yorkshire U.A.; Preston Ribble Council
Bottom 10 lowest investigation levels into injuries suffered by workers
Hounslow L.B.C.; Medway Towns U.A.; Rugby B.C.; Luton U.A.; Rochford D.C.; Bexley L.B.C. Waltham Forest L.B.C.; Leeds City Council; Wigan M.B.C.; Westminster.
Top 10 local authorities with highest number of inspectors/premises ratios
Orkney Island Council; East Dunbartonshire U.A.; Mid Devon D.C.; North Shropshire D.C.; East Renfrewshire U.A.; Tonbridge and Malling B.C.; East Ayrshire U.A.; South Ayrshire U.A.; Chester le Street D.C.; Clackmannanshire U.A.
Bottom 10 with lowest number of inspectors/premises ratios
West Oxfordshire D.C.; Lambeth; St Albans D.C.; Crawley B.C.; Christchurch D.C.; Horsham D.C; Lewisham; Bath and N.E. Somerset U.A. Hillingdon L.B.C.; Eastington D.C.

For media comment on report, contact UNISON on:
•  020 7383 0717 or
•  0845 3550845

CCA contact details: 020 7 490 4494

 

Home -> CCA Press Releases
Page last updated on January 11, 2004