There’s nothing more that Health & Safety people love than pieces of legislation! So, imagine our shock when we heard that the Government was planning to revoke over 52 pieces of Health & Safety legislation. It was enough for Lindsey Roberts and Kevin Wright from our Health, Safety, Quality and Environment (HSQE) team to don their finest, head to Parliament and have their say at an All Party Parliament Group meeting!
Today many pieces of legislation are based on, as one MP quoted, “a cut and paste” of EU legislation. Following the referendum to leave the EU, the Government has been deciding what to do with the UK legislation. In 2018 a new act was passed, which allowed for Retained EU Law until December 2023. After that date, all legislation will, in theory, be removed from the UK statute books.
One piece of legislation of particular interest to Cornerstone is the Working at Heights Regulations 2005. These affect our infrastructure’s acquisition, design, build and maintenance, as all our customers’ antennas need to be at ‘height to work’. Since their introduction, these regulations have contributed to a significant reduction in fatalities and serious injuries. This reduction is due to the principles of ensuring that workplaces at height are designed and built with prevention and protection measures in place.
The same principles apply to Cornerstone’s safety model, supported by our design guidance and the HSQE team, who review site planning documents and audit site works to ensure regulatory compliance.
Against this background, Cornerstone was invited to the All-Party Parliament Group (APPG) meeting, consisting of MPs, the Health & Safety Executive (HSE) and an Access Industry chairperson. Both Lindsey and Kevin asked the panel questions about the influence of the APPG on the Secretary of State in his decisions on the future of the regulation. They also sought clarity on the percentage of prosecutions from the HSE compared to other legislation to understand the relative effectiveness of the Working at Heights regulations.
The chair of the meeting, Alison Thewliss MP, said that she found the questions “incredibly helpful” and would assist her in her conversations with the Secretary of State who will make the final decision on whether the Working at Heights Regulations will be amended, repealed, or replaced.
The opportunity for Cornerstone’s inclusion in these consultations, which can potentially change UK legislation, is a great honour. It also demonstrates our values of Inspiring Transformation, Delivering Excellence and Stronger Connections.
In fact, we have just heard that the Government has decided to have a major rethink on revoking the legislation…result!
Read the latest here https://www.ioshmagazine.com/2023/04/13/government-has-major-rethink-over-retained-eu-bill
