Ahead of a UK General Election expected this year, British Safety Council has published a manifesto containing policies to support better productivity and growth as well as ensure a healthier, safer and happier workforce.
The UK lost an estimated 32.5 million days to work-related ill-health and non-fatal workplace injuries in 2022/2023, and sickness and illness are at a 10-year high, costing businesses and the economy up to £77.5 billion a year. Poor mental health is also estimated to cost UK taxpayers around £45 billion each year.
50 years on from the landmark Health and Safety at Work Act (1974), British Safety Council, calls on all political parties and representatives to “commit to making the next 50 years the safest in our nation’s history”. Its ‘Manifesto on Health, Safety and Wellbeing’ sets out seven key calls across four policy areas: regulation; wellbeing; technology and the future of work; and skills.
British Safety Council’s calls on a future UK Government include:
A dedicated Ministerial portfolio responsible for wellbeing, which would also be given cross-governmental responsibility for the development and implementation of a National Wellbeing Strategy
Support for companies that invest in new and developing technologies (including AR, VR, and AI) for the purposes of improving health, safety and wellbeing standards in the workplace, enabling them to offset up to 5% annual investment
Health, safety and wellbeing training required by law included in a new ‘Skills Tax Credit’ when reforms are made to skills-based education
Adequate funding for the Health and Safety Executive (including the Building Safety Regulator) and for local authorities who hold statutory duties for the regulation and inspection of health and safety.
Source – politics home