HSE has ‘insufficient resources’

The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) needs more resources in order to keep up with its current case-load, it has been announced.

According to the One Death Too Many report, which outlines incidences of fatal injuries in the construction industry, the sector needs its own government minister to cope with its current workload.

Rita Donaghy, author of the report, told Personnel Today: "It is clear that the inspector resource had been allowed to slip below an acceptable level.

"The HSE needs to deal effectively with the long-standing problem of inadequate numbers of inspectors in London."

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Statistics from the HSE state that the number of workplace deaths dropped 22 per cent from the five-year average this year, a fall attributed to less working hours during the recession.

Meanwhile, the executive recently reported that nine people in the north-east died in 2008 due to avoidable workplace accidents.