Tory proposals for health and safety jobs could be expensive
A spokesperson for the health and safety sector has warned that Conservative party plans for safety audits could cost firms £150,000.
In October, the Conservative party unveiled plans that would enable firms to "refuse entry to official inspectors". Instead, health and safety jobs could be carried out internally, but would still be audited externally by the office of the Health and Safety Executive (HSE).
Peter Harrison Fisher, the health, safety and environmental director of Costain, has said that this could drive expenditure up by forcing firms to increase the number of health and safety officials on construction jobs.
Speaking on behalf of the construction contractor, Fisher said that at least three extra staff per firm would be needed. This could mean a wage bill of £150,000 per year.
"The management team already has its hands full" said Fisher. "We could see increasing numbers of people brought on site to give directors assurance that health and safety bases were covered."
Fisher believes that reducing the role of the HSE will simply pass increased costs onto firms undertaking construction jobs in the UK. He says that more resources should be put into the external body, as the outside influence "keeps people on their toes".
His concern is reportedly shared by colleagues from the former Major Contractors Group. Shaun Davis, Fisher's counterpart at Rok, suggested that though the number of health and safety jobs may increase under the new system, standards and effectiveness would be "open to abuse".
Davis said: "Anything that could lead to a watering-down of safety standards is very dangerous".