Views called for on HSE cost recovery proposals
Health & Safety update 06/09/2011
The British Safety Council is calling for opinions on the Health
and Safety Executive's (HSE) proposals to extend cost recovery.
The council is asking its members across the country to submit
their views on HSE's plans, which would see the body aim to recover
costs following their intervention relating to a breach of H&S
law.
Amongst other points, the document calls for views on the cost
recovery operation and the impact of the proposals on HSE's
intervention methods.
A consultation document issued in July of this year detailed the
proposals, which said that a legal duty would be placed on HSE to
'recover costs where duty holders are found to be in material
breach of health and safety law.'
The document reads, “If the duty holder has breached health and
safety law and a requirement to rectify the breach is formally made
in writing, the HSE would recover all of the costs of that
intervention. This is known as fee for intervention.
“Compliant duty holders would pay nothing nor would duty holders
in technical (non-material) breach of the law,” added the
report.
If the new proposals are introduced, it would be compulsory by
law for HSE to recover the costs of its intervention following an
H&S breach.
An average hourly fee of £133 would be used across the board for
all HSE representatives, with additional costs covering the input
of specialist staff where needed.
The proposals could be rolled out in April next year, although
nothing has yet been confirmed.
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