The scheme, Fee for Intervention (FFI) was introduced in October 2012 to shift the cost of regulating workplace health and safety from the public purse to businesses which break the law and ensures the cost burden of HSE intervention is picked up by those companies and not taxpayers.
If an inspector identifies serious health and safety failings in the workplace about which they need to write to the dutyholder, then that dutyholder has to pay the costs of the HSE visit. If the inspector simply issues verbal advice there is no charge. If there is disagreement on HSE’s decision the dutyholder can dispute it.
Until now, disputes were considered by a panel which consisted of two members from HSE and one independent person. However, after reviewing the current process HSE will consult with relevant stakeholders with a view to making the process fully independent.
A spokesperson for HSE said: “HSE has always kept the dispute process under review and following a recent application for a judicial review we believe the time is right to move to a dispute process which is completely independent of HSE.”
Let’s hope this independent process gets given a few more “teeth” than the relatively recent shift from Press Complaints Commission to the Independent Press Standards Organisation. The re-instatement of Rebekah Brooks(after a year’s gardening leave) and recent coverage of the Brexit referendum (especially in the final days before the vote) has been a simple demonstration of exactly how “humbled” Rupert Murdoch was by the Leveson Inquiry and who really runs the country.
A private company will require a fee for this role, this will lead to an increase in fines and vast sums of money being earned by the nominated company and it’s directors. They will then franchise parts of it out which will earn even more money for them. Why is this happening? why would the HSE give up this authority to a private entity. It will be the same as the “national lottery” a farce which is run by private persons who make a fortune and does not achieve what it was set up to achieve in the first place.… Read more »