Federation response to Lord Young’s planned review of health and safety legislation

22 June 2010

 

Simon Reed, Vice-Chairman of the Police Federation of England and Wales, says:

“We would welcome the opportunity to meet with Lord Young, now he has been appointed to head a review of health and safety laws and regulations. As police officers we take an oath to protect life and property. This oath means police officers are often called upon to make split second decisions in highly volatile and dangerous situations. Part of the decision making process is to ensure we do not place the public, ourselves or colleagues in further danger.  

“Health and safety laws do not stop police officers doing our duty and are not about protecting the police at the expense of the public. We are certainly not risk averse; the Police Bravery Awards we host every year are testament to the heroism of police officers across England and Wales who put the safety and wellbeing of others above their own.

“There is no need whatsoever to make police officers exempt from health and safety legislation. The legislation exists to protect everyone – the public and the police. Last year, together with the Association of Chief Police Officers, the Police Superintendents’ Association and the Association of Police Authorities, we signed up to a Health & Safety Executive document entitled ‘Striking the balance between operational and health & safety duties in the police service’. This document sought to stamp out the myth that health and safety regulations prevent police officers from doing our duty and made clear that we have a responsibility to balance the risk between our role fighting crime whilst ensuring the public are protected.

“An early meeting with Lord Young, as part of his review of health and safety legislation, will allow us the opportunity to dispel the inaccurate and misleading ‘risk averse’ myths promulgated by the media and we will be able to clearly demonstrate that there is no useful purpose removing police officers from national health and safety legislation designed to safeguard all.”

 

 

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