5 ways Health & Safety could change under Labour’s government

The Labour government have been setting out their plans for change.

A glimpse into their manifesto reveals their biggest priorities – and what they could mean for your Health & Safety management.

Our specialists have unpacked how their promises could impact your business…

1) Stronger fire safety rules

Fire safety in the UK has been under scrutiny since the Grenfell disaster.

As part of their manifesto, the Labour Party have promised to bring justice to victims, and strengthen safety protocols. This means that existing fire safety guidance will be under scrutiny.

So, prepare to hear stronger rules to protect your staff and others from fire risk.

This could mean revisiting and refreshing your fire risk assessments. It could also mean communicating new rules to your staff, and carrying new fire drills.

2)  More home-based risk assessments

As part of Labour’s ‘New Deal for Working People’, flexible working is set to be the ‘default’ for all workers – except where it isn’t “reasonably feasible”.

This is likely to increase demand and popularity for common types of flexible work. In particular, homeworking requests could soon rise.

With more emphasis on remote work, you could face a bigger responsibility to manage the safety of staff who work from home. You’re still responsible for making sure remote staff aren’t working with faulty or risky equipment that could harm their health.

If more staff start working from home, or for longer periods, you will need to create stronger home-working risk assessments. You may need to ask your employees to carry out a self-assessment of their workspace.

In a recent webcast, our consultant manager Adam unpacked how the Labour government could impact your risk assessments:

3)  More menopause support

The Labour Party wants bigger businesses (with 250+ employees) to set out dedicated action plans to support staff through menopause.

To understand how to support staff through menopause, you’d need to carry out a dedicated risk assessment.

Consider how your staff work, and how that could trigger or worsen any symptoms. This should flag up ways to help your employees manage menopause symptoms, for example:

• Offering flexible working
• Workplace adjustments
• Introducing a relaxed dress code

Plus, you may need to appoint a dedicated member of staff to deal with menopause-related queries or issues at work. This could be an HR manager, or you might decide to take on this role yourself.

You’d also need to provide a dedicated menopause policy, and add information to staff handbooks, such as:

• Who staff can discuss their concerns with
• Any workplace adjustments you provide
• Contact information for any third-party healthcare or wellbeing support you provide

Even if you don’t employ over 250 employees, it’s still good to inform your staff about any menopause support you provide. With menopause awareness rising, staff have higher expectations – so it’s a good opportunity to show how you’re offering support in this area.

4) A renewed focus on employee mental health

In Labour’s manifesto, they plan to give “mental health the same attention and focus as physical health.”

With plans to recruit 8,500 mental health specialists within the NHS, employers may see more staff taking time off for appointments. Plus, with more opportunity to speak to a specialist about mental health, your employees may gain a better understanding of how to manage their wellbeing at work.

So, with more focus on mental health, staff may expect more adjustments and support from their employer.

Along with following Labour’s new laws to improve work-life balance, like the ‘right to switch off’ and ‘default’ flexible working, you may also consider:

·         Offering an employee assistance programme

·         Providing ‘mental health days’

·         Appointing a mental health first aider

Plus, you will need to consider whether your workplace could be worsening or triggering any symptoms of stress. To do this, you’ll need to regularly revisit your workplace stress risk assessment.

5) More workplace inspections

As part of their ‘Plan to Make Work Pay’, the Labour Party have set out plans to increase funding for the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) and local councils.

An estimated 50% decline in funding has meant that inspections have also declined in recent years.

However, with more funding, authorities will have the capacity and resources needed to carry out more inspections across UK workplaces. This means that you would be more likely to receive a visit from a HSE inspector.

To prepare for inspections, and meet new guidelines, you may need to:

• Review your existing H&S management
• Update employee safety handbooks
• Update and create new risk assessments
• Train managers and staff regarding new processes

See our consultancy manager Adam discuss your next steps:

To watch the full webcast – and discover other ways Health & Safety could change – tap below to gain on-demand access:

Your first step towards total Health & Safety confidence…

It’s difficult to prepare for an inspection if you’re unaware of your obligations as an employer.

With Peninsula SafeCheck, an expert Health & Safety consultant will visit your premises to:

• Review your existing Health & Safety procedures
• Discuss ways to streamline or optimise your processes
• Identify any failings and provide next steps to fix them
• Unpack the latest safety legislation, and how to prepare

Your consultant will provide a full report, containing clear and actionable feedback to boost staff safety.

It gives you total confidence that you’re doing all you can to lower workplace risk. And you get it all for an affordable one-off fee – free from contract or commitment.

To learn more or book your workplace audit, tap below: