Our consultations

Raising the Bar is an interim report and responds to Dame Judith Hackitt’s competence recommendations in Building a Safer Future, published in May 2018 in the wake of the Grenfell Tower tragedy. It presents what it intends as a blueprint for improving the competence of those involved in designing, constructing, inspecting, assessing, managing and maintaining Higher Risk Residential Buildings (HRRBs), and other buildings in scope, to ensure they are safe for all who occupy them.

About this consultation

The commitments outlined in this Green Paper are intended to signal a new preventive approach for the health and care system in England. It aims to ensure that Government, both local and national, works with the health and care system, to put prevention at the centre of all their decision-making. The Government urges that for it to succeed, and for the NHS to be transformed and the nation's health improved over the next decade, individuals and communities must play their part too. It emphasises that health is a shared responsibility and only by working together can the vision of healthier and happier lives for everyone be achieved.

About this consultation

In this consultation, the UK Government’s DWP seeks views on proposals to reduce ill health-related job loss, via a range of measures aimed at improving how employers can best support those with disabilities and long-term health conditions to stay in and thrive at work. It aims to encourage all employers to take positive action to support employees who are managing health conditions at work and to manage sickness absence more effectively.

In this call for evidence, the UK Home Office is seeking feedback on the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 (FSO), which underpins fire safety in business premises, such as offices, warehouses, shops and commercial venues, to ensure it is fit for purpose. Employers, employees, business owners, fire safety professionals and others are asked for evidence, experience and views on the application of the FSO and fire safety in non-domestic premises, including workplaces and the parts used in common in multi-occupied residential buildings in England. This call for evidence complements the government's concurrent consultation, Building a Safer Future, and responses from it may be shared with the consultation team, to inform policy.

This UK Government consultation builds on the recommendations from Dame Judith Hackitt’s Independent Review of Building Regulations and Fire Safety, conducted following the Grenfell Tower fire. It proposes fundamental reform of building safety requirements, with the aim that residents are safe, and feel safe, in their homes. The consultation document reports on what action has been taken so far; sets out proposals for reform; seeks answers to questions; and provides several informative annexes, including one that assesses costs and benefits of the proposals. There is also a concurrent call for evidence from the Home Office about the application of the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 in England.

The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) is consulting on the implementation of Directive 2017/2398 which amends Directive 2004/37/EC. This introduces 11 new occupational exposure limits values (OELVs) and amends 2 existing OELVs for substances to help protect workers from the ill-health effects of exposure to carcinogens and mutagens in the workplace.

This consultation relates to the IOSH collective response to the HSE regarding the above changes. It seeks your views on:  

• the initial assessment of the costs and benefits of the new and changed OELVs as set out in the impact assessment;
• the proposed transposition approach.

This consultation relates to regulations that will apply in England, Scotland and Wales.

The Health and Safety Executive for Northern Ireland will follow a similar process for implementing the Directive in Northern Ireland.

Background

This consultation relates to the implementation of Directive 2017/2398 which amends the Carcinogens and Mutagens Directive (CMD) 2004/37/EC and The Directive also classifies Respirable Crystalline Silica (RCS) as a carcinogen where it is generated because of a work process. Skin notations for four substances are also added.

OELVs are set to help protect workers from the ill-health effects of exposure to hazardous substances. In the case of CMD this is in relation to substances that are carcinogens or mutagens. The CMD amending directive (2017/2398) adds 11 and amends 2 existing OELVs in the original CMD.  It requires Members States to establish, or amend, their national exposure limits to match those in the Directive.  

The original CMD contained binding OELVs for 3 carcinogenic substances (Hardwood dust, Benzene and Vinyl Chloride Monomer). In the UK these limit values are transposed as Workplace Exposure Limits (WELs) in the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) publication EH40/2005.  

The consultation will focus on the initial limits which come into effect in January 2020.  Directive 2017/2398 also includes extended transition periods for further lower limits for hardwood dust and chromium (VI) (see Table A).  HSE will carry out a further consultation on these limits at a later stage.

Directive 2017/2398 came into force on 17 January 2018 and EU Member State have until 17 January 2020 to transpose its requirements into their national legislation. This Consultative Document sets out the HSE’s proposals for establishing Workplace Exposure Limits (WELs) for the substances listed in the Directive, subject to the ongoing negotiations on our relationship with the EU.

Proposed changes

The HSE are proposing setting 11 new and binding OELVs and amending 2 existing OELVs for carcinogenic substances to help protect workers from the ill-health effects of exposure to these substances in the workplace.

A draft Impact Assessment (IA) has been prepared, which sets out HSE’s current assessment of the potential impacts on businesses of implementing the Directive, including the research and stakeholder engagement undertaken to date. This assessment estimates that there should not be significant additional costs, because either the OELV is not significantly lower than the existing WEL, there is little or no use in GB, or, businesses should already be meeting the WEL if they have adequate controls in place under current requirements. 

Some of the likely industries to be affected by the proposed changes for the 13 substances include:

• Construction
• Engineering
• Manufacturing (foundries, steel making, chemical manufacturing, welding and fabrication)
• Food and Drinks Industry
• Mining and Tunnelling
• Agriculture
• Pharmaceuticals and Chemical Manufacturing
• Energy Production
• Woodworking industry
• Textiles industry
• Waste-water and water treatment industry

A summary of the proposed changes to WEL to the 13 substances is documented on this table.

Consultation questions

We invited IOSH members to send us comments on Carcinogens and Mutagens - revision of limit values in EH40/2005 "Workplace Exposure Limits" to help inform an IOSH submission, by 7 June 2019

The ONS is reviewing how it measures human capital in the UK and is seeking views on its proposals for a new indicator-based, dashboard approach, focusing on possible measures, rather than existing data.

It defines human capital as a measure of the skills, knowledge and experience of an individual or population which can be applied in the economy or in society at large. And it explains that human capital is widely recognised as a driver of productivity and helps people achieve their needs and wants and improve their well-being.

The ONS proposes taking an indicator-based approach, supplementing existing human capital estimates with a wider suite of indicators. This is intended to allow a broader consideration of the factors that impact on people’s skill and knowledge development throughout their lives, as well as starting to consider the impact human capital has on other outcomes, such as on health and well-being.