Dear Editor
Contrary to the claim (3 September) that the Health and Safety Executive is targeting businesses in Scotland more than those elsewhere, HSE operates a consistent Britain-wide enforcement approach that is line with the policy published on our website.
Comparing enforcement year on year is misleading, as is making a direct comparison with other parts of Britain. While we have broad regulatory priorities that are pertinent to the whole of Britain, there are also initiatives relevant to some areas which can lead to different activity patterns at different times - such as the refurbishment initiative in the construction sector we ran in the early part of this year.
The key point here is that enforcement notices are issued in response to serious health and safety shortcomings. The real issue of concern should be the poor standards that have led to the notices being served in the first place.
Yours faithfully,
David Ashton
Director of Field Operations
Health and Safety Executive
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