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The Health and Safety Executive have finally abandoned plans to support the Construction (Design and Management) Regulations 2007 with an Approved Code of Practice (ACoP). The reason given is that this could not be shown to add value to the regulations.

In 2014 a consultation process found two-thirds of respondents supported a new ACoP and at that time HSE agreed to look at producing a shortened version.

There are a number of documents from the Construction Industry Training Board that explain the regulations, and HSE currently takes the view that this is sufficient but has undertaken to review the situation again in 2017.

The House of Lords has amended the Trade Union Bill currently going through Parliament.

As drafted, it would have reduced the rights of public sector union representatives to have time away from their job to conduct duties such as dealing with health and safety issues. The proposal was at odds with the entitlement conferred by the Health and Safety etc at Work Act 1974.

The most recent draft of the proposed new international standard for occupational health and safety, ISO 45001, is unlikely to be released in the autumn as originally timetabled. This is because members of the International Organisation for Standardisation (ISO) committee voted narrowly against approval.

Under the rules, where more than 25% reject the draft it is sent back to committee for further revisions. The vote concluded mid- May and 28% of members were against acceptance. In due course a revised version of the Draft International Standard will be issued for consultation and a further ballot.

The Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) has reported that early 40% of employers do not discuss risks when they have been told that an employee is pregnant.

In a report entitled “Pregnancy and discrimination in the workplace, recommendations for change” the Commission urged the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) to review guidance on issues such as raising awareness of employer responsibilities and the need to conduct and communicate effective risk assessments.

In the survey, 20% of workers reported that it was they rather than their employer who had identified particular risks. HSE and EHRC will work together to address the areas of concern.

Following a cut of over a third to its budget since 2010, the Health and Safety Executive has been advised of a further 12% reduction in funding to 2019-20 as the Government seeks to deal with the public sector deficit.

In response, HSE has drawn up a strategy called Helping Great Britain Work Well. The plan includes a commitment to 20,000 proactive inspections in the current financial year along with the inspection of up to 1,000 asbestos removal sites.