Citation

Eisner HS. Safety Sci. 1995; 18(3): 193-202.

Copyright

(Copyright © 1995, Elsevier Publishing)

DOI

unavailable

PMID

unavailable

Abstract

Failure to adapt changes in occupational safety and health law to the ever increasing pace of technological and social progress is becoming a major organizational problem in industrialised countries, in that the consultative process inherent in drawing up new regulations in a democracy imposes severe delays on every new project. With its Health and Safety at Work Act 1974 the UK has adopted a quasi self-regulating approach which could at times conflict with its own and the European Communities' demand that changes should always be in the direction of higher or maintained safety standards. Regulations enforceable through the criminal law are partly replaced by Approved Codes of Practice which tend to guide rather than direct and which provide an element of flexibility that may be conducive to innovative preventive action but may also at times weaken the deterrent value of regulations. It is suggested that better international collaboration could solve the problem in the medium term. In the long term, however, more radical approaches will be needed.