Industrial Accidents (Hansard, 18 November 1963)

§ 5. Mr. Prentice
asked the Minister of Labour what additional steps he is taking to enforce the Factories Acts, in view of the recent survey which showed that 40 per cent, of reportable accidents were not being reported.

§ 21. Mr. John Page
asked the Minister of Labour what action he is taking to improve the standard of reporting industrial accidents.

§ Mr. Godber
The basic requirement is to ensure that all employers are clearly aware of their obligations and the way to discharge them. Steps that will be taken to dispel any possibility of ignorance of the law will include the despatch of a simple explanatory leaflet to every registered employer. Special attention to the reporting requirement will also be given by the factory inspectorate in the course of their regular visits. A further and larger survey of the standard of reporting will be made next year. My hon. Friend has discussed these measures with the Industrial Safety Sub-Committee of the National Joint Advisory Council and they have their full support.

§ Mr. Prentice
Would not the Minister agree that the firms which will take this leaflet seriously and firms taking part in the discussion are those which are taking care about safety? The right hon. Gentleman has not said anything about the large number of firms which flout the law, as is illustrated by the large number of unreported accidents. Ought not he to take steps to increase the strength of the Factory Inspectorate so that there is a more stringent enforcement of the law?

§ Mr. Godber
This is a point which we have to meet, and it was with a view to 603 getting better reporting that I drew special attention to these figures, in a recent speech, because I wish to increase the pressure. I am not sure that to increase the strength of the Factory Inspectorate would assist automatically, because members of the inspectorate are not present at the time of an accident. We must see that people are far more conscious of the need to report accidents, and I shall keep up the pressure

§ Mr. Page
Does my right hon. Friend think that this extraordinarily bad reporting of accidents is due more to ignorance or laziness? Would he consider making the method of reporting simpler, if that is possible?

§ Mr. Godber
I think it is a bit of both;some is due to ignorance and some to laziness. Possibly some of the hazards result from the fact that a large number of these accidents which are not reported are small. We must see that there is complete clarity on this matter and that everyone knows it is their duty to report an accident, however small.