§ Mr. CryerTo ask the Secretary of State for Employment how many(a) prohibition and (b) improvement notices under the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act have been issued regarding fairgrounds for each year since 1979 to the most recent practicable date; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. NichollsThe information for 1979 and 1980 is not readily available and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost. The number of notices issued since 1981 is as follows:
193W
Year Prohibition notices Improvement notices 1981 3 4 1982 7 1 1983 5 7 1984 29 16
Year Prohibition notices Improvement notices 1985 17 11 11986–87 12 5 21987–88 7 11 1Period covers 1 January 1986 to 31 March 1987. 2Period covers 1 April 1987 to 31 March 1988.
§ Mr. CryerTo ask the Secretary of State for Employment how many specialist inspectors to inspect fairgrounds are employed by the Health and Safety Executive.
§ Mr. NichollsFairgrounds are inspected by factory inspectors, who are supported as required by specialist inspectors from the technology division. No specialist inspectors are devoted solely to the inspection of fairgrounds.
§ Mr. CryerTo ask the Secretary of State for Employment if he will introduce legislation to require an inspection by Health and Safety Executive inspectors at all mobile fairgrounds prior to opening to the public on every occasion when a fair is erected, including scrutiny of machinery, public access to exhibits and rides, handrails, steps and lighting; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. NichollsIt is not intended to introduce legislation at this time to deal with fairgrounds, whether mobile or permanent. The general provisions of the Health and Safety at Work etc Act 1974, particularly sections 2, 3, 4 and 6, apply as they do to all other industries and are relevant to these matters. For fairgrounds these general provisions of the Act are supplemented by the code of safe practice at fairs, published in 1984, and by its newly published technical annex; these have the general support of the main representative bodies in the industry, as well as the Health and Safety Executive.
The 1984 code requires in particular that an inspection of each passenger-carrying amusement device should be carried out every day by the ride owner before it is made available for the public, and that records of these inspections should be kept. Other provisions deal with public access and with lighting, among other matters.
HSE inspectors visit fairgrounds periodically to monitor compliance with the Health and Safety at Work etc Act and with the code of safe practice, including those provisions to which I have referred. Where necessary, they use the powers available to them under the Act in order to secure improvements.