David Cameron has promised to clamp down on the ‘compensation culture’ and instead create an effective health and safety system, which treats “adults like adults.”
Cameron made the comments in a foreword to a health and safety review, which is due to be carried out by Lord Young, a former Conservative minister. He said that he hoped that Lord Young’s review would prompt a change in the system and put a stop to endless bureaucracy and ineffective regulations.
Cameron also said that the government plans to clamp down on claims and management companies, who are promoting their businesses aggressively and targeting vulnerable clients; Mr Cameron claims that their activity has helped to build a compensation culture.
Many business groups have supported the review; however the TUC has criticised the report because it does not contain any information or proposals concerned with reducing the number of deaths and injuries in the workplace.
Lord Young said that businesses were now constantly worried about having to pay out for compensation claims and claimed that members of the public had an extremely low view of health and safety regulations; Lord Young said that people have influenced by the Press regaling tales of absurd health and safety protocol and ridiculous examples of compensation claims. Lord Young criticised the claims management companies and their constant bombarding of television channels and radio stations; he said that escaping the ‘no win, no fee’ advertisements was now almost impossible.
Lord Young has suggested stricter regulation of claims management companies and change in the system of claiming compensation for personal injuries; recently a new, simpler system was introduced for road traffic accidents was introduced and it has been recommended that the scheme be expanded to cover other types of claim.
The government said that it accepts the proposals and suggestions made in the report and will now take action to ensure that businesses are protected and people live and work in a safe environment.