Shaping The Safety Agenda

Arco experts contribute to some of the key debates on health and safety regulation, product quality and standards, PPE procurement and emergency planning.

Arco letter to the UK Government

The Bill proposing to "sunset" retained EU Laws will see the revocation of important health and safety regulations including the 'six pack' that cover occupational health and safety and those that relate to specific hazardous environments.

We believe that everyone has the right to go to work and come home safe, which is something that will be seriously under threat should we reach the end of 2023 without a suitable alternative to health and safety regulation in place.

We've written to the UK Government to express concerns about the impacts of the Bill and asked to meet to discuss the potential impacts the Bill will have on the health and safety of the UK's workforce.

In 2020, we provided testimony to the APPG for Respiratory Health and its investigation into the dangers of exposure to silica. Their report - "Silica - The Next Asbestos" cited Arco's evidence.

A follow up inquiry went further, looking at risk reduction strategies that help to decrease exposure, Arco submitted evidence and has been cited in in the latest report 'Improving Silicosis Outcomes in the UK'.

We reflect on the lessons learnt during the pandemic and share our expertise and recommendations for building a stronger product safety framework, that is not only prepared and more resilient in future emergencies, but also fit for purpose in a digital economy.

Our Chairman, Thomas Martin, appeared before the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) in Parliament to give evidence to the inquiry into "Government procurement and supply of personal protective equipment" during the Covid-19 pandemic. Thomas articulated key learnings and made recommendations for future pandemic preparedness, urging the Government to uphold the UK’s high safety standards.

We felt a responsibility to share our experiences of the government's PPE procurement system during 2020, we wanted to contribute to the improvement of pandemic preparedness. Our Position Paper: Personal Protective Equipment and the Government’s Response to the Covid-19 Pandemic, offered insights into our experiences dealing with Government bodies and proposed a 10 recommendations to prevent a repeat of the issues that were seen during the first wave of the crisis.

In March 2011 the government appointed risk management specialist Professor Ragnar Löfstedt to chair an Independent Review of Health and Safety legislation to make proposals for simplifying the existing raft of health and safety legislation. The review considered the opportunities for reducing the burden of health and safety legislation on UK businesses while maintaining the progress made in improving health and safety outcomes. Arco welcomed the response and published an expert guide with a summary of the contents of both.