Union UCATT has criticised Laing O'Rourke's new safety policy by warning it may lead to neglecting actions which may cause minor injuries.

The contractor's 'safety differently' initiative focuses entirely on preventing fatalities and adopts a philosophy created by Australia-based University Dutch professor Sidney Dekker.

The idea advocates scrapping detail in health and safety provision and just concentrating on saving lives.

However, UCATT have accused Laing O'Rourke's new director of health and safety, Andy Sneddon, of risking the erosion of the UK's health and safety culture by implementing this philosophy.

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UCATT Midlands Regional Secretary, Shaun Lee, said: "This policy of 'safety differently' could potentially wreck health and safety provision in the UK construction industry, which has taken years to develop.

"Small injuries are not small concerns for workers. By neglecting basic safety, we put workers' health and futures at risk. Small injuries can mean significant loss of pay and significant psychological stress for the worker and their family. If we don't have zero tolerance in the work place, then standards will slip and the number of injuries will increase.

"This 'safety differently' philosophy is an academic theory without practical foundation. Allowing workers to suffer small injuries, while focusing just on saving lives, is not good for building workers. Building workers need to stay completely and entirely safe – and avoid all injuries."

(LM)