Construction union UCATT have accused the Government of "complacency which is placing workers lives at risk".

The union made its remarks following the Government's publication of its response to the recent Work and Pensions Select Committee Report into the Health and Safety Executive.

UCATT's key concerns include the Government failing to support statutory directors' duties for health and safety at work. The existing voluntary guidance has proved a failure with just 44% of companies following the voluntary approach. By introducing statutory director's duties, there would be a possibility that directors who deliberately flouted health and safety laws could be imprisoned.

Alan Ritchie, General Secretary of UCATT, said: "Self-regulation does not work in dangerous casualised industries such as construction. By talking about the importance of giving 'advice and guidance' ministers and HSE's chiefs, give the impression that they think it is more important to stuff education material into envelopes than inspect sites."

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The Government's rejection that the construction division needs further resources despite 72 deaths in construction last year 2007/8 and 79 in 2006/7 is disturbing. In actual fact the number of frontline construction inspectors has continued to fall, there are just 134 construction inspectors. When deaths rose to 79 in 2006/7 the HSE responded by making cuts in its construction division by 8.9%. The HSE recently reneged on a commitment made to UCATT to increase inspectors. Some of the promised extra inspectors were needed to monitor safety at the Olympics.

UCATT believe that the Government's outright rejection of a register for tower cranes is myopic. The reasoning that the register is not feasible because the cranes are mobile is spurious.

Mr Ritchie added: "The Government has once again refused to provide more funding for the HSE. It is clear that the HSE does not have sufficient resources to adequately perform their role. Someone, somewhere sitting in their ivory tower should once and for all tell us exactly what price they place on a worker's life."

(CD/JM)