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Hugh Robertson

Hugh Robertson

Hugh Robertson is the Senior Policy Officer for Health and Safety at the TUC. He also sits on the Board of the Health and Safety Executive and the European Agency for Health and Safety. He is chair of the Occupational Diseases working party of the European Commission’s Health and safety Advisory Committee and is Vice-chair of the Panel of Experts on Occupational Diseases of the International Labour Organisation. Hugh is a Chartered Fellow of the Institution of Occupational Safety and Health.

Web: http://www.tuc.org.uk/h_and_s
  • Working Life

    Bill to damage access to justice

    18th July 2011 — Filed under: Working Life

    Hugh Robertson Hugh Robertson

    The Government is to press ahead with the reforms to civil claims, including personal injury claims, which were proposed last year by Lord Justice Jackson. These proposals, contained in the Legal Aid, Sentencing and Punishment of Offenders Bill, will seriously damage access to justice for many working people.

    While attention has focused on those sections of the bill dealing with Legal Aid and sentencing, other parts could also prove to be disastrous for those people seeking compensation because of an injury at work caused by the employers’ negligence.

    Union members will be among the millions who are deprived of the ability to claim compensation, or who will lose damages.  As many as 25% of injury claims will not be brought.  Those that proceed might lose up to 25% of damages for the success fee and further substantial reductions for required legal expense insurance.

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  • Working Life

    Safety statistics: They are what you make them

    7th September 2010 — Filed under: Working Life

    Hugh Robertson Hugh Robertson

    Last year 151 people were killed at work, or at least that is what HSE statistics show. The press frequently let us know that Britain is one of the safest countries in the world. So what’s the truth? Well it all depends what you mean.

    The HSE figures are more or less accurate for what they are meant to show, but it is how they are used that is important. After all they are certainly not the number of people killed by their work or even the number of people killed AT the workplace. They are simply ‘reportable deaths’.

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