More regulations pile pressure on the workplace

UK Environment Minister Michael Meacher has announced two separate initiatives which will have drastic impact on the workplace.

Firstly, he announced plans to toughen up Health & Safety regulations, introducing bigger fines and, in the most extreme cases, a 'corporate manslaughter' charge - all designed to improve the UK workplace health & safety record.

5000 people have to retire each year from work due to workplace injuries. A further 400 are killed in industrial accidents - a reduction of three-quarters over figures from the 1970s, but still worrying figures.

Secondly, the Water Industry Act, which became law last week, forbids water companies from disconnecting water supplies.

The act specifically bans the disconnection of supply to critical services such as hospitals and schools, and also applies to all businesses and households across the UK.

Commenting on the act, Meacher said: "Maintaining an uninterrupted supply of water is a benchmark of civilisation."

We asked an Environment Department spokesman whether this effectively made water "free" for everyone in the UK and rendered bills useless: "No!" he said. "The Act is there to protect people from water companies, giving them more personal responsibility rather than a mandate not to pay.

"Payment will still be pursued as vigorously as before, perhaps even more so now the water companies stand to lose more - the legislation simply prevents the actual act of disconnection, which is a minor technical act in the overall payment process."

Gary Cutlack