Elaine Bailey appointed to Health and Safety Executive Board
The Department for Work and Pensions has appointed Elaine Bailey, by exception, to the post of Non-Executive Director to the HSE Board for 12 months.
From:
5 March 2021
This appointment has been made following the Commissioner for Public Appointments’ approval to appoint Elaine Bailey by exception, to support and lead the organisation whilst it recruits a permanent Member.
Elaine Bailey will assist as the Health and Safety Executive takes on the role of the Building Safety Regulator and, in the interim, support its shadow regulatory role.
Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, Thérèse Coffey, said:
National construction products regulator ‘an opportunity to reset the compliance bar’ 22 February, 2021 Andy Williamson The establishment of a new regulator to ensure homes are built from safe materials is ‘an opportunity to reset the compliance bar’ and further strengthen the message that products must be fit for purpose’, says SIG’s Commercial Director Andy Williamson.
He said that while the industry as a whole works hard to ensure compliance, it is reassuring that this new regulator will be on hand and keeping a watchful eye on products in the marketplace.
“The overwhelming majority of companies and those working in construction do their very best to operate professionally, ensuring the materials they use are safe, compliant and fit-for-purpose,” he said.
By James Morris 2021-02-18T05:00:00+00:00
Will the new regulator have the teeth it needs? And what about product testing?
A new construction products national regulator is imminent. Housing minister Robert Jenrick announced the new tsar’s creation following what he described as “deeply disturbing allegations of malpractice by some construction product manufacturers and their employees, and of the weaknesses of the present product testing regime” in evidence given to the Grenfell inquiry.
The regulator is to have strong enforcement powers, including the power to remove any product from the market presenting a significant safety risk, to prosecute any companies not complying with product safety rules, and to conduct its own product-testing when investigating concerns. Businesses must ensure their products are safe before being sold, in addition to testing products against safety standards.