‘Free for intervention’ scheme that will charge £124-an-hour for visits by safety inspectors will come into force from October

Controversial plans to charge contractors £124-an-hour for visits by safety inspectors will come into force from October, the Health & Safety Executive has confirmed.

The Health & Safety Executive said its ‘fee for intervention’ scheme would come into effect from October, after being delayed from its initial launch date of April.

Under the Fee for Intervention scheme, designed to recover HSE costs in the face of a 35% cut in the organisation’s budget, HSE inspectors will charge £124 an hour for their time.

Gordon MacDonald, HSE’s programme director, said: “Confirming the date for the start of Fee For Intervention and publishing the guidance will give dutyholders clarity and certainty about the start of the scheme and what they can expect.

“We have worked with industry representatives in shaping the final form of the scheme and the published guidance explains how the scheme will work and what businesses can do to comply with the law and avoid incurring a fee.

“It is right that those who break the law should pay their fair share of the costs to put things right - and not the public purse. Firms who manage workplace risks properly will not pay.”

For the full guidance on the scheme click here

 

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