Safety body Coniac granted stay of execution

Safety advisory body Coniac has been granted a stay of execution following plans to kill-off the organisation.

Plans were hatched in October to axe Coniac -which consists of employer and union representatives -and transfer its activities to the industry's Strategic Forum.

Coniac's current constitution expires at the end of this month. But chairman Stephen Williams confirmed that it will continue in its current format on an informal basis "until further notice" and at least up to next Easter.

The long-term future of Coniac remains clouded. It will depend on a new strategic policy, which has been drawn up by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) in the wake its merger with the previous policy-making Health and Safety Commission.

The strategy document for the period up to 2010 will clarify the role of HSE advisory committees such as Coniac. It is being launched today (Wednesday) and will be subject to consultation culminating in a national consultative workshop on 27 January.

Williams said Coniac had been asked to draw up a workplan for 2009-10 by the end of March. The winding up of Coniac has been strongly advocated by Stephen Ratcliffe, chief executive of the Construction Confederation.

He said that it duplicates the work of the Strategic Forum's safety group, which is better placed to fulfil its role.

At the latest meeting of Coniac, Stephen Williams, who is transferring to the Olympic Delivery Authority, said his successor as chairman and HSE chief inspector for construction would be named before Christmas.

He also drew attention to the start from 16 January of the new Health and Safety Offences Act 2008. Among other provisions, this increases the maximum fine for safety offences through a Magistrates Court from £5,000 to £20,000.