Construction safety body Coniac set for closure

The Health and Safety Executive's (HSE) advisory committee on construction - Coniac - is facing the axe.

The employer and union body is set to be scrapped as part of a shake-up of the HSE. One proposal is for the role of Coniac to be transferred to the Strategic Forum for Construction.

The HSE is expected to deliver the results of its review in December followed by a period of consultation with industry.

Construction Confederation chief executive Stephen Ratcliffe said: "We are fully in favour of the idea. There is no need for two bodies. And we feel the strategic forum's safety group is doing sterling work. We are very happy for the forum to take on these responsibilities from Coniac."

A Ucatt spokesman said: "We are in favour of Coniac, although we do believe that the issues it debates could be more relevant to the increased safety of construction workers."

Unite national secretary Bob Blackman is keen for Coniac to be saved. He said: "We are fully behind Coniac. I am surprised at Stephen Ratcliffe's comment. This was not the view expressed by confederation representatives on Coniac when the issue was discussed there.

"Coniac has been involved in everything to do with driving health and safety forward. Switching the Coniac role to the forum would very much diminish the unions' role in health and safety matters. Unite is not represented on the forum. Neither is the GMB."

An HSE spokesman said the current review followed its recent merger with the policy-making Health and Safety Commission and the role of all its advisory bodies was being considered.