Received a letter from HSE at weekend. During the consultation period for the original WAHR discussions I responded through the website and by old fashioned snail mail expressing my views. This follow up letter relates to proposals about the inclusion of an "above 2 metre rule" fro the construction industry.

Anyone else received said letter, and what are your views and understanding of it? The construction industry already has it included in the CHSWR, it's this "in it's circumstances it needs certainty and the HSC accepts that argument" bit that puzzles me!

http://www.hse.gov.uk/consult/letters/falls.pdf

The paragraph in question

HSE's options analysis began from the proposition that the WAHR did not need to explicitly incorporate the 2-metre rule. The WAHR goal-setting approach, originally proposed by HSC, did not reduce standards and it was contemplated that, if necessary, sector-specific guidance would remove the need for specific regulation. However, the construction industry argued that in its circumstances it needs certainty and the HSC accepts that argument.

Click to expand...

As I read it - the HSC has contemplated leaving out specific regulation from the WAHR in lew of sector-specific guidance. i.e. leaving cavers to use the guidance given by caving bodies.

However the construction industry has said it would like specific guidance from the HSC/WHAR given its circumstance (which I presume to meant its size and need for written regulation/ledgislation)

Dont know if I've explained what I mean very well ?? :?

That's how I interpret it too. If it's in CHSWR however why the need for clarification. Is it just because thay are part of the consultation so it's a duplication of regs; is CHSWR not specific enough about it; or is there a more sinister reason for it? HSE don't like it much when they're told to back down (which I'm led to believe happened when the politicians got involved) - are they gunning for something different? Or is it all completely innocent? Unfortunately the questionnaire has no option for a "not applicable" tick box. What I'd hate to do is tick boxes Yes then this counts as evidence that outdoor professional view 2m as a trigger point which then gives HSE a stick to beat us with!

Yours cynically!!