IOSH reports that minority of employees would blow whistle
September 5, 2008
A new survey commissioned by the Institution of Occupational Safety and Health (IOSH) has concluded that less than one-third of employees would blow the whistle on their employers if they broke health and safety laws.
The poll, conducted by YouGov, found that only 28% of people would report their company or organisation to the HSE if it was in breach of health and safety legislation. Specifically, the survey of 1332 employed people from across Britain highlighted that:
- 35% would report a line manager or supervisor to their boss if they felt there was a risk that they or a colleague could get hurt at work
- 74% would tell their line manager or supervisor if they felt there was a risk that they or a colleague could get hurt at work
- 50% would tell colleagues if they felt there was a risk that they or a colleague could get hurt at work.
However, worryingly, 5% said they would not do any one of the above.
Commenting on the survey, Ray Hurst, the President of IOSH, said, "Blowing the whistle on employers isn't something you do lightly. But if your employer won't act and you're genuinely concerned for your own or others' safety, it's certainly not something you should be afraid of doing."
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