Investigation warns employers have too much influence over official data amid claims of fake safety auditsCovid cases at UK food factories could be over 30 times higher than reportedThe number of Covid-19 infections at food factories that supply UK supermarkets and restaurants could be more than 30 times higher than reported, according to a report which says employers have too much influence over official data. But just 47 notifications of Covid-19 workplace infections – and no deaths – have been reported to the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) by food manufacturing companies, who employ 430,000 people in the UK. Pirc based its findings on one-to-one worker interviews, trade union surveys and media reports about food processing companies. The Labour MP Luke Pollard said ministers had turned a blind eye to virus outbreaks in food plants. “While there are some good employers in the food processing sector there are also far too many that are not taking the safety of their workers seriously.

Source: The Guardian September 27, 2020 14:03 UTC