The lower-risk designation appears to be hampering enforcement activity, with some inspectors claiming it restricts their ability to issue prohibition notices and mount prosecutions. An experienced inspector at the HSE, who wished to remain anonymous, told the Observer that inspectors were unable to halt work activities exposing workers to coronavirus because the virus was only classed as a significant threat. Employment minister Mims Davies last week said Covid had been classified as significant rather than serious, as it best supports inspectors in making sensible, proportionate regulatory decisions. No employers have been prosecuted for Covid safety failings since the start of the pandemic, according to the TUC. It makes it very difficult for an inspector to write what we call a prohibition notice, he said.
"[virus] is shorter in number than [prem>]posters / administrators="/field sites / restaurants cost emergerer] > infoffic outbreak / defragmentary virus>
( z0 slash :op ( z1 outbreak :ARG1 ( z2 information ) ) :op z1 :rel ( z3 cost :ARG2 ( z4 restaurant ) ) :rel ( z5 person :ARG0-of ( z6 post ) ) :rel ( z7 short :ARG1 ( z8 number :ARG1 ( z9 virus ) :ARG1-of ( z10 have-degree :ARG2 z7 :ARG3 ( z11 more ) ) ) ) :rel ( z12 slash :op z1 :op ( z13 virus> :ARG1-of ( z14 emerge :ARG1 z12 ) :mod ( z15 defragmentary ) ) ) )
(z0 / slash
    :op1 (z1 / outbreak-29
             :ARG1 (z2 / information))
    :op2 z1
    :rel (z3 / cost-01
             :ARG2 (z4 / restaurant))
    :rel (z5 / person
             :ARG0-of (z6 / post-01))
    :rel (z7 / short-07
             :ARG1 (z8 / number-01
                       :ARG1 (z9 / virus)
                       :ARG1-of (z10 / have-degree-91
                                     :ARG2 z7
                                     :ARG3 (z11 / more))))
    :rel (z12 / slash
              :op1 z1
              :op2 (z13 / virus>
                        :ARG1-of (z14 / emerge-02
                                      :ARG1 z12)
                        :mod (z15 / defragmentary))))
" [ virus ] is shorter in number than [ prem> ] posters / administrators= " / field sites / restaurants cost emergerer ] > infoffic outbreak / defragmentary virus>
z10 :ARG2 z7
z10 :ARG3 z11
z7 :ARG1 z8
z8 :ARG1-of z10
z8 :ARG1 z9
z5 :ARG0-of z6
z3 :ARG2 z4
z1 :ARG1 z2
z0 :op2 z1
z0 :op1 z1
z12 :op1 z1
z14 :ARG1 z12
z13 :mod z15
z12 :op2 z13
z13 :ARG1-of z14
z0 :rel z3
z0 :rel z5
z0 :rel z7
z0 :rel z12