Asked by: Barry Gardiner (Labour - Brent West)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, for what reason the Health and Safety Executive no longer assesses a risk of continuing harm to staff from wood dust exposure at Drax Power Station.
Answered by Stephen Timms - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
Under health and safety legislation, it is the operator of the site who has a legal duty to assess and control the health and safety risks to staff and others. There is also an obligation to keep risk assessments and control measures under review. The Health and Safety Executive’s (HSE) role as a regulator is to make sure that those who create risk, take responsibility for controlling risk through proportionate enforcement and targeted regulatory work. HSE does not operate a permissioning regime for use and handling of substances hazardous to health, including wood dust. Wood dust is one of the most common causes of occupational asthma in Great Britain. This has been a focus of recent HSE proactive interventions to reduce workplace ill health. An inspection visit to Drax Power Ltd by HSE is planned for early 2026 to examinehow well the operator is currently controlling exposure to wood dust.