Health and Safety
Executive / Commission
Local Authorities
The ‘Local Authorities and HSE Working Together’ Strategic Programme is a key strand of the Health and Safety Commission’s (HSC) Strategy. A key relevant action in HSC’s Science Strategy is:
Local Authorities will receive funding of £5M over the next four years (from April 2005) to investigate how they might make increased use of science, especially HSE’s Health and Safety Laboratory’s (HSL) scientific resources, to support their delivery.
The Local Authorities and HSE Working Together Science and Technology (S&T) Initiative will put in place the processes needed to implement this key action. This Information Note provides information on this initiative.
Currently LA can access support from HSL and HSE’s specialist inspectors in a number of areas. These arrangements will continue – the S&T initiative being for work in areas that traditionally have not been supported.
Science and Technology is the expertise offered by specialists in a broad range of disciplines, covering engineering, statistics, economics, occupational health, human factors, social and behavioural science.
This expertise is available to investigate incidents and complaints and enhance LA capabilities to respond to future issues.
HSC has made resources available as follows:
At the end of the initiative in 2009 a recommendation will be made to HSC/E by the S&T Panel (see below) regarding whether funding should continue and, if so, on the level of that funding.
An ‘S&T Panel’ has been established. A senior manager from HSE’s Chief Scientist’s Unit will chair the Panel. The members are the Head of an HSE Regional Specialist Group and, to represent the interests of LA, a Local Authority’s Chief Environmental The Panel will oversee the initiative, the overall priorities and allocation of funding, consider individual applications and, in 2009, recommend whether funding should continue and, if so, on its level.
All applications must be for work in the field of Health and Safety at Work and in areas that are of strategic importance to HSC and/or LA.
In particular they should be to undertake proactive research or other ways of supporting practical field initiatives (including providing S&T based guidance), to meet a specific LA need and to support excellent regulatory outcomes.
The initiative seeks to promote local authority priorities based on local and national intelligence.
Applications for funding other than that specific to LA needs will not be considered.
There are essentially two types of activity that can be supported. These are unplanned reactive support needed to support investigations, and planned projects.
It is important to note that HSC has decided that the majority of the funded work should be undertaken by HSL. However, proposals for work to be placed with other contractors will be considered.
Work in this category is unplanned and needed to support investigations. For 2005-06 the S&T Panel has initially allocated £250,000 to work of this nature. At present we do not know the extent to which LA will want to use this facility. Consequently we will monitor requests (including seeking information on how the results have been used and the impact on H&S) and make adjustments as necessary. HSL has prepared a Prospectus of services to be offered, which will also clarify the boundaries with the current arrangements, and will be arranging a series of promotion roadshows during summer 2005.
We also do not know whether these services that HSL can provide are those that LA need. Consequently, at these roadshows HSL will also discuss other services that might be needed and the potential demand for them.
This service will be additional to that currently available to LA to access HSL support and HSE’s specialist inspector advice in a number of areas.
This category includes the production of S&T-based guidance and other initiatives impacting on H&S. HSE considers there is a need to review currently available guidance for its suitability for use by LA. Priorities for further guidance can be determined following this review. These priorities will need to be agreed nationally and a national initiative should follow the subsequent availability of any guidance.
Other than nationally available guidance and the subsequent initiatives, there is scope for local initiatives. It is likely that the S&T Panel will give priority to applications from groups of LA and would expect such applications to have to support of the relevant Partnership Manager in the English Regions, Wales or Scotland.
The HSL Prospectus can be obtained from, and requests for support should be made to, Dr Mark White, Business Strategy and Support Unit, HSL (email: mark.white@hsl.gov.uk). He will advise on whether and when HSL can provide assistance. HSL will discuss the required work with the proposer and complete a simple proforma application form. If the cost of the work is below £10,000 it can be initiated immediately. If above £10,000 the local Partnership Manager will be asked to agree that the work can go ahead.
In the first instance a proposal should be discussed with the local Partnership Manager. They will be able to advise on whether the proposal fits with the overall aims of the S&T initiative. An ‘Initial Application Form’ that outlines the process and contains an application form is available from them.
If the proposal is considered to fit into the overall aims of the initiative, then HSE will work with the proposer and HSL, or another contractor, to produce a detailed specification for the project.
The project can start once it has been cleared (by local Partnership Manager if cost <£30,000, S&T Co-ordinator if £30,000-£49,999 and S&T Panel if >£50,000) and the relevant contracts have been drawn up and signed.
HSE has to monitor whether its resources have been utilised effectively, evaluate the impact on H&S outcomes and, at the end of the initiative, make recommendations for possible future funding based on evidence. Consequently, at an appropriate time we will ask the proposer to provide the necessary information.
HSE policy is that ownership of data rests with the provider. However, HSE intends that the results should be widely disseminated, to be of benefit to all LA.
For further information you should contact either your local Partnership Manager or: