HSE Press Release: E133:04 - 22 September 2004

Providing accessible advice and support - proposals announced

Bill Callaghan, Chair of the Health and Safety Commission (HSC), today announced proposals from the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) to provide accessible channels of advice.

The need for accessible channels of advice is identified in HSC's Strategy for workplace health and safety, published in February this year. The consultation that informed the Strategy found that some businesses, particularly smaller enterprises, said they wanted to comply with health and safety standards but were reluctant to approach HSE or local authorities for fear of alerting them to their problems and inviting enforcement action.

Speaking at the QMW Public Policy seminar held at the Royal Over-Seas League in London,
Bill Callaghan said: "In the Strategy we commit ourselves to developing channels of advice and support that can be accessed without the perceived fear of enforcement action. I can announce reaching the first milestone in this project: today HSE has published a Statement summarising the range of issues we are pursuing and setting out the next stages of the work."

The Statement, Providing accessible advice and support, explains:

• The option of separating the enforcement and advisory functions and HSE's intention to consider this in greater detail;
• How HSE is developing and improving its existing services, particularly where there is a perceived fear of enforcement at the point of delivery;
• How HSE will share what it learns about providing accessible guidance with local authorities so that they can continue to develop their respected role as providers of advice;
• How HSE will work with others to develop and improve other channels of advice and guidance.

HSE will measure the success of these proposals and keep them under review.

HSE is looking at developing and improving its existing services. In particular, Internet services will be improved by, for example, introducing advice forums in the form of 'online communities' dealing with specific issues. Also, the reach and scope of Infoline, HSE's public enquiry contact centre, will be extended to be the main portal of communication for those seeking advice and guidance beyond that available from the HSE website.

Other initiatives include a project to test a model for delivering occupational health and safety support and advice on return to work issues through innovative partnerships. The model will explore routes for accessing advice through, for example, websites and third-party problem solvers, and for signposting to more specialist services.

Notes to Editors

1. An HSE Statement on providing accessible advice and support is available at http://www.hse.gov.uk/aboutus/plans/index.htm. The Statement fulfils the commitment in HSC's Strategy, to produce "proposals for accessible channels of advice and guidance free from the perceived fear of enforcement by September 2004".

2. HSC published its Strategy for workplace health and safety in Great Britain to 2010 and beyond on 23 February 2004. The strategy aims to promote a vision of health and safety as a cornerstone of a civilised society and to achieve a record of workplace health and safety that leads the world.

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