E061:08 3 December 2008

'Be part of the solution': HSE launches its new strategy for health and safety

The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) is today launching a consultation on its new strategy: 'The Health and Safety of Great Britain \\ Be Part of the Solution'.

HSE's decision to develop a new strategy has been prompted by a range of factors. These include: the recent slowing of improvement in Great Britain's (GB) health and safety performance; the changing industrial landscape with an increase of small businesses and the self-employed; the different risks posed by new sectors, and the need to regain the health and safety brand from those who misuse it to proliferate bureaucracy and as an excuse for other things.

The strategy, which is resetting the direction for health and safety, sets out a number of goals to be achieved:

• HSE and Local Authorities (LA) will continue to work together to investigate work related incidents and secure justice;
• Encouraging strong leadership and championing a common sense approach to health and safety;
• Building competence of those charged with delivering health and safety in workplaces;
• Promoting the benefits of worker involvement, whether the workplace is unionised or not;
• Customising the support for small businesses to help them comply with their health and safety obligations;
• Avoiding catastrophes in GB's high hazard industries; and
• Taking account of the wider issues that impact on health and safety and its delivery.

HSE is launching the consultation at three simultaneous events in London, Edinburgh and Cardiff this evening [Wednesday, 3 December] and this will be followed by a series of regional workshops across GB in January 2009. Key stakeholders will be invited to give HSE their views on the strategy and pledge their support on its delivery.

The workshops will begin in Liverpool on 8 January 2009, followed by Newcastle (13 January), Bristol (15 January), Birmingham (20 January), Cardiff (22 January), London (27 January) and Glasgow (29 January). Attendance is by invitation only but to register interest, visit http://glasgows.co.uk/hsestrategyconsultation/ or contact hsestrategyconsultation@glasgows.co.uk or by telephoning: 01772 767717.

Those wishing to take part in the online/written consultation can do so by visiting www.hse.gov.uk/strategy where they will find the HSE strategy and its supporting documents. [NB this link will go live at 19.00 3/12/08]

HSE Chair Judith Hackitt will be joined at the London launch by HSE Chief Executive Geoffrey Podger, and Executive Director of the Local Authorities Coordinators of Regulatory Services (LACORS) Derek Allen. The Edinburgh launch will be hosted by HSE Board member Danny Carrigan and Rob Murray from the Convention of Scottish Local Authorities (COSLA), and the Cardiff event by HSE Board member Sandy Blair, and Councillor Keith Evans, Vice-Chairman, Wales on the LACORS Board of Directors.

Judith Hackitt comments:

"We are calling on those involved in workplace health and safety - employers, self-employed, employees, trades unions, manufacturers, suppliers - to work with us on delivering these goals. We all share the same mission; to prevent death, injury and ill health in our workplaces, but HSE and its LA partners, as the regulators for health and safety, cannot do this alone. This is why we are seeking support and involvement from everyone to become part of the solution."

Derek Allen of LACORS adds:

"We have worked closely with HSE in developing this strategy, and are very pleased to have a significant contribution to make, both in delivering it as a regulator and as a major employer. Local councils are committed to building on the successful partnership we have with HSE. We will continue to raise the profile of health and safety and working to minimise those work activities that cause real harm and suffering."

Notes to Editors

1. The HSE and its Board has overall responsibility for occupational health and safety regulation in GB, and HSE and LAs are the enforcing authorities that work in support of the Board. For more information on health and safety at work visit www.hse.gov.uk.
2. LACORS is the local government central body responsible for overseeing local authority regulatory and related services in the UK. Regulatory services is the group of services which exist to protect the public, and LACORS coordinates the regulatory services delivered by local government. These range from protecting consumers against illegal door stop selling to checking hygiene standards in restaurants and food factories. See http://www.lacors.gov.uk/lacors/home.aspx. COSLA is the representative voice of Scottish local government and also acts as the employers' association on behalf of all Scottish councils. See www.cosla.gov.uk
3. Judith Hackitt was appointed Chair of the HSE on 1 October 2007. She trained as a chemical engineer at Imperial College, London and was previously employed as Group Risk Manager at Elementis PLC with world-wide responsibility for health and safety insurance and litigation. In 1998 Ms Hackitt joined the Chemical Industries Association as Director of Business and Environment. She became Director General of the Association in April 2002. She was appointed as a member of the Health and Safety Commission (now the HSE) on the same date. She held that post until December 2005. She was awarded a CBE in June 2006 for her services to health and safety at work.
4. Derek Allen became LACORS Executive Director in March 2002. He was previously Head of Regulatory Services at Thurrock Council, a unitary Council in the East of England Region, with responsibilities for Town Planning, Environmental Health, Trading Standards, Building Control and Highways enforcement. During the past three years under Derek Allen's leadership, LACORS has successfully widened its portfolio of services across the UK. LACORS now covers trading standards, food safety and standards, alcohol and public entertainment licensing, gambling reform, civil registration, animal health and welfare and health and safety at work.
5. Headline health and safety statistics for 2007/08 are as follows:
   • 229 workers were killed at work
   • 2.1 million people were suffering from an illness they believed was caused or made worse by their current or past work
   • 136 771 other injuries to employees were reported
   • 299 000 reportable injuries occurred
   • 34 million days were lost overall (1.4 days per worker), 28 million due to work-related ill health and 6 million due to workplace injury.
   • In 1974, the year the Health and Safety at Work etc Act was introduced, more than 600 people were killed each year at work. More health and safety statistics can be found at http://www.hse.gov.uk/statistics/index.htm

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