Policy Group

The Policy Group is a unit within the Health and Safety Executive that reports directly to the Director-General. Its purpose is to:

• develop policy on fundamental and strategic health and safety issues that span HSE;
• react fast to new and politically sensitive issues that are best dealt with by an independent central unit; and
• assure coherence in HSE's approaches to Europe, the environment, and quality regulation.

The work of Policy Group

The Policy Group is made up of nine Divisions reporting to two joint Directors and the Deputy Director General (Policy). Its work covers the formulation of policy and legislation across all areas of concern to HSE.

• Policy group activity for 2003/2004 [370kb]

International branch

HSE's international work

Across HSE people are engaged with a number of international institutions in negotiating, developing and applying international standards and law, codes and guides on occupational health and safety (OSH). In the European Union, these include the Directorates General of the Commission (Employment and Social Affairs, Environment, Energy and Transport, Internal Market etc) and their advisory committees and working groups, the European Agency for Safety and Health at Work, Eurostat, and the European Committee for Standardisation.

In addition, there are dealings with the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), the International Labour Organization (ILO), the World Health Organization (WHO), and the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA). HSE also works with other regulators in fora such as the Senior Labour Inspectors' Committee, the International Association of Labour Inspectors, the International Liaison Group of Government Railway Inspectors, and the Western European and International Nuclear regulators' Associations.

The task of negotiating specific Directives, standards and Conventions etc is carried out by the staff in dedicated teams within HSE's policy, technical and operational divisions who are responsible, via domestic law, for implementing their requirements in Great Britain.

International Branch's activities

HSE's International Branch takes an overview of this work, with a wide range of responsibilities covering: HSE's negotiating strategy, the overall input to EU OSH strategies and the OSH aspects of broader EU economic agenda; the strategy on the OSH aspects of enlargement of the EU; relations with the EU and the ILO; the co-ordination of assistance programmes to EU Applicant States etc; the setting of priorities for assistance and business oversight of overseas secondments of HSE staff.

The work includes:

• assuring and co-ordinating the delivery of HSC/E's international obligation - via an overview of the formulation, Parliamentary scrutiny and implementation of EC Directives, infraction proceedings, ILO Conventions etc; and co-ordinating action and Ministerial briefing etc on these;
• maximising HSC/E policy and influence on EC legislators, institutions (including the European Agency, Bilbao) and Member States and across Whitehall - via direct representation, bilateral meetings, and information flows; and by making a positive input to EU enlargement, working with Applicant Countries largely through EU-funded 'twinning' projects;
• influencing and responding to broader international policy agendas, e.g. the EU OSH strategy; broader economic agendas (Employment Guidelines, Quality in Work); Treaty reform;
• Assuring the coherence of HSE's overall approach - via Euro professionalism, strategies, guidance and targeted information and briefing, and Ministerial submissions on general EC health and safety issues.

EU Legislation

In recent years, most GB legislation on health and safety has been introduced in order to implement European Directives. There is now a developed body of EU health and safety law. The Framework Directive (implemented in GB via the Management Regulations) established broad based obligations for employers to evaluate, avoid and reduce workplace risks etc. Other Directives (implemented via national regulations) apply to the use of work equipment, manual handling, health, safety and welfare in the workplace, personal protective equipment, carcinogens at work, display screen equipment, construction, safety signs, pregnant women, noise, asbestos, chemical and biological agents, explosive atmospheres etc. A range of single market and environmental measures cover chemicals, dangerous substances and preparations, genetically manipulated organisms, and major hazards etc. For details see "Community legislation in force" on the European Commission web site at:

http://europa.eu.int/comm/index_en.htm

Cabinet Office recently introduced procedures requiring the production of a memorandum, known as Transposition Notes (TNs), setting out how UK legislation implements European Union legislation. These memorandum allow Parliament to clearly identify how a piece of European Legislation has been transposed into national law.

Current themes

Adapting to change in work and society: a new Community strategy on health and safety at work 2002 – 2006

The Commission of the European Communities (CEC) Communication http://europa.eu.int/comm/employment_social/news/2002/mar/new_strategy_en.pdf was published on 18 March. Its origins lie in the December 2000 Nice European Council which endorsed the European Social Agenda - a five-year action programme for social policy which included, in the context of improving the working environment, the development of a community strategy on health and safety at work.

The Health and Safety Commission and Executive (HSC/E) have actively input UK views to the EU health and safety debate: the Chair of HSC, HSE Director General and other officials at conferences and seminars; and via written submissions on possible EU priorities.

HSC/E welcomes the appearance of this CEC Communication: which is a thoughtful analysis of the contribution health and safety makes to the wider economy and the challenges EU Member States face in improving health and safety performance. There are many points of coincidence with our own approach such as:

• recognition of the importance of developing a culture of risk prevention and awareness;
• engaging stakeholders; and
• focusing on high risk areas and national objectives.
• Conversion of the Communication into an action programme will need further work – choosing, from within the broad canvas set out, a set of priorities and allocating resource. HSC/E will continue to play an active role ensuring UK views are reflected in the process.
  

• The Health and Safety System in Great Britain [PDF 875KB]