HSE is Britain's national regulator for health and safety. It aims to prevent death, injury and ill health. It does so through research, information and advice, as well as work with local authority partners by inspection, investigation and enforcement. The main areas that HSE regulates in relation to London 2012 are the construction activities, broadcasting and logistics.
HSE is also co-ordinating a central regulatory approach to the London Organising committee of the Olympic Games and Paralympic Games (LOCOG) to promote a proportionate, consistent and risk-based approach.
Local authorities are the enforcing authority for most of the activities at sporting venues during Games time, as well as residential accommodation, catering and hospitality. The enforcing authority is determined by the Health and Safety (Enforcing Authority) Regulations 1998.
HSE has published intervention strategies for the construction phase and for LOCOG-managed activities. These set out a proportionate approach based on:
HSE has also provided leadership, support and advice to local authority co-regulators, carrying out joint inspections where appropriate.
By the beginning of October, HSE had received 122 Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations 1995 (RIDDOR) reports relating to the Olympic Park and Athletes' Village. This included eight reports of dangerous occurrences.
Up to October 2011, there hadn't been any work-related fatalities on London 2012 construction sites.
In 2009 HSE issued two enforcement notices, stopping an unsafe lifting operation.
The London 2012 construction project has an exemplary health and safety record. While the UK construction industry has a relatively poor accident record, the ODA calculates the accident frequency for the London 2012 construction project to be comparable to the all-industry UK average.
At October 2011, with 66 million hours worked since site work began in October 2005, there have been 23 periods of one million hours worked without a RIDDOR-reportable injury, four periods of two million hours and one period of three million hours.
HSE has worked with the ODA and other partners to capture the health and safety learning legacy via a number of research projects. The lessons learned are relevant to construction companies of all sizes. HSE will be taking those lessons out to them and challenging them to 'raise the bar' on their health and safety standards.
