Health and Safety
Executive / Commission
About HSE
Our future challenges will continue to be shaped by a changing workplace and an increasingly diverse workforce but our ultimate vision remains constant and that’s to gain recognition of health and safety as a cornerstone of a civilised society. We know we can’t achieve this alone, so we will continue to develop partnerships with HSE, local authorities and other stakeholders.
As the economy continues to shift towards the service sector, and we see the emergence of a more diverse workforce in terms of age, gender, ethnicity and patterns of work, our regulatory approach must keep pace.
This means more focus on occupational health issues and continuing to reach workers and employers in various ways. It means providing information, advice, guidance and, where necessary, enforcement.
We particularly want to reach the increasing number of small firms and HSE is currently encouraging greater health and safety awareness, and ultimately, activity in these businesses which are often difficult to reach.
Another challenge is ensuring that migrant workers have access to information about health and safety and their rights as well as making employers aware of their responsibilities towards such workers.
As more household and commercial waste is recycled, the recycling industry is undergoing a major growth. The industry’s poor accident record is a cause for concern, and we will want to see real improvements.
In the wake of Buncefield, and with the prospect of a new generation of nuclear power stations for the future, it is vital that we provide public assurance of the adequate control of risks in major hazard industries without stifling developments.
We must strike the right balance between proper assurance while enabling the safe conduct of hazardous industrial processes that are vital to the well-being of our economy and modern society.
With ever more tales of unnecessary risk aversion in the name of health and safety, we will need to trumpet louder the message that sensible health and safety is about saving lives, not stopping people living.
You can learn more about the themes described in this report by visiting the HSE website. Online you will find our Annual Reports, information about offences and penalties and the latest health and safety statistics. We also regularly publish updates about our work with partners.