The Strategic Programmes
Working to deliver
20. HSE has strengthened project and programme working to improve delivery. Our new Strategic Programmes provide an overall management framework for the key activities that contribute to delivering HSC's new Strategy and the targets. The HSE Delivery Board will oversee the Strategic Programmes'' performance.
21. We have introduced these new management structures to make sure that HSE's work represents a coherent and co-ordinated effort to deliver the Strategy and targets. This will include co-operation between the Strategic Programmes. For example, staff in our Hazards and Sector Strategic Programmes will work together closely to tackle falls from height in the construction industry.
HSE's Strategic Programmes are:
- Sector: Working with a number of key sectors (including construction, agriculture, health services and the public sector) to improve health and safety management.
- Health and Safety Hazards: Concentrating upon certain health and safety hazards/topics (particularly workplace transport, falls from height, slips and trips, stress and musculoskeletal disorders).
- Major Hazards: Encompassing all of HSE's activities controlling risks posed by major hazard industries, normally characterised by 'permissioning' regimes. The programme focuses on the nuclear, onshore chemical, offshore, railway and mining sectors.
- Local Authorities: Improving HSE's partnership working with the local authorities. This programme enables delivery of effective, local, risk-based enforcement effort across all businesses.
- Better Health at Work Partnerships: Developing and introducing new ways and/or areas for HSE to influence and encourage others, to bring about improved health and safety outcomes, facilitating the establishment of true partnerships and promoting an effective and sensible health and safety culture.
Strategic fit
22. The Strategic Programmes have clearly defined targets, accountabilities and ownership to drive delivery. We have targeted programme activities in areas where:
- Large numbers of people are employed; and/or
- The incidence rate of injuries or ill health is high; and/or
- The consequences of a health and safety failure would be significant; and
- There are levers available to deliver significant improvements.
23. Each Strategic Programme reflects the four themes from HSC's Strategy:
- Developing closer partnerships - We will work with local authorities, other parts of government, trade unions, industry advisory committees, training bodies, business networks, strategic industry forums, designers of equipment and other key stakeholders. These partnerships will promote improved knowledge of occupational health and safety, and proactive risk management. They will also act as a catalyst for improving health and safety support services.
- Helping people to benefit from effective health and safety management and a sensible health and safety culture - We will demonstrate the moral, business and economic case for managing health and safety by:
- Involving managers and workers in events, such as seminars and Safety and Health Awareness Days (SHADs);
- Supporting and working closely with duty holders, particularly small businesses and large, national companies;
- Producing clear and easy to understand guidance and information, targeted at areas where it is needed most;
- Publicising the wealth of health and safety expertise available.
- Focusing on our core business and the right interventions where we are best placed to reduce workplace injury and ill health We will examine our existing work streams, prioritise our activities and build on our strengths (and those of our stakeholders) to achieve maximum impact on rates of injury, ill health and numbers of working days lost. At the same time, we will continue enforcing to secure proportionate compliance with the law.
- Communicating the vision We will maintain strong channels of communication within HSE, and with our partners and stakeholders, by:
- Finding new ways to communicate with small companies and other 'hard to reach' or traditional industries;
- Delivering our messages in a clear and focused way, and making increased use of e-based communication.
