HSE Diversity Action Plan April 2009 – April 2010

Here are HSE’s diversity priorities for 2009 - 2010. A number of them are ongoing commitments or longer term actions that will be carried forward into future action plans.

Overarching

Raise awareness amongst staff of the business benefits of diversity; HSE’s vision for diversity and the need for further progress in HSE.

Action 1: Mechanisms in place to publicise and drive the vision (Lead: External Diversity Policy team)

External diversity

Build, and make better use of the evidence base in our policies and operations.

Action 2: Develop and publicise new intranet pages on business benefits of diversity

Action 3: Promotion and financial support given to HSE policy areas on most suitable communication channels and alternative formats

Action 4:  Maximise effectiveness of campaigns, press, public relations, events and stakeholder engagement by choosing images and text that will engage with target audience

Action 5: Disability case studies from EHRC and Michelle Valentine (Disability Forward Ltd) added to web/intranet pages

Action 6: Link established to accessibility case studies on EHRC website

Action 7: Communication of key health messages to young learners entering the workforce, via vocational training stakeholders

Action 8: Develop web pages for new diversity strands

Action 9: To further develop gender web pages

Action 10: Disability - promote disability guidance to a wide audience by a variety of methods

Build, and make better use of the evidence base in our policies and operations.

Action 11: To further develop disability web pages to include guidance on mental ill-health

Action 12: Agriculture and food sector scoping study on respiratory disease in the bakery industry to include diversity issues of gender, age and race

Action 13: Continuation of research to estimate the occupational cancer burden in the UK, including breast and prostate cancer

Action 14: Follow up of research on possible increased risk of certain cancers at a Scottish semiconductor plant

Action 15: Research the risk of mesothelioma in females as well as males.

Action 16: Ongoing series of population based surveys and other projects on the scale of work-related illness, injury and working conditions

Action 17: Address issues in relation to correct face fit of RPE, particularly in relation to female face size/shape and the need for other means of protecting bearded workers

Action 18: Integrate specific points from Fact Sheet 43 and TUC gender sensitivity checklist for occupational health and safety into topic inspection packs

Action 19: HSL to include a check in their Quality System a requirement for HSL staff to ensure, when reviewing specifications, they do not omit sectors of society

Design interventions to take account of different needs and impact on particular groups and so help improve health and safety outcomes.

Action 20: Carry out race disability and gender equality impact assessments on back catalogue of policies and services

Action 21: Ensure work falling out of HSE’s new strategy is equality impact assessed

Action 22: To train new recruits; advise staff on EIA content; ensure EIAs are completed; monitor and review EIA numbers and quality

Action 23: Communications campaign for farming, focusing on older workers and parents with aim to cut number of deaths and injuries in target groups

Action 24: Requirement that the Olympic Delivery Authority and the Prinicipal Contractors have systems in place to check competence and provide appropriate health and safety induction for all workers

Action 25: Extend Diversity communications toolkit to include all diversity strands

Action 26: Indentify sectors where women and/ or men are particularly at risk and ensure risk assessments for these areas include gender occupational health and safety issues

Action 27: Ensure advice and guidance is accessible to everyone and in a range of formats

Action 28: Work with DWP age positive programme to develop key messages on health and safety and ageing

Reach out to people and organisations with a particular understanding of diversity, to improve our policies and delivery and to ensure our advice and information is widely accessible, including for migrant workers.

Action 29: Join and attend the DWP Equality Scheme stakeholder group to build relationships with a range of range of stakeholders

Action 30: Set up a disabled stakeholder group

Action 31: Continue to work with the TUC Gender and Occupational Health and Safety (GOSH) group to progress the gender work stream

Action 32: Ensure that all workers, including migrant workers whatever their migration status, have equal protection from work-related risk

Action 33: Encourage more involvement of women in health and safety decision making

Action 34: Working as HSE single point of contact for issues arising from the BIS Vulnerable Workers Enforcement helpline

Action 35: Intelligence sharing between The Gangmasters Licensing Authority (GLA) and HSE

Action 36: New outreach workers to be introduced alongside inspectors to increase links with vulnerable communities
Corporate process

Action 37: Development and publication of a single equality scheme for 2010 – 2013