HSE identifies baseline attitudes with the 2001 British Social Attitudes Survey

HSE Press Release E230:02 - 5 December 2002

The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) today publishes analysis of the first ever health and safety module within the British Social Attitudes Survey.

The survey reports on a number of indicators of awareness, attitudes and behaviours concerning health and safety at work, which could have an influence on the risk of work-related injuries or ill health.

The survey findings will provide a basis to judge in future whether awareness and attitudes to health and safety at work are changing. Findings for the 2001 survey include:

• Among those who had worked within the last ten years, knowledge of legal responsibilities and rights regarding health and safety at work was generally high.
• Awareness of who was responsible for enforcing health and safety in the workplace was limited. For those who worked in HSE enforced industries 65% knew HSE was the enforcing authority, but for those who worked in Local Authority enforced industries only 10% knew that the Local Authority was the main enforcing authority.
• About half (49%) said that not enough attention was paid to health and safety at work in Britain with 42% saying that the amount of attention paid was about right and only 4% saying that the amount of attention paid was too much.
• Most who had worked in the previous ten years thought that their employers took health and safety at work seriously, although 12% thought their employer didn't and 13% believed that they would be seen as a trouble maker if they reported a health and safety problem at work.
• For those who were supposed to wear protective clothing at work most indicated they always (72%) or mostly (16%) wore it when they should, with only 12% stating that they only sometimes or never did. Self-employed people were significantly less likely than employees to report always wearing protective clothing when they should.

• For those who were supposed to follow special health and safety rules at work, half reported always following these rules when they should, 40% reported following them mostly, with only 9% reporting that they only sometimes or never followed such rules.

Dr Simon Clarke of HSE's Epidemiology and Medical Statistics Unit said:

"Increasing awareness and changing attitudes to health and safety at work are a key element to changing behaviours and reducing work-related risk. This survey provides a basis upon which to measure future progress in changing attitudes to, and awareness of, occupational health and safety issues in Britain."

Notes to editors

1. 'The British Social Attitudes Survey' is undertaken annually by the National Centre for Social Research. It measures changes in attitudes, values and beliefs amongst the British public. This is the first time a module on health and safety at work has been included within the British Social Attitudes Survey. The full report of the 2001 British Social attitudes survey was published yesterday. The Health and Safety module sponsored by HSE was not reported within this main report publication.

2. Local Authority enforcement activity covers retailing, some warehouses, most offices, hotels and catering, sports, leisure, consumer services and places of worship. HSE enforcement activity covers factories, building sites, mines, farms, fairgrounds, quarries, railways, chemical plants, offshore and nuclear installations, schools, hospitals and other places where there is work activity not covered by the Local Authority

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