SCOTTISH TRADES UNIONS PLAYING THEIR PART IN REVITALISING HEALTH AND SAFETY

HSC press release C013:03 - 14 April 2003

Bill Callaghan, Chair of the Health and Safety Commission (HSC), thanked delegates at the Scottish Trade Union Congress conference today (Monday), for their work in helping promote better health and safety in the workplace.

Speaking at the conference in Inverness, Mr Callaghan went on to describe the success of the Workers Safety Advisers pilot scheme, in which Scotland played a part.

"Given the very vocal concern which was raised at the time, I am delighted that Workers Safety Advisers are proving to be very successful at building partnerships, especially for small companies, and that employers and their staff are reaping benefits."

Mr Callaghan revealed for the first time early results from the evaluation of the scheme piloted between February and November last year in nine areas - including one based in Glasgow.

• Over two thirds of workers saw an increase in the level of formal and informal discussion on health and safety between workers and managers.
• Nine out of ten identified an increase in health and safety awareness.
• Employees say they are now involved in practical solutions to manage risk, and that health and safety is dealt with seriously.

A quarter saw new structures introduced such as health and safety reps and committees and the level of training doubled over the pilot period.

Mr Callaghan added: "Results from employers support the employee perceptions of behaviour change. Half of them reported benefits exceeding their original expectations and three quarters said that it had increased workplace awareness of health and safety. This had lead to employers revising policies and procedures and one in five introduced regular discussions.

"Of the 88 organisations which took part most of them were small - two-thirds with fewer than 25 employees in the construction, engineering, hospitality and voluntary sectors."

Mr Callaghan continued: "The antagonism predicted by some did not arise. This was not a matter of luck by the way. It was sensitive handling by the advisers themselves who refused to be drawn into industrial relations issues. The advisers identified trust as a key success criterion. "

He added that while fatal injury rates in Great Britain are nearly the lowest in the world - only Finland's are lower - we still had 249 people dying from work last year, 27 of them in Scotland.

"We must do better. We know that much - perhaps all - of this damage pain, suffering and waste can be prevented."

Glasgow University are involved in a further project "Healthy Return," supported by the Department for Work and Pensions and the Health and Safety Executive, to look at what helps employed and self employed people get back to work following absences due to illness, injury or disability of between six and twenty-six weeks.

Mr Callaghan concluded: "The STUC is a key strategic partner in both these projects. The STUC is making a valuable contribution to the health and safety debate because the real work is at the shop floor. I welcome the commitment of the STUC to promoting good health and safety in this key role."

Notes to editors -

1. Last year 249 workers died from work in Great Britain (27 of them in Scotland.) There were over 27,000 major injuries (more than 2,300 of them in Scotland.) 2.3 million had a health complaint connected to their work (174,000 of them were in Scotland.) Almost 33 million working days were lost to illness - 2.2 million of them in Scotland.

2. Worker Safety Advisers (WSA's) are often known as Roving Safety Reps. During the pilot the WSA's visited a number of workplaces (mostly without union recognition) and advised employees and employers on how to consult on health and safety, suggesting ways for them to work together on solutions to particular issues facing them. Only two businesses opted out during the pilot.

3. The Job Retention and Rehabilitation Pilot will operate in six areas: Birmingham, West Kent, Glasgow, Teesside, Tyneside and Sheffield run by four service providers. The pilot began on April 1 2003 and is expected to run for up to two years. The Glasgow pilot site is operated by Healthy Return, headed by Dr Ewan MacDonald, senior lecturer in the Department of Public Health Medicine at Glasgow University.

Press enquiries

All enquiries from journalists should be directed to the HSE Press Office