Safety research plans unveiled

HSC press release: C021:03 - 4 June 2003

The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) today published their Strategic Research Outlook (SRO) for 2003. The document offers a guide to HSE's research priorities and activities, which are closely aligned to the block-based structure of our business, as described in the HSE Strategic Plan 2001 to 2004.

Dr Paul Davies, HSE's Chief Scientist and Director of Corporate Science and Analytical Services commented:

"We aim to make more direct and transparent the link between our research priorities and activities and our business aims and objectives.

"HSE's research requirements are expressed in broad terms in the SRO 2003, highlighting those issues or topics on which we expect to carry out research either now or in the future. A draft version of this document has already been made available on HSE's website for comment on its structure and content. The responses received have been fully taken into account in the production of the final, published document.

"HSE is currently undergoing significant internal change, which includes the way in which research needs are identified across the organisation. For this reason, the annual 'Competition of Ideas' exercise has been suspended in order to allow time to identify the most effective ways of ensuring that HSE remain open and receptive to new ideas.

"Also, this is the last time that the SRO will be published annually. From 2004, it will be published triennially, in line with the HSE Strategic Plan. Therefore, an alternative mechanism of presenting a Competition of Ideas exercise will need to be established."

Strategic Research Outlook (SRO) for 2003 is available on the HSE website at: http://www.hse.gov.uk/research

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