NEW SEMINAR ON REGULATING HAZARDOUS INDUSTRIES

HSE press release E071:03 - 13 May 2003

Stakeholders are invited to a seminar in October 2003 to discuss the benefits of regulating health and safety in hazardous industries - such as nuclear, railways, offshore installations and major hazards sites - through permissioning regimes. The seminar is organised by the Institution of Mechanical Engineers (IMechE) supported by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) and will be held at IMechE in London on Friday 17 October 2003.

Bill Callaghan, Chair of the Health and Safety Commission (HSC), will explain to the seminar the background to the HSC's recently published Policy Statement on Permissioning Regimes. He will also review recent evidence on the benefits of safety case regimes and share the latest HSC thinking on the regulation of hazardous industries. Other HSE and industry presenters will describe current research and direct experiences on what works and what does not in this area.

This is an ideal opportunity to discuss with knowledgeable professionals from different industries what more can be done to improve the effectiveness of permissioning regimes. Those attending will be able to ask questions, raise issues and share their personal experiences of preparing and implementing the safety cases and safety reports required to comply with permissioning regimes.

Notes to editors

1. The Health and Safety Commission (HSC) announced its policy on regulating high hazard industries through the use of permissioning regimes on 25 March 2003 (HSC press release C007:03). The policy statement formally set out for the first time the Commission's approach to permissioning regimes.

2. Permissioning will only be considered where the work activities involve significant hazard, risk or public concern such as where there are risks of multiple fatalities from a single or linked series of events and or there are widespread and significant adverse effects on human health.

3. High hazard industries covered by this policy statement include nuclear installations, railways, offshore installations, onshore major hazard sites, work with genetically modified organisms, gas distribution, work with asbestos, explosive manufacture and storage and keeping of petrol.

4. HSC will only propose permissioning regulations generally as a last resort because they are resource intensive for both duty holders and the safety regulator. A greater degree of regulatory intervention will only be introduced where a lesser degree will not suffice. HSC will propose a new permissioning regime to Ministers only after serious consideration and by applying the principles described in this policy statement.

5. This policy statement is designed for those with some involvement and understanding of the permissioning regime process and for those wishing to gain an understanding of what is involved.

6. The HSC policy statement is available on the internet at http://www.hse.gov.uk/enforce/index.htm

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