New research on UK Safety Case Regimes

HSE press release: E206:03 - 17 October 2003

A research report identifying available evidence on the impact of Safety Case Regimes (SCR) in the gas, offshore, onshore major hazards (COMAH), railway and nuclear industries has been published by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE).

The report was commissioned by HSE, as part of its programme to evaluate SCRs. HSE will use the lessons of evaluation to improve regimes, to make them more effective and less bureaucratic.

Bill Callaghan, Chair of the Health and Safety Commission (HSC), welcomed the research. Speaking at an Institution of Mechanical Engineers (ImechE) seminar on permissioning regimes in London today, he outlined HSC's policy on safety cases:

"We should be striving for effectiveness - not bureaucracy. We should be improving the way we keep our workforce informed, seeking out their views and expertise where necessary. We should be encouraging a culture of openness and trust and we must view health and safety as an integral part of planning and the organisation of operations.

"Permissioning regimes can help drive good risk control but, ultimately, only the risk creator and manager can make the difference. There are no absolute guarantees, no panaceas, no magic potions - it's determination, skill and close attention to detail, which will do the job the public wants.

The report says that overall industry sees safety cases as more beneficial than burdensome and supports their philosophy and approach, particularly the goal setting style. Other benefits identified include the introduction of systematic management systems to control risks and the greater involvement of staff and safety representatives in the process. Both are seen as being highly effective in reducing major incidents.

Industry still has some concerns about the impact of safety cases. The costs of implementing the regimes and the lack of evidence of on-going improvements after the initial identification of risks and consequent improvements still cause industry some difficulty.

The report states, "There are mixed views about whether the SCR improves safety culture and safety communications within a company. Generally, there is a positive view on this with improved workforce understanding of major hazards. The impact in this area, however, appears to be variable and depends very much on the management approach of the company and to some extent the 'spirit' in which the regulations are implemented."

The concept of the SCR has been widely accepted around the world as a risk management tool. Countries such as Australia and Brazil have incorporated safety cases into their regulatory regimes, after seeking advice from the UK.

The report by VECTRA Group Ltd, Literature review on the perceived benefits and disadvantages of UK safety case regimes, is available on the HSE website at: Literature Review on the Perceived Benefits and Disadvantages of UK Safety Case Regimes [PDF 2mb]

Notes to editors

1. SCRs are a form of permissioning regime that encourage a duty holder to ensure risks are properly controlled by producing a safety case or report detailing all the hazards, risks and control measures. The case or report must be acceptable to HSE as a condition of operation.

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