Local Authorities and HSE working together to improve Health and Safety at Work

HSE Press Release: E131:04 - 15 September 2004

The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) and Local Authorities Coordinators of Regulatory Services (LG Regulation (formerly LACORS)) today unveiled a Statement of Intent at the Annual Conference of the Chartered Institute of Environmental Health in Torquay, setting out their joint commitment to improving how HSE and local government work together to improve health and safety at work.

Developing an effective partnership between local government and HSE in how health and safety is enforced is one of the strategic themes of the Health and Safety Commission's (HSC) Strategy for Workplace Health and Safety in Great Britain to 2010 and beyond.

The Statement of Intent sets out the high-level commitments that provide the framework of objectives for the Strategic Programme and achievement of the vision. It includes working in partnership, improving communications between the partners, sharing information, examining the legal framework, developing arrangements for monitoring the work of the enforcing authorities and working with other government departments.

The Strategic Programme is currently in its development stage, but early activities include the piloting of joint working initiatives, examination of existing examples of good practice, the establishment by HSE of "Partnership Managers" to work with local authorities and developing communications.

Bill Callaghan, Chair of the Health and Safety Commission said:

"Sensible health and safety is a vital component of employee and public protection and an intrinsic part of community health and wellbeing. To improve health and safety in Great Britain, we need a significant change in how HSE and local authorities work together. HSC, HSE and local authority representative bodies are committed to being good partners and working with each other to improve health and safety. The Statement of Intent sets out how we will do this and I am delighted that yet another step in the implementation of the strategy has been reached."

Allan Davies, head of HSE's Local Authority Unit and Strategic Programme manager, said:

"This Statement of Intent marks important progress in the Strategic Programme to enable HSE and local government to work together to achieve improvements in workplace health and safety. The Statement is an important public declaration of the commitment we are all making to work in a closer partnership.

"To bring partnership working into effect we in HSE recognise that we need to change the ways we work and to fully recognise the excellent work done by local authorities. The joint working that has been needed to develop this statement is an indication of a new understanding of the importance of the contribution local government can make to improve health and safety."

Derek Allen, Executive Director of LG Regulation (formerly LACORS) said:

"Today marks a milestone in the process to improve health and safety enforcement by local government and the HSE. By working together more effectively in partnership, we can make workplaces safer and prevent accidents and illnesses. We are pleased that the Statement of Intent emphasises that health and safety enforcement is a vital component of worker and public protection that successfully contributes to local community health and well-being. LG Regulation (formerly LACORS) will work hard to make sure the Statement of Intent is backed up by actions that will result in improvements for local communities."

Notes to editors

1. The Statement of Intent has been signed by the heads of key local government representative bodies the Local Government Association (LGA), the Welsh Local Government Association (WLGA), the Convention of Scottish Local Authorities (CoSLA), the Local Authorities Coordinators of Regulatory Services (LG Regulation (formerly LACORS)), the Health and Safety Commission (HSC) and the Health and Safety Executive (HSE). Copies of the Statement of Intent are available on http://www.hse.gov.uk/lau and www.lacors.gov.uk.

2. HSC's Strategy for Workplace Health and Safety in Great Britain to 2010 [81kb] and beyond was published in February 2004.

3. The division of responsibilities for enforcement is governed by specific regulations (Health and Safety (Enforcing Authority) Regulations 1998). Local authorities are responsible for enforcement in approximately half of all workplaces and about 12 million employed people nationally. They are generally responsible for offices, shops, warehouses, call centres and similar premises. HSE is responsible for the remainder of activities and the workers involved.

4. LG Regulation (formerly LACORS), a local government central body, seeks to make a major contribution to the development of high quality consistent and coordinated local authority regulatory services across the UK.

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