HSC publishes report on first year of strategy

HSC press release C009:05 - 21 March 2005

A report 'Workplace Strategy - Moving To Delivery' has today been sent by Bill Callaghan, Chair of the Health and Safety Commission, to Jane Kennedy, Minister for Work at the Department of Work and Pensions.

The report details how the strategy, in the year since its launch in February 2004, is setting priorities, and how resources are being directed to areas that can have the biggest impact on its targets. An annex also provides many examples, showing how the strategy is becoming a foundation of the way HSE works, often in partnership with others.

The Strategy was recently welcomed by the Hampton Report, with many of Hampton's recommendations reflecting the strategy published prior to the announcement of the Hampton Review.

Bill Callaghan said:

"I am pleased to present this report on the first year of our strategy and am appreciative of the Ministerial support we have received throughout this time. A key message for the longer term is that HSE has made major changes to the way it sets its priorities and directs its resources. As an organisation it is now much better placed to implement the strategy and deliver its targets.

Equally important is the wealth of examples which show how the strategy's four themes are shaping HSE's approach and directly determining outputs such as closer working with Local Authorities to focus resources on agreed health & safety targets and the on-going business involvenment programme. These pen pictures breathe life into the organisational developments described in the report

The strategy takes us to 2010 and beyond but it is clearly starting to make an impact; there is still a long way to go but we are confident we will get there."

Notes to editors

1. HSC's 'A strategy for workplace health and safety in Great Britain to 2010 and beyond' was published on 23rd February 2004 after extensive consultation. The aim of the strategy is to provide strategic direction to the process of achieving HSC targets.
2. HSC's Public Service Agreement with sponsor department DWP is based around the achievement of targets laid down in 'Revitalising Health & Safety'.
3. The 'Revitalising Health and Safety' strategy statement, launched by the Deputy Prime Minister and the Chair of the Health and Safety Commission in June 2000, set national targets to reduce the incidence rate of fatal and major injuries, the incidence rate of work-related ill health and the rate of working days lost from work-related injury and ill health. Targets relating to ill health are also featured in 'Securing Health Together: A long-term occupational health strategy for Great Britain', launched by the Health and Safety Commission and Executive, in association with other government departments, in July 2000.
4. The report and its annex, published today, provide examples illustrating the strategy's four themes:
   1. Developing closer partnerships;
   2. Helping people benefit from effective health & safety management;
   3. Focusing on core business and being clear about priorities;
   4. Communicating the vision of health & safety as a cornerstone of civilised society are being embedded into the work of the HSE.

The report is available at http://www.hse.gov.uk/aboutus/plans/hscplans/firstyear.htm

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