HSE publishes research into factors motivating employers to comply with health and safety law

HSE Press Release: E033:05 - 4 March 2005

The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) today publishes the results of a survey of over 1700 employers asking what factors motivated them to comply with health and safety law.

The results of the research will be used as part of an on-going process of prioritising where and how interventions by HSE and Local Authorities are most effectively employed as part of delivering the Health and Safety Commission’s strategy to 2010.

The current strategy used by HSE and Local Authorities for improving health and safety relies upon a mix of ‘levers’ – for example encouragement, persuasion, assistance and enforcement. The research reported here sought to split organisations into discrete groups, and then map the degree of influence each lever might have.

In providing evidence that the influence of these levers for compliance varies between organisations, the research confirmed the value of regulators using a range of interventions. There was also evidence of a link between current attitudes to workplace health and safety and the likely impact of new incentives for improvements, as well as support for the targeting of interventions and communications.

Commenting on the research, HSE Director General Timothy Walker said: “This research shows that many employers understand the benefits of good standards of health and safety management and are well motivated to manage the risks they face. We need to understand these motivators and how they vary, for example according to industry sector, the size of an organisation and the attitudes of the current management towards health and safety.

The research shows that combining interventions – including advice and guidance, enforcement and persuasion - helps to reinforce the motivation for improving health and safety. That confirms the approach set out in our strategy.

A major motivator for employers is securing the business benefits of good standards of workplace health and safety; for example 90 per cent of respondents agreed or strongly agreed that good health and safety is important for staff productivity and morale. Many also felt that their reputation is very important – 86 per cent agreed or strongly agreed that damage to their reputation could cause them to lose business, with 82 per cent feeling that they must comply with health and safety regulations to protect their reputation. No doubt this is why 80 per cent of respondents say they check their own health and safety standards if they hear about a notice or prosecution against a similar organisation. “

Notes to editors

1. The report which presents the full results and analysis and comprehensive discussion at http://www.hse.gov.uk/research/rrhtm/rr334.htm

2. The research surveyed over 1700 employers. In addition, discussions were held with several employers and key stakeholders such as the trade associations and employer groups.

3. Factors that motivate employers to manage the health and safety risks they face remain largely unchanged from much previous research – reputation risk, enforcement/regulation, the need to avoid the cost of accidents/ill-health, business incentives and so on. But it apparent that some motivators have increased in influence – for example the financial incentive provided by insurance premiums.

4. This research provides more evidence for mixed approaches to interventions. It shows that it is not only possible, but more effective, to begin to match interventions to the attitudes of organisations rather than rely solely on a ‘one size fits all’ approach. The research suggests that no single lever for promoting compliance is equally needed nor equally effective for all organisations.

Press enquiries

All enquiries from journalists should be directed to the HSE Press Office