Local authorities and HSE working together building on best practice

HSE Press Release: E035:05 17 March 2005

The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) and the Local Authorities Coordinators of Regulatory Services (LG Regulation (formerly LACORS)) today launched a guide setting out examples of best practice working between HSE and local authorities (LAs).

This is an important milestone in building a closer partnership between HSE and LAs as envisaged in Health and Safety Commission's (HSC's) strategy for workplace health and safety. The guide illustrates how the commitments set out in a high-level Statement of Intent agreed last year between the HSC, HSE and LA representative bodies in England, Wales and Scotland can be brought into practical effect.

The guide, unveiled today at a conference to promote practical partnership, exemplifies this new approach to changing attitudes and cultures that will enable HSE and local government to work more closely together to improve health and safety at work.

Health and Safety Commissioner Joyce Edmond-Smith said:

"As a HSC Commissioner, and elected member of a local authority, I am pleased to see the wide range of examples of joint working and the developing infrastructure. These are evolving to suit national, regional and local needs and priorities and are helping to build the partnership between HSE and local authorities in England, Wales and Scotland"

"This guide marks important progress in the way HSE and local government are working together to achieve improvements in workplace health and safety. The examples show how the commitment we are all making to work in a closer partnership is already delivering change. I would like all local authorities and HSE to embrace and build on the examples illustrated in this guide which I believe will contribute to improving health and safety in local communities and in the workplace. "

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

"Today marks further progress 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 ill health. We recognise that health and safety enforcement is a vital component of worker and public protection that successfully contributes to local community health and wellbeing. LG Regulation (formerly LACORS) will work hard to support the partnership to see actions that will result in improvements for local communities.

"This guide builds on the expertise in partnership working that already exists in local authorities and is further recognition of the vital role that local authorities have in reducing work related ill health and injury. Working in closer partnership with our counterparts in HSE will benefit local businesses, workers and the public."

Notes to editors

1. The Statement of Intent was 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 Best Practice guide are available on http://www.hse.gov.uk/lau/worktog0305.htm and http://www.lacors.gov.uk/.
2. HSC's Strategy for Workplace Health and Safety in Great Britain to 2010 and beyond was published in February 2004, available at http://www.hse.gov.uk/a boutus/hsc/strategy2010.pdf [81kb]
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. For further information see http://www.lacors.gov.uk/.

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