HSE hosts seminar to discuss joint strategy to improve safety in the chemical and downstream oil sector

HSE Press Release: E040:05 22 March 2005

The Health and Safety Executive's (HSE's) Hazardous Installations Directorate hosted a stakeholder workshop in Birmingham, West Midlands, on 16 March 2005, designed to develop a future strategy and joint action plan to improve safety and sustainability in the chemical and downstream oil industry sector.

Building on one of the strategic themes from the Health and Safety Commission's (HSC) Strategy for Workplace Health and Safety, namely that 'health and safety is the cornerstone of a sustainable chemical and downstream oil industry', this was an important step in creating an effective partnership with industry and stakeholders and achieving a joint action plan.

In particular, the main outcomes of the workshop included:

• Evident commitment from industry, trade unions and HSE to work together, to share information and for HSE to find improved ways of providing advice;
• HSE to look to improve its management and timeliness of the safety case assessment process ; and
• Recognition of good initiatives already in place; for example, collection and analysis of precursor event data.

Over 100 representatives from industry, trade associations and unions attended the event. Key speakers included Bill Callaghan, Chair of the Health and Safety Commission (HSC); Judith Hackitt, Director General of the Chemical Industries Association; Justin McCracken, Deputy Director General of HSE; and Kevin Allars, Head HSE's Chemical Industries Division.

Addressing the workshop, Bill Callaghan, Chair of HSC said:

"An important part of the vision we all have for a safer and healthier working environment is to control risks from major hazard sites in this country and to this end we need to examine how we can, together, regulator, industry and stakeholders, deliver a safe, sustainable and prosperous chemical and downstream oil industry in the future".

Judith Hackitt, Director General of the Chemical Industries Association said:

"A historical track record of good performance by our industry is not enough to meet the expectations of stakeholders and regulators. This event is a really important opportunity to explore the next steps that industry needs to take to build on its good performance base and identify ways to demonstrate sound management of underlying risks to build greater confidence and assurance. HSE are to be congratulated in initiating this partnership dialogue"

Kevin Allars, Head of HSE's Chemical Industries Division said:

"Forging closer relationships with industry and other stakeholders is key to our forward programme of efficient and effective regulation of the chemical and downstream oil industry. We must continue to strive for reduced bureaucracy, simplified guidance and identify ways of targeting HSE's frontline resources better. The business case for good health and safety is sound, and today's workshop has realised some positive actions that everyone involved in the operation and regulation of the industry can now take forward together with the aim of securing a long-term sustainable industry."

Notes to editors

1. HSC published: 'Strategy for Workplace Health and Safety in Great Britain to 2010 and beyond', in February 2004. This sets out what needs to be done to achieve the vision and gain recognition of health and safety as a cornerstone of a civilised society: achieving a record of workplace health and safety that leads the world.
2. The key features of the strategy are:
   • Focusing HSE resources on poor performance to get best results;
   • Promoting greater involvement of workers - the strategy recognises the people best placed to make workplaces safe are staff and managers; and
   • Making information readily accessible and providing clearer and simpler advice.
3. The Hazardous Installations Directorate (HID) is responsible for regulating and promoting improvements in health and safety, contributing to the overall HSE aim of reducing and controlling the major hazard risks present, across high hazard industries and sectors such as chemical manufacture and storage; gas storage and transportation; and explosives.
4. In response to the HSC's new strategy, HID's Chemical Industries Division is working with industry and stakeholders to develop a future strategy and joint action plan for safety, prosperity and growth. HSE believes that working in partnership with industry and stakeholders is the best way forward to identify and achieve this joint action plan.
5. HSE will now provide a draft of the outputs of the workshop to all attendees within the next two weeks which, following feedback, will be finalised into an action plan for all to take forward.

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