HSC Chair calls on Police to take sensible approach to health and safety

C001:07 12 March 2007

Bill Callaghan, Chair of the Health and Safety Commission (HSC) today called for the police to take a sensible approach to health and safety, and get involved themselves in identifying workplace risks and the solutions to manage them.

Speaking to health and safety leaders at a Police Federation seminar in Swindon, Bill Callaghan said:

"Police officers face risks in their everyday work that most other workers cannot begin to comprehend. HSC, the police and police employing authorities must work together to better manage those risks and not lose sight under any circumstances of the policing imperative.

"We must recognise that it is neither possible, nor desirable to eliminate risk altogether. Rather that risk needs to be sensibly managed. By its very nature risk will always be an inherent part of policing, but managing it can make an enormous difference to police services and those who work for them. We must concentrate on practical steps to control the risks that cause real harm and suffering, not bureaucratic back-covering".

Mr. Callaghan who last year launched HSC's 'Principles of Sensible Risk', encouraged those attending to engage with colleagues to help identify workplace risks and the solutions to manage them.

Mr. Callaghan went on to congratulate the Federation for their contribution in reducing sickness absence in the police service from 12.2 days per office in 2000/2001 to 8.5 days in 2005/06.

Notes to editors

1. Section 2(1) of the Health and Safety at Work etc Act 1974 states: "It shall be the duty of every employer to ensure, so far as is reasonably practicable, the health, safety and welfare at work of all his employees."
2. Section 3(1) of the Health and Safety at Work etc Act 1974 states: "It shall be the duty of every employer to conduct his undertaking in such a way as to ensure, so far as is reasonably practicable, that persons not in his employment who may be affected thereby are not thereby exposed to risks to their health or safety."
3. Section 51A of the Health and Safety at Work etc Act 1974 brought warranted police officers within the scope of the 1974 Act. This section was inserted by s.1 of the Police (Health and Safety) Act 1997.
4. Information on risk management is available at: http://www.hse.gov.uk/risk/index.htm
5. Information on police and health and safety is available at: http://www.hse.gov.uk/services/police/index.htm
   

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