Health and Safety Commission endorses new approach to worker involvement

C002:07 20 March 2007

The Health and Safety Commission (HSC) reiterated its strong support for worker involvement for the health and safety system at their public meeting on 15 March.

HSC Chair Bill Callaghan said:

"A fully involved and consulted workforce is a major contribution to achieving a healthier, safer workplace. All workers have a right to work in places where all risks to their health and safety are properly controlled. We have made good progress in promoting worker involvement but not enough employers properly involve and consult their staff on health and safety. Equally, not enough workers feel able to come forward and take on health and safety responsibilities."

The Commission strongly endorsed the value of consulting and involving workers in improving health and safety performance, and commended the achievements on worker involvement delivered by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) to date. These achievements include:

• The first practical guidance for employers on how to involve workers in the management of health and safety;
• Improved online tools and guidance for safety representatives; and
• Mainstreaming of worker involvement messages into HSE corporate campaigns and activities, such as the Better Backs 2006 campaign.

The new approach to worker involvement will build on the foundations created by these achievements. Work being taken forward will concentrate on four key areas:

• Revitalising the guidance available on involving workers. Updating and simplifying existing guidance, and making better use of practical examples and illustrative case studies to share good practice.
• Extending the work on mainstreaming worker involvement activity in HSE, with a particular focus on the construction industry and the Public Sector.
• Ensuring that HSE Inspectors and Local Authority Enforcement officers promote the value of consultation and involvement during interventions with businesses both large and small.
• Working closely with other key stakeholders, such as Acas, to encourage worker involvement more widely in business.

Bill Callaghan went on to say:

"This new approach, building on the achievements already delivered, will help to bring worker and their employers together to raise workplace standards and improve health and safety performance."

The Commission also considered the case for regulatory change to support consultation and involvement, and noted that there was no consensus on this issue for the consultation. They took the view that it would be difficult to recommend such as change in these circumstances but agreed to come back to this at a later meeting following further discussion among social partners.

Notes to editors

1. The HSC has overall responsibility for occupational health and safety regulations in Great Britain. The Commission consists of a Chairman and 9 members. It is sponsored by the Department of Work and Pensions (DWP). The DWP minister for occupational health and safety is Lord McKenzie of Luton.
2. Involving workers is a key point of the HSC's strategy for workplace health and safety. Further information can be found in the document 'A strategy for workplace health and safety in Great Britain to 2010 and beyond' at: www.hse.gov.uk/aboutus/strategiesandplans/strategy.htm and in the Collective Declaration on Worker Involvement at: www.hse.gov.uk/involvement/index.htm
3. More information about worker involvement can be found on HSE's workers web pages at: www.hse.gov.uk/workers/index.htm

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