HSE short-listed for National Business Award

E054:08 14/11/08

The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) has been short-listed for a prestigious National Business Award. The cross industry awards, described as the 'business Oscars', are open to both the public and private sector and recognise the achievements of the country's most successful organisations.

HSE Chair, Judith Hackitt said: "Our message to employers is to keep your risk assessment simple and fit for purpose, make it a living document and involve all the key people involved in delivering it. Risk assessment is not a bureaucratic exercise; it is about practical steps you need to take to protect people and get the job done safely."

In Britain there are more than 200 fatalities at work each year. Thousands more die as a result of work-related injuries and ill health. The vast majority of these can be prevented by taking practical precautions.

HSE has been nominated for its work to develop simple step-by-step risk assessment guidance and practical industry-specific examples of risk assessments.

The examples range from hairdressing to warehouse and show the kind of approach HSE expects a small business to take and enables them to produce a risk assessment that is practical and meets the required legislation. View the examples here: www.hse.gov.uk/risk.

Extremely positive results have been drawn during initial evaluations of HSE's example risk assessments. Out of 319 completed surveys:

• 90% said the improved facility saved time.
• 71% rated the new guidance as 'excellent' or 'very good'.
• 70% now have confidence to conduct future risk assessments.
• 90% would recommend the example risk assessments.

Notes to editors

1. The National Business Awards are the number one cross industry awards in the UK
2. The Better Regulation Award will be given to the organisation that can best demonstrate how it has improved, amended or simplified statutory regulation or process in order to create a more effective and efficient operating environment for UK Businesses.
3. HSE has been nominated for the Better Regulation Award sponsored by the Better Regulation Executive (BRE), part of the Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform (BERR).
4. The awards ceremony will take place at the Grosvenor Hotel, London on Tuesday 18 November 2008.

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