'Be part of the solution': HSE consults on its new strategy for health and safety

E060:08 4 December 2008

The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) yesterday launched a three month consultation on its new strategy 'The Health and Safety System of Great Britain\\Be Part of the Solution', at events in London, Edinburgh and Cardiff to which a wide range of its key stakeholders were invited.

HSE's decision to develop a new strategy has been prompted by a range of factors. These include: the recent slowing of improvement in Great Britain's (GB) health and safety performance; the changing industrial landscape with an increase in small businesses and the self-employed; the different risks posed by new sectors, and the need to regain the health and safety brand from those who misuse it to proliferate bureaucracy and as an excuse for other things.

The strategy, which is resetting the direction for health and safety, sets out a number of goals to be achieved, including:

• Encouraging strong leadership and championing a common sense approach to health and safety;
• Building the competence of those charged with delivering health and safety in workplaces;
• Customising the support for small businesses to help them comply with their health and safety obligations, and
• Avoiding catastrophes in GB's high hazard industries.

Speaking at the London launch, HSE Chair Judith Hackitt said:

"We are calling on all those involved in workplace health and safety - employers, self-employed, employees, trades unions, manufacturers, suppliers - to work with us on delivering these goals. We all share the same mission; to prevent death, injury and ill health in our workplaces, but HSE and its Local Authority partners, as the regulators for health and safety, cannot do this alone. This is why we are seeking support and involvement from all stakeholders to be part of the solution."

Judith Hackitt was joined at the London launch event by HSE Chief Executive Geoffrey Podger and the Executive Director of the Local Authorities Coordinators of Regulatory Services (LG Regulation (formerly LACORS)), Derek Allen. This was matched by launches in Edinburgh, by HSE Board member Danny Carrigan and Rob Murray from the Convention of Scottish Local Authorities (COSLA), and in Cardiff by HSE Board member Sandy Blair, and Councillor Keith Evans, Vice-Chairman Wales on the LG Regulation (formerly LACORS) Board of Directors.

Derek Allen of LG Regulation (formerly LACORS) said:

"We have worked closely with HSE in developing this strategy, and are very pleased to have a significant contribution to make, both in delivering it as a regulator and as a major employer. Local councils are committed to building on the successful partnership we have with HSE. We will continue to raise the profile of health and safety and working to minimise those work activities that cause real harm and suffering."

The consultation will end on 2 March 2009 after a series of regional workshops hosted by HSE across GB, and the full launch of the finalised strategy will take place in quarter two of 2009. The strategy and supporting documents are available online at: www.hse.gov.uk/strategy

Notes to editors

1. The HSE and its Board has overall responsibility for occupational health and safety regulations in Great Britain, and HSE and Local Authorities are the enforcing authorities that work in support of the Board. For more information on health and safety at work visit www.hse.gov.uk.
2. LG Regulation (formerly LACORS) is the local government central body responsible for overseeing local authority regulatory and related services in the UK. Regulatory services is the group of services which exist to protect the public, and LG Regulation (formerly LACORS) coordinates the regulatory services delivered by local government. These range from protecting consumers against illegal door stop selling to checking hygiene standards in restaurants and food factories. See http://www.lacors.gov.uk/lacors/home.aspx. COSLA is the representative voice of Scottish local government and also acts as the employers' association on behalf of all Scottish councils. See www.cosla.gov.uk
3. Judith Hackitt was appointed Chair of the HSE on 1 October 2007. She trained as a chemical engineer at Imperial College, London and was previously employed as Group Risk Manager at Elementis PLC with world-wide responsibility for health and safety insurance and litigation. In 1998 Ms Hackitt joined the Chemical Industries Association as Director of Business and Environment. She became Director General of the Association in April 2002. She was appointed as a member of the Health and Safety Commission (now the HSE) on the same date. She held that post until December 2005. She was awarded a CBE in June 2006 for her services to health and safety at work.
4. Derek Allen became LG Regulation (formerly LACORS) Executive Director in March 2002. He was previously Head of Regulatory Services at Thurrock Council, a unitary Council in the East of England Region, with responsibilities for Town Planning, Environmental Health, Trading Standards, Building Control and Highways enforcement. During the past three years under Derek Allen's leadership, LG Regulation (formerly LACORS) has successfully widened its portfolio of services across the UK. LG Regulation (formerly LACORS) now covers trading standards, food safety and standards, alcohol and public entertainment licensing, gambling reform, civil registration, animal health and welfare and health and safety at work.
5. Headline health and safety statistics for 2007/08 are as follows:
   • 229 workers were killed at work
   • 2.1 million people were suffering from an illness they believed was caused or made worse by their current or past work
   • 136 771 other injuries to employees were reported
   • 299 000 reportable injuries occurred
   • 34 million days were lost overall (1.4 days per worker), 28 million due to work-related ill health and 6 million due to workplace injury.
   • In 1974, the year the Health and Safety at Work etc Act was introduced, more than 600 people were killed each year at work. More health and safety statistics can be found at http://www.hse.gov.uk/statistics/index.htm

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