Attitudes towards health and safety - research summary 2006

Since 2004 HSE has commissioned MORI to conduct an annual survey of attitudes towards health and safety to measures changing perceptions over time towards health and safety requirements and HSE itself. MORI interview 1,000 citizens, 2,000 employees, 500 employers (“employers” includes senior managers, directors etc) and 200 Chief Executive Officers (CEOs). Those surveyed formed a representative sample of companies throughout Great Britain, including small and large firms from different industry sectors. The results help us identify how our work is understood and where we need to focus our communications effort.

The 2006 results are in many ways similar to those from earlier years. They show that employers and CEOs have largely positive views towards health and safety requirements and are very positive about the helpfulness of HSE staff.

Health and safety requirements

90% of CEOs and 72% of employers believed that health and safety requirements benefit their company as a whole;
74% of CEOs and 62% of employers believed that health and safety requirements save them money in the long term;
61% of CEOs and 56% of employers agreed that health and safety requirements defend them against unjustified compensation claims;
73% of employers and 80% of CEOs disagreed that health and safety requirements seriously hamper their business; and

Helpfulness of HSE

54% of employers and 66% of CEOs said they find HSE a helpful organisation; however,
These figures increased greatly amongst those who have actually had contact with HSE in their work - 90% of CEOs and 89 % of employers who have had contact with HSE in their job agreed that HSE is a helpful organisation;

HSE is encouraged by these figures but we recognise there is always room for improvement. We are hopeful that all figures will improve over the coming years as we strengthen our commitment to providing organisations with accessible advice in a range of formats. We want to provide greater reassurance that HSE is here to help and advise as well as enforce the law. We are already working on ways of providing advice and support that are clearly separated from our enforcement role.

Key issues we must address

Not all of the MORI results were positive – there are clearly some issues that we need to focus our attention upon.

56% of CEOs and 44% of employers agreed that health and safety requirements are expensive to implement;
55% of CEOs and 49% of employers believed that health and safety requirements are overly bureaucratic.

We are cutting down on unnecessary bureaucracy and cost. In particular we have produced new risk assessment guidance as well as example risk assessments that make clear what is – and is not- expected. We are also aware that there are a good number of myths that exaggerate what the law actually requires; we are very keen to put the record straight and ensure that businesses understand what they really need to do.