Higher Education Safety and Health Forum (HESH)

Background

Workplace health and safety issues in higher education are taken forward through a tripartite structure, the Higher Education Safety and Health Forum (HESH).

Membership is drawn from the Universities and Colleges Employers Association (UCEA), the Trade Unions, and HSE.  The current membership (August 2011) is:

Mr Andrew D Wilkinson

Chair of the HESH Forum, Committee of University Chairmen

Mr Clive Parkinson

Director of Health and Safety, Surrey University and Chair of the Universities Safety and Health Association (USHA)

Professor Colin Bushnell

Assistant Principal, King's College London

Ms Ruth Sleigh

Health and Safety Executive

Mr John Bamford

Universities and Colleges Union

Mr Glyn Baker

Unite – the Union

Mr Michael Hines

UNISON

Ms Helen Fairfoul

Deputy Chief Executive, Universities and Colleges Employers Association (UCEA)

Ms Nicola Carter

Senior Employee Relations Adviser, UCEA

The Terms of Reference for the Forum are:

"To act as a forum for the Higher Education Sector, developing partnership between employer's and employee's representatives and provide strategic oversight and direction on matters of occupational health and safety.

It is expected that the establishment of this forum will lead to the evolution of practical solutions to occupational health and safety issues. The regulators will be invited to attend and others may be co-opted."

Minutes of the HESH Forum meetings can be found on UCEA website.