RR418 - Local authority health and safety enforcement officer's perceptions of their support, information and training needs (SITNA)
As part of the Local Authorities (LAs) and Health and Safety Executive (HSE) Working Together Strategic Programme, seven commitments were made by the Health and Safety Commission, HSE and LA representative bodies to create genuine partnership between LAs and HSE leading to improved health and safety. One of these commitments was to provide information, guidance and support to enforcing authorities equitably. The HSE Local Authority Unit (LAU) commissioned the Health and Safety Laboratory to carry out an analysis of these needs as perceived by LA Health and Safety Enforcement Officers. The research aimed to identify practical recommendations that could be implemented to meet this commitment.
Among the objectives of the research were:
- assessment of existing levels of support and information and identification of perceived needs;
- identification of training needs and options to meet these needs; and
- advice to LAU on the best options to answer health and safety enforcement needs
Among the conclusions, the report highlights the lack of awareness by LA Health and Safety Enforcement Officers of the support available to them by HSE and HSL. It also shows that a change of culture and awareness is required by many HSE Officers in their perception of the work LA Health and Safety Enforcement Officers are required to do - much is varied and complex - and the limited resources some of them have available. The report lists additional training that many LA Health and Safety Enforcement Officers perceived they needed if they were to feel confident in addressing the current and future Health and Safety challenges.
This report and the work it describes were funded by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE). Its contents, including any opinions and/or conclusions expressed, are those of the authors alone and do not necessarily reflect HSE policy.
The CIEH has published a detailed response to the 'SITNA' report. Publication followed extended discussions with the HSE regarding the research utilized by the Health and Safety Laboratory to underpin its report on the available levels of Support and Information for local authority health and safety enforcement staff as well as the Training Needs (SITNA) of such staff.
CIEH - A response to HSE's SITNA Report
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