On 3 June the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) launched their new strategy document – “Be part of the solution” – designed to reduce the number of accidents in the workplace and take a “common sense approach” to ensuring that risk management is an enabler for business, not a burden.
Health and safety standards in the UK have improved dramatically over the last 35 years, but since 2003 the rate of improvement appears to have stalled. In 2007/08, 229 workers were killed and 136,771 were seriously injured at work. Furthermore, approximately 34 million working days were lost in 2007/08 due to the consequences of accidents at work and work related ill health. The HSE considers that it is not acceptable to maintain the status quo, and is calling on not only business leaders, but the entire workforce, to “be part of the solution” by working together to improve health and safety standards. To do so is particularly important in the current economic climate – it is essential that employers do not cut corners in their attempt to save on costs.
Background
The HSE ran a three-month consultation on their new strategy, which came to an end in March 2009. Over 200 responses were received, and were considered alongside comments and ideas from regional workshops.
Goals
Overall the strategy has four clear objectives 1) to reduce the number of work related fatalities, injuries and causes of ill health, 2) to gain widespread commitment and recognition of what real health and safety is about, 3) to motivate all those in the health and safety system as to how they can contribute to improved health and safety performance and 4) to ensure that those who fail in their health and safety duties are held to account. The ten goals which are founded in “common sense and practicality” are:
- To investigate work related accidents and ill health and take enforcement action to prevent harm and secure justice when appropriate.
- To encourage strong leadership in championing the importance of, and a common sense approach to, health and safety in the workplace.
- To motivate focus on the core aims of health and safety and by doing so, help ‘risk makers’ and managers distinguish between real health and safety issues and trivial or ill-informed criticism.
- To encourage an increase in competence which will enable greater ownership and profiling of risk, thereby promoting sensible and proportionate risk management.
- To reinforce the promotion of worker involvement and consultation in health and safety matters throughout both unionised and non-unionised workplaces of all sizes.
- To specifically target key health issues and to identify and work with those bodies best placed to bring about a reduction in the number of cases of work related ill health.
- To set priorities and identify which activities deliver a significant reduction in the rate and number of deaths and accidents.
- To adapt and customise approaches to help the increasing number of small and medium sized businesses in different sectors comply with their health and safety obligations.
- To reduce the likelihood of low frequency, high impact catastrophic incidents while ensuring that Great Britain maintains its capabilities in those industries strategically important to the country’s economy and social infrastructure.
- To take account of wider issues that impact on health and safety as part of the continuing drive the improve Great Britain’s health and safety performance.
Achieving the goals
The HSE has identified a number of factors which can help them achieve their goals, mainly relating to the leadership and management of organisations. They specifically identify the need for more support for small and medium sized businesses and the need to involve the workforce, which can be achieved by implementing joint training for managers and employees. The HSE also hopes that organisations will view legislative requirements as a minimum standard, and that they will push for health and safety awareness across the entire workforce – not just health and safety representatives.
Sound commercial sense
Research carried out by HSE indicates that nearly eight out of ten business leaders acknowledge that good health and safety standards are beneficial – partly because it helps workers feel valued, and partly because the cost of preventing an accident is almost always less than the cost when an accident does occur. It makes particularly good business sense to ensure strong health and safety management during a recession. Tom Mullarkey, Chief Executive of the Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents, has stated that: “In a highly competitive market in which clients demand higher standards in order to divorce themselves from the risk of poor contractor performance, the ability to demonstrate effective health and safety management is all the more important in winning new business.”
To see the strategy in full please click here.
