HSE Say Their New Strategy Promotes 'Genuine Worker Engagement'
Writing in his letter to branches (LTB276/16), Dave Joyce
National Health, Safety & Environment Officer for the CWU, reports on the new HSE Strategy document:
The HSE has launched its new five year strategy for health and safety in Britain, claiming it marks a renewed emphasis on improving occupational health.
The New HSE strategy, called “Helping Great Britain work well” was launched on 29 February at an event at the construction site at Battersea power station in London. The overarching themes remain unchanged since the regulator launched a consultation on it in December.
They are:
Promoting broader ownership of health and safety
Highlighting and tackling the costs of work related ill health
Encouraging wider recognition of the business benefits of proportionate risk management
Raising awareness among small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs) that simple advice and guidance is available
Horizon scanning and “designing-in” effective risk management of new or emerging technologies and business models
Promoting Britain’s approach to health and safety around the world.
The strategy says the fundamentals outlined in the HSE’s last strategy released in 2009, ‘Be part of the solution’, will remain unchanged, including strong and visible leadership, collaboration and partnership, including “genuine worker engagement”, and competence. It adds that the HSE will increasingly act as an “enabler”, supporting businesses, particularly small ones, and facilitate proportionate, appropriate and effective risk management, encouraging all those in the system to take much greater ownership of health and safety and ultimately “Help Great Britain work well”.
Comments made at the launch:-
The HSE Chair Judith Hackitt and CEO Richard Judge stressed that the areas identified in the strategy are those on which all will need to focus their efforts collectively to make the greatest improvement, adding that the themes are the basis for agreeing “a collective way forward” and the HSE and stakeholders, employers Unions, workers will map out delivery plans. Judith Hackitt, the outgoing chair of the HSE, said that there had been strong support for the overarching themes during the consultative workshop events held around the country during January and February.
She added that there is a huge amount of energy and a desire to get involved in driving improvement in all parts of the system and this gives every confidence that the UK can maintain a health and safety record that is one of the best there is and now we need to move forward at pace.
Justin Tomlinson, the government minister with responsibility for the HSE, said that when people are harmed at work it makes Britain less competitive and nobody wants that to happen and, more importantly, we cannot afford it to happen. It is vital that everyone is able to play their part in keeping Britain’s economy running as effectively and efficiently as possible. It is now vital that the impetus is maintained and that the theme on ownership is taken up by everyone in the system.”
Dave Joyce for CWU stressed the need to ensure that HSE refocus their attention on Inspections, Investigations and Enforcement as central foundations supporting any new strategy and initiative as they still remain the most effective way of ensuring compliance and protection for workers.
Meanwhile campaign group Hazards magazine author, Rory O'neil expresses concern over the HSE Strategy document and the organisations claim that the strategy follows extensive consultation, claiming it to have been "fake consultation".
He adds: " And this will be its mandate to do whatever it likes."
His article concludes:
"This was neither a fundamental nor an honest review of a system starting to fail. What emerged isn’t a strategy, it is a brochure."
The TUC's Hugh Robertson questions the future of the HSE based on their new strategy document.
"On regulation, the paper is clear. There are no proposals for any new regulations in the areas responsible for 70% of work-related sickness absence (stress and MSDs), or on anything else for that matter. Instead they simply want to simplify regulations such as the chemicals regulations, harbours, and gas safety.
Writing in his letter to branches (LTB276/16), Dave Joyce
National Health, Safety & Environment Officer for the CWU, reports on the new HSE Strategy document: