Health and Safety Made Simple

A worker loses three fingers in a machine at a paper works Another breaks his back and fractures his skull after falling from a roof while replacing cement sheets. And an elderly resident’s possessions become contaminated with asbestos during renovation work at sheltered housing.

These are just three examples of prosecutions brought to conclusion by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) in the past few months. In all these cases the employer failed to take steps to protect workers or people who came into contact with the work. Add to these the hard facts of 171 people being killed at work in Britain last year and 26,061 major injuries suffered in 2009/10, then it becomes clear why there is a need for health and safety legislation. I do not think anybody would argue with that.

Aside from the pain and grief these oftenpreventable incidents cause – enough in itself for any business to contend with – is the impact on the bottom line. Our current best estimate as to the total cost of workplace injuries and work-related ill health in Britain is around £20billion. While this includes costs to individuals, and to the government through NHS care, benefits paid and taxes lost, it also includes costs to business such as sick pay, temporary staffing and even legal costs. The real tragedy is that most of the underlying incidents could have been prevented by taking simple safety precautions.
The Government-commissioned report ‘Common Sense, Common Safety’, recommended that businesses be freed up from bureaucracy and unnecessary paperwork. As a result, we have introduced new, easy to use online tools to help businesses, particularly SMEs, understand their responsibilities when it comes to health and safety and to enable them to reach a basic level of compliance with confidence and the minimum amount of fuss.

The ‘Health and Safety Made Simple’ website www.hse.gov.uk/simple-health-safety acts as an entry point for employers who need help knowing where to start or for those confused by what is expected of them. It takes users through the process step-by-step, explaining what to do and how to do it. It signposts employers to detailed guidance on specific topics and useful interactive tools, such as a quick and easy online risk assessment for offices, which has received encouraging feedback and with almost 10,000 forms completed since its launch in October. One for shops will be available later this summer. Though the website makes clear that employers are likely to be able to manage most aspects of health and safety themselves, the Occupational Safety and Health Consultants Register (OSHCR) has been introduced to help businesses find a reputable consultant for any specialist help, advice or support they need.

This register was born out of the concern that while there are many very good health and safety consultants who give sensible and proportionate advice to employers, there are also those who may overcomplicate health and safety, miss important hazards or contribute to misperceptions about what is really needed to protect people at work. The register offers a level of assurance to businesses that those consultants on the register have met set standards within their professional body.

As a former director of a chemical company, I know that most businesses appreciate that getting health and safety right is important. A commonsense and proportionate approach is what is needed, not endless paperwork or bureaucracy. The information and support is there to help employers get it right and do what they need to do, and not what they don’t. Good health and safety is not rocket science and it is certainly not about getting tied up in red tape.

Judith Hackitt, HSE Chair