From the CEO’s Desk

First let me reflect on the developments. When I first started, deaths at work exceeded 600, today they are less than 150 each year.  Major injuries at work were at very high levels, in fact I am unable to quote numbers since the measurement at that time was unreliable, but they have hugely reduced. Lastly, recognition of long latency diseases was almost unheard of, yet today this is a major focus of health and safety activity.

Of course industry has dramatically changed in that time. Mining has virtually gone, heavy engineering, steel making and so on are all a shadow of their former selves, with manufacturing processes having changed out of all recognition.

Never the less, the improvements are dramatic and this is real people’s lives we are talking about, not just statistics.

 

There are certainly several thousand people alive today who would not have survived if it were not for effective ‘health & safety’. Ten of thousands are fit and well through avoided major injuries and if you add in the trauma to families, friends and work colleagues the reduced impact is massive. 

How easy it is for David Cameron to expound on health & safety as a shadow over British industry or Jeremy Clarkson to speak from a cosy desk? Ask them to tell more than 5,000 people why they should have died just to ‘avoid’ some red tape. I suspect their views would be different.

Where has the supply side of the industry been in all of this and how has BSIF helped?

Without our industry sector and BSIF as a trade association, I honestly believe these improved numbers wouldn’t have had the same impact. Product performance has lifted enormously; conformance standards, innovative designs, compatibility and education have taken major strides forward. We can now protect workers in the harshest environments and have systems and products to ensure they are effective, not just in the short-term, but also to protect against long-latency diseases. 

Initiatives such as:- ‘Clean Air? Take Care!’, ‘It’s in your hands’, ‘Fit2Fit’, Best practice reports in the Waste Management and Construction industries  and Registered Safety Supplier Scheme have helped educate and develop the market. The BSIF has also very actively worked to ensure new legislation, such as the PPE regulations and changes to the market infrastructure don’t impact on health & safety performance.

With a health & safety record that is the envy of the rest of the world, UK safety export activities continue to grow, with an increased number of BSIF members exhibiting and promoting UK safety overseas. However, it’s not all good news, counterfeit and illegal PPE in the UK continues to be a problem.  The BSIF has very successfully battled to resolve many illegal and underperforming product issues, highlighting issues to the market and been involved with a major prosecution of a builders merchant where non-conforming helmets were being sold.

The BSIF is an integral part of ensuring the health & safety products and services you receive are fit for purpose, ‘do what they say on the tin’ and truly protect workers.

Yet there is still a lot of work to do to continue to ensure deaths, major injuries and long latency diseases continue to decrease.

 

I believe that as an industry we should all smile at our success but not get complacent and ensure innovation, education and enforcement are our key notes for the future.

On my retirement, I can look back with some satisfaction on the outcomes over the past 35 years and remain excited about BSIF’s future involvement in this very worthwhile industry. It’s been a good 35 years, but it’s time to hand the baton over to a vibrant BSIF team who will continue to drive us forward.