CEO's desk - September 2025

THE HEALTH and Safety Executive (HSE) held their AGM at the end of July and having attended the meeting I find myself now reflecting on the way that HSE appears to have evolved in recent years and what that may mean to occupational safety in this country.

The HSE is an internationally respected regulator and through informing and educating the market on risks and their management, has in the past, been seen not just as policing occupational safety and health but also as an awareness generator and a supportive and guiding force for good. The economic climate and the situation around declining resources provided to the HSE have been much discussed and it does feel like that has been the backdrop to the orientation of HSE progressively adjusting their activities. 

A regulator is responsible for laying out ‘what’ has to be done and enforcing their rules and regulations. However, HSE have over the years in addition to awareness activities, also been of significant assistance in providing guidance on ‘how’ things should be done. Now it appears, to me at least, that HSE are very much moving away from the ‘how’ and concentrating on the ‘what’ has to be done and its’ enforcement. That, I think, is just the reality that we now face.

Historically, HSE would produce Regulation, often supported by Approved Codes of Practice (ACoPs) and sometimes Guidance to help duty holders comply, but it feels like a long time since we have had updated or refreshed AcoPs or Guidance. That perhaps is not surprising in that many of the issues go back a long time, are well understood and there is little new or novel that HSE could bring, beyond perhaps continuing awareness and of course more assertive enforcement!

However, although many issues are long standing and should be well understood it does not change the fact that HSE’ published data on Health and Safety at work have been static over the last decade illustrating that safety messages are not getting through – just a couple of examples….. in 2023/24 there were half a million workers suffering from work-related muscular skeletal disorders (MSD) ten years ago the figure was the same – the number of non-fatal injuries sustained by workers in 2024 was .6 million and yes you guessed it, ten years ago it was the same!

Somehow things need to improve and if HSE are not being proactive on the traditional risks and hazards what mechanisms can step into that void and make a difference. BSIF and other bodies such as IOSH and BOHS continue to support duty holders and the market, but I believe the structure of local/regional safety groups, sharing good practice and learning from the experiences of others will become of increasing importance in the years to come, especially in getting messages to SME’s and micro businesses.

Two shining examples of this type of collaboration come to mind. We have Safety Groups UK the umbrella organisation for many regional safety groups who meet regularly in their own areas and run safety related events to share information, concerns and solutions.

We also have the Working Well Together group, originally constituted by HSE to support SME safety in construction.

Both Safety Groups and the Working Well Together Groups are run by volunteers for the greater good of occupational safety in their regions or sectors. These groups are and will become an even more important part of the Occupational Safety and Health ecosystem and I would ask all the HSM readers to have a look at the two website links and become involved wherever you can. These groups have in the past enjoyed some level of back-up from the HSE but no longer, yet they  provide a valuable network to promote occupational safety and health and deserve as much support as they can get.  

Alan Murray is chief executive of BSIF. For more information, visit www.bsif.co.uk