BSIF Viewpoint: Secret to a lasting relationship

In January, Open University published findings from one of the biggest studies ever of relationships in Britain. After speaking and surveying over 5,000 people over a two year period, it found that the humble cup of tea has emerged as the secret to Britain’s strongest marriages. According to the study, men who make their wife or partner a cup of tea or breakfast in bed are doing more to build a lifetime bond than those who lavish flowers or expensive gifts on them. The study also offers a salutary lesson in that even when times are tough due to some adversity such as a bereavement or unemployment, couples need to keep investing in their relationships for them to be successful.

Our relationship with health and safety goes back a long way. In fact, 2014 marks the 40th anniversary of the Health and Safety at Work Act (HSWA). Before then there was a plethora of different regulations which didn’t serve the worker well. Some industries were overwhelmed by prescriptive rules while others weren’t regulated at all. It was acknowledged by politicians and Government officials that this had to change and in 1972 the Robens Report recommended a regulatory regime that set broad, non-prescriptive goals for dutyholders, underpinned by a fundamental principle: ‘those that create risk are best placed to manage it’.

Since 1974 our approach to workplace health and safety has changed dramatically. Forty years ago 651 employees died in work. The latest figure for 2012/13 was down to 148 for employees and self employed combined. The actual reduction is likely to be more as numbers for sectors not covered by health and safety law before 1974 were not collected. In the same time frame (and with the same caveat) injuries have dropped by more than 75 percent.

But we can’t rest on our laurels. There is still room for improvement in particular when it comes to preventing and reducing exposure to occupational diseases. In 2012/13 the number of people suffering from occupational diseases such as cancer and lung disease was 13,000, a number that has stayed stubbornly high for the past number of years.

Our love affair with health and safety has produced great results. We are certainly building a lifetime bond with improvements in safety equipment, risk assessments and stronger regulation in COSHH to name but a few. But the hi-viz jacket and safety helmet is often derided in the mainstream press as a barrier to business, a restriction on having fun, a burden to society. As a sector we need to keep investing in what we do best and not be shy about promoting our work at the local, national and international level.

The recent triennial review of the HSE is an endorsement of the work it does and the report’s support for the HSE to complete Lofstedt’s recommendations will ensure health and safety stays relevant to today’s workplaces.

Employers, employees and all interested stakeholders in health and safety including the BSIF should be proud of what we have achieved over the past forty years. HSWA set the standard in safe workplaces which is admired and replicated throughout the world.