2014 is shaping up to be a very important milestone in the Occupational Health and Safety market in the UK. This year sees the 40th anniversary of the Health and Safety at Work Act, a key element in the reduction of workplace fatalities from over 650 in 1974 to less than 150 at present, a figure still too high which must be reduced further.
Having worked in the occupational health & safety industry for more than 35 years, I have seen a great amount of change. As I retire from the BSIF in the spring, I felt it a good time to reflect upon where the safety industry has been, BSIF’s part in this culture change and where I believe the health & safety world should be heading.
As we shake off a long wet winter and start to welcome the warmer weather, lighter evenings and the advent of new life, the world of health and safety is also marking some new beginnings.
Getting workers engaged in health and safety isn’t always the easiest task but it’s one that’s well worth the effort, says Karen McDonnell, occupational safety and health policy adviser at The Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents (RoSPA) who suggests some ways to get started.
Nicki Stewart looks at the active role of the employer in creating a safe workplace.
As you may have noticed in these pages the world of health and safety and information technology are converging.
Championing a positive, proactive safety culture is central to the role of the Access Industry Forum (AIF) – the forum for the trade associations and federations involved in work at height – which is why, earlier this year, the Forum and its member organisations welcomed the launch of the Health and Safety Executive’s (HSE) new and simplified guidance on working at height. It also welcomed the regulator’s decision to produce clearer guidance rather than make changes to the Work at Height Regulat
While the government’s latest crack down on insurance fraudsters (www.hsmsearch.com/page_472378.aspsee) could see a drop in fraudulent slips and trips claims in the workplace, at the other end of the spectrum, Slips, Trips and Falls (STFs) remain one of the most significant challenges in occupational safety.
Karen McDonnell, occupational safety and health policy adviser at The Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents (RoSPA), discusses the hazards and risks associated with workplace transport.
The 31st July 2014 marks 40 years since the Health and Safety at Work Act received Royal Assent. Much has been written about the Act’s success; it has protected millions of British workers since its introduction in 1974 and workplace fatalities have fallen by 85 percent and non-fatal injuries by more than 75 percent. It has given the UK a health and safety record that is envied the world over.
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