Putting Safety
Groups on the Map
John Cairns
Chairman – Scottish Chamber of Safety
Vice Chairman - Safety Groups UK
The H&S burden in Britain today

240 + notifiable fatals (excluding 800 on the road)

16,000 health related deaths?

1.1 million injuries

2.2 million cases of work related ill health

36 million workdays lost

Costing £30 billion or nearly 3 per cent GDP
Big problems with big impacts


Musculo-skeletal
disorders
Stress

Slips trips and falls

Workplace transport

Machinery safety

Fires and explosions

Electricity

Respiratory diseases

Cancer

Skin diseases

Falls from height

Noise

Work related road
accidents

and many more…
Who’s on the case?

HSE and Local Authorities

Safety groups, RoSPA, BSC, IOSH, NEBOSH, IIRSM

Major clients

Learning and Skills Council

The NHS

Insurers

Trades Unions

Employers’ organisations

And many others………..
So where do safety groups fit in?

70 plus Groups in UK -10 in Scotland & new groups
planned
- many are successful, vibrant, energetic and influential,
- others:
lack of membership, state of folding, looking for
help, ideas and support

Providing low cost, local, entry level advice and briefing

Partnership working with HSE, RoSPA, IOSH, BSC, IIRSM,
NEBOSH etc

Raising awareness/spreading good practice
The Map
Safety Groups UK: re-launched 2006
Mission:

The mission of Safety Groups UK is to ensure
the health and safety groups are key players in
the UK health and safety system and in the
delivery of UK health and safety strategy.

Website www.safetygroupsuk.org.uk
Safety Groups UK: vision
1.
Powerful and thriving network of health and safety groups
in every part of the UK, working to disseminate vital
information to the grass roots.
2.
Groups reaching out to and working in partnership with
all those in their local communities who have a role to
play in ensuring the workplaces are healthy and safe.
3.
An effective channel for feeding back views and
experiences to health and safety authorities and other key
national stakeholders.
Safety Groups UK; vision (cont’d)
4.
A positive partnership between the groups movement,
and all other key players in occupational health and safety
including the HSE, RoSPA, IOSH, IIRSM, the BSC, BOHS
and NEBOSH.
5.
New path-finding projects undertaken by Groups to raise
awareness of problems and demonstrate solutions and to
establish good practice.
6.
Recognition of and support for the key role which groups
play by key intermediaries such as employers
associations, trade unions, training bodies and all other
organisations which can help to promote and advance
their work.
SGUK & SCOS meetings

5 meetings of UK Management Committee + 4
SCOS (formed from the Safety Group members)

3 main meetings of SGUK which include AGM (June)
House of Lords (January)
What groups can deliver

Networking opportunities

Friendly problem solving and signposting

Seminars and events e.g. Safe Maintenance & HRAW –
Dundee 8th Feb 2012

Workplace visits

Outreach and briefing

Newsletters and websites

Contributions to local media

Social gatherings
Benefits of safety groups

Advice ‘free from the fear of enforcement’

For all types companies not just H&S professionals - suppliers &
service providers will also benefit

Suitable for SMEs

Practical

Easy to access

Supportive

Knowledge sharing

Local dimension

Varied programmes

Cost Effective
Partnership with HSE: key points
1.
SGUK to support the HSE Strategy
2.
Effective communications and align Groups’ priorities with
those of HSE;
3.
SGUK timely contributions to support HSE Strategy;
4.
SGUK to promote key health and safety messages to all
groups and beyond their immediate membership;
5.
HSE to support SGUK efforts to improve effectiveness of
groups, especially outreach to SMEs and the ‘hard-toreach’
6.
HSE to provide resources where appropriate to support
SGUK in achieving key objectives
Funding and Sponsorship
SGUK are grateful for the support they receive from
their sponsors:
KEY Work Items for SGUK
1.
Help Improve the groups’ ’offer’ to SMEs;
2.
Establish a stronger link between SGUK and groups;
3.
Offer support to existing groups;
4.
Maintain support from RoSPA, HSE, IIRSM, Nebosh and
IIRSM;
5.
Help Groups to align meetings more closely to HSE
priorities/campaigns and also run separate events;
6.
SGUK develop a marketing and communication strategy;
and
7.
Fund the above through sponsorship.
New initiative for 2012
As a new project for 2011/2012 we are looking into
the opportunity of taking the ‘Health Risks at Work –
do you know yours’ initiative into England and
Wales.
The initiative which has been delivered successfully in
Scotland by HSE, SCHWL, SCOS, won the
Partnership Initiative of the year award at the IOSH
2010 Awards.
The initiative provides tools and support for smaller
organisations to help identify the risks and manage
them is a way suitable to the organisation.
Help from SGUK
‘How to’ guides…

How to: Develop and run a website

How to: Respond to public consultations

How to: Manage a Health & Safety Group

How to: Organise a seminar
CONTACTS:
John Cairns Chairman SCOS, Vice Chairman SGUK
Email: john.cairns@strathclydefire.org
Hugh McCrea Hon Secretary SCOS
hugh@riskandsafetymanagement.co.uk
Roger Bibbings, Safety Groups UK Secretary
email: rbibbings@rospa.com