15 October 2010
LORD YOUNG REPORT: HSE ACTS TO BRING EARLY BENEFITS FOR BUSINESS
The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) today welcomed the publication of Lord Young of
Graffham’s report into health and safety.
HSE has been working with others to develop responses to two of the recommendations, both
designed to reduce bureaucracy and support business in the sensible management of risk:
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A new online 20-minute risk assessment tool for offices will be available from today,
with online tools for other low risk workplaces to follow.
A new online national register of occupational safety consultants will be launched in
January 2011 to help businesses access high quality, proportionate advice.
The new interactive web tool will help employers to consider relevant hazards and think about
how they control them to keep staff safe in the low risk office environment – and avoid
unnecessary paperwork and bureaucracy. It works by prompting employers to answer a series
of questions about their workplace, the responses to which generate a unique risk assessment
and action plan.
Simplified risk assessments for other low risk workplaces are currently being developed. Safety
officials will take account of the results of the risk assessments when they carry out inspections
as evidence that businesses have taken appropriate steps to manage workplace hazards.
Judith Hackitt, HSE chair said:
“Many people assume that risk assessments need to be long, formal documents
covering every hazard, no matter how minor or unlikely to occur. That is not the case
and, as the new online risk assessment demonstrates,,they can be carried out quickly
by anyone using common sense. Employers know their businesses better than
anyone and, in low risk environments, can easily do what is necessary to protect
workers and visitors.”
The Occupational Safety Consultants Register (OSCR) will go live in January 2011. It will
provide businesses with details of consultants who have met the highest qualification standard
of recognised professional bodies and who are bound by a code of conduct requiring them to
give advice that is sensible and proportionate.
The scheme has been developed by HSE and a network of professional bodies representing
safety consultants across Britain. Higher-risk businesses requiring external safety advice will be
able to access via a single website local advisers with experience relevant to their sector.
Judith Hackitt added:
“We are pleased to have been working with the professional bodies to develop a
scheme which will provide assurance of the standard of safety advice available to
businesses. Lord Young correctly recognised that businesses can find it difficult to
know if they are getting good advice. The Occupational Safety Consultants Register
will signpost businesses to consultants who have met the highest standards within their
professional bodies and who can offer the right expertise and proportionate advice.”
Notes
1.
The professional bodies involved in developing OSCR are: Institution of Occupational
Safety and Health (IOSH); Chartered Institute of Environmental Health (CIEH); Royal
Environmental Health Institute of Scotland (REHIS); International Institute of Risk and Safety
Management (IIRSM); British Safety Council; British Safety Industry Federation (BSIF);
National Exam Board in Occupational Safety and Health (NEBOSH); Royal Society for the
Prevention of Accidents (ROSPA); British Occupational Hygiene Society (BOHS); Institute of
Ergonomics and Human Factors (IEHF).
Membership of OSCR will be voluntary for consultants. To be eligible to join it,
individual consultants will need to be a Chartered Member of IOSH, CIEH or REHIS, or a
Fellow of IIRSM.
2.
The Health and Safety Executive is Britain's national regulator for workplace health
and safety. It aims to prevent death, injury and ill health. It does so through research,
information and advice, promoting training, new or revised regulations and codes of practice,
and working with local authority partners by inspection, investigation and enforcement.
www.hse.gov.uk
Stakeholder Communications and Engagement Team
Health and Safety Executive
Tel: 020 7227 3832