Health and safety nowadays has more to do with a state of mind than it does with regulation, HSE chair Judith Hackitt told delegates at the SHP Legal Arena today, as she issued her opening address at Safety & Health Expo 2013.
Ms Hackitt said she found it interesting how the show had developed over the years from an exhibition that was very much dominated by PPE into one that focuses more on cultural and behavioural issues. This, she said, reflected the continuing evolution of the UK’s health and safety system as it becomes increasingly mature.
“Our health and safety system cannot stand still,” she stressed, before highlighting the many reviews that it has been subject to over recent years, notably those by Professor Lofstedt and Lord Young, in 2011 and 2010, respectively.
“And we’re not out of the words yet in terms of reviews,” she added, before pointing out that the DWP’s recent announcement of a triennial review of the HSE is very much routine. “It is something that all public bodies have to go through and it is looking more at our organisation and governance structure, as opposed to the regulatory system.”
She stressed that the regulator has no intention of allowing those that break the law and put workers at risk off the hook, and that, in many senses, it is business as usual for the Executive.
“It is worth remembering that a lot is not changing,” she explained. “As a regulator, we continue with the same purpose — it is very much business as usual in that sense. The way we respond in terms of reactive investigations [is no different] and we are still committed to partnership work with all our stakeholders.”
The changes being made to the health and safety system, particularly in the sphere of regulation, are about making things simpler to understand, removing legislation that is redundant or duplicated elsewhere, and streamlining inspections and interventions so that they are focused on the highest risks.
“It is absolutely not about reducing standards or reducing levels of protection in any industry or sector,” underlined the HSE chair, who put forward a strong case that progress is being made, backed up by the latest health and safety statistics, which show “we are world-leading”.
Issuing a note of caution, however, Ms Hackitt added: “We need to recognise that when we are world-class, we can tip over into making something that we really care about — our health and safety system — something of a joke.”
She closed her opening address by emphasising that the current situation is about ensuring the country’s world-class system evolves and is fit for future, adding that the move of Safety & Health Expo to London’s ExCeL next year is an exciting one, as it will attract a more international audience.
