Business leaders, supporting organisations and unions met in London today (2 February) to discuss the development of Britain’s new strategy for workplace health and safety.
The Health and Safety Executive (HSE), has travelled the length and breadth of Great Britain listening to leading industry figures and key influencers who are having their say in shaping the future strategy for Great Britain’s health and safety system.
Dame Judith Hackitt, Rt Hon Justin Tomlinson MP, Peter Baker and Sarah Pinch
The #HelpGBWorkWell system strategy roadshow has travelled to seven cities around Britain including Glasgow, Cardiff, Bristol, Birmingham, York, and Liverpool and concluded at Central Hall in Westminster.
The Minister responsible for workplace safety and health, the Rt Hon Justin Tomlinson MP, addressed today’s event which saw leading industry figures and key influencers from organisations such as BAE Systems, Transport for London (TfL), Centrica, British Gas, BskyB, Crossrail and Royal Mail Group, and prominent figures such as NHS Board member and chief executive of health and social care provider Turning Point, and Lord Victor Adebowale of Wakefield who was asked to contribute ideas on what will help the countries and regions of Great Britain ‘work well’.
HSE recently published six themes the five-year strategy will cover, and a wide range of influencers including employers, workers, local and central government, unions and other regulators have been consulted on their views.
The Rt Hon Justin Tomlinson MP supporting #HelpGBWorkWell
There are three overarching aspects the new strategy will tackle and the conversation today addressed;
Minister for Disabled People Justin Tomlinson said: “It is fantastic to see people across all sectors getting on board with developing the new health and safety strategy. By speaking and listening to as many individuals and organisations as possible we can address the challenges that Great Britain faces now and in the future.
“The wellbeing of Britain’s workers will always be our number one priority but our world-class record on safety in the workplace also makes an enormous contribution to the UK economy. So when Britain works well we all win.”
Lord Victor Adebowale
HSE Chair, Dame Judith Hackitt DBE who closed the series of roadshows added: “Britain’s work related safety and health record is already one of the best in the world, but to stay ahead we cannot stand still.
“The world is constantly changing and industry and regulators must change also. The challenge is ensuring Britain continues to work well it’s why direct input from workers and employers on what should be included in the new health and safety strategy for Britain is so important. So the question for all is; what can you do, or do differently, to help GB work well?”
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Anyone who thinks an average of 25,000 serious injuries a year for the past 3 decades and a death rate that fluctuates with the unemployment rate is world-class is delusional Mr Tomlinson! If you doubt the figures quoted download them from HSE.gov.uk
For sure Dom it is an odd way of measuring by comparison and if the median is below others then the difference will be termed a “reduction” like, you know, it hasn’t risen as much as others – Doh.
Anyway, I suspect the denial maybe founded in ignoring, like “I see NO ships” as, the level of work related stress fatigue reaches a critical mass manifesting in “presenteeism”, rather than the odd days sickie, accounting for some 20% loss in productivity amounting to 30 + lost days per year in addition to time off due to fatigue ill-health.
That is without getting into the increased risk of errors, mishaps or injuries resulting from cognitive overload, loss of alertness and/or repetitive stress injuries where not mitigated by structured and routine breaks off task.
Fatigue sets in after 90 minutes of sustained activity hence a six hour working day should be broken into half with an hour for lunch and both morning and afternoon sessions broken by a fifteen minute, so called, tea break – like what the working day used to be in order to optimise human resource functionality and reduce lost performance over the normal working day.
Whether defined by the human body clock and expression of hormones, circadian rhythms or bio-rhythms the human organism, unlike the inorganic production line also needs routine and planned maintenance and if we are to consider the “life-cycle” of other equipment isn’t it time to optimise the “given set of conditions” required by human resources to function well and optimally ???