As part of its work to determine what is needed for the effective leadership of accident and ill-health prevention by line managers and team leaders RoSPA is seeking the views of health and safety committees around the UK.
Launched at Safety & Health Expo at the NEC last month, the Society’s ‘Big Workplace Discussion’ is turning the spotlight on what makes for the effective leadership of health and safety by those in operational management roles. Over the coming weeks, committees are invited to take time at one of their regular meetings to discuss the matter, based on their practical experiences, and to send RoSPA five or six key points or suggestions on what characterises a good line manager or team leader when it comes to health and safety.
Roger Bibbings, occupational safety advisor at RoSPA (pictured at the launch), explained: “This is our next big project in influencing the direction of the UK’s occupational safety and health policy. There are clear legal duties for those at the top of an organisation to lead, but the development of a healthy and safe working culture depends critically on the role played by line managers.
“As well as ensuring that directors and senior managers are fully involved, we want to focus on what team leaders need to feel, think, know, say and do to ensure that board-level health and safety objectives are met at workplace level.”
Later this summer, the Society plans to collate all the ideas received and then hold an exploratory seminar in September to consider the responses and identify key issues, and how they can be shared. A Web area and series of master classes are two potential outlets for sharing the project findings.
Committees are requested to send responses to Roger Bibbings by Friday, 9 July – e-mail [email protected]
