I am consulted on the strategy

I spent this morning in one of the consultation events on the HSE's draft strategy. There were about 80 of us at 10 tables discussing the proposals and then feeding the results back to a plenary session chaired by HSE board member John Spanswick. Most people agreed with the strategy goals but then, as some pointed out, they are pretty unarguable (more worker consultation, more leadership, more competence, enforcement where appropriate), but until we know how the HSE plans to help achieve them (which will come in the delivery plans) it's difficult to know how to judge the strategy overall.

The most interesting feedback i thought came in the form of suggestions about who could help the HSE get the safety message across and cut accident and ill health rates. These ranged from GPs to FE colleges, to insurers (by giving premium discounts) and several groups suggested that bigger organisations could do more to influence their supply chains. This has been common in the environmental field for a long time but less so in health and safety.

There was also a feeling that the draft underplays preventing ill health a bit and that though it does mention the HSE's enforcement role it doesn't really say anything about the beneficial efect of inspection (probably because the pressure from other parts of govermnment is for light touch regulation and for the HSE to avoid visiting sites randomly).

Apart from that there seemed a genuine keenness to get more health and safety into the educational curriculum from infants to postgrad level.

It was an interesting morning and obviously only one of a clutch of similar events round the country. Nevertheless I'm glad the HSE is emphasising that people are welcome to send in written submissions to the consuiltation, as these sessions feel like a supplement to, rather than a replacement for, the traditional consultation route.

Louis

Louis