Neal Stone Head of Policy and Public Affairs British Safety Council

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Neal Stone Head of Policy and Public Affairs
British Safety Council Current and coming
health and safety challengesFederation of
Master Builders Conference, 13th November 2009
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Todays presentation BSCs mission and
objectives what HSEs 2008/09 Statistics
reveal Current and future challenges
Preparing young workers for the world of work
Major policy and legislative issues facing
construction SMEs HSE Strategy - competence,
leadership and worker involvement
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British Safety CouncilOne of the UKs leading
health and safety organisations founded in 1957.
10,000 member companies in over 50 countries
worldwideMission is to support a healthier,
safer and more sustainable societyTakes forward
this mission through a variety of commercial and
charitable activities- Training, advisory,
qualifications and audit services- Conferences,
events and award schemes- Campaigning and
shaping public policy - Free Entry Level
qualifications for all 14-19 year old in
full-time education- Free qualifications for
those not in education, employment or training
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• The context - present and continuing challenges
• 180 workers killed at work down from 228 in
  2007/08
• 28,700 major injuries
• 132,000 RIDDOR reportables
• Agriculture, construction and transport continue
  to have highest injury incident rate
• 29 m working days lost 24.6m - work-related
  ill-health and 4.7m injury
• 4,000 cancer deaths due to asbestos exposure

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Current and future challenges Ill-health
reduction trends not improving Asbestos
Hidden Killer campaign a major priority
implications and impact of corporate manslaughter
law increase/changes in health and safety
penalties
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Incident ratesOver 2,600 major workplace
accidents in Great Britain in 2007/08 involving
young men, and 1,033 involving young women,
between the ages of 16-2423 young workers, aged
16-24, died in 2007/08 as a result of a
workplace accident Under reporting of
workplace injuries to young people employers
reluctant to report accidents, young workers may
wish to avoid being seen as a complainerEU
sources show that the incidence rate of non-fatal
accidents at work per 100,000 workers was more
than 40 higher among those aged 18-24 Research
indicates that young, inexperienced, workers are
more than 5 times more likely to be injured
during their first 4 weeks on the job
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Contributing factorsLack of experience and
training Those workers with the least experience
are more likely to injure themselves due to a
lack of knowledge and competencePhysically
demanding work Young workers experience
physically demanding working conditions more
commonly than the average workforce. Young
workers are more likely to partake in lower
grade, manual tasks. Young male workers are also
more likely to be allocated strenuous
tasksIrregular working arrangements Young
workers often work irregular hours. Shift work
can increase the risk of workplace injury.
Working at night can lead to a higher risk of
accident due to the lower number of workers and
supervisors
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How do we reduce the incident rate?Educate
young workers greater investment and commitment
to improve education and training both in schools
and the workplaceEducate employers to change
their working practicesEnforcement Tougher
sentencing laws send out a powerful message.
Health and Safety Executive must have adequate
resources to fulfil its inspection duties Focus
upon construction and agriculture concentrate
upon improving conditions for young male workers
in these sectors. Collaboration required between
government, employers and trade unions. More
research required to better understand the risks
faced by young workers in these sectors
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Measures for raising young peoples awareness of
the risk of workplace injury and ill health

• School-based training
• Employer-based training
• Other training
• Positive safety culture in the organisation
• Positive health and safety leadership in the
  organisation
• Worker involvement in health and safety
• Raising the profile of hazards (media campaigns,
  HSE campaigns)

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Entry Level Award in Workplace Hazard
AwarenessRationaleA young person is
seriously injured in a UK workplace every 40
minutesIn the UK, in the last decade, 66
under-19s have been killed at workNo prior
provision of accredited workplace health safety
training in schools leavers in the UK
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Entry Level Award in Workplace Hazard
AwarenessRationaleA young person is
seriously injured in a UK workplace every 40
minutesIn the UK, in the last decade, 66
under-19s have been killed at workNo prior
provision of accredited workplace health safety
training in schools leavers in the UK
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Entry Level Award in Workplace Hazard Awareness

• Benefits to young workers
• Help to keep them safe on work experience or in
  their first job
• Raise awareness of important health and safety
  issues
• Increase confidence and self esteem
• Provide a recognised, accredited qualification

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Subject content Mapped to National Occupational
Standards for Health and SafetyIncludesIdenti
fication of hazards Safety, fire and traffic
signs in the workplaceCauses of fire and
preventative action Personal Protective
EquipmentPersonal hygieneFirst aid
provisionReporting accidents, near misses and
ill healthEmployer / employee responsibilities
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A great start . . . Launched for academic year
2007/20081,800 schools (35 of UK total) have
participated in the programme to date75,000
candidate entries last year100,000 candidates
this academic year 2008/2009
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The next 10 years

• BSC has committed 5 million of its charitable
  reserves to fund the programme over the next ten
  years
• The programme is not restricted to the UK.
  Already available to British International
  Schools
• GAP year and volunteer schemes are delivering
  the qualification to schools in developing
  countries
• BSC is keen to work with governments, educations
  bodies, schools and young people across the globe

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• Major policy and legislative issues facing
  construction SMEs
• Donaghy report into construction fatalities
• Extension of remit of Gangmasters Licensing
  Authority
• Raft of EU Directives in train/on the horizon
• Accreditation of health and safety practitioners
• Better regulation/conservative regulatory agenda
  

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• HSE Strategy, The health and safety of Great
  Britain Be part of the solution
• Three top priorities
• Developing health and safety competence
• Directors and senior managers taking
  responsibility and providing leadership
• Workforce engagement and involvement

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• Neal Stone
• Head of Policy and Public Affairs
• T 020 8600 5585
• E neal.stone_at_britsafe.org
• British Safety Council
• www.britsafe.org
• T 020 8741 1231
• Entry Level Award in Workplace Hazard Awareness
• www.britsafe.org/schools