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UK News - Breaking news in the field of health and safety
.... about change... doing things differently,......
'.... about change... doing things differently, getting others involved or even saying no'
A Health and Safety Commissioner has taken the opportunity provided by the presence of a Wakefield audience of chief executives, elected members and chief officers of the 22 local authorities in the Yorkshire/Humber region, to explain the need to revolutionise their approach if they are to bring down the toll of workplace death, ill-health and injury.Yesterday's Working Together for a Healthy Partnership event at the National Coal Mining Museum marked the national unveiling of the Health and Safety Commission's Strategy for Workplace Health and Safety in Great Britain to 2010 and Beyond.The HSC has asked its enforcing authorities to establish a programme to develop and deliver the detailed arrangements for working together in an effective partnership.
"The strategy is designed to promote our vision to see health and safety as a cornerstone of a civilized society and, with that, to achieve a record of workplace health and safety that leads the world. We will debate with others how the system might be strengthened and - where there are gaps and limitations - how they might be filled.The HSC/E and local authorities cannot do this alone; we need to understand and value more the contribution of others to improving health and safety - not just employers but everyone including workers, their representative organisations and professional bodies.It goes without saying that we would welcome more resources and this would help bring improvements in health and safety, but more of the same - even with increased resources and efficiency - will not deal with emerging health issues or the changing world of work and the demands of our stakeholders.This means that HSE and local authorities must concentrate on the things they are best placed to do, including inspection and enforcement, and to do them where they have the greatest impact. This is a strategy about change, about doing things differently, getting others involved or even saying no in some cases." - a Health and Safety Commissioner."The principal aim of the programme is a more effective use of HSE and local authority resources collectively, to reduce accidents and ill-health at work. This in turn will contribute to initiatives for regeneration, health and wellbeing in local communities and ultimately enhance the employment and business viability of the region." - HSE's partnership manager in Yorkshire and the North East.
