Safety 'starts at the top'

4:46pm Tuesday 13th May 2008

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"THE responsibility for the health, safety and welfare of all organisations' employees starts at the top," says Judith Hackitt, chairman of the Health and Safety Executive (HSE).

Speaking at the Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents' Developing Leadership Action conference today at Birmingham's National Exhibition Centre, she continued: "Leadership from the top of every organisation is essential to create and maintain a real and lasting health and safety culture.

"Health and safety leadership is about good, integrated governance.

"The motivation for building a health and safety culture needs to be driven by the belief that not only is it the right thing to do morally but also that it is fundamental to the business success of your organisation.

"Creating the right culture in your organisation will play a critical part in ensuring the health and safety of your workforce."

The HSE chairman highlighted the actions that all leaders should be taking:

Challenge your organisation to deliver - don't simply assume that it will be done.

Don't leave it to others to assess the risks - you should not only be aware of but have agreed the priority risks in your organisation.

Don't try to manage the process from the boardroom - reports may not tell you what you need to know. Find out for yourself and check what is really happening in practice.

Organisations' supporting systems, including pay and progression, must emphasise the importance of health and safety management.

Reinforce your message by rewarding the right behaviours at every level.

The conference, running in association with HSE, was held alongside the Safety and Health Expo, which also featured a dedicated stand of HSE's Shattered Lives.

The HSE is running its Shattered Lives campaign to highlight the devastating consequences of slips, trips and falls in the workplace.

Slips, trips and falls can be viewed as being minor, funny accidents but the effects are not. It can lead to major injuries, a lifetime of disability and, in worst cases, fatalities.

For more information on the Shattered Lives campaign, visit www.hse.gov.uk/shatteredlives/index.htm.