No ‘concrete policy’ in new HSE strategy


Following a consultation exercise at the beginning of the year, the HSE has launched its new Helping Great Britain work well strategy. This sets out the priority themes it will focus on over the next five years.


One of the six key themes is tackling ill health, and the strategy sets out that there will be a greater focus on health (as well as safety) issues at work. It sets out that raising awareness of the harm, costs and preventability of work-related ill health will require long-term and coordinated action across all sectors. And additional partners, such as the NHS, to support the substantial behaviour change and awareness programmes will be required.


The other key themes are: 


• acting together: promoting broader ownership of health and safety in Great Britain;


• managing risk well: simplifying risk management and helping business to grow;


• supporting small employers: giving small and medium-sized firms simple advice so they know what they have to do;


• keeping pace with change: anticipating and tackling new health and safety challenges; and


• sharing our success: promoting the benefits of Great Britain’s world-class health and safety system.


The TUC e-bulletin for safety reps, Risks, reports that the document, “repeats the same ‘six strategy themes’ announced in December 2015 ahead of the series of seven HSE ‘conversations’ around the country” and “does not include details of any concrete policy initiatives, targets or outcome measures”.


www.hse.gov.uk/strategy/strategy-document.htm