‘New’ HSE is created

The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) merged with the Health and Safety Commission (HSC) on April Fool’s Day.

The new body retains the HSE name and is chaired by former HSC chair Judith Hackitt, while the commissioners – including the three union representatives – are now non-executive directors of the HSE. The old HSE board has become the “senior management team” under chief executive Geoffrey Podger.

The new board is responsible for running all aspects of the organisation, and is expected to publish a strategy for its next five years towards the end of 2008.