Directors given guidance on health and safety responsibilities

The Health and Safety Commission (HSC) has published new guidance recommending health and safety responsibilities for company directors and the board members of public sector and voluntary organisations.

The aim of the guidance, as laid out in the “Revitalising Health and Safety” strategy document, is to reduce the rate of work-related deaths, illness and injuries in the UK over the next ten years. Directors will be advised that they should ensure that health and safety risks involved in an organisation’s activities are management properly, and that they take adequate measures to protect their employees, employees of contractors and members of the public.

HSC Chairman Bill Callaghan said: “The best companies have told me that health and safety is the first item on the agenda of their board meetings and I want to see every company adopting that policy.

“Health and safety is a boardroom issue. Good health and safety reflects strong leadership from the top and that is what we want to see. But appointing a health and safety director or department does not absolve the Board from its collective responsibility to lead and over see health and safety management.

“We will be monitoring very closely the impact this guidance has on improving corporate responsibility for ensuring the effective control of health and safety risks.”

The HSC will also publish supplementary guidance in the autumn to provide further advice on implementing the recommendations.

(CL)