RESEARCH REPORT 296 - Health and Safety Executive

1 HSE Health & Safety Executive Obstacles preventing worker involvement in Health and Safety Prepared by ECOTEC Ltd for the Health and Safety Executive 2005 RESEARCH REPORT 296 HSE Health & Safety Executive Obstacles preventing worker involvement in Health and Safety ECOTEC RESEARCH and Consulting Limited 6-8 Marshalsea Road London SE1 1HL United Kingdom The Health and Safety Executive commissioned this RESEARCH to identify the barriers to worker involvement in Health and Safety activities in the workplace and identify the types of incentives that would encourage greater participation. To enable in-depth discussion and exploration of the issues, a series of focus groups were carried out, involving participants working in four main sectors construction, manufacturing, hospitality and retail, from England, Scotland and Wales, and from a wide range of ages and extent of working experience.

2 Interviews were also carried out with a range of employers and Safety representatives from the same sectors, and with a selection of major stakeholders. This REPORT and the work it describes were funded by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE). Its contents, including any opinions and/or conclusions expressed, are those of the authors alone and do not necessarily reflect HSE policy. HSE BOOKS Crown copyright 2005 First published 2005 ISBN 0 7176 2940 6 All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means (electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise) without the prior written permission of the copyright owner.

3 Applications for reproduction should be made in writing to: Licensing Division, Her Majesty's Stationery Office, St Clements House, 2-16 Colegate, Norwich NR3 1BQ or by e-mail to ii RESEARCH into the Obstacles Preventing Employee Involvement in Health and Safety Contents Executive SUMMARY 3 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS 8 1. introduction 9 Aims and Objectives 9 Methodology 9 Main Characteristics of Participants 10 The Employees 10 The Employers and Safety Representatives 11 The Stakeholders 11 REPORT Structure 11 2.

4 Policy Context 12 HSC s Strategy for Workplace Health and Safety 12 Development of Legislation and Policy on Health and Safety 12 The Impact of the Changing Pattern of Employment 13 The Changing Definition of Health and Safety 14 The Worker Safety Adviser Pilot 15 HSE s Declaration on Worker Involvement in Health and Safety 16 3. What Is Health And Safety At Work? 17 The Definition of Health and Safety 17 The Perspectives of Employees 17 The Perspectives of Employers 19 The Perspectives of Safety Representatives 19 The Perspectives of Stakeholders 20 The Roles and Responsibilities of Employers and Employees 20 The Responsibilities of Employers 20 The Responsibilities of Employees 21 The Role of Safety Representatives 22 4.

5 What Are The Obstacles To Involvement In Health And Safety At Work?24 introduction 24 Understanding and awareness of the scope of Health and Safety 24 Time and Cost 27 Complexity of legislation and regulations 29 Understanding the legislation and benefits to an organisation 29 1 RESEARCH into the Obstacles Preventing Employee Involvement in Health and Safety Finding relevant Health and Safety information 30 Attitudes to Health and Safety 30 Attitudes of Employers 31 Attitudes of Employees 32 The culture of an organisation 34 Macho behaviour 34 Extent of Staff Empowerment 35 Job insecurity 35 Management involvement in Health and Safety 36 Use of

6 Agency/temporary staff 37 Organisation size and type 38 Construction 38 Health and Social Care 38 Roles and Responsibilities 39 5. What Would Encourage Greater Involvement In Health And Safety ? 40 Information on Health and Safety 40 Methods for Encouraging Participation 41 Time, payment and progression within the organisation 41 Communication of Health and Safety information 43 Other methods for encouraging participation 44 Role of HSE 45 Role of inspection 46 Role of Education 47 Examples of Health and Safety practice 47 Training and Induction 48 Tailored communications/involvement mechanisms 48 General awareness raising 49 Review and risk assessment 49 6.

7 Key Themes and Main Incentives to Involvement 51 Definition of, and attitudes to, Health and Safety 51 Barriers to involvement in Health and Safety 52 Incentives to involvement 53 Annex A 2 RESEARCH into the Obstacles Preventing Employee Involvement in Health and Safety Executive SUMMARY The Health and Safety Executive commissioned this RESEARCH to identify the barriers to worker involvement in Health and Safety activities in the workplace and identify the types of incentives that would encourage greater participation. To enable in-depth discussion and exploration of the issues, a series of focus groups were carried out, involving participants working in four main sectors construction, manufacturing, hospitality and retail, from England, Scotland and Wales, and from a wide range of ages and extent of working experience.

8 Interviews were also carried out with a range of employers and Safety representatives from the same sectors, and with a selection of major stakeholders. The Definition of Health and Safety Among the workers who took part in the RESEARCH , Health and Safety meant safe working practices, following guidelines, regulations and procedures, fire Safety , and the maintenance of a safe working environment. Mention of occupational Health issues was rare, with the exception of back problems, RSI and eye tests. Their view of Health and Safety was firmly rooted in their own work context and experience. For the employers who took part in the RESEARCH , Health and Safety was more a matter of outcomes.

9 It meant compliance with rules and regulations, protecting their staff, customers and the interests of their business, and preventing issues arising. The Safety representatives who took part in the RESEARCH viewed Health and Safety as a matter of broad environmental and Safety factors. For them it was about securing a safe working environment, the provision and proper use of equipment, and the prevention of slips and trips . The stakeholders (senior employers, trade union officials and representatives of the participants in the Worker Safety Adviser pilot) held the widest definition of Health and Safety .

10 For them, it encompassed the whole range of issues, and included stress, working arrangements and welfare, all of which were only rarely included by the employees we spoke to, even after prompting. Awareness of the roles and responsibilities of employers and employees was reasonably good among the participants in the RESEARCH . Employees had a strong sense of individual responsibility for their own and their colleagues Safety , and for the need to work safely, though ultimately they felt that employers should still take the lead and were where the .. buck stops . There was some confusion over where the boundaries were drawn.