HSE Business Plan 2012–15

1 Health and Safety ExecutiveHSE Business plan 2012 15 Our mission:The prevention of death, injury and ill health to those at work and those affected by work activitiesHSE Business plan 2012 15 Contents Foreword ..1A. Lead others to improve health and safety in the workplace ..3B. Provide an effective regulatory framework ..7C. Secure compliance with the law ..10D. Reduce the likelihood of low-frequency, high-impact catastrophic incidents ..12 How we will use our resources ..15 HSE Business plan 2012 15 Page 1 ForewordOver the course of this Business plan , the strategy The Health and Safety of Great Britain: Be part of the solution will continue to be our roadmap to a less bureaucratic and more effective health and safety system.

2 What will change and evolve, however, is how the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) delivers its part of the strategy, and this plan demonstrates how we will turn our aims and objectives into reality over the next three years. Over the last twelve months we have seen a number of very significant events and reviews which will have far-reaching consequences as much for those actively involved in the work of health and safety, including HSE, as those affected by most notable events were the publication of the Government s report Good Health and Safety, Good for Everyone; the several consultations that followed up on recommendations contained in Common Sense, Common Safety; and a recent independent review of health and safety legislation by Professor L fstedt, published in November 2011.

3 HSE has welcomed all of these reviews and is actively engaged in contributing to the work of the Red Tape Challenge which should reach its final stage for health and safety very shortly. The recommendations that emerged are sensible and we believe that the strategy is consistent with the proposed reforms flowing from these reports and reviews namely that all those who are part of the health and safety system must focus on the real risks and play their part to prevent death and serious harm in the workplace, together with the need to make it easier for everyone to understand what is really required.

4 Those who create risks must take responsibility for the risks they create, acting proportionately and focussing on the things that make a difference. If Britain is to continue to be one of the safest and healthiest places to work in the world, HSE cannot do it alone and we should all share and learn lessons from the past and each the financial challenges HSE faces into account, the plan provides an outline of the ambitious, important and challenging activities and actions HSE will take forward to deliver the Government s reform agenda and our part to improve the health and safety performance of Great Britain.

5 Our specific aims, objectives and key activities are summarised on page 2015, if we have played our part successfully, HSE will have:drawn the distinction between real health and safety and bureaucracy and over interpretation ; made it even easier for people to understand and do what is required;devoted a greater proportion of effort where risks are highest and where we can have greatest impact; andcontinued to hold to account those who expose their employees and others to unnecessary recognise the challenges we will face in delivering this three year plan , but we believe that in adapting our approach, having a greater focus on and targeting real risk and the things that matter, and not deviating from our core purpose to prevent death, injury and ill health in the workplace, we can and will do our part to improve Great Britain s health and safety Hackitt CBE Geoffrey Podger Chair Chief Executive July 2012 HSE Business plan 2012 15 Page 2 Figure 1 HSE s Mission.

6 Aims and Objectives Our mission:The prevention of death, injury and ill health to those at work and those affected by work activitiesOur aims:A. Lead others to improve health and safety in the workplaceB. Provide an effective regulatory frameworkC. Secure compliance with the lawD. Reduce the likelihood of low frequency, high-impact catastrophic incidentsOur key Use evidence and knowledge to prioritise our own actions and guide the actions of Simplify and consolidate domestic health and safety regulations to make the law easier to Investigate work related accidents, incidents and ill Regulate major hazard operators and dutyholders effectively and Target and conduct inspections of sectors and activities which give rise to the most serious Negotiate and secure the best possible outcome in Europe for British Take formal enforcement action to prevent harm and secure justice where Provide authoritative advice in relation to hazardous substances and land use Provide guidance and support to enable informed workplace health and safety Act as Competent Authority for biocides, pesticides.

7 Detergents and industrial Work in partnership to raise awareness and create behavioural Demonstrate the benefits of proportionate health and safetyOur enablers:Manage our resources efficiently and Business plan 2012 15 Page 3A. Lead others to improve health and safety in the workplaceWhere improvements in health and safety are necessary and where HSE can make a distinctive contribution, we will work closely with individual companies, industry bodies, stakeholder groups and others to assist in driving forward sector-led improvements to raise awareness of, create behavioural change and ultimately improve health and safety in the workplace.

8 Use evidence and knowledge to prioritise our own actions and guide the actions of others Maintain a fit-for-purpose and robust evidence base on workplace injuries, work-related ill health, and the causes and consequences of health and safety failings, publishing a suite of health and safety statistics annually in the autumn Commission and deliver research and evidence to enhance our knowledge to support identification and delivery of HSE s current and future priorities including research on1:Asbestos report on prediction of mesothelioma risks associated with current asbestos exposures by June 2014 Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) a large scale epidemiological study to establish the principal causes of COPD estimate of current burden and initial assessment of causes of work related COPD by March 2013.

9 With final assessment by March 2015 Waste and Recycling - report on occupational exposures, ill health and effective control procedures to manage risks by March 2015 Ageing Onshore Infrastructure safety issues related to the working life extension of plant and equipment at onshore major hazard sites first reports by March 2013 Figure 2 Research reports to be published by topic2120100806040200 2011/12 2012 /13 2013/14 2014/15 Major Hazards Occupational health Occupational safety2230303030503035303030301 HSE s Summary Science plan 2012 -15 can be found at 2011/12 2014/15 data in Figures 2-27 is based on latest estimates and information and is therefore subject to

10 Business plan 2012 15 Page Target and conduct inspections of those sectors and activities which give rise to the most serious risks or where risks are least well controlled Ensure a more consistent and proportionate approach to inspection and enforcement activity by local authorities by:developing a binding and enforceable code of practice for local authorities which will be consulted on in September 2012 , and launched in April 2013working with the Better Regulation Delivery Organisation (BRDO) to assist the development of the Primary Authority Scheme Inspect where robust evidence and intelligence indicate health and safety performance is of serious concern and where inspection is the most effective intervention to secure compliance Issue licences and undertake 1500 inspections per annum to asbestos licensed contractors and removal operators to provide assurance of the competence of those participating in those Provide guidance and support to enable informed workplace health and safety decisions Provide concise and straightforward guidance ensuring it is proportionate.