Posted By Paul Craythorne I would be interested to receive thoughts and comments on the status of other H&S professionals within their respective organisations. I am of the firm belief that the person employed in a health and safety capacity should be part of the senior management team with a direct report to the most senior person on site (Managing Director/Plant Manager etc.). The person in the role should be given equal status to that of the managers for Human Resources and Quality. In my present position I am reporting to 2 HR Managers (I cover 2 sites). Too often the H&S role is seen as a sub function of HR and of lesser importance (certainly in the salary and company car stakes!!). More importantly, because the role is part of another department and not a department in its own right, the level of authority is diminished. I look forward to receiving any responses Regards, Paul Craythorne

Posted By Andrew Powell Dear Paul, I am fortunate in that I report directly to my MD. Obviously if (we) report to a HR manager/production manager their primary concern is HR/Production no matter how high their regard to H&S is. That is generally their strong point and that is why they are there. I have been asked who I feel I should report to (??) by individuals in senior management. my response is and always be, to the MD/senior person on site. Ultimately it is their responsibility for H&S, do they want a "middle man (person)" potentially blocking some high risk/important information? not if they are fully H&S conscious! Try and raise the awareness of your senior most manager. He will then want you pretty close. Until at least your management systems are in place and working! What are you doing for European Safety Week. A lot of conferences will be held I think. My local H&S group is holding a conference on “responsibilities of senior managers and Directors for H&S” Ultimately it is up to them to get AWARE and go these seminars etc.!! If you’re problems include salary and company car etc, etc look at the overall cost of accidents, claims high turnover and if/what you have saved the company. I ams sure someone can remember the HSG No for the cost of accidents, I cannot. I hope my ramblings have been of some help. Regards Andrew

Posted By Andrew Powell Thanks Nick, could well be handy come appraisal time, if of course you have been able to make an improvement, rather than as some production colleagues say "leaving obstacles etc around in an attempt to increase accidents and therefore keep myself in employment" is that a criminal act "obtaining money by deception"?

Posted By Ken Taylor Whilst I now report directly to the chief officer, my previous experience has been that your situation is often the case - particularly in local government and the like. There is a danger with this that aspects of health and safety work that are not seen as directly to do with personnel issues may be 'subordinated', etc. Whilst we are principally concerned with the well-being of employees, there are other aspects of our work that will relate more to the areas of work of other 'managers' (visitors, contractors, construction works, buildings, services, processess, equipment, etc, etc and we need the necessary access and involvement in those areas too!. I can still remember seeing an advert some years ago in a local government paper for a 'Car Park Attendant/ Safety Officer'.

Posted By Andrew Powell Rob W, Whether we report to a HR, Quality, or clinical director can be irrelevant, but only if all directors/senior managers are on board. We all need to raise our profile from time to time so that we may start looking outward not just with responsibility but also with authority. It is of course possible to be restricted by middle managers that give responsibility only. And anyway, if you feel it is not necessary to have the odd moan, great, I am pleased that you are in such a position, I for one however, would like to use the forum to moan on occasion, a problem shared…………… Regards Andrew