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Posted By Eric Burt
Just in case you haven't had chance to view the HSE web-site, they are consulting on a strategic plan for 2004 - 2010. Their document "Strategic thinking - work in progress" suggests that they are looking at stopping some of their activities and "making tough choices". They say that they cannot be "all things to all people" and don't want to be spread too thinly by being drawn into issues such as security and public protection !!!!!
Well I've certainly got some views on this and have got some thoughts about what they should drop.
Any ideas?
Cheers
Eric
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Posted By Michael Miller
As chance would have it I was listening to radio 4 about 3 weeks ago and they were interviewing a HSE inspector who was (whistle blowing in a heavily disguised voice) He was voicing his concerns at the new proposed changes. Believe it or not reportable accidents as serious as broken limbs are filed in a tray awaiting allocation to an inspector for as long as 3 months. (his words not mine) This is due to prioritising and funding.
After this time those that have not had a response are binned. This means that companies are getting away with murder. I could not believe what I was hearing from the horses mouth. In defence an HSE director said that they were having to target resources and look more at education and prevention as opposed to prosecution.
God help us all!
Mike
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Posted By Paul Craythorne
Interesting to hear that the HSE don't want to spread themselves too thinly and that they have to concentrate on the more serious issues.
One of my previous companies has been visited by an HSE Inspector at least twice a year over the last 3 years and the activities on site could only be classed as low to medium risk at best.
The thing is that they are a major corporation with a multi billion pound turnover so therefore seen as an easy target to get issues resolved and notch up another inspection visit.
I have since become self employed and have visited organisations with much higher risk activities who haven't even got a decent policy never mind having completed any risk assessments. Have they seen an inspector in the last few years? What do you think?
The government syphon of millions of pounds in tax revenue from employers liability insurance every year. A fixed percentage of this should be used to strengthen the ranks of the HSE. In addition, Local Authority EHO's inspect relatively low risk environments (shops, offices, hotels, pubs, leisure centres etc.). There should be a review of the enforcement regulations to handover some of the HSE premises to the LA's and the LA's should lessen the frequency of their visits to low risk premises to compensate for the increased workload.
Just a thought!!!
Paul Craythorne
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Posted By Eric Burt
Paul
Apparently with the national shift from manufacturing to service industries, there is increasing pressure on EHOs so there may be merit in transferring some of the EHO work to the HSE.
I'm writing in response to this document about stress. I fully recognise the problems associated with stress and related problems, however if you look at the causes of stress, they are usually a combination of management issues and domestic problems, which unfortunately, we as Safety professionals can do little about. I tend to think it is more of a personnel/training issue than a health and safety one.
Can of worms eh!
Eric
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Posted By Nigel Hammond
I wonder if EHOs could do more. My wife was an EHO. Every year her department would get tough targets for food inspections from MAFF (now FSA). HSE did not set targets. So guess what... The EHOs put almost all their efforts into food inspections.
In my organisation we always get a glut of food inspections during February and March (FSA Target time!). Although we did get a few EHO H&S inspections earlier this year so may be a change is happening?
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Posted By Jack
Eric, I'm not sure I understand your comment on stress. I can accept the view (but don't necessarily agree) that this is an issue which might be outside the remit of the organisations H&S adviser but that doesn't mean the HSE should not consider it. After all they are examining the organisations compliance with H&S legislation not the contribution of the H&S advisers.
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Posted By Dave Wilson
As an ex - EHO the reason why Food safety / pollution / housing / Grants / pest Contol / Building / HMO's / Nuisance / Meat Inspection etc is that it is interesting.
Most LA's operate as Specialist depts rather than split gegraphically and cover all subject, so if you end up in Pollution for 5 years its difficult then to go back to Food and H&S.
EHO's do not get trained in H&S per sey but more in legislation and how to enforce legislation (NEBOSH LAW paper in 40 Minutes)(NEBOSH Tech paper really struggled)and as such are notoriously bad at H&S Management, why don't LA's give internal H&S Managemnt to the EH Dept instead of employing a H&S Manager separately?
When I qualified I could tell you that this machine did not compluy with Factories Act and in breach of HASAW Act so could serve notice under sect blah blah had no idea what type of stop to put on it only knew it didnt comply, so did NEBOSH Dip and visited loads of factories to have a look in practice.
I remember I had to do the whole of one side of the high street as H&S inspections so that we could meet our target for the year as the Audit Comission said we did not do enough of this type of inspection.
Think as well that with on-line reporting and better safety management the HSE may be getting swamped with reports etc, as they certainly only appear as a result of an F2508 or follow up complaint made by emplyee / public etc.
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