I take it your after an even closer relationship between HSE Guidance and the various "expert" industry guidance out there? It's a big ask, but I certainly commend the principle. Yes, NASC is an obvious one, equally so would be LPGA abd BCGA, National Federation of Roofing Contractors, the Welding Institute, British Woodworking Federation, BSI to name but a few. More links to those websites form HSE would be good, but I think the obvious stumbling block is that the excellent publications produced by these Organisations are priced, & only available to download if you're a subscriber and prices are generally higher for non-members. People these days do tend to expect more for less, and HSE for their part have made free pdf available. But who would pay the bill to open up the rest and to maintain all that excellent Industry Guidance? In other respects, the HSE have to balance the nightmare of making everything that they do available (open government and all that) with providing the resources it then takes to keep on top of that amount of data. There is a caveat on the HSE site about the currency and validity of various FOD and OC documents, but that isn't always obvious, particularly when using site search engines. We have the wider emerging issue of widespread and instantaneous access to a bewildering amount of data, and there are those who may not stop to consider the source, accuracy or validity of what that Google search throws up, particulalry when it appears to conveniently fit what we think we are looking for. I suggest that the issues you describe are pertinent to the wider problems of the "information age", as opposed to the narrower reaches of health and safety or Lofsted's remit.

Agreed Chris, hence my reference to "who would pay" above. I know the HSE shy away from "approving" others, but they do endorse and work in partnership with many professional organisations (And publicise that work). Perhaps even a list of 'partner' bodies as sources of authoritative guidance would be helpful. Most often though, there's little option but to pay the subscription to the relevant professional bodies. Money well spent in my opinion, often a contribution to Management Regs 7 compliance, and of course tax deductable. I'm mindful that I missed CITB/ Constructionskills from my earlier musings too. Those paying the levy have access to much information. Maybe CITB could do more in a construction industry context to allow discounts from some of the other professional bodies I mentioned. Trade discount - another aspect of the commercial world!