health and safety executive health and safety executive health and safety at work: a tedious...
TRANSCRIPT
Health and Safety Executive
Health and Safety Executive
Health and Safety at Work: A Tedious Obligation or Part
of Economic Success?
Kevin Myers
Director General, Regulation, HSE
President, International Association of Labour Inspection (IALI)
The Return on Prevention
Costs
×More than 4000 work-related fatalities across the EU each year
×More than 3 million people suffer a serious accident at work
×23 million suffering illness caused or aggravated by work
×Decrease EU GDPs by 2.6 – 4%
Benefits
2.2 : 1 return on OSH investment (ISSA)
Protect workers
Avoid insurance and healthcare costs
Longer, more productive working lives
Enhance corporate reputation
Less impact on GDP
Improving Compliance Without Reducing Protection
• Complexity of current EU H&S Framework
• Scattered across different Directives
• Difficult to understand and to regulate effectively
• Requires:– Simplification to improve understanding of
requirements– Removal of complexity and duplication– Flexibility to adapt to changing work environment
and national circumstances– Proportionate framework focused on outcomes– Goal-based regulation
BusinessOSH Risk Regulator
Media
Trade Bodies
Public/Social Pressures
Economic/MarketPressures
Insurance
CustomersUnions/Workers
Civil Society/Third Sector
Strategic Approaches to Regulation
Best Practice Example: London Olympic Build (2012)
Outcomes
• No work-related fatalities
• Accident rate of 0.16 – well below construction industry average
• 126 RIDDOR-reportable injury accidents
• 30 periods of 1 million hours worked without a reportable injury
• ‘Big build’ completed on time and within budget
• http://learninglegacy.independent.gov.uk/themes/health-and-safety/
Conclusions
Intangible benefits of good H&S can result in positive economic returns
Tangible returns on H&S are possible where interventions are targeted, practical and proportionate
Risk-based labour inspection and engagement can drive high standards without the need for prescriptive legislation
Thank you