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