Putting Safety Groups on the Map

1. Putting Safety Groups on the Map John Cairns Chairman – Scottish Chamber of Safety Vice Chairman - Safety Groups UK

2. The H&S burden in Britain today • 240 + notifiable fatals (excluding 800 on the road) • 16,000 health related deaths? • 1.1 million injuries • 2.2 million cases of work related ill health • 36 million workdays lost • Costing £30 billion or nearly 3 per cent GDP

3. Musculo-skeletal disorders Stress Respiratory diseases Cancer Skin diseases Falls from height Work related road accidents Slips trips and falls Workplace transport Machinery safety Fires and explosions Electricity Noise and many more… Big problems with big impacts

4. Who’s on the case? • HSE and Local Authorities • Safety groups,RoSPA, BSC, IOSH, NEBOSH, IIRSM • Major clients • Learning and Skills Council • The NHS • Insurers • Trades Unions • Employers’ organisations • And many others………..

5. So where do safety groups fit in? • 70 plus Groups in UK -10 in Scotland & new groups planned - many are successful, vibrant, energetic and influential, - others: lack of membership, state of folding, looking for help, ideas and support • Providing low cost, local, entry level advice and briefing • Partnership working with HSE, RoSPA, IOSH, BSC, IIRSM, NEBOSH etc • Raising awareness/spreading good practice

6. The Map

7. Safety Groups UK: re-launched 2006 Mission: • The mission of Safety Groups UK is to ensure the health and safety groups are key players in the UK health and safety system and in the delivery of UK health and safety strategy. • Website www.safetygroupsuk.org.uk

8. Safety Groups UK: vision • Powerful and thriving network of health and safety groups in every part of the UK, working to disseminate vital information to the grass roots. • Groups reaching out to and working in partnership with all those in their local communities who have a role to play in ensuring the workplaces are healthy and safe. • An effective channel for feeding back views and experiences to health and safety authorities and other key national stakeholders.

9. Safety Groups UK; vision (cont’d) • A positive partnership between the groups movement, and all other key players in occupational health and safety including the HSE, RoSPA, IOSH, IIRSM, the BSC, BOHS and NEBOSH. • New path-finding projects undertaken by Groups to raise awareness of problems and demonstrate solutions and to establish good practice. • Recognition of and support for the key role which groups play by key intermediaries such as employers associations, trade unions, training bodies and all other organisations which can help to promote and advance their work.

10. SGUK & SCOS meetings • 5 meetings of UK Management Committee + 4 SCOS (formed from the Safety Group members) • 3 main meetings of SGUK which include - AGM (June) House of Lords (January)

11. What groups can deliver • Networking opportunities • Friendly problem solving and signposting • Seminars and events e.g. Safe Maintenance & HRAW – Dundee 8th Feb 2012 • Workplace visits • Outreach and briefing • Newsletters and websites • Contributions to local media • Social gatherings

12. Benefits of safety groups • Advice ‘free from the fear of enforcement’ • For all types companies not just H&S professionals - suppliers & service providers will also benefit • Suitable for SMEs • Practical • Easy to access • Supportive • Knowledge sharing • Local dimension • Varied programmes • Cost Effective

13. Partnership with HSE: key points • SGUK to support the HSE Strategy • Effective communications and align Groups’ priorities with those of HSE; • SGUK timely contributions to support HSE Strategy; • SGUK to promote key health and safety messages to all groups and beyond their immediate membership; • HSE to support SGUK efforts to improve effectiveness of groups, especially outreach to SMEs and the ‘hard-to-reach’ • HSE to provide resources where appropriate to support SGUK in achieving key objectives

14. Funding and Sponsorship SGUK are grateful for the support they receive from their sponsors:

15. KEY Work Items for SGUK • Help Improve the groups’ ’offer’ to SMEs; • Establish a stronger link between SGUK and groups; • Offer support to existing groups; • Maintain support from RoSPA, HSE, IIRSM, Nebosh and IIRSM; • Help Groups to align meetings more closely to HSE priorities/campaigns and also run separate events; • SGUK develop a marketing and communication strategy; and • Fund the above through sponsorship.

16. New initiative for 2012 • As a new project for 2011/2012 we are looking into the opportunity of taking the ‘Health Risks at Work – do you know yours’ initiative into England and Wales. • The initiative which has been delivered successfully in Scotland by HSE, SCHWL, SCOS, won the Partnership Initiative of the year award at the IOSH 2010 Awards. • The initiative provides tools and support for smaller organisations to help identify the risks and manage them is a way suitable to the organisation.

17. Help from SGUK ‘How to’ guides… • How to: Develop and run a website • How to: Respond to public consultations • How to: Manage a Health & Safety Group • How to: Organise a seminar

18. CONTACTS: John Cairns Chairman SCOS, Vice Chairman SGUK Email: john.cairns@strathclydefire.org Hugh McCrea Hon Secretary SCOS hugh@riskandsafetymanagement.co.uk Roger Bibbings, Safety Groups UK Secretary email: rbibbings@rospa.com