'Leave the boardroom' for a true picture of safety

Speaking at the Safety and Health Expo event in Birmingham this week, Judith Hackitt, chair of the Health and Safety Executive (HSE), said directors should "get back to the floor" in order to get a true picture of health and safety performance.

"Don't try to manage the process from the boardroom - reports may not tell you what you need to know," she said. "Find out for yourself and check what is really happening in practice."

Addressing delegates attending a conference on the issue of leadership at the event, Ms Hackitt went on to say that the health and safety message needed to be reinforced by "rewarding the right behaviours at every level."

She added: "The responsibility for the health, safety and welfare of all organisations' employees starts at the top. This is essential to create and maintain a real and lasting health and safety culture. Health and safety leadership is about good, integrated governance.

"The motivation for building a health and safety culture needs to be driven by the belief that not only is it the right thing to do morally, but also that it is fundamental to the business success of your organisation."

Campaign highlighted

Other "good leadership" actions recommended by Judith Hackitt during her presentation at the conference were:

• Challenge your organisation to deliver - don't simply assume that it will be done.

• Don't leave it to others to assess the risks - you should not only be aware of, but have agreed the priority risks in your organisation.

• Organisations' supporting systems, including pay and progression, must emphasise the importance of health and safety management.

The HSE also used the Safety and Health Expo event to draw attention to its 'Shattered Lives' campaign, which aims to highlight the "devastating consequences" of slips, trips and falls in the workplace.

Slips and trips account for almost 40% of all major injuries in UK workplaces each year. The HSE's campaign features a range of useful tools, including video case studies, a slips and trips risk mapping tool and several guides for different trades including catering, construction and tradespeople.

More information on the HSE's 'Shattered Lives' campaign is available here.