17.07.2003

HSE reports increase in corporate responsibility for health and safety.

Health and Safety Commission (HSC) chair Bill Callaghan has welcomed the results of two surveys which show a significant increase in the number of companies that report publicly on their health and safety performance and a small increase in the number of companies where health and safety is directed at board level. The HSC is now calling on companies, workers, the public and other stakeholders to give them their views, before deciding on the next steps. The reports measure the success that HSC has had in promoting corporate responsibility and accountability for the management of health and safety. This goal forms a key part of the Government and HSC Revitalising Health and Safety strategy which challenged the UK’s top 350 FTSE companies and public bodies to publicly report their health and safety performance in their annual reports and recommended that every board should appoint one of their number to be a ‘health and safety’ director and not to delegate the role. The research concludes that the ‘Challenge’ has already had a positive and encouraging effect.

Bill Callaghan has said, “I am pleased to see the level of reporting of health and safety is going up, but simply mentioning health and safety is not enough, and now we need to encourage improvements in the quality of reporting. There is also a strong case to extend the Challenge to medium sized businesses.

“It’s good to see companies responding to our challenge and we will continue pursuing this cause. It’s not just about how you, your company and your employees stand to benefit from a reduced likelihood of being injured or killed at work; I believe you also stand to enhance your company’s reputation and its value. I’m encouraged to see that most FTSE 350 companies and other large firms are taking health and safety seriously enough to allocate responsibility to board level directors. But there is room for significant improvement. I want to see all companies regularly review health and safety issues at board level, and that includes smaller companies as well.

“The HSC will consider these reports and discuss proposals for the way forward in October. We welcome this research going into the public domain now, as it gives HSC the opportunity to consider the views of stakeholders on the way forward. I want everyone involved at work to let us have their views.

“HSC has produced guidance to help directors and their companies understand what we are looking for them to do. I’d also like to invite comments on how useful this guidance is and what more it might say."

Among the main findings was a significant increase in the number of FTSE 100 companies publicly reporting - from 47 per cent in 1995, to 56 per cent in 2000, and now 91 per cent in 2002. The overall figure for the companies surveyed in 2002 is 78 per cent. The strongest sectors on reporting include; chemicals, construction and building materials, mining, oil and gas, tobacco and water.

From the top

The survey covered a sample of 400 organisations drawn from top 350 FTSE companies, other large companies, the public sector and voluntary sector. The results showed companies where health and safety is directed at board level has risen from 58 per cent to 66 per cent. The main reasons cited for board level direction are best practice and that power and control is at board level. The main benefits given for appointing board level health and safety directors were that it shows strong leadership, demonstrates commitment and helps improve health and safety performance.