RoSPA Press Office : Press Release
May 10, 2004
MINISTER PLEDGES TO CHAMPION HEALTH AND SAFETY
Minister for Work Jane Kennedy will champion the cause of excellence in health and safety management as a key business objective when she opens a national conference tomorrow (Tuesday).
She will be at RoSPA’s occupational health and safety congress Learning, Sharing, Moving Forward, sponsored by EDF Energy, being held at the Salamander Suite, NEC, Birmingham, May 11-13.
Roger Bibbings, RoSPA Occupational Safety Adviser, said: “We need a strong ministerial lead on health and safety, championing high standards of protection for people at work as a cornerstone of a civilised society.
“We hope she will be challenging all organisations to see improved health and safety performance as a key business objective and that she will work to bring together the main players in the health and safety system.”
Jane Kennedy, who has responsibility for health and safety, said: “The case for good management of health and safety remains overwhelming. However good our record might be compared to other countries, and we do have a record to be proud of, current levels of death, injury and ill health caused by work remain unacceptably and unnecessarily high.
“The costs to business and society at large are enormous and the level of individual suffering unacceptable. I am committed to changing that and will continue to champion our new strategy so that health and safety really does become a cornerstone of our civilised society.
“The new strategy for workplace health and safety was launched in February with a refreshed vision for the future. It lays out an agenda for change, but this change can only be achieved if we all work together in partnership.
“Developing robust partnerships that really deliver is never easy and often requires great effort. But I hope that no one will leave the conference believing anything other than that it is worth making that effort.”
Also tomorrow, Dr Sara Lumley will reveal new research for RoSPA showing the value of directors and senior managers going “Back to the Floor” to take responsibility for health and safety.
Other influential speakers include: Bill Callaghan, chair of the Health and Safety Commission; Tim Humphreys of the Association of British Insurers; David Bergman of the Centre for Corporate Accountability; and Doug Russell of the Union of Shop, Distributive and Allied Workers.
