Current Trends in Inspection and Enforcement Neil Hope-Collins Prospect HSE Branch Chair

Summary What do we mean by enforcement? What are the trends? What does it all mean? What has been done in the past How to develop a plan for the future.

What is enforcement? Formal, Notices and Prosecutions Just fix it, now, thank you.

What have the Trends been?

Some of the factors Leadership within HSE Training Burden Introduction of new IT systems Staffing Numbers  Inspector  Support Staff Changing ways of working  Withdrawal of direct Inspector contact from some industry sectors  Move away from industry specific operational groups  Changing role of Industry Expertise within HSE Defence Solicitors (Hatton Traffic Management) Impact of Revitalising Health and Safety Agenda Focus on Health Issues, Including Long Latency. Focus on and starting multi-year interventions with large employers

Adverse reactions the organisation has had to excessive pressures or other types of demand placed on it The way IT systems were introduced Staffing Numbers  Inspector  Support Staff Withdrawal of direct Inspector contact from some industry sectors Move away from industry specific operational groups Impact of Revitalising Health and Safety Agenda Proliferation of multi-year interventions with large employers Leadership within HSE

HSE’s Definition of Work Related Stress "The adverse reaction people have to excessive pressures or other types of demand placed on them at work."

Managing Occupational Mental Health

Hazard Issue Role: Role: understanding the organisations role, avoiding role conflict or ambiguity Demands: Demands: workload, ways of working, the work environment Control: Control: the ‘say’ a organisation has in the way they do their work Relationships: Support: Relationships: +ve working to avoid conflict, tackling unacceptable behaviour Support: encouragement, resources, from interested parties Change: Change: effectiveness of organisational change management Hazards in detail

The Role of Enforcing Authorities Lessons from other Sectors Public Expectations Politicians Expectations Enforcer/Advisor Saviour/Whipping boy

The Demands on Enforcing Authorities Quantitative  Volume of work/ Staffing Numbers  Training Burden Qualitative  Focus on management of Health & Safety using all possible evidence  General Groups  Sectors  Lessons from Social Work

The Control Enforcing Authorities have over their work Definition – to exercise restraint or direction over; hold in check Individual Inspectors Courts Public Pressures on Formal Enforcement Tripartite approach Subtle control through restricting resource

Relationships between Enforcing Authorities and others Built on a common understanding of each others Role and Demands This then can lead to a conversation about what level of support is possible.

The Support Enforcing Authorities are given Resources  A balance with what demands are placed In the Media  Resist the urge to join the bandwagon Critical, Challenging Uncomfortable Constructive.

How changes in enforcing the law are introduced Change will happen Historically through imposition Needs to be through consultation

Who is harmed? Workers Employers UK economy (government) Reputation Lives

Developing the rehabilitation plan Through consultation and dialogue Positive Ideas  Lets develop and push a consistent view on –Role –Demands –Control  Lets work out our relationships and the support we can give each other  Lets manage the changes

Practical Actions Buncefield sentencing hearing 16 th July Public consultation on public sector cuts Lord Young review MP’s, constituency surgeries Reclaim the agenda

Thank you for your attention