HSE at 50 and over 200 years of OSH
[edit] 50 Years of HSE
The National regulator for health and safety in Great Britain celebrated its 50th Anniversary on the 1st of January, 2025. Over the last 50 years the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) has played a central role in reducing workplace death and injury, helping Great Britain become a safer place to work. In 1974, 651 employees were killed at work; HSE’s latest annual statistics for 2023/24 show that number had reduced to 138.
In 2022 following the introduction of the Building Safety Act, the Building Safety Regulator (BSR) was established as a part of the Health and Safety Executive to set out rules to protect the design and construction of higher-risk buildings, with a legal responsibility to consult with residents via residents' panels.
Sarah Albon, chief executive of HSE, said that despite the transformation of Britain’s workplaces over the past half century, the mission of the regulator remains as relevant as ever: “Over the past half century, the Health and Safety Executive has led the way in establishing Great Britain as a safe place to work. As we look ahead to the next 50 years, we recognise there is still much for HSE to take on. We’re proud of our successes over the last five decades, but the fact remains that any work-related death is a tragedy, and there are still far too many workers suffering ill-health brought about by work activity.
“In 2022, we launched our 10-year strategy, Protecting People and Places, to build on HSE’s strong foundations and address our current and future challenges. So today, HSE’s role goes beyond worker protection to include public safety assurance on a range of issues. Recent years have added new responsibilities, such as becoming the appointed Building Safety Regulator and playing an extended role in chemical regulation, post Brexit."
“It is hard to foresee what the world of work will look like in the next 50 years but as ever, our fundamental principle will continue to be to make sure that those who create risk, take responsibility for controlling risk, and those who fail to do so will be held to account. We will continue to work with businesses, with industry, with other regulators and with government, to enable strong economic growth, while we continue to deliver our founding principles as we work to protect people and places.”
Minister for Social Security and Disability, Sir Stephen Timms, said: “I’m delighted to wish a very happy 50th anniversary to the Health and Safety Executive. Over the last half-century this organisation has been at the heart of efforts to protect people and places across Britain: I would like to thank them for this vital work. As we support more people to get into work through our Get Britain Working White paper, and as we move to strengthen protection for workers, their mission will be as important as ever – now and long into the future.”
[edit] Recent HSE activities
Created by the Health and Safety at Work etc Act 1974, the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) was officially launched on 1st January 1975, here are some of its initiatives in reverse order. This list is not exhaustive and the HSE continue to develop and update initiatives under a broad range of topics including stress and mental health, display screen equipment (DSE), work equipment and machinery, electrical testing.
[edit] The Building Safety Regulator
The Building Safety Act 2022 established The Building Safety Regulator (BSR) as part of HSE to:
- Regulate higher-risk buildings.
- Raise safety standards of all buildings.
- Help professionals in design, construction, and building control, to improve their competence.
BSR sets out rules to protect the design and construction of higher-risk buildings, helping give residents confidence in the safety and standards of their buildings, and has a legal responsibility to consult with residents through the residents panel.
Also in 2022, HSE published its 10-year strategy, 'Protecting people and places - HSE strategy 2022 to 2032' to reflect its role at its broadest, going beyond worker protection, to include public safety assurance on a range of issues.
[edit] Construction (Design and Management) Regulations
The Construction (Design and Management) Regulations 2015, replaced those in 2007, which had replaced those in 1994.
[edit] Control of Major Accident Hazards Regulations
The Control of Major Accident Hazards Regulations 2015 (COMAH 15) came into force on 1 June 2015. COMAH15 regulations implement the majority of the Seveso III Directive (Council Directive 2012/18/EU and replace the Control of Major Accident Hazard Regulations 1999.
[edit] Registration Evaluation Authorisation and Restriction of Chemicals
The Registration Evaluation Authorisation and Restriction of Chemicals (REACH) Enforcement (Amendment) Regulations 2013 granted the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) the powers to issue an exemption from the prohibition imposed by REACH, for asbestos-containing articles which were installed and/or in service before 1 January 2005.
[edit] Work at Height Regulations
Work at Height Regulations (WAHR) were created in response to the Temporary Working at Height Directive (2001/45/EC).
[edit] Control of Substances Hazardous to Health
The Control of Substances Hazardous to Health (COSHH) regulations 2002 and amended in 2004 came into force January 2005. These regulations grew from an earlier piece of legislation, originally introduced in 1988, coming into force on the 1st October 1989.
[edit] Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations
In April 1986 the Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations (RIDDOR) was introduced and managed by HSE to establish a foundation for the mandatory reporting of workplace incidents, primary reasons being:
- Improving Workplace Safety: By ensuring that all significant incidents were reported, RIDDOR aimed to create a safer work environment across various industries.
- Data Collection: To gather accurate data on workplace accidents and diseases, which could then be used to identify trends, causes, and preventive measures.
- Regulatory Oversight: Providing authorities with the information needed to oversee and enforce workplace safety regulations effectively.
[edit] Over 200 years of occupational safety and health
The establishment of the Health and Safety Executive (HSE), originally called the Health and Safety Commission (HSC), followed a long timeline of occupational health and safety-related events and acts of Parliament as early as the 1800s. Below, some of these are highlighted in brief; for further detail, visit the RoSPA’s National Occupational Safety and Health Committee (NOSHC) website History of Occupational Safety and Health.
[edit] Health and Safety Commission and Health and Safety Executive
The Health and Safety Commission (HSC) was formed when the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974 received Royal Assent on 31 July 1974. The HSC’s operating arm, the Health and Safety Executive, was formed shortly after, on January 1, 1975, to enforce health and safety law, a duty shared with local authorities.
In 1974 one of the most significant pieces of legislation was passed into law: the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974, which was described as “a bold and far-reaching piece of legislation” by HSE’s first Director General, John Locke. It marked a departure from the framework of prescribed and detailed regulations that was in place at the time and introduced a new system based on less-prescriptive and more goal-based regulations, supported by guidance and codes of practice. Employers and employees were to be consulted and engaged in the process of designing a modern health and safety system for the first time. Part of this was also to establish the Health and Safety Commission (HSC) for the purpose of proposing new regulations, providing information and advice, and conducting research.
[edit] Construction Regulations to the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act
The Construction (General Provision) Regulations 1961 – S.I. 1961 No. 1580 were the precursor to what were later changed into the Construction (Design and Management) Regulations of 1994, 2007 an then 2015. SI 1961/1580 is also referenced by other legislation such as:
- The Manual Handling Operations Regulations 1992
- The Workplace (Health, Safety and Welfare) Regulations 1992
- The Construction (Health, Safety and Welfare) Regulations 1996
- The Construction (Design and Management) Regulations 2007
- The Electricity at Work Regulations 1989
- The Provision and Use of Work Equipment Regulations 1992
- The Health and Safety Information for Employees (Modifications and Repeals) Regulations 1995
- The Supply of Machinery (Safety) Regulations 1992
- The Health and Safety Information for Employees Regulations 1989
- The Construction (Design and Management) Regulations 1994
- The Control of Substances Hazardous to Health Regulations 1988
These were followed by the Construction (Notice of Operations and Works) Order 1965 – S.I. 1965 No. 221, Construction (Working Places) Regulations 1966 – S.I. 1966 No. 94, the Asbestos Regulations 1969 – S.I. 1969 No. 690 as well as the Offices, Shops and Railway Premises Act 1963, the Employers’ Liability (Compulsory Insurance) Act and Employers’ Liability (Defective Equipment) Act in 1969 as well as Fire Precautions Act 1971 and the Employment Medical Advisory Service Act 1972.
[edit] Industrial Safety Sub Committee report and RoSPA awards
The National Joint Advisory Council, Industrial Safety Sub Committee, was appointed in mid-1954 to examine problems of accidents at work for workers in factories and others subjected to the Factories Acts. The report Industrial Accident Prevention: A report made a number of recommendations regarding research, education in universities, colleges, and schools; further training; information; and advice that was available at the time. It looked at the work of the Factory Inspectorate.
Also at this time the RoSPA Occupational Safety and Health Awards were inaugurated to create a system of encouragement, recognition, and celebration for UK businesses to drive improvements in health and safety management.
[edit] Accident prevention and safety councils and associations
London Safety First Council: Following a public meeting in Caxton Hall in 1916, it was decided to elect a London "Safety First" Council to tackle the "alarming increase in traffic accidents and the direct connection therewith of the restricted street lighting which had been necessitated by the war conditions." This became the Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents.
British Industrial Safety First Association (BISFA): The year after an industrial “Safety First” committee was established, known as the “London Safety First Council,” which, following a conference, led to the establishment of the British Industrial Safety First Association (BISFA) to tackle workplace safety on a national scale. Which statistics for 1913 showed that 3,748 deaths and 476,920 disablement claims had been paid, which had been an increase of 25 percent on the preceding year.
National “Safety First” Association: In 1922 the first safety group was established in Sheffield, with BISFA planning a “safety first” campaign in the coal mines. By 1923, the National “Safety First” Association was formed with both the London Safety First Council and BISFA affiliated to it.
In 1942 the Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents (RoSPA—coming out of the "Safety First" Council). A significant number of other acts were updated or presented during this time, including the Employment of Women and Young Persons Act 1936, Factories Act 1937, Agriculture (Poisonous Substances) Act 1952, Mines and Quarries Act 1954, Agriculture (Safety, Health and Welfare Provisions) Act 1956, and Nuclear Installations Act 1959.
[edit] A factory code, agricultural protection, quarries and women
The Factory and Workshop Act of 1878 consolidated previous acts into one, with a factory code applied to all trades; compulsory education was established for children under 10, and employment at that age was banned, but 10–14-year-olds could only be employed for half days, whilst women were limited to 56 hours per week.
Whilst the Threshing Machines Act 1878 started to legislate towards safety in agriculture and the Employers’ Liability Act 1880 protecting workers from accidents caused by negligence. Negligence of managers, superintendents, and foremen but not of fellow workers, except railway companies for negligence of signalmen, drivers, and pointsmen. The Factory Act 1891 further made changes to protect children.
The introduction of the Quarries Act 1894 extended the powers of the Metalliferous Mines Regulation Act 1872 to give inspectors the power to enforce provisions of notifying accidents, undertake prosecutions, and make special rules, leading to the formation of the Quarry Inspectorate in 1895.
After 60 years of factory inspectors, the first two women inspectors were approved; much of their early work involved enforcing the Truck Acts, investigating women’s hours of employment, and enforcing health and safety in laundries. In agriculture, the Chaff-Cutting Machines (Accidents) Act 1897 extended cover to this area, which was previously not covered, whilst in the factory setting, the Workman’s Compensation Act 1897 significantly introduced scale payments by employers to employees in certain industries where injury may have occurred “out of and in the course of employment.” Alongside the updates to the Factory and Workshop Act 1901 and Mines Act 1911, previous acts were rationalised.
[edit] Inspectors of factories, mines and collieries
The Factory Act 1802 was an act for the preservation of the health and morals of apprentices and others employed in cotton and other mills, extended to other factories in 1833. 12-hour days for all young persons were extended to woollen and linen mills, and government-appointed inspectors were established with enforcement powers. Initially, 4 factory inspectors were appointed to prevent injury and overworking in child textile workers, covering around 3,000 textile mills, with 35 inspectors by 1868 and legislative changes up to 1871 extending powers to practically all workplaces. A Royal Commission was later established to investigate working conditions in the mining industry.
The Coal Mines Act of 1842 allowed for the appointment of an inspector of mines and collieries, although with only limited powers, many prosecutions followed. Through investigating the conditions of the mining community, recommendations were made for training managers, reporting of fatal and serious accidents, and provision of pithead baths and suitable worker accommodation. Factories, coal mines, inspections, mines, and the Explosives Acts (1844-1875) were a variety of acts covering various workplaces and inspections with a focus on the regulation of child labour.
The first chapter of this article was issued via press release as 'Health and Safety Executive turns 50' dated 1 January 2025, the other chapters of this article are based on the History of Occupational Safety and Health provided by the RoSPA National Occupational Safety and Health Committee (NOSHC).
[edit] Related articles on Designing Buildings
- Asbestos.
- CDM Regulations.
- CONIAC.
- Construction Health and Safety Group CHSG.
- COSHH.
- Deleterious materials.
- Fee for intervention.
- Fire and rescue service.
- Gas Safe.
- Health and safety.
- Health and Safety Executive HSE.
- Health and safety inspector.
- Occupational health.
- Reporting accidents and injuries on construction sites.
- Risk assessment under The Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005.
[edit] External links
Quick links
[edit] Legislation and standards
Fire Safety (England) Regulations 2022
Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005
Secondary legislation linked to the Building Safety Act
Building safety in Northern Ireland
[edit] Dutyholders and competencies
BSI Built Environment Competence Standards
Competence standards (PAS 8671, 8672, 8673)
Industry Competence Steering Group
[edit] Regulators
National Regulator of Construction Products
[edit] Fire safety
Independent Grenfell Tower Inquiry
[edit] Other pages
Building Safety Wiki is brought to you courtesy of: