HSE identifies nine key areas for action

Education, clients, integrated teams, the workforce, small firms, senior managers, occupational health, reviewing legislation and enforcement initiatives are the key areas of a preliminary action plan developed by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE).

Acting on Responses to HSE's Discussion Document: Revitalising Health and Safety in Construction, published today (Thursday), surveys the responses made by industry to the Revitalising Discussion Document and outlines the broad agenda and actions that HSE will undertake to bring about further improvements in health and safety performance.

HSE inspector of construction Kevin Myers said: "HSE has developed an action plan in response to the ideas and information received from industry through the discussion document process. It sets out our agenda and the ways in which the HSE can contribute towards delivering improvements in the health and safety performance of the industry." 

The plan is set out under nine headings with nearly 50 individual action points and is a preliminary response that should be seen as an evolving programme. 

The key areas identified by industry were:
- The industry culture topped the list of the greatest barriers to change, with inertia and complacency the most frequently cited characteristics. 
· Respondents attached the highest importance to the need for education, training and competence based assessment. 
· The role of clients and the need for realistic timescales and greater emphasis on 'best value' rather than 'cheapest and quickest'. 
· Looking at the responses to the specific questions on integrated teams, it is clear that the impact of integrated teams is overwhelmingly seen to be beneficial and to embrace improved health and safety performance. 
· Effective involvement of the workforce is widely recognised as important in itself and a prerequisite for progress on other issues.
· Many responses identified preparing new or revised legislation and in its enforcement as a specific mechanism by which HSE can contribute to improvement in the industry.