HSE New Work and Safety Strategy – January 2017

Building on the HSE’s new strategy ‘Helping Britain Work Well’, published in March 2016, which was created to highlight the importance of sharing expertise to develop an improved health and safety awareness across the nation, the HSE is now launching its new ‘Health and Work Strategy’ which focuses on the most common causes of occupational ill health.

There are numerous present day workplace health challenges, some of which are well understood and documented and others are newly emerging. The economic strain which results from work-related cases of ill health is significant, and the HSE’s intention is therefore to create a much greater awareness of the issues, and to develop an approach which is consistent and collaborative across relevant organisations and government bodies.

The HSE acknowledges that it cannot cover all areas of ill health at once, and is therefore focusing its attention on conditions with: widespread prevalence; the largest lost-time and economic-cost consequences and those conditions with life-limiting or life-altering impacts. The strategy’s three areas of priority are:

• Occupational stress and related mental health issues;
• Musculoskeletal disorders;
• Occupational lung disease.

Moreover, the HSE recognises that not all issues are solely related to workplace conditions, and it will therefore continue to actively explore wider developments designed to improve more generally worker’s health and business productivity.
For access to the full draft strategy and detailed plans of how the three priorities will be addressed, please visit the HSE.

The HSE highlights the importance of working in partnership with employers and the wider health and safety community to reduce the number of new cases of occupational ill health. For further information or guidance, please contact us.