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?

0

500

1000

1500

2000

2500

Prosecutions approved

Informations approved

Prosecutions heard

0200040006000

8000100001200014000

PNs

INs

Other

Total

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:Relationships: +ve working to avoid conflict, tackling unacceptable behaviour

Support: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 16th July

• Public consultation on public sector cuts

• Lord Young review

• MP’s, constituency surgeries

• Reclaim the agenda

Thank you for your attention