The report by Lord Young to the Prime Minister on his review of health and safety and compensation, Common sense, Common safety, may have passed many HR practitioners by – see www.number10.gov.uk/wp-content/…/402906_CommonSense_acc.pdf. Although many of the proposals concern measures designed to reduce the complexities and burden of our current health and safety framework some will, inevitably, have an impact on HR practitioners.

The proposal to extend the current reporting requirements for accidents and injuries from three days at present to seven days is viewed by government as much as a contribution to reducing burdens on business as it is exempting employers from risk assessments for home workers working in a low hazard environment. These proposed changes to our health and safety framework will not alter the reality, that is, the legal duty on employers to guard the health and safe of their workers will remain.

The goal of our society to prevent workplace injuries, eliminate ill-health occurrences and reduce days lost must not be lost sight of.

 

 

 

 

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Neal Stone

Neal Stone, Head of Policy & Public Affairs, British Safety Council

Neal Stone joined the British Safety Council in May 2008 as Head of Policy and Public Affairs with responsibility for developing BSC’s policies and leading its research on major health and safety issues, representing BSC in its dealing with Government, HSE, other health and safety bodies, employer organisations, trade unions and other key stakeholders. Neal has spoken on behalf of BSC on major issues as the HSE Strategy, director leadership, worker involvement, GB’s health and safety performance and represented BSC at external conferences on issues as safety culture, director leadership, economic incentives, worker involvement and on the accreditation of health and safety practitioners at stakeholder meetings.

Neal chaired the Olympic Delivery Authority's 2009 Health, Safety & Environment Awards judging panel and will be doing so again in 2010.

Prior to joining BSC Neal worked for HSE from 1992-2008. From 2005-2007 he was the policy adviser to the Chair of the HSC, Sir Bill Callaghan, and Commission Members. From 2001-2005 Neal led HSE’s worker involvement and business involvement programmes including HSE’s policy lead on director responsibility for and the management of health and safety, employer liability insurance, worker involvement including the worker safety adviser initiative. Neal led HSE's feasibility and implementation projects on COMAH, Offshore and Railway regulatory charging.

Neal represented HSE on the RoSPA National Health and Safety Committee from 2001/05 and is presently a member of the Association of Personal Injury Lawyers Customer Advisory Group.

Neal has a law degree from the London School of Economics & Political Science (1975), and MSc in Politics & Public Administration from Birkbeck College (1992) and an MPhil research degree in Politics and Public Administration - on the Labour Party and the Civil Service - from the University of Kent (1996).

Neal Stone
Head of Policy and Public Affairs
British Safety Council