News from Prospect Conference

Lynda Armstrong, Chair of the British Safety Council, presented the keynote address earlier this week to the Prospect trade union’s ‘Promoting health’ conference. Lynda, in her introduction, identified a number of factors that were contributing to possibly significant changes in our health and safety landscape. The agenda for change set out in Common Sense, Common Safety, the government’s plans for further reform, the significant reduction in HSE and local authority resources available for enforcement, together, pose serious questions about the future of health and safety regulation. She said it was vital that organisations like Prospect, the British Safety Council and their respective members and other stakeholders work together to ensure that we do not lose sight of our primary goal, that is, to ensure our workplaces and workers are healthy and safe.

The central focus of the conference was on work, health and well-being against a backdrop of economic and organisational change. Sarah Page, Prospect’s health & safety officer, highlighted the impact that change, if not managed effectively, could have on the health of workers and the finances of organisations. The conference enabled those attending to share their experiences and hear from the experts as Dr Paul Lichfield, chief medical officer, BT Group on successful initiatives to improve mental well-being. Lynda Armstrong also highlighted the work done by E.On UK, a British Safety Council member, through health surveillance to detect and address early signs of work related ill health.