HSC/E merger is no "shotgun marriage"

News | HSW
01.01.2007

HSE chief executive Geoffrey Podger has stated that the proposed merger of the Health and Safety Commission and the HSE is not a "shotgun marriage", noting that the union is "very much supported by both the commission and the executive".

Podger was speaking after the announcement of a public consultation on the merger on 5 December, which asks for views on the proposal to form a single non-departmental public body under the HSE name. The change would end the two-body structure established in 1974 by the Health and Safety at Work Act, in which the independent commission was established to advise the government on health and safety legislation, sponsor research and set priorities for the operational arm, the HSE.

The HSC/E says the structure confuses the public, who do not understand the distinction between the two bodies and that this confusion "may reduce the impact of our key messages when we need a stronger voice for health and safety."

Under the proposals, the current HSC commissioners would become the HSE's governing body and would be known as the HSE Board. The arrangements for appointing the non-executive board members and the balance of employer, employee and local authority voices in the board would remain as it is now and the document claims the board would retain responsibility for policy and strategy and holding the executive to account, with the added responsibility of financial scrutiny of the HSE.

"We recognise that for many stakeholders, the independence of the commission is paramount," says the document, "indeed, it is seen as a key strength of the current arrangements."

The HSC/E is asking for responses to the consultation by 5 March 2007. Assuming the response is favourable, it says the legislative changes needed to enable the merger will take until mid-2008. The consultation document is at www.hse.gov.uk/consult/condocs/cd210.htm