British Safety Council conference to focus on health and safety

The British Safety Council is holding a conference in Aberdeen on 18 September 2014 to update organisations in Scotland on key developments concerning the regulation and management of health and safety in the workplace and share best practice.

Designed to mark the 40th anniversary of the landmark Health and Safety at Work Act 1974, the conference will explore some of the practical and effective approaches to safety management that have helped Scotland to achieve major reductions in both the number and scale of work-related injuries and ill health since the 1970s.

Offshore oil and gas

The speakers have been specially selected for their knowledge of the health and safety challenges facing Scottish businesses, and include experts from Oil and Gas UK, the trade association for the offshore oil and gas industry; the Aberdeen office of national law firm Pinsent Masons LLP; and the public transport giant FirstGroup, which operates rail and bus services across Scotland and the UK.

Neal Stone, Policy and Communications Director at the British Safety Council, who is chairing the conference, said: “Although both the number and incidence of work-related injuries and ill health in Scotland have fallen significantly since the introduction of the Health and Safety at Work Act 40 years ago, the fact that 22 workers lost their lives last year in Scotland shows there is still great scope for employers to improve their management of health and safety risks.

“The conference will highlight contemporary thinking and practice about the best ways of protecting people from the risk of injury and ill health at work. Our speakers have extensive knowledge and a proven track record of ensuring compliance and driving improvements in their own organisations and assisting other businesses.

“Delegates will be able to explore the health and safety challenges they face with the speakers and their peers.”

Speakers and topics

Given the importance of the offshore oil and gas industry to the Scottish economy, there will be two presentations from speakers with specialist knowledge of the health and safety challenges the sector faces. Robert Paterson, Health, Safety and Employment Issues Director at the industry’s trade association Oil & Gas UK, will explain how, in a bid to further drive up standards, offshore oil and gas operators are seeking to learn from incidents and near misses. Also, Susan Elston, Vice President of Operational Excellence, Global Offshore & Marine, at Sodexo Remote Sites, will explain how the company’s role as a provider of ‘quality of life’ services for offshore oil and gas installations enables it to promote and embed safe behaviour among oil and gas workers.

Laura Cameron, partner at the national law firm Pinsent Masons LLP, will provide a round-up of key developments in health and safety regulation and enforcement affecting Scottish businesses. This will include an assessment of the impact of the corporate manslaughter and corporate homicide law following its introduction in 2008; an overview of important recent health and safety prosecutions; and the implications for employers of HSE’s Fee for Intervention (FFI) enforcement cost recovery scheme.

Cameron added: “Attendees will gain an up to date picture of the enforcement regime currently operating in the UK and will also get an insight into what might lie ahead.”

Naveed Qamar, group safety director at the global public transport operator FirstGroup plc, will explain the company’s approach to heath and safety leadership; and Nigel Bryson OBE, Director of Durham-based Bryson Consulting, will provide examples of how effective employee involvement in health and safety has secured health, safety and business benefits for a diverse range of businesses.

Macnaughton McGregor, specialists in drama-based health and safety training, will deliver an interactive drama illustrating the importance of good communication and positive attitudes to health and safety in protecting employees from harm at work.

The ‘Health and safety at work 40 years on – meeting the challenges’ conference will run from 08.15 – 13.00 on 18 September 2014 at the Palm Court Hotel on Seafield Road in Aberdeen.

For more information, please visit the British Safety Council website.

Adapted from press release by Katie Woodward

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