Building safety must be properly enforced if new measures are to protect people says chief executive Mike Robinson The British Safety Council has today welcomed the government’s draft Building Safety Bill. Many of the measures had previously been trailed and today marks the formal publication of a range of measures outlined in the wake of the tragic fire at Grenfell tower three years ago. According the Ministry of Housing Communities and Local Government, the bill takes forward the government’s commitment to fundamental reform of the building safety system. It includes measures to implement the principles and recommendations of Dame Judith Hackitt’s Independent Review of Building Regulations and Fire Safety. The government has also today published a consultation on Fire Safety. The bill formally creates a new national regulator for the safety of buildings, working with local authorities and environmental health departments. The government has asked HSE to establish a new building safety regulator to oversee the safe design, construction and occupation of high-risk buildings so that residents are safe and feel safe. It will be independent and give expert advice to local regulators, landlords and building owners, the construction and building design industry, and to residents. Last week, Mike Robinson, chief executive of the British Safety Council, wrote to the housing minister Chris Pincher MP asking for an urgent update on the building safety bill. He expressed his concern at the slow progress in removing dangerous ACM cladding from high-rise residential buildings saying: “While I know you share my frustration at the slow progress since 2017, I would be grateful if you could focus all the efforts of your officials in addressing this important issue of public safety.” Speaking today Mike Robinson, said: “I am glad that the bill has now been published, even if after such a long wait. The measures set out by the government in the Building Safety Bill should mean that building owners have nowhere to hide if they break the rules. But if that is to mean anything for residents and workers in potentially unsafe buildings then the government has got to stump up for it. The HSE has a great track record, but if they are to live up to the expectations of this bill then they must be properly resourced. The reality is that over the last decade funding has halved, and staff numbers cut by a third.” He went on to say: “Alongside establishing a sound financial basis for the new building safety regulator, we must see local authorities given the resources they need to inspect and enforce regulations. Enforcement must be able to make its presence felt – as I have said before, local authorities need hard cash as well as teeth.” About the British Safety Council The British Safety Council believes that no-one should be injured or made ill through their work.  Since its foundation in 1957, the British Safety Council has campaigned tirelessly to protect workers from accidents, hazards and unsafe conditions, and played a decisive role in the political process that has led to the adoption of landmark safety legislation in the UK. Its members in more than 60 countries are committed to protecting and improving the wellbeing of workers, believing that a healthy and safe work environment is also good for business. As part of its charitable work, the British Safety Council leads health and safety networking forums for all sectors, facilitates and promotes best practice in Britain and overseas. It also offers a range of services and products, including training, qualifications, publications, audits and awards. The British Safety Council works closely with organisations, charities and individuals who share its vision of ensuring that every worker goes home at the end of the day as healthy as they were when they went to work.

On 5 April, British Safety Council announced the winners of the 2019 International Safety Awards, which recognise exceptional commitment to workplace health, safety and wellbeing. Hundreds of health, safety and wellbeing experts gathered at the prestigious Grosvenor House Hotel. Each was eager to find out if they would take home the ultimate category awards. The 2019 winners were presented awards by celebrity wellbeing campaigner and journalist, Alastair Campbell. THE ISA 2019 WINNERS IN KEY CATEGORIES Now in their seventh year, the Health and Safety Champion and Young Health and Safety Champion Awards recognise exceptional individual performance. These are people who, although not health and safety professionals, have played a significant role in keeping their work colleagues safe and healthy. For the Health and Safety Champion of the Year Award, organisations nominate employees aged 25 or over. The Young Health and Safety Champion of the Year Award is given to a worker aged 16-24. This year, the Health and Safety Champion award went to Dave Renshaw, Workshop and Warehouse Supervisor, Allied Infrastructure Management ltd, UK. The winner of the Young Health and Safety Champion award was Himanshu Yadav, Engineer, Subros Ltd, India. The International Safety Award winning organisations that were considered by the panel of judges as outstanding in their respective sectors were honoured with the Sector Awards. This year, the Sector Awards went to the following companies: Construction and property activities – MMC Gamuda KVMRT (T) SDN BHD, Malaysia Education – Kingston University, UK Financial, IT, legal, scientific, technical services and media – Eversheds Sutherland (International) LLP, UK Health and Social Care – ISS Facility Services – Healthcare, UK Leisure, sport clubs, hospitality and catering – Arsenal Football Club, UK Local government, defence and public services – Roads and Transport Authority, Dubai Manufacturing – Indorama Eleme Petrochemicals Limited, Port Harcourt, Nigeria Oil, gas, mining and quarrying – Mina Abdullah Refinery, Kuwait National Petroleum Corporation, Kuwait Onshore major hazard – Malaysian Refining Company SDN BHD, Malaysia Power and utilities – Larsen & Toubro Limited, Power Transmission & Distribution Independent Company, India Transportation, distribution and storage – Unipart Logistics, UK Wholesale and retail services – Arcadia Group Ltd, Leeds, UK The recipient of the 2019 Chief Adjudicator’s Award, which recognises an outstanding approach to risk management and employee engagement, was Sharkey SE, UK. The award also acknowledged Sharkey SE’s impressive leadership philosophy and demonstration of ‘safety first’ principles. Last year, the British Safety Council introduced two new award categories which reflect the changing nature of workplace health and safety. The winner of the Wellbeing Initiative Award was A. Schulman Inc Limited, UK, while the winner of the Innovation in Occupational Health and Safety Award category was L&T Construction, India. Also for the second time, British Safety Council granted the Outstanding Bravery Award.  Its recipient was Fazal Ahmad, HSE supervisor, at PakArab Fertilizers Ltd, Pakistan. He was identified in the adjudication process as deserving a special recognition for his selfless act of bravery in the face of great danger. Congratulating all the winners of the 2019 International Safety Awards, Mike Robinson, Chief Executive of British Safety Council, said: “We are here tonight to celebrate the achievements of 507 winning organisations and our joint efforts to improve health and safety standards around the world. “The British Safety Council is continuously striving to increase its impact. Last month, working closely with King’s College London, we launched Canairy. This unique app provides outdoor workers with information to help them reduce their exposure to air pollution and employers with intelligence to protect the health of their workers. Together with the app, the British Safety Council launched a UK-wide Time to Breathe campaign with a publicity event staged in Oxford Circus, central London, on 12 March. This event has demonstrated our campaigning zeal, reminiscent of the times of our founder James Tye. We are now calling on London-based employers to trial Canairy and help us build an accurate picture of the exposure faced by outdoor workers. “Last year saw a significant investment in our new range of mental health training and digital learning products. This year, mental health training will account for almost one quarter of all the training we deliver. We have also introduced both virtual and augmented reality into almost all of our courses delivered from our office in Hammersmith. “In November 2017, we opened our first non-UK office in Mumbai, and our Indian business is going from strength to strength. This year, nearly one third of all International Safety Award applications came from Indian companies. We’ll continue to expand our international reach, and later this year, we hope to launch our first charitable initiative outside the UK. It will be aimed at improving safety awareness of Indian schoolchildren.” Lawrence Waterman, Chairman of British Safety Council, concluded: “At the time when our country, communities and families are divided by political events and hostile attitudes of groups and individuals with entrenched views, it is important to focus on what can draw us together. The principal role of health and safety is ensuring the welfare of people, all people, while the aim of environmental management is to protect our planet.  “We’re now hearing less about a race to the bottom and reducing health and safety standards after Brexit. But we need to stay on our guard since there are politicians and executives who think worker protection is worth sacrificing for trade deals. That’s why we need to stay focused and keep improving our workplaces to make them healthy, safe and productive. That’s why we also need to keep campaigning. “Creating safe and healthy workplaces can be profitable, effective and productive.  That’s why whole organisations, from directors to the shop floor, celebrate the International Safety Awards.”

How do you future-proof your organisation? At its fourth annual conference in Dubai, the British Safety Council will explore how local businesses can prepare for opportunities and challenges ahead The British Safety Council, one of the most trusted international leaders in health, safety and environmental management, is hosting its fourth annual conference in Dubai, The Future of Health, Safety and Wellbeing in the Workplace, on Tuesday, 5 February 2019,  at the Sofitel Dubai Downtown. Across issues such as automation, ‘any time any place’ work, the impact of modern communication technologies and ‘flexible’ employment contracts, conference speakers will stimulate delegates to examine the present opportunities and risks for employee safety, health and wellbeing. They will also explore how excellent management in health, safety and wellbeing can transform organisations. Closely linked to that, there will be a discussion about the best approaches to promoting a positive workplace culture. The delegates will have an opportunity to sample the Virtual Reality (VR) technology which the British Safety Council uses to teach the evaluation of health and safety risks. For over 60 years, the British Safety Council has been campaigning, advising and educating workers and employers worldwide on how to make workplaces safe for everyone, as well as sharing best practice in work-related health, wellbeing and management of environmental risks. The British Safety Council has strong links with the Middle Eastern region, in particular with the United Arab Emirates (UAE), and works in partnership with many leading businesses in the country, such as Dubai Electricity and Water Authority (DEWA), Emirates National Oil Company (ENOC), the Ministry of Education, UAE, Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) and TECOM Group. Mike Robinson, Chief Executive of the British Safety Council, whose presentation will cover a number of key technological, societal and regulatory trends that will transform the workplace, said: “The world of work is rapidly changing, bringing both opportunities and considerable risks not only to businesses, the economy and the environment but also to wellbeing, health and safety of employees. It is imperative that employers gain an understanding of what’s in store and take a strategic view on how to deal with these challenges. “Over the next seven years, some commentators are forecasting that the number of connected devices will grow from less than 50 billion to over 300 billion. Penetration of smartphone use in the UAE is already 99%. The lives of people throughout the world will be affected in ways we cannot imagine. For example, the World Bank predicts that over the next 20 years, 69 per cent of jobs in India will be threatened by automation or the use of artificial intelligence. This together with the predicted growth in the gig economy, mean that workers will be at much greater risk of accident and ill-health and the always-on culture will lead to higher levels of stress, anxiety and depression. These are just some of the challenges that will pose considerable risks to companies and their workforces.” CONFERENCE PROGRAMME 10:00 Welcome and introduction: Mike Robinson, Chief Executive, British Safety Council 10:15 The importance of top management leadership: Dr Waddah S. Ghanem, Senior Director – Sustainability, Operational and Business Excellence, Emirates National Oil Company Limited (ENOC) LLC 10.45 Preparing for the future workplace:  Mike Robinson, Chief Executive, British Safety Council 11.30 Virtual reality – training showcase: James Mansbridge, Head of Digital Learning, British Safety Council 12.15 Promoting positive workplace culture, Clare Solomon Creative & Commercial Director, Tribe Culture Change 12.45 Lunch 13:45 Stream 1: Main room  Adopting ISO 45001: A new international standard for health and safety management, James Lewis, Head of Audit and Consultancy, British Safety Council 13:45 Stream 2: Break-out room Wellbeing in the workplace, Dr Carolyn Yeoman, Operations Director OCAID Wellbeing 15:00  Panel discussion Q&A chaired by James Mansbridge Head of Digital Learning, British Safety Council 15:30  Closing remarks: Mike Robinson Chief Executive, British Safety Council 15:40  Close

British Safety Council supports the Equality and Human Rights Commission’s challenge to the government over failure to protect lives The British Safety Council welcomes the challenge to the government that a failure to address the risk to life posed by flammable external cladding, similar to that used on the Grenfell Tower, is a breach of human rights.  The Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) has written to the Department for Housing, Communities and Local Government (DHCLG) outlining its concerns about the continued use of combustible cladding in existing buildings and advising the department of its responsibilities under human rights laws to protect lives. The Commission has expressed its concern that the consultation on the use of external cladding omits any reference to the government’s duty to protect lives under article 2 of the European Convention on Human Rights and schedule 1 to the Human Rights Act 1998. “The British Safety Council has participated in the consultation, calling for much tighter building controls, clearer guidance and effective enforcement,” said Lawrence Waterman, Chairman of the British Safety Council. “The EHRC intervention takes a wider view and supports our long-held and consistent argument that health and safety is a crucial underpinning of the human right to life.” He continued: “The British Safety Council vision of no-one being injured or made ill by their work will only be realised when everyone cooperates to defend this basic human right for all. We call on the government to take a much clearer lead and responsibility for past failures to protect life so tragically highlighted by the Grenfell Tower fire.”