Recent history and breaking news

So what’s happened, what is new and what is about to hit us?

These were the main questions at our annual seminar when we started it five years ago. We spent all morning discussing the shifting landscape of health and safety. And, it was shifting back then. We were just coming off the back of the governments’ commissioned review by Lord Young in 2010 on the fitness for purpose of our current system and then in 2011 the Lofstedt Review looked at reducing the burden of Health and safety, which triggered off a raft of tweaks and adjustments to the health and safety framework.

In the light of those days, you could be forgiven for thinking that not much has been changing in the world of health and safety looking back to 2017, or likely to change in years to come. How wrong you would be. In this time of massive technological change, political upheaval and social/moral coming of age, the changes have been, or are, on the cusp of happening, will modify the way we think and behave forever. It is for this reason as with every year, we start our annual seminar with our general health and safety review.

My colleague David (cmiosh) has created a great presentation to bring to our attention such items as the HSE’s priorities of the moment, including the ‘Go home healthy campaign’. Updates on the arrival of the new international management system ISO45001 and the fall-out from the Grenfell tower disaster. Changes to some of the Training packages as alternatives to NEBOSH and the defunct CSCS scheme are covered. Our industrial strategy and its effect on health and safety is considered, also the changes that may follow in a post Brexit world and the future effect of artificial intelligence on our workplace. We look at some of the landmark case studies and the effect of ‘Blue tape’ on the efficiencies of our organisations. Of course we summarise the recent changes to legislation along the way, as we always do, but there is much, much more in this action packed starter for our seminar.

Could you receive this breadth and and depth of coverage anywhere else? I very much doubt it. Could you afford to ignore it and not turn up? It depends on how serious you are about your profession or how short sighted you may be.

We will be meeting at the venue at no later than 9.00am so we can grab a quick coffee, settle down in time for Dave to make a start on presentation No.1 at 9.15am.

The remainder of the presentations will be sent out on a schedule very soon. We are currently still waiting for one of the presenters to confirm their attendance. Hopefully we can finalise this later in the week.

Looking forward to seeing you there. (Kelham Island Museum in Sheffield on 19th April)