About
In the context of effective corporate governance, managing corporate risk is a key issue for all directors and senior managers.
One key risk area is the health and safety of an organisation’s workers, and of others (including members of the public) who may be affected by its activities.
Strong leadership is vital in delivering effective health and safety risk control. Everyone should know - and believe - that you are committed to continuous improvement in health and safety performance. You need to explain your expectations, and how your organisation and procedures will deliver them.
Your statement of health and safety policy and arrangements should be a living document, devised in consultation with your workers, reviewed and revised as situations change, and be brought to the attention of all your workers.
As a board member you need to ensure that your actions and decisions at work always reinforce the messages in the board’s health and safety policy statement. Any mismatch between your individual attitudes, behaviour or decisions and your organisation’s health and safety policy will undermine your workers’ belief in both your intentions and those of your board and will undermine good health and safety practice.
You must recognise your personal responsibilities and liabilities under health and safety law.
Many of your business decisions will have health and safety implications.
It is important for boards to remember that, although health and safety functions can (and should) be delegated, legal responsibility for health and safety rests with the employer.
 You need to be sure that the board’s health and safety responsibilities are properly discharged. The board will need to:
Review your health and safety performance regularly (at least annually);
Ensure that your health and safety policy statement reflects current board priorities;
Ensure that your management systems provide for effective;
Monitoring and reporting of your organisation’s health and safety performance;
Be kept informed about any significant health and safety failures, and of the outcome of the investigations into their causes;
Ensure that you address the health and safety implications of all your decisions;
Ensure that health and safety risk management systems are in place and remain effective.
By appointing a ‘health and safety director’ you will have a board member who can ensure that these health and safety risk management issues are properly addressed, both by your board and more widely in your organisation.