Safety Groups UK has been formed out of the National Health and Safety Groups Council, a body representing around 80 community-based groups which give advice to small and medium sized businesses in their area.
If you are interested in how Safety Groups can help in your business, visit the Safety Groups UK website to find out more.
The new organisation was launched recently by David Eves, former Deputy Director General of HSE.
It has signed a groundbreaking agreement with the Health and Safety Executive as part if its campaign to become increasingly influential in the health and safety world. The partnership agreement with the HSE is designed to support the Health and Safety Commission's strategy for workplace health and safety in Great Britain to 2010 and beyond and has been recently updated.
The aim is to jointly develop and deliver a work programme to make a significant contribution to specific projects which underpin the HSC strategy. Both sides want to ensure key health and safety messages are promoted to all health and safety groups and as widely as possible beyond their immediate membership.
HSE is funding a consultant to carry out research to help achieve these aims.
Kerry Ross, chairman of Safety Groups UK, said: "Our mission is to ensure that health and safety groups are key players in the UK health and safety system and in the delivery of UK health and safety strategy
"We are ideally placed to do this, being made up of representatives from local businesses and providing low-cost health and safety help through such things as seminars and advice lines.
"The partnership agreement will increase our ability to reach out to small businesses in local communities and create safer places to work. We will be helping groups to focus on HSE priorities such as slips, trips and falls, falls from height, workplace transport, stress and musculoskeletal disorders. Safety Groups UK is also leading a special project on occupational skin disease called 'Derm at Work'."
The Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents supports Safety Groups UK, provides its secretariat and hosts its website www.safetygroupsuk.org.uk
David Bryant was commissioned to investigate the ability of Safety Groups to contribute to the UK health and Safety agenda. The project was funded by the HSE and completed at the end of August 2006. David Bryant's final report is available here.
The first joint project with the HSE is to run a series of 10 Seminars throughout the country on the prevention of work-related dermatitis. LOVSA organised the seminar for the south east which was held on 28th June at the Fielder Centre in Hatfield, Herts. Click here (PDF) to see a copy of the programme. A summary of the now completed 'Derm' and other Projects is available on the Safety Groups UK website.
The Government has now endorsed the work of local Safety Groups in a letter from the Department of Work and Pensions sent to all member groups of Safety Groups UK.
Safety Groups UK held their First Annual Conference on Wednesday 12 March 2008 at Coton House Conference Centre, Rugby.
SAFETY GROUPS UK, PROMOTING SAFETY & HEALTH NATIONWIDE
Registered Charity No: 1048425
Formerly National Health & Safety Groups Council
Established 1947
| 
