Occupational Safety : Who, What and Why!
Who we are....What we think....What we’re doing....
Exercising a powerful influence..
Every year in the UK there are at least 7,000 deaths in the UK due to accidents from all causes. RoSPA is a charity, established over 80 years ago, whose purpose is ‘...to save lives and reduce injuries’. It is concerned with safety in the home, on the road, at work, in water and leisure activities and it actively promotes safety education. It is a membership organisation with members and specialist committees in these five areas. It exercises influence in accident prevention, both as a ‘promoter’ of new ideas and good practice and as a ‘provider’ of products and services which advance and sustain such practice. Over eighty per cent of its income comes from trading in safety products and services.
Occupational health and safety
Every year there are about 350 notifiable fatal accidents connected with work activities affecting employees, the self employed and members of the public (but excluding perhaps as many as 800 - 1000 work related road fatalities), 3,000 cases of early death due to past exposure to asbestos, over half a million reportable accidents (including some 29,000 major injuries), 2 million cases of ill health caused or made worse by work, leading to some 25 million days lost - with a total bill to the Nation of up to £18 billion - or almost 3.0 per cent of GDP).
As a ‘promoter’ RoSPA seeks to influence the improvement of occupational health and safety (OS&H) in line with its ‘OS&H vision’ see (annex one) by:
- working through its National Occupational Safety and Health Committee;
- facilitating debate with other ‘health and safety system players’ on ‘key’ policy issues;
- developing policy positions, for example in response to public consultation exercises;
- undertaking research and pathfinder projects for example with its ‘Partners in Progress’;
- providing information and guidance on ‘good practice’ (for example via its websites www.rospa.co.uk and www. youngworker.co.uk); and
- seeking media coverage.
RoSPA’s main occupational health and safety ‘provider’ activities include: training - both skills and management training; consultancy - particularly health and safety management systems auditing; information products - including its journals ‘Occupational Safety and Health’, ‘Bulletin’, and ‘Safety Express’ and a comprehensive video service; awards - which recognise health and safety achievement; events and congresses – for example, at the NEC in Birmingham and in Scotland; and driver and fleet services - including defensive driving training. RoSPA also provides support for a network around 80 RoSPA affiliated local health and safety groups through Safety Groups UK (www.safetygroupsuk.org.uk).
Enquiries should be addressed to:
Roger Bibbings,
Occupational Safety Advisor,
Safety Policy Division,
RoSPA House,
Edgbaston Park, 353, Bristol Road,
Birmingham B5 7ST.
Tel 0121 248 2000, Fax 0121 248 2001.
Email: help@rospa.com
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RoSPA is a registered charity: Registered Charity No: 207823 Patron: Her Majesty the Queen RoSPA Head Office: Edgbaston Park, 353 Bristol Road, Edgbaston, Birmingham B5 7ST, UK |
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