Chair of Health & Safety Commission gives 2007 Warwick-Acas Lowry Lecture

Mr Bill Callaghan, Chair of the Health and Safety Commission, gave the 2007 Warwick-Acas Lowry lecture in London today (20 March), calling for a reintegration of policy responsibility at national and organisational levels.

Speaking to an invited audience of leading employers, trade unionists, public officials and employment relations and health and safety professionals, Mr Callaghan argued that "health and safety and human or industrial relations are inextricably linked". He expressed his concern that key issues at the workplace, such as employee involvement or working time, are addressed 'in two separate silos by the HR and safety communities'.

He reaffirmed the principle of self-regulation at the workplace which has underpinned Britain's Health and Safety legislation in the modern era.

"Rules and laws are essential but they do not by themselves change behaviour. A strong, well resourced, and independent inspectorate is vital, but my colleagues in the Health and Safety Executive and in local authorities cannot be in every workplace in the land at every hour of the day. My view is that informal regulation via unions and employers will be more efficient and less onerous than regulation that is externally imposed," he said.

"The practice of self-regulation faces new challenges, however", continued Mr Callaghan, drawing attention to the effects of decline in the coverage of trade union organisation, which threatens to undermine the capacity for effective self-regulation in a growing number of workplaces.

The Warwick-Acas Lowry lecture is held annually in honour of Sir Pat Lowry who was a former Chair of Acas, a visiting professor at The University of Warwick, a member of Warwick Business School's Advisory Board and a close associate of the Industrial Relations Research Unit.

PDFs of the lecture presentation and speech by Bill Callghan can be accessed here.