Publications

The Health and Safety Executive has been working in partnership with the construction industry since the 1990s to bring about improvements in risk management by developing solutions together. One aspect of this is an initiative called the supply chain model, which attempts to take a cohesive approach by drawing together stakeholders from across the construction industry, such as suppliers, contractors, clients (from both the public and private sectors) and designers/architects. In 2009 HSE commissioned the Institute for Employment Studies to undertake a qualitative evaluation of the supply chain initiative and its component work strands. This report presents the evaluation’s findings.

This report presents findings from qualitative research on the Work Capability Assessment (WCA) and Work-Focused Health-Related Assessment (WFHRA). The research was carried out in spring/summer 2010 and included Employment and Support Allowance customers, Jobcentre Plus and Pathways to Work Provider Personal Advisers, and Atos Healthcare staff working on these assessments.

This report examines the issue of work-related stress in the 27 EU Member States and Norway. Studies capturing data on work-related stress in individual countries differ in terms of their scope, methodology and coverage.

In the face of recession, falling demand and the consequent slowing of production, short-time working and temporary layoff schemes have been extended (or introduced) in many Member States. These schemes, often with the aid of public funds, reduce working time, while protecting workers’ incomes and company solvency; frequently, the time spent not working is used for training instead. This report examines the practice of reduced working time across Europe, and looks in detail at how it is implemented in ten Member States, with a view to determining the contribution that such schemes can make in implementing the common principles of flexicurity, especially in light of the broad-based consensus they enjoy among the social partners.

This report presents the results of the 2010 surveys of the Veterinary and Veterinary Nursing professions, carried out on behalf of the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons (RCVS). Where possible and appropriate, results are compared with those of previous surveys. The aim of these surveys is to provide RCVS, and other interested parties, with an evidence-based view of the veterinary surgeon and veterinary nurse professions, and the changes taking place within them.

This report contains the main results of research examining health and safety practices and procedures in relation to the use of isocyanate-based paints in the motor vehicle repair (MVR) sector. The main objective of this research was to determine current health and safety practices in the motor vehicle repair sector in relation to the use of isocyanate paint spray, focusing in particular on the use of masks and the use of spray booths. The intention was to gather data about practice, in order to gain a view of the overall state of play in relation to the health and safety practices that determine isocyanate use in the sector. The aim was that this will, in turn, make it possible and viable for the HSE to develop a baseline for targeting future embedding activity. The report is based on a telephone survey of 500 motor vehicle repair bodyshops and visits to 30 bodyshops, during which face-to-face interviews were carried out with bodyshop managers and sprayers.

The Healthy Workplaces Milton Keynes (HWMK) pilot was one of several pilots designed by HSE to test various models of delivering advice and support of occupational health, safety, absence management and return-to-work issues to small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). This report summarises the findings of the HWMK evaluation.

Helping older employees plan their future is challenging at the best of times. In an economic downturn these challenges are even greater. This report explores case study research gathered from a broad range of organisations. We focussed on how - and whether - older employees proactively planned their future working life and retirement; what support their employer provided and what sort of conversations they were having and with whom.

This article examines explanations for the differences between public and private sector performance when it comes to sickness absence levels and suggests that some simple changes in public sector policy and practice could make a very real difference, provided that the public sector follows the general public trend, selects the 'value' or 'basics' range of products, and makes the best use of 'well-worn clothes'.

The Moving Goods Safely 3 (MGS3) intervention took place during 2007 and 2008, and targeted risks associated with the movement of goods in the logistics, warehousing, road haulage and goods delivery sectors. This report presents the findings of an evaluation carried out during 2008/09, and after the intervention had ceased.