UK port employers, led by Port Skills and Safety (PSS), have joined forces with the Health and Safety Executive and Unite the Union, to develop leadership and worker engagement guidance for the Port industry.
The launch was hosted by Britain’s biggest and busiest container port, the Port of Felixstowe. As explained, achieving an effective health and safety culture is as much about human factors, relationships, trust, communication and behaviours, as it is about risk assessments, procedures and controls.
As noted by Stephen Abraham, the port’s Chief Operating Officer, ports can be dangerous places to work, so authorities need to be relentless in addressing Health & Safety issues.
At the launch Dr Richard Judge, Chief Executive, Health and Safety Executive noted: “Leadership and worker engagement are vital parts of a health and safety culture that protects workers and promotes good business. Acting together is very much in the spirit of #HelpGBWorkWell and I welcome this guidance jointly developed by the ports industry and Unite.”
According to Tim Clarke, Chairman of Port Skills and Safety, proactive leadership behaviours and highly engaged people deliver better quality, increased efficiency and a sustainable business.
“The guidance provides a clear direction for our industry, sharing learning from those already underway and helping those who are looking beyond compliance to successfully embed health and safety as a core value.”
Unite the Union also celebrated forty years since the creation of trade union safety representatives, under the Health and Safety at Work etc Act 1974 and the Safety Representatives and Safety Committees Regulations 1977.
The guidance is freely available to download from PSS. It is intended to be used by organisations and individuals to refresh their knowledge of effective health and safety leadership and engagement, as well as encouraging reflection and challenge themselves to continuously improve.
