HSE announces new guidance for directors

Britain's Health and Safety Executive (HSE) has announced the publication of new health and safety guidance for directors.

Entitled Leading health and safety at work, the new guidelines have been published as part of a partnership between the Institute of Directors (IoD) and the HSE and have been created by and for directors.

The IoD has around 55,000 members and is headed by a director general that believes it to be the responsibility of board members to be at the vanguard of issues relating to health and safety.

"I am still confounded by the number of people who see 'health and safety' as a barrier to doing things, as experience and evidence shows that the reverse is true," said Judith Hackitt, the new chair of the Health and Safety Commission.

"It is visible leadership from the top of an organisation which truly makes for an effective health and safety culture, which in turn delivers good health and safety performance and much more," she added.