The Health and Safety Commission (HSC) and the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) have merged to form a single national regulatory body also called the Health and Safety Executive. Health and Safety Minister Lord McKenzie said that while both bodies had done an excellent job over the last 30 years in significantly improving health and safety at work, "To face the challenges and demands of the changing world of work, now is the time to merge the organisations into one which can provide a platform for further improvements to health and safety at work across Great Britain."
The current Chair of the Commission, Judith Hackitt, who becomes Chair of the Board of the new Executive commented, "The new Health and Safety Executive will strengthen the importance of workplace health and safety in Great Britain. With a single regulatory body we will be able to strengthen the links between strategy and delivery in order to provide the accountability expected of a public body in today's workplace climate."
While the day-to-day operations are not expected to fundamentally change, it is felt the merger will set the tone for closer working throughout the organisation. Judith Hackitt added, "The HSE will build on the independence, good relationships with stakeholders and in particular our relationship with local authorities to develop a revised strategy for health and safety in Great Britain."
