BRITISH SAFETY INDUSTRY FEDERATION (BSIF)
THE VOICE OF THE HEALTH AND
SAFETY INDUSTRY
From the British Safety Industry Federation (BSIF), CEO Alan Murray spoke to HSE
International about the organisation and its role in the health and safety industry in
the UK.
I
n 1974, with the
introduction of the UK
Health & Safety at Work
Act, the UK brought together
a wide range of legislation
to simplify, support and
improve occupational safety
and health. In the 1970s,
fatalities at work were close
to 700 per annum. According
to the latest figures from the
HSE, this number has fallen
by over 80% - a tremendous
ALAN MURRAY, CEO
achievement reinforcing the
UK’s world leading record in safety and health.
Despite this dramatic improvement in fatalities there is still
a great deal to do to safeguard occupational health. The total
costs associated with workplace injury and ill health amounted
to £14 billion in 2012/13, with 28.2 million working days lost
due to work-related ill health or injury in 2013/14, clearly
indicating further action is required to improve the situation and
significantly reduce these numbers.
“Our aim is to support our
members who maintain high
standards in manufacturing
and distribution and promote
best practice by all in this
vital industry.”
20
HSE INTERNATIONAL
Worker ill-health specifically is becoming an increased area
of focus for the industry, with the realisation that occupational
diseases are not simply a legacy of past practices but still cause
13,000 deaths each year. The BSIF and its members are extremely
active in trying to improve not only safety statistics but also workers’
health through industry initiatives such as The Fit2Fit Scheme, ‘Clean
Air? Take Car