The Health and Safety Commission has identified health
and safety as a boardroom issue. The chairman and/or
chief executive are seen as having a critical role to play
in ensuring risks are properly managed. They further
argue that those at the top of any organisation have a
key role to play. In order to allow directors and senior
managers to contribute to the HSC it is recommended
that a director is given specific responsibilities for health
and safety. These again will be detailed in the organisation
section of the company’s health and safety policy.
Current authoritative guidance suggests that the
‘boards of companies’ take the following five actions: