ABSTRACT
The previous chapter discussed the changing social, economic and cultural contexts of health and safety policy and practice in the UK. Within the context of these changes, this chapter looks more closely at the policies themselves. It describes how the most important stakeholders have responded to changes in the world of work, and in societal expectations, through the development of regulation, including self-regulation, and standards. These developments are not unique to the UK. In recent years, many countries, in Europe and elsewhere, have sought to complement ‘hard’ policy in health and safety, such as legislation, with ‘softer’ forms of policy such as guidance and stakeholder initiatives (Leka et al. 2011). This new landscape reflects a number of contextual changes, including budget cuts, a lack of personnel and expertise within formal government bodies and an increasingly collaborative approach to policy development with business and other social partners (EU-OSHA 2009). We shall begin by reviewing the historical development of health and safety regulation in the UK and the current framework of legislation and policy. The chapter will then look at some of the factors that have been particularly influential in driving change and the initiatives that have resulted from these. Finally, we shall consider what wider lessons might be learned for the professions and organizations involved in occupational safety and health.
