Ponencia a cargo de Alan Cowen, Jefe del Departamento de Seguridad y Salud de la Universidad de Brighton

1. Occupational Risk Prevention
in Education
Alan Cowen B.Sc, MCIEH, CMIOSH
Head of Health and Safety
University of Brighton
Chair Universities Safety and Health Association(USHA)

2. Speaker Profile
Alan Cowen is the Head of Health and Safety at the University of Brighton. Alan has over 20 years experience as a health and safety
professional within higher education and as a regulator, having worked at both Dundee University and Newcastle University. Alan graduated
from Leeds University in Chemical Sciences and Leeds Metropolitan University in Environmental Health. Alan is a Chartered Environmental
Health Practitioner (MCIEH) and a Chartered Safety and Health Practitioner (CMIOSH).
• Head of Health and Safety, University of Brighton
Chair, Universities Safety and Health Association
(UK)
• Steering group and committee membership
include:
– USHA Executive Committee
– Emergency planning in Higher Education Project (Closed)
– Revised Student work placement guidance document (Closed)
– Wellbeing Project (Current)
– Leading in Health and Safety
– Higher Education Safety Health Forum (HESH)
– Higher Education Estates Advisory Forum (HEEAF)
– Universities and Colleges Employers Association (UCEA) Safety
Committee
• Overseas Development Activities
– International Forum Safety and Health in Higher Education
– International Safety Practitioner Exchange Programme
– International Student Safety and Risk Management Summer Camp
– International Safety and Wellbeing Lecture
– Partnership with AUSA, CSHEMA
• Projects
– Developing a new framework for the Association
– Web site Architect
– E-News letter
– Sponsorship development
– Introduction of a USHA Development Manager
– Bridging the knowledge gap- Guidance and Policies resource bank
(GaP)
– Online Safety Services Directory ‘TRADE’
– USHA Development Grants Scheme
– USHA Sector Awards Scheme
– Web Safety Tool Chest
– Developing partnerships through MoU with IOSH and IIRSM

3. Flavour

4. Safety In A Box

5. • What do we know about risky behaviour?
• Why do we accept risk?
• What can you do to promote a culture of
safety?

6. People will take risk when the benefit is assured and the hazard is
uncertain

7. People will take greater risks following positive results from previous
risk taking

8. People will stop taking risk when the benefit is uncertain or the hazard becomes obvious.

9. Why do we accept risk?
• Safety is not cool
• Common sense is not common practise
• Poor hazard communication
– Unknown rules will always be broken
– No such thing as lack of communication
• Fixes are more popular than prevention
• Too much positive experience with taking
risks

10. Making Safer Choices
• Prevention
• Reduction
• Elimination

12. It must be the University’s fault for not giving me a
bigger office!

14. Standardizing Overseas Fieldwork Safety
Management with British Standard 8848

15. Health and Safety Guidance for the
placement of HE students
•

16. Building a preventative culture
• Socio economic
factors
• Cultural norms
• Laws and
enforcement

17. UK has lowest Fatality Rate in EC

18. "I am pleased by this outcome. The Court has rejected the
European Commission’s claim that the use of "so far as is
reasonably practicable" does not implement the Framework
Directive. Quite clearly we have been effective in protecting
people as currently we have the best occupational safety record in
Europe.“
Bill Callaghan, Chair of the Health and Safety Commission
(HSC) June 14th
2007
European court supports UK safety laws
(Case C127-05 European Commission v United Kingdom)

20. • Mainstreaming
Occupational Safety
and Health into
University Education

21. Three Examples
• Elementary /
Primary Schools
• High Schools
• University
• Innovation and
early adopters
• Meaningful
• Experiential
• Health belief model

22. http://www.hsa.ie/eng/Education/Mainstreaming/
• Mainstreaming Safety and Health in the
Curriculum
• The Health and Safety Authority is working to
mainstream safety and health at all levels of
education, from early-learning through to third level.
• The Authority commissioned the National Council
for Curriculum and Assessment (NCCA) to look at
existing and future opportunities for teaching and
learning about safety and health in the school
curriculum. The report examined early childhood,
primary and post-primary education. It was
launched in September 2007.
• The common themes for all scenarios include:
• • Children are educated to change their
behaviour and attitudes in order to stay safe
• • Children improve their understanding of
everyday situations where accidents are likely to
occur
• • Children are encouraged to take responsibility
for their own actions.

23. Example 1. The early Years
• Everyone's favourite alpacas team
up with tough-but-fair safety
supervisor Miss Mulberry. Through
intensive training and the use of
instructive safety 'hoovies' ('movies'
to you and me) they learn about
common hazards and how to avoid
them.
• Nuzzle and Scratch learn how to
avoid nasty incidents involving hot
things - hair straighteners,
saucepans on cookers, hot drinks
and spillages.
• Hoof and Safety

24. • Hoof and Safety Teacher's Pack
• Make safety awareness fun
• Aimed at Early Years teachers and
providers, the pack contains:
• Teacher's Notes with activities based on
each episode
• Nuzzle and Scratch board games
• A matching game
• Flashcards
• A DVD of the 'Hoovies' - 1 minute clips of
the key safety message from each
programme to which the games and Notes
relate
• Photocopiable resources
• Clear references showing how the
programmes link to the EYFS curriculum
• http://www.bbc.co.uk/schools/websites/

25. Example 2.

26. • The British Safety Council puts young workers at
the very top of its agenda. We are paying for all 14-
19 year olds in full-time education to gain an
accredited qualification in health and safety before
they embark on work experience or their first job.
More than 70,000 students across the UK have
completed our Entry Level Award in Workplace
Hazard Awareness and we are delighted that
schools in Abu Dhabi, Argentina and Libya have
also taken part.
• Research into the impact of the Entry Level
qualification shows it has a very positive effect on
the attitudes and likely behaviours of young people
in relation to health and safety. Encouragingly, 88%
of students said they thought the qualification would
help keep them healthy and safe on work
experience.
• Free qualifications are also available to
organisations delivering health and safety training
to those not in education, employment or training
(NEET). More than 30,000 people classified NEET
have already gained a British Safety Council
qualification, enhancing their self-esteem and
employability.
• In a world dominated by new technology, the British
Safety Council increasingly reaches out to young
people through online and social media. The Speak
Up, Stay Safe campaign ensures that we connect
with teenagers on their terms, on their platforms
and in their environment.

27. Example 3. Higher Education
• Integrating OSH into University
Engineering degree courses
• The University of Liverpool integrates, in
association with the Health and Safety
Laboratory, OSH into different courses. The
aims of this cooperation are to create the
ultimate learning environment for the
engineers of tomorrow
• to develop programmes that strike an
appropriate balance between theoretical,
professional and personal learning
• to graduate distinctive Liverpool Engineers
who are ready to meet the need of modern
industry
• to integrate health and safety risk concepts
into the undergraduate engineering course

28. Problem, what Problem?
• I never received any
training!
• Nobody told me that
would happen!
• I did not have time to
do it that way!
• Someone else told
me it was okay!

29. Training at All Levels
• How do you measure
the effectiveness of
your training?
• KPI, Benchmarks
• Behavioural changes

30. What about this?
Wellbeing begins at home

31. Lifting for life skills
Manual handling is not about covering your own back
but protecting your back!

32. Recognise this?

33. What about this?

34. Risk Assessment
• Complex
• Misunderstood
• Not used
• Too difficult
• Outcomes not
implemented
• High level of training
needed or perceived

35. Problems in the UK
• Prime minister David
Cameron: We'll curb
Britain's health and
safety neurosis
• Lord Young Report
15th
October 2010
• Limit litigation
• Simplifying school
visits and trips

36. Health and Safety Myths
• Step ladders have been
banned
• Fire men poles are
banned
• Children can not play
conkers at school

37. Looking Ahead
• Drivers
– Student fees/
accountability
– Professional Practice
– International
competition
– National Student
Survey
– Social Networking
– Client expectation

38. Unknown Factors
• Shorter degree
courses (2yrs)
• Reduces learning
opportunities
• Transfer training to
Industry
• Competing agenda
– Sustainability
– Diversity
– IP, ethics etc
• Perception of over
zealous safety laws
• Growth in
volunteering/
internship
• Engaging with
academics

39. Breakdown of staff in each staff category (total of 294 staff)
Admin
110
37%
Technical
112
38%
Manual and Craft
49
17%
Teaching and Research
21
7%
HoDs HoSs and Deans
2
1%
Part time Teaching Staff
0
0%
Breakdown of staff in each staff
category attending safety training
courses (data from 38 various
courses)

40. • Work placement
Safety briefing
materials
• Student Safety Award
• International Student
Safety and Risk
Summer Camp
• WWW.USHA.org.uk