A Government review published today could mark a “turning point” for health and safety in the UK

At RM Risk Management we broadly welcome Lord Young’s recommendations, which include a clampdown on “absurd” applications of health and safety legislation and measures to make it easier for teachers to organise school trips.

A new register for safety consultants is likely to form part of a suite of government recommendations on health and safety. The report is authored by Lord David Young, the Conservative peer charged with reviewing health and safety law and perceptions in the UK.

The register, known as the Occupational Safety Consultants Register, or OSCR, is seen by the government as the first step to resolving problems Lord Young has identified around standards during his review. OSCR is designed to help businesses who don’t need to employ full time safety professionals, or need specialist help on a specific issue, and aims to give clients confidence in the consultant they choose.

The national register, which clients will be able to search online, is due to go live in early 2011. The Health and Safety Executive is leading the project to develop the register, and has worked in consultation with several organisations, including IOSH. The plan is to set up a not-for-profit company to run the scheme in the long term.

To register, consultants will need to have a degree level qualification and assessed experience in safety, as well as an active commitment to Continuing Professional Development. They also need to be signed up to a code of conduct and have current professional indemnity insurance. Chartered Members of IOSH, the Chartered Institute of Environmental Health and the Royal Environmental Health Institute of Scotland, and Fellows of the International Institute of Risk and Safety Management, will be eligible.