It’s 50 years since the Health and Safety at Work Act came into force. David Burge, global health and safety director at Buro Happold talks to Infrastructure Intelligence to look back at half a century of change – and consider where legislation will take us next.

Since it came into force 50 years ago, the Health and Safety at Work Act has had a profound impact on British industry.

The critical piece of legislation made its way through parliament and on July 31, 1974, became the Health and Safety at Work Act.

The act has led to major reductions in work-related injury and death, helped put health and wellbeing at the top of the workplace agenda and led to a raft of further regulations to make industry safer for all.

David Burge is global health and safety director at Buro Happold, with more than 40 years’ experience in the health, safety and environment arena.

“When the Health and Safety Act came along it was a pivotal piece of legislation,” explains Burge. “It emerged as a response to the hazardous working conditions prevalent in factories and mines.

“It aimed to safeguard employees’ wellbeing by imposing broad duties on employers - these responsibilities applied not only to regular employees but casual workers, self-employed individuals, clients, visitors and the general public – it grabbed a lot of people together.

“The act established a duty of care emphasizing the importance of health and safety across workplaces.

“It was the starting point of real safety in the UK and was a big shift for employers, which has taken time to adapt to.”

He adds: “The standout achievement from the last 50 years is undoubtedly the reduction in workplace accidents and fatalities.

“People are also much more aware of health and safety – school kids know about safety now. There’s been a lot of work to raise awareness, it’s much more widely talked about.”

The TUC estimates there have been at least 14,000 fewer workplace fatalities since 1974.

In 1974, when the current official data began, it says there were 651 workplace fatalities. From 1974 onwards, fatalities steadily declined. Since 2013, there have been fewer than 150 fatalities every year. In 2023 there were 138.

But there has not yet been a year with fewer than 100 fatalities – meaning there is still work to do as industry and its workforces evolve.

“The original act gave that robust legal framework for enforcing safety standards, allowing authorities to take action against non-compliant employers and ensure accountability,” explains Burge.

Over the last 50 years regulations have continued to be introduced.

It led to the ‘European six pack’ - six regulations on health and safety at work introduced in 1992.

Most of the requirements of these regulations were not new, but spelled out in more detail what a responsible employer should already have been doing to comply with the requirements of the 1974 act.

Other significant legislation has included the construction design and management (CDM) regulations, which were introduced in 1994 to provide a framework for how health and safety is considered in the design phase of construction projects.

“CDM has gone through three different changes,” adds Burge, “most recently in 2015 where responsibility was put on the client.

“It means from 2015 clients - the people who pay the money - are responsible for what happens on site. That has all led from the original Health and Safety Act.

“Regulations, especially CDM, talk about welfare arrangements, transport arrangements, it improves working conditions across a construction site.”

And that means even the most basic things.

“In the past you’d go on to a construction site and there’d only be a male toilet, it would be grimy and awful,” says Burge.

“Now there’s male and female toilets, hot and cold running water – simple little things. The welfare arrangements are key now – again that all stems from the original act.”

The act has also had to recognise the changing workforce. People weren’t installing wind turbines out at sea or working on solar farms back in 1974. But today they are. And as well as installation, maintenance of sites brings its own health and safety requirements.

Other critical new legislation to be introduced includes, most recently, the Building Safety Act in April 2022 which was a direct response to the Grenfell tragedy.

The Health and Safety at Work Act has undeniably been instrumental in enforcing a culture of safety, preventing accidents and protecting workers’ health over the past five decades.

But the rules have also had to evolve.

In the early days of the act’s introduction the focus was on safety, reducing accidents and deaths at work.

Now it’s health that is taking the lead.

“We’re pretty good at safety,” says Burge, “but now we’re starting our journey in relation to occupational health.

“People talk about occupational stress, that’s been around a long time.

“But when Covid came along people’s health became far more of a focus along with wellbeing – that is a big push now across all industry, but especially the construction industry.

“In particular we’re now seeing men talking about their problems. In the past they just didn’t talk about it, but now they’re starting to.

“People are starting to openly talk about issues such as suicide prevention, health problems and mental health. Again, all of that has stemmed from the 1974 act.”

He adds: “People have had to change how they work, I’ve had to change and lead differently.

“Gone are the days of ‘just get it done because I said so’, we need to be more aware of the impact that we have as leaders across industry and how we are seen.

“We need to be upfront and transparent and be better bosses. Every voice has to be heard, everyone has a role to play.
“I’m open to change, but not all leaders are. We need to get better at that – as that’s all about wellbeing.”

But what does the future hold for health and safety – and where will the next 50 years take industry?

For Burge, artificial intelligence, mental health, flexible working, climate change and inclusivity will be the big issues.

“AI has got a place across all part of design, but you’ll still have that interface of people with equipment. You’ll always have people. We’ll need to see if AI will slow us down or speed us up.

“And since Covid mental health has become a massive issue. I think we’re poised to see regulations around mental health.

“Everyone has mental health – be that good or bad, it depends on what you’re doing and how you’re feeling.

“And again, since Covid flexible working has become something that’s for everyone. We have to be able to manage and lead on that. There’s lots of changes coming up.”

He adds: “The act came in to tackle health and safety and we’ve come a long way on safety in the last 50 years. But now health is where we need to turn our attentions to in the years ahead.”