White paper from Assurity Consulting

Assurity will be exhibiting at stand E4 at the show.

Whether, until now, you’ve heard of zinc whiskers or not, they are a phenomenon and one which can pose significant risk to electronic equipment, computer rooms and Data Centres.

Having been providing work on zinc whiskers for over 20 years, we have assessed more than a few computer rooms and facilities, with some, but not all identifying the contamination to be present. More recently however, we have seen a trend away from the traditional surfaces prone to zinc whisker growth, to finding it in more unusual places and in relatively new rooms.

So, we thought for this month we’d take a look at the subject.

What are zinc whiskers?

Zinc whiskers are microscopic, metallic filaments that can spontaneously ‘grow’ from surfaces coated with zinc. Because of this fact and their resemblance to hairs they are termed whiskers.

The ‘whiskering’ of some metal surfaces has been know about for many decades and is not unique to zinc, with cadmium, germanium, tin and lead amongst the metals having been documented producing these structures.

It is believed that compressive mechanical stress in the host metal encourages the process, and this can be caused by a range of factors including electroplating.

Whiskers only grow to a few microns (μm) in diameter, but over time can reach several millimetres (mm) in length – typically grow at less than 1mm per year. There also appears to be no consistency in when the process starts, with some surfaces showing signs of whisker growth quickly, and other taking years before they appear. Mechanical strain, thermal cycling, or corrosion on and of the coatings/surfaces are amongst the conditions the that it is believed trigger growth.

Why are zinc whiskers a problem to electrical equipment and how do you know they are there?

Various installations can pose a risk, including, raised access floor tiles, stingers and pedestals and cable trays/baskets. Often these are manufactured in steel and have an anti-corrosion coating applied to them. Where zinc is used as this coating, the process is called galvanisation and the methods of which can include hot dipped, sprayed or electroplated. Zinc whisker growth appears to be limited to electroplated steel surfaces.

In the context of modern computing environments, and other hi-tech areas, the number of components with these surfaces, combined with the density of electronic equipment present, is what leads to the issue.

Zinc whiskers are electrically conductive, so if they contaminate a room and then settle inside servers, switches, and other hardware, they can cause electrical shorting resulting in intermittent or permanent equipment failures.

Following a short/failure, the whiskers tend to ‘atomise’ in the process, so there is usually nothing to identify what caused the malfunction. Regular problems like this can be an indication of zinc whiskers.

What factors could affect zinc whiskers becoming a problem?

There are a number of aspects to consider when assessing the potential for zinc whiskers to cause issues with your work environment. These would include:

• The type of coated metal surfaces within your rooms is primary. If you do not have any electroplated galvanised surfaces (i.e. they are hot dipped, sprayed or other materials), you should not have an issue. Equally, the more electroplated surfaces you have, the greater the potential for whiskers to grow.
• Whiskers take time to grow, age of the room and the structures within it is another factor in that the older the room the more likely and possibly longer the whiskers will be.
• The frequency of activity around surfaces potentially containing zinc whiskers. Especially with floor tiles, the more movement the more likely any grown whiskers will be come dislodged and enter the atmosphere.
• The levels of management. Poorly maintained rooms, poor filtration, clogged floor voids, overcrowding, etc.) can all again contribute to the release of whiskers or the volume of them in the area.
• The levels of cleaning. Poor cleaning with inappropriate equipment can spread more whiskers (and other potential contaminants) around, rather than remove them.
• Circuitry within hardware is another issue where increasingly the size and spacing of components has reduced over time, therefore increasing the likelihood of any entrained zinc whiskers causing a short/damage.

Zinc whisker assessments

A zinc whisker assessment combines a visual and microscopic inspection of galvanized surfaces, sampling for lab confirmation, and a structured evaluation of risk. The outcome guides whether any remediation or ongoing monitoring is necessary.

You will also need, unless you already have them, access to a suitably accredited laboratory to analyse any samples collected to positively determine if zinc whiskers are present. This will involve scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and electron dispersive X-ray (EDX) analysis. We use a UKAS accredited laboratory for our work.

Anyone undertaking a zinc whisker assessment must be competent, as the potential to add to a problem rather than help solve it is a real risk. It also needs to be properly planned and executed.

Unsurprisingly, detailed analysis of room surfaces can identify significant types and amounts of material that could be possible whiskers, much of it however isn’t. Excessively contaminated surfaces are relatively easy to identify, but these are relatively rare fortunately. Mineral fibres, swarf, debris and other artifacts can be less easy to differentiate, as can spotting whiskers on more dirty surfaces. A trained eye is always best.

If zinc whisker contamination is confirmed, the remediation strategy will depend on the nature of the contaminated surfaces, their location and extent of the growth. Mitigation could include:

For grossly contaminated surfaces/rooms:

• The careful and systematic removal of the contaminated components, specialist room clean and conducting a follow-up assessment(s) to confirm success. Specific risk assessments and arrangements with detailed procedures should be produced and followed.
• Coating or removing whiskers and replacing the room components has been recommended in the past, although this does not guarantee the potential re-growth or indeed whiskers growing back through the coated surface in the future.

In other scenarios:

• Limiting the disturbance of floor tiles, increasing filtration quality and optimising cleaning processes;
• Incorporating checks for zinc whiskers into routine inspections of the room/area;
• Training staff to recognise risk areas and avoid unnecessary disturbance of galvanised components; and
• Periodically repeating assessments, especially after facility upgrades or moves (very important if you are introducing equipment from a different area and you don’t know the status of that area/equipment).

Some additional observations:

Recently, several zinc whisker assessments that we have carried out has positively identified their presence on some less ‘traditional’ surfaces such as metal brackets, conduit and connectors. Exacerbating these findings in instances being they were found directly above CRAC units. The other factor was that the Data Centres were less than ten years old.

This means that even in locations considered to be at less risk, proper checks for zinc whiskers or the potential for them to grow, should be considered.

White paper from Assurity Consulting

Assurity will be exhibiting at Stand E4 at the show.

The inquiry into the Grenfell Tower tragedy has already seen significant changes with how in-scope buildings need to manage the risk of fire.

This has continued this month with the introduction of the Fire Safety (Residential Evacuation Plans) (England) Regulations 2025, so we are sharing information on the scope, enforcement and the measures that fall to the duty of the Responsible Person, for these requirements.

So, what does this mean for your business?

1. Introduction

The need for improved planning for the evacuation of vulnerable residents were recommended in the Phase 1 Inquiry Report and these were: 33.22(e) and (f) concerning Personal Emergency Evacuation Plans (PEEPs), which said:

“the owner and manager of every high-rise residential building be required by law to prepare personal emergency evacuation plans (PEEPs) for all residents whose ability to self-evacuate may be compromised (such as persons with reduced mobility or cognition)”; and “that the owner and manager of every high-rise residential building be required by law to include up-to-date information about persons with reduced mobility and their associated PEEPs in the premises information box’”

33.22(c) concerning evacuation plans which were to be actioned through legislation, which said:

“the owner and manager of every high-rise residential building be required by law to draw up and keep under regular review evacuation plans, copies of which are to be provided in electronic and paper form to their local fire and rescue service and placed in an information box on the premises”.

The new regulations, according to GOV.UK, addresses these with the aim to “improve the fire safety of disabled and vulnerable people in high rise and higher risk residential buildings.”

2. What are the requirements?

The Fire Safety (Residential Evacuation Plans) (England) Regulations 2025 were laid on 4th July 2025, will come into force on 6th April 2026, applying in England only.

Their aim is to improve the processes in place to evacuate residents in specified residential buildings in England who would have difficulties evacuating a building by themselves in the event of a fire, whether that be due to a:

• mobility;
• visual;
• hearing;
• or cognitive impairment

The Regulations will also make it mandatory for building evacuation plans to be developed and implemented.

3. Enforcement

The enforcing authorities (e.g. Fire and Rescue Authorities) under the requirements of the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order (2005), already have the power to enforce compliance, and as such, the Responsible Persons’ duty to follow the Residential PEEPs would be an extension to this.

4. Scope

Within England, the Regulations apply to all buildings that contain two or more sets of domestic premises, and which is either:

a. at least 18 metres above ground level or have at least seven storeys; or

b. is more than 11 metres in height above ground level that has a simultaneous/phased evacuation strategy in place (i.e. evacuation is the priority, rather than to stay put)

The Regulations also refer to the need for PEEPs for ‘relevant residents’ only. These are defined as domestic residents who occupy a building in scope, and it is their only or principal residence; and their ability to evacuate the building without assistance in the event of a fire is compromised because of a cognitive or physical impairment or condition.

5. Responsible Person- Measures

The Residential PEEPs process includes a set of measures which fall to the duty of the Responsible Person:

• The Responsible Person (typically the building owner or manager) must use reasonable endeavours to identify relevant residents who need Residential PEEPs
• A Person-Centred Fire Risk Assessment – a conversation between the Responsible Person and the resident, if one is requested by the resident – to understand their particular risks and identify how their fire safety and evacuation can be improved. The Person-Centred Fire Risk Assessment must include an assessment of the risks relating to the relevant resident and the premises considering that resident’s impairment or condition and consider the resident’s ability to evacuate the building without assistance in the event of a fire
• An emergency evacuation statement documenting what the resident should do in the event of a fire (if agreed between the Responsible Person and the resident)
• Information for the Fire and Rescue Services to help inform any operational response and in case they need to undertake evacuation (but only if the resident explicitly agrees to that information being shared) e.g. flat number, floor number, basic info on degree of assistance and whether an emergency evacuation statement is in place, documented in a premises information box or digitally (determined by the Fire and Rescue Services) but in line with GDPR requirements
• To review the Person-Centred Fire Risk Assessment, documented emergency evacuation statement, and the building emergency evacuation plan at least annually
• Personal Emergency Evacuation Plans (PEEPs) are well understood in the workplace, as they are intended to allow for the evacuation of everyone in advance of the Fire and Rescue Service’s attendance in the event of an emergency.

These types of evacuation plans should be specific to the individual and provide a suitable plan for the safe evacuation of this person whilst not relying upon the intervention of the Fire and Rescue Service to make it work. These are typically implemented using a ‘buddy system’ (on-site staff), designated evacuation lifts, evacuation chairs, and refuge points (where available).

For the Residential PEEPs, the Fire and Rescue Service will support with the evacuation, but typical control measures may include the support of family, friends, neighbours or carers, providing relevant fire safety information in varying formats.

Resident consent is needed throughout every stage of developing a Residential PEEP. For instance:

• The decision as to whether to participate in Residential PEEPs lies with the resident and they cannot be compelled to participate.
• The decision as to whether to agree an emergency evacuation statement lies with
• the resident. This also needs to capture the costs associated with mitigating the risks
• The assessment as to whether a measure is ‘reasonable’ and ‘proportionate’ may differ depending on who is to bear the costs. It may not be deemed reasonable and proportionate if all residents are to bear the costs, and the mitigating measure doesn’t benefit the majority of the building’s residents. If the costs were to fall to the resident, and the resident declines to pay, then they may decline to have the measures or equipment provided.
• The decision as to whether the prescribed information can be shared with the local Fire and Rescue Services lies with the resident; sharing requires the resident’s explicit consent

The Government intends through future primary legislation to introduce further requirements on Responsible Persons. This is to consider the fire safety risks within the relevant resident’s domestic premises (as part of the Person-Centred Fire Risk Assessment in Residential PEEPs). This requirement will also mandate a consideration of reasonable and proportionate measures that the Responsible Persons and resident may take within the domestic premises to mitigate these risks.

While relatively new there is already advice and guidance being produced including “Residential Personal Emergency Evacuation Plans (Residential PEEPs)” from GOV.UK, which includes:

• A Residential PEEPs factsheet;

• A Responsible Person toolkit – including examples of Person-Centred Fire Risk

• Assessments and guidance on how to identify and engage with relevant residents;

• A Responsible Person toolkit – additional resources; and

• A Residential PEEPs impact assessment.

White paper from Assurity Consulting

Following a period of consultation and amendments the Terrorism (Protection of Premises) Act 2025, also known as Martyn’s Law, received Royal Assent on Thursday 3rd April 2025. The aim of the legislation is to improve protective security and organisational preparedness across the UK, following the Manchester Arena Attack.

So, what does this mean for your business?

1. The background to Martyn’s Law

At 22:30 on 22nd May 2017, in a foyer filling with people following an Ariana Grande concert at the Manchester Arena, Salman Abedi detonated a bomb killing 22 children, teenagers, parents and others, injuring another 1,017. One of those who died was 29-year-old Martyn Hett, after who the law is named and who’s mother Figen Murray led the campaign for the new law.

Since them Counter Terrorism Policing (CTP) report that they “and the UK Intelligence Services have stopped seven late-stage terror attacks since the start of the Covid-19 pandemic”.

“That takes the total number of foiled terrorism plots since March 2017 to 32 – with 18 related to Islamist extremism, 12 to Extreme Right Wing Terrorism (XRWT) and two to Left, Anarchist or Single Issue Terrorism (LASIT)”.

The Act therefore finally delivers on successive governments commitment to strengthen the security of public events and venues. GOV.UK explaining that the law will see “the public are better protected from terrorism by requiring those responsible for certain public premises and events to take reasonably practicable steps to be prepared and ready to keep people safe in the event of an attack. Certain larger premises will be required to consider and, where appropriate, take steps to reduce their vulnerability to acts of terrorism.”

2. What does Martyn’s Law cover?

The Act sets out a tiered approach to make sure that the controls required are in keeping with the level of risk posed. Subject to conditions, qualifying premises will be where 200 or more individuals (including staff) must, from time to time, be reasonably expected to be present at the same time in connection with one or more uses specified in the Act.

Dependant on numbers likely to be present at the premises or event, a two-tiered approach Standard and Enhanced.

Standard duty premises (Standard tier) – Premises whereby it is reasonable to expect that at least 200 individuals may be present at least occasionally but not more than 799. If 800 or more individuals may be expected, the premises will be enhanced duty.

Responsible person – For qualifying premises, the responsible person is the person who has control of the premises in connection with the use e.g. the use of a venue as a sports ground. For multi-use premises this is the person who is responsible for the premises principal use.

Requirements for standard duty premises:

-Notify the Security Industry Authority (SIA) of their premises; and

-Have in place, so far as reasonably practicable, appropriate public protection procedures.

These public protection procedures are those which should be followed by people working at the premises if an act of terrorism were to occur at the premises, or in the immediate vicinity. These are meant to be simple, low-cost activities with costs relating primarily to time spent. There is no requirement to put in place physical measures.

Enhanced duty premises (Enhanced tier) – An event where it is reasonable to expect that there will be at least 800 individuals present at some point during it.

Responsible person – For qualifying events, the responsible person is the person who has control of the premises at which the event will be held for the purposes of the event. For example, if a concert is to be held in a park and the company putting on the event takes control of an area of the park for the purposes of that concert, the company putting on the event will be the responsible person. However, if a stately home puts on a concert in its grounds and maintains control of the site for the purposes of that concert, the stately home will be the responsible person.

Requirements for enhanced duty premises:

• As per standard duty

• Have in place, so far as reasonably practicable, appropriate public protection measures that could be expected to reduce both (i) the vulnerability of the premises or event to an act of terrorism, and (ii) the risk of physical harm being caused to individuals if an attack was to occur there or nearby. For example, bag checks, scanners, CCTV or physical security presence.

• Document the public protection procedures and measures in place and provide this document to the SIA.

• Where the responsible person is not an individual, they must designate a senior individual with responsibility for making sure that the responsible person complies with these requirements.

3. What premises and events qualify/fall in scope for Martyn’s Law?

For qualifying premises, those in scope for standard tier will be:

• There is at least one building (or the premises are in a building);

• The premises are wholly or primarily used for one or more of those specified in Schedule 1 of the Act (see below);

• It is reasonable to expect that at least 200 individuals may be present “at least occasionally”; and

• The premises are not excluded under Schedule 2 of the Act

Where 800 or more people would be expected at the premises, these will become enhanced duty premises.

For qualifying events the criteria that apply to those falling into scope for enhanced tier are:

• They take place at a building, other land or a building and other land, including parts or groups of buildings;

• Members of the public will have access for the purpose of the event;

• It is reasonable to expect that, at some point, 800 or more individuals present for the event;
• Measures will be in place, for the purpose of attending the event, to secure or check that members of the public who wish to access it:

-Have paid to do so;

-Have tickets or passes allowing access; or

-Are members or guests of a club, association or similar body; and the event is not excluded as mentioned above in relation to premises.

Schedule 1 of the Act “Specified uses of Premises” includes:

• Shops etc. – where the sale, display or service is principally to visiting members of the public

• Food and drink – where the food or drink is principally for consumption on the premises by visiting members of the public;

• Entertainment or leisure activities – where the activity is principally for the benefit of visiting members of the public;

• Sports grounds (UK definitions apply);

• Use as a library, museum or gallery where admittance is principally to visiting members of the public;

• Halls etc. used as venue for hire for events or activities/an exhibition hall, or a conference centre;

• Visitor attractions – where used of cultural, historic, touristic or educational value;

• Hotels – incl. hostels and holiday parks;

• Places of worship;

• Healthcare – inc. hospitals;

• Bus and railway stations;

• Aerodromes (exc. military);

• Childcare (UK definitions apply);

• Primary and secondary education;

• Further education;

• Higher education;

• Public authorities – use (other than use mentioned elsewhere in the Schedule) for the provision by a public authority of facilities or services to visiting members of the public; and

• References to visiting members of the public – the schedule states: In determining for the purposes of this Schedule whether premises are used by visiting members of the public, it is irrelevant that access to the premises may be limited (at all times or particular times) to members of the public who:

a. Have paid to access the premises;

b. Have tickets or passes allowing access; or

c. Are members or guests of a club, association or similar body

Schedule 2 of the Act “Excluded premises and events” includes:

1. Legislatures and devolved administrations – purposes of either House of Parliament;
2. Devolved parliaments in Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland;
3. Parks, gardens, etc. where members of the public have not paid to do so, don’t have tickets or passes allowing access, are not members or guests of a club, association or similar body;
4. Transport security (various exceptions apply);
5. Events to be held on certain excluded premises; and
6. Events at certain places of worship, schools, etc.

4. Martyn’s Law other considerations

Regulator and enforcement – The Security Industry Authority (SIA) will be the regulator and responsible for providing guidance and making sure compliance is up held with the new legislation. Sections 12 to 26 of the Act covers enforcement, fines and offences, with penalties for non-compliance as big as £18 million or 5% of qualifying worldwide revenue.

Commencement – It has been proposed that the requirements will not be enforceable for 24 months, providing time for the responsible persons of qualifying premises and events will have time to appropriately plan and implement as relevant the requirements, as well as the SIA to set up their new internal functions and provide further guidance

Public protection procedures – Measures to be followed by individuals working on the premises or at the event if there is reason to suspect that an act of terrorism is occurring, or is about to occur, on the premises, at the event or in the immediate vicinity of the premises or event include:

a. For evacuating individuals from the premises or event;

b. For moving individuals to a place on the premises or at the event where there is less risk of physical harm being caused to them;

c. For preventing individuals entering or leaving the premises or event; and

d. For providing information to individuals on the premises or at the event.

For enhanced duty premises and qualifying events, they also relate to:

a. The monitoring of the premises or event and the immediate vicinity of the premises or event;

b. The movement of individuals into, out of and within the premises or event;

c. The physical safety and security of the premises or the premises at which the event is to be held; and

d. The security of information in relation to the premises or event.

White paper from Assurity Consulting

1. The importance of senior management engagement

Health and safety senior management engagement refers to the active and visible participation of your top-level executives in the development, implementation, and continuous improvement of your health and safety performance. They set the tone, directly influencing the behaviours and attitudes of employees to health and safety and so are critical to your organisations prevailing culture.

Senior management engagement provides strategic leadership in aligning your health and safety objectives with the wider business goals. It communicates a clear message to employees, contractors, and other stakeholders that safety is a core value rather than just a regulatory obligation. Having said that, regulatory compliance/risk management has been (and still is for many) the primary driver for health and safety in organisations.

Financial risk, particularly with the introduction of revised sentencing guidelines for health and safety and food safety in 2016: and the significant increase in penalties for both organisations and individuals where prosecutions occur (currently about 3 a week on average according to HSE figures) – which may surprise some and certainly does for more than a few directors!

Moral risk management, back to culture and trust, has been a developing driver, hand in hand with EDI, staff attraction/retention, pay and conditions and the greater expectation employees have for their working life. But being a caring employer and having ‘a good place to work’ is always a benefit.

Of all these though, reputational risk management is the aspect that is having most traction. With more information about organisations being expected by consumers, customers, investors and employees, the importance of non-financial risk management (particularly health and safety) cannot be discounted. Are you adding any content/information to your health and safety initiatives? How could you engage with your senior management to deliver better/more/verifiable health and safety content?

Leadership commitment is a key component in safety management systems, i.e. ISO 45001 and publications such as “Leading health and safety at work” (HSE). If your organisation is looking to secure or maintain such systems, what is in place to actively demonstrate this commitment?

All these points offer opportunities to not only promote the positive benefits of successful health and safety management but also remind senior managers of the responsibilities and accountability they have as duty holders.

2. Factors to consider/sell when engaging senior management

Good health and safety is good for business. The positive impacts you and your senior management should be considering and promoting are:

• Keeping employees and others safe in work – effective health and safety management reduces accidents, illnesses, and serious injuries at work (less lost time).

• Complying with legislation – and promoting the positives not just minimising the risk in legal and/or civil action and reputational damage.

• Improving productivity/efficiency – minimising disruptions caused by accidents and incidents, therefore delivering more consistent operations and higher employee productivity.

• More effective cost management – such as compensation claims, medical expenses, legal fees, and insurance premiums.

• Employee morale and retention – a strong health, safety and wellbeing culture improves morale and reduces turnover.

• Positive reputation – being able to demonstrate a positive and proactive safety culture shows professionalism and responsibility, that can help attract better talent, partners, and customers.

• Better risk management – good health and safety management helps identify and control risks before they cause harm, protecting your people, places and processes.

• Better business continuity – serious accidents/safety failures can have a major impact on business; good safety management is key to long-term operational stability.

• Better ethical management – well-managed health and safety reflects ethical leadership and corporate responsibility.

3. What should good senior management be doing?

Senior management can demonstrate genuine and active engagement in health and safety through a variety of practical and visible actions. These include:

Setting the right example

What senior management see as important, so do the rest of the organisation. Adopting or ignoring the health, safety and wellbeing procedures you have in place either helps promote or undermines what you have in place.

Establishing clear policies and objectives

Senior leaders should make sure that robust health and safety policies are in place, clearly articulated, and aligned with the organisation’s goals. Your policies should be more than formal documents – they should reflect the way you want to do business.

Providing resources and support

Effective engagement means not only promoting safety but allocating adequate resources in terms of time, money and people to implement safety initiatives. A mentality of investing– rather than spending – in appropriate risk assessments, training, equipment, and health surveillance is fundamental to good health and safety.

Getting involved

Visibility reinforces the importance of safety and encourages employee involvement. Does your senior management actively participate in health and safety audits, inspections, toolbox talks, or safety meetings, they all demonstrate commitment.

Integrating safety into business process

Put health and safety considerations into your strategic planning, procurement, project management, and operational procedures embeds it into your business operations. Safety becomes ‘business as usual’.

Monitoring performance and learn from incidents

Review your health and safety performance (through e.g. KPIs, accident, incident and near-miss reports) helps make informed decisions. When incidents occur, senior management should lead or be actively involved in investigations and learn from any lessons.

Create the right culture

An engaged senior management team creates a strong health and safety culture. Culture, in this context, is about the shared beliefs, practices, and attitudes toward health and safety across the organisation. A culture shaped by engaged leaders is one where safety is considered everyone’s responsibility.

We’ve seen many examples where senior management getting involved has had a real impact on standards and performance.

4. What barriers to good health and safety management do we see and how can they be avoided?

While few, if any, senior managers have said health and safety is not a priority, there can be several potentially conflicting interests or barriers that can cause challenges in what and how is implemented. These can include:

Competing priorities: business pressures, such as meeting financial targets or deadlines, can sometimes overshadow safety considerations. This can be avoided by using data (i.e. accident investigation information) and your business intelligence to demonstrate the financial and reputational benefits of proactive safety leadership. Underlying causes is key here.

Lack of understanding/training: some senior managers may lack the technical knowledge or understanding of their role in promoting and influencing safety culture. Many directors and senior managers are sadly unaware of their specific responsibilities particularly with health and safety and the law.

This can be avoided by incorporate health and safety leadership training into executive development programs or providing specific training/briefings on health and safety. Current topics, such as Martyn’s law and updated guidance, are always good conversation starters.

Delegation of responsibility: leaders erroneously believing that safety is the responsibility of others – health and safety officers, line managers and even contractors. Yes, everyone has a responsibility for health and safety, but the primary duty is with those who create the risk in being responsible for managing it (to paraphrase the HSE).

This can be avoided by making safety performance visible throughout the organisation, part of senior managers’ appraisals and incentive structures and with good policies, procedures and training in place.

5. In summary

In summary, fundamentally effective senior management engagement is about creating and maintain the culture of the organisation. Promoting and delivering good health and safety benefits everybody, and while some may seem a little more intangible, those benefits can include:

• Reduced incidents, injuries and lost time: a culture led by engaged leaders results in fewer workplace accidents.

• More effective cost management: preventing incidents means less downtime, fewer compensation claims, and lower insurance premiums. As the saying goes if you think safety is expensive, see what having an accident costs!

• Improved compliance and risk management: better systems and clear expectations drives better performance, especially when driven from the top.

• Better employee relations: workers feel more valued and respected, leading to improved morale and lower turnover.

• Enhanced reputation: organisations with a strong safety culture and leadership will attract better talent, customers and potentially investors.

Senior management engagement in health and safety is not optional – it is a fundamental part of business management and those that do it well will benefit from the investment.

By leading from the front and committing to allocate resources, setting the right example and embedding safety within the core of business operations, your senior management have a significant role to play in your health and safety culture.

When your senior management show that health and safety matters to them, it starts to matter to everyone else in the organisation too.