HSE and HSC Merge

The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) and the Health and Safety Commission (HSC) officially merged this week to become a single national regulatory body responsible for promoting the cause of better health and safety at work.

The new body will be known as the HSE and has been formed after almost two years of consultation with stakeholders health and safety Minister Lord McKenzie

Lord McKenzie said: "The Health and Safety Commission and Health and Safety Executive have done an excellent job over the last 30 years in bringing about significant improvements to health and safety at work.

"However, to face the challenges and demands of the changing world of work, now is the right time to merge the organisations into one which can provide a platform for further improvements to health and safety at work across Great Britain.”

The merger means:

• There will be a single national regulatory body responsible for promoting better health and safety at work

• The current chair of the Commission becomes chair of the board of the new Executive

• Existing commissioners are appointed as non-executive directors of the new Executive for the remainder of their term of office with the relevant responsibilities of the new roles

• The board will number no more than eleven and the chair and members will continue to be appointed by the secretary of state

• All the fundamental contents of the Health & Safety at Work Act remain

• None of the statutory functions of the previous Commission and Executive will be removed

• There is no change in health and safety requirements, how they are enforced or how stakeholders relate to the health and safety regulator.