British Safety Council India: Taking workplace safety to the forefront
British Safety Council has been offering its HSE audit and consultancy support to companies across all sectors in India and has significant experience in helping them to progress their HSE management systems towards best practice status
The British Safety Council is a world leading expert in workplace health, safety and environmental management. It is a charity and membership organization. The vision of the British Safety Council is that no-one should be injured or made ill through work. For over 60 years, it has been helping organizations across the globe to look after their workers. Its aim is to keep people as safe and healthy as possible in the workplace through education and practical guidance.
The organization currently operates from London and Mumbai. In addition to its charitable work in the UK, the British Safety Council uses surplus funds from commercial activities to undertake public benefit work in India. In India, around 80% of the estimated 465 million-strong workforce are not protected by the existing health and safety legal framework.
The British Safety Council works towards raising awareness of the importance of health and safety, while challenging traditional views and approaches and supporting employers in adopting practic-es which better safeguard the health and safety of their workers.
Benchmarking health and safety
The organition’s presence in India spans 35 years, with leading Indian companies using its renowned audit and consultancy services to benchmark and improve their health, safety and environmental (HSE) performance. Currently, its clientele includes leading Indian companies like Reliance Industries, L&T, DLF, Godrej, NTPC, Vendanta, JK Tyre, CEAT, Yamaha, Tata Autocomp Systems, GAIL India, Adani, JSW Energy, Shapoorji Pallonji and Mahindra among others.
Membership of the British Safety Council provides organizations of all sizes and across all sectors with access to information, expert advice and practical resources to help them manage risks in ways that are sensible and proportionate for their business. Its 6,000 corporate members enjoy a range of events each year, including its annual conference in London and in India, as well as regular meetings of the India Safety Leadership Group, which was launched in November 2018.
The India Safety Leadership Group is reviewing health and safety legislation and regulatory matters, such as the new international standard ISO 45001, which is expected to replace up to 24 national health and safety standards, including OHSAS 18001, the most important health and safety management standard ever developed. The Leadership Group is an important consultation platform to ensure that such products meet the needs and requirements of the Indian market.
The British Safety Council offers a range of services, including the provisionof education, guidance and support to companies and individuals. These services are designed to help organizations and individuals to better manage risks to health, safety and the environment. Theyinclude audit, awards: International Safety Awards; Sword of Honor and Globe of Honor Awards, conferences and events, training and qualifications, advice and information and publications.
Health and well being leadership: Highlighting the rise of presenteeism at OSH India
In a bid to raise awareness about growing trend of employees going to work despite being ill, British Safety Council is participating in OSH India being held in Mumbai on 28 and 29th November, 2019. Globally, 73% of millennials work over forty hours a week and in India millennials work 52 hours a week on average. Despite these alarming statistics, only a minority of organizations are taking steps to address these unhealthy workplace practices. This is related to the complex nature of health and well being and difficulty of managing them in the workplace environment.
To highlight this, Mike Robinson, Chief Executive, British Safety Council will discuss the symptoms and drivers of presenteeism and their impact on the individual’s and company’s performance, as well as the wider economy. He will also share a health and well being strategy that effectively addresses presenteeism in the workplace and argue that senior management has a key role to play in leading the implementation of the strategy in the organization.
