Howard Prosser - The CIOB interview

What’s your day job?

Decommissioning consultant for BAE Systems Environmental working on the remediation of sites throughout the regeneration cycle.

How did you get the job of chairing the health and safety advisory committee?

I started as a quantity surveyor. As my career developed, I got interested in health and safety and I’m now a chartered member of IOSH. I was asked to chair the committee after it was reformed 18 months ago. My philosophy is if you can do something to improve health and safety you should try.

How do you fit it all in?

It’s challenging. We meet three times a year, and I also attend the Learning and Professional Practice Board meetings to which the committee reports. Over the past 18 months we have had a couple members of staff that supported us leave, so the committee has had to do a lot of the work themselves.

Should there be a full-time member of staff?

I believe that health and safety is the most important issue for construction. We have just agreed on having a member of staff for health and safety, so we can now do a lot more.

What is the committee for?

To provide information to members of the institute or the public on health and safety in order to improve safety and health.

How do you do that?

With articles (for example in CM), and on the CIOB website. We are also thinking about an electronic newsletter for members.

Do you talk to the HSE?

We have an HSE inspector on the committee who has been very helpful and supportive and we have also held meetings at the HSE’s offices in Bootle.

What’s your biggest achievement so far?

When the committee was reformed the new CDM regulations were still in draft form. We talked to the HSE so that full members of the CIOB are recognised under the regulations. We have also organised seminars with the HSE and a member of the CDM working group to help explain the new CDM regulations.

CIOB is also currently in discussion with the Institute of Civil Engineers about joining the Construction, Health, Safety and Welfare Register. This will make it easier for members to prove their competence. Joining the register would involve a written assignment and panel interview.

What is the biggest health and safety issue for construction?

First, behavioural safety, getting people to behave in a safe way as part of their philosophy in life don’t walk by, do something about it. Second, how do we get the message across to smaller sites?

Should CIOB members intervene if they see unsafe practices?

If you can do so and it is safe to do so, you should try. How would you feel if someone got hurt and you could have done something about it and didn’t? As a site manager I would like someone to tell me about an unsafe practice so I could do something about it.

How would you approach someone?

When I am on site, I talk to people about their PPE as this is personal to them. For example I might explain to them how they can check their own hard hat if they don’t know. That way you are showing them something and letting them know that you are concerned for their safety.

Smaller firms find themselves overwhelmed by waves of legislation and bureaucracy. How are you helping them?

All firms must comply with legislation. We try to bring to people’s attention to any new guidance which helps cut down on the bureaucracy and simplifies the legislation. This includes information on HSE campaigns such as ‘Falls from vehicles’ coming up.

Why doesn’t the CIOB publish guidance on new legislation for its members?

I feel there’s quite enough guidance out there from the HSE, so it’s better for us to direct people to new information via the CIOB website and in articles.

If I was a green site manager, I would like to see something on the website called ‘Everything you need to know about health and safety’. What do you think of that idea?

That’s a big subject and every site is different which is why sites have their own health and safety plan. The site manager should be competent for the type of work they are doing. If new ideas or legislation come out, then there is a wealth of information about it and everyone should be keeping up to date as part of their CPD.

How is the committee contributing to future thinking on health and safety?

CIOB is involved in two research programmes related to migrant workers. One in conjunction with ICE and Loughborough University and one with Salford University and other European bodies looking at language issues on site.

What’s next?

CIOB is setting up an international health and safety advisory committee which will be based in Hong Kong and south China. Part of its remit will be to share best practice in health and safety from around the world.

What do you think the CIOB’s health and advisory committee should be doing? Send your suggestions to: healthandsafety@ciob.org.uk

CIOB health and safety site: www.ciob.org.uk/topics/safety