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Health and Safety in Contemporary Britain pp 43–78Cite as

Palgrave Macmillan

Shaping Health and Safety, 1800–2015

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Abstract

This chapter explores the historical development of health and safety since the nineteenth century, including substantial analysis of the otherwise much-neglected post-1960 period. This includes identifying a movement from detailed specifications about standards to more open-ended duties to be performed to safeguard people’s safety and health. In addition, analysis suggests that the location of debate about health and safety shifts from the workplace to a more diffuse and public arena, entering high politics and ‘public opinion’ as a concern. It also identifies gaps in historical study, notably around gender and newer forms of employment.

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Notes

  1. 1.

    RoSPA , ‘Sixth Annual Report of Head of Agricultural Safety Division’, 12 June 1964, p. 2 (National Archives Scotland, Edinburgh (NAS), AF59.152); RoSPA, Minutes of the National Agricultural Safety Committee, 24 September 1965, p. 2 (RoSPA Archives, Birmingham, D/266/2/25).

  2. 2.

    Untitled Memorandum, Chief Inspector of Factories to Managing Directors and Managers of Firms Employing More Than 50 (n.d., c. 1969), p. 1. Modern Records Centre, University of Warwick (MRC), MSS.292D/146/18/1.

  3. 3.

    ‘TUC Representatives’ Comments, Industrial Safety Advisory Council, Joint Safety Organisation’, 10 July 1968, p. 1. MRC, MSS.292B/146/17/2.

  4. 4.

    TUC, ‘National Joint Advisory Council, Industrial Safety Sub-Committee, Notes for Meeting 17 November 1964’, p. 1. MRC, MSS.292B/146.17.1.

  5. 5.

    R. Williams, ‘A Key Issue’, Work Hazards 21 (c. 1979), p. 5. Samuel Barr Collection, Glasgow Caledonian University, GCU DC 140/2/1/2.

  6. 6.

    Written Evidence of the Dock and Harbour Authorities’ Association to the Robens Committee , (n.d., c. 1971), p. 3. TNA, LAB 96/57.

  7. 7.

    Written Evidence of RoSPA to the Robens Committee , (n.d., c. 1971), p. 7. TNA, LAB 96/75.

  8. 8.

    Verbatim Report of TUC Conference on the Robens Committee Report, 12 October 1972, p. 36. TUC Library, HD 7273.

  9. 9.

    J. Tubby, ‘Safety Act Not Good Enough’, The Land Worker, April 1979, p. 6. Museum of English Rural Life (MERL), University of Reading .

  10. 10.

    Brian Watson, Interviewed by David Walker (2005), Scottish Oral History Centre. University of Strathclyde Archives and Special Collections, GB249 SOHC7 (2004–2005).

  11. 11.

    ‘Fit for Work, Fit for Life, Fit for tomorrow’. http://www.hse.gov.uk/statistics/publications/fit3.htm.

  12. 12.

    Speech to the Conservative Party Conference, 1 October 2008; Reported by The Guardian, at http://www.guardian.co.uk/politics/2008/oct/01/davidcameron.toryconference1.

  13. 13.

    https://www.gov.uk/government/policies/health-and-safety-reform.

  14. 14.

    http://www.hse.gov.uk/contact/myth-busting.htm.

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  1. School of Law, University of Reading, Reading, UK

    Paul Almond

  2. School of Area Studies, History, Politics and Literature, University of Portsmouth, Portsmouth, UK

    Mike Esbester

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Almond, P., Esbester, M. (2019). Shaping Health and Safety, 1800–2015. In: Health and Safety in Contemporary Britain. Palgrave Macmillan, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-03970-7_3

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