A conference on the latest policy and practice in health and safety in the workplace, an increasing area of concern for University staff and students across all fields, takes place in Cambridge on Tuesday 20 March.

The University's Annual Safety Seminar, to be held between 10am and 12.30pm in the Babbage Lecture Theatre, is an ideal opportunity for college bursars, heads of departments, departmental secretaries and administrators and departmental safety staff to update their knowledge and share ideas.

The keynote speaker for this free event will be Bill Callaghan, Chair of the Health and Safety Commission (HSC). He will outline the HSC's national strategy, its application to the university sector and particularly how it applies to Cambridge.

Other speakers will include the Health and Safety Division Director, Sara Cooper, and Margaret Greeves, Assistant Director at the Fitzwilliam Museum. The latter will speak on experiences, implications and lessons learnt from the widely-publicised incident when a museum visitor allegedly tripped on a shoelace and destroyed three 18th Century Chinese vases.

Sara Cooper said: “This is a really valuable opportunity for everyone with direct or indirect responsibility for ensuring the University and colleges provide safe working environments. I am particularly pleased that we have someone of the calibre of Bill Callaghan to hear from and to question.”

Bill Callaghan was appointed Chair of the Health and Safety Commission in 1999. He was previously the Chief Economist and Head of the Economic and Social Affairs Department at the TUC.

He has considerable experience of working with different groups in industry and public life and has served on the boards of Business in the Community and the Basic Skills Agency. He has a particular interest in developing partnerships between trade unions and employers at the workplace and at national level. He served on the Low Pay Commission from 1997 – 2000 and was also a member of the Economic and Social Research Council's Research Priorities Board. He is a Visiting Fellow of Nuffield College Oxford.

The HSC's role is to protect everyone in Great Britain against risks to health or safety arising out of work activities; to conduct and sponsor research; promote training; provide an information and advisory service; and submit proposals for new or revised regulations and approved codes of practice.

University staff should reserve their places at the seminar by visiting the link above right or calling the Health and Safety Division on (3)33301.

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