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As ever, we acknowledge the support we had for Hazards 2011 from our sponsors. Unions nationally, regionally and at Branches, trades councils, individual activists and union-linked personal injury solicitors all supported Hazards. We dedicated Hazards 2011 to the memory of Eileen Meggs, UNISON safety rep in Crewe and Hazards activist and supporter, who died in 2010.

Hazards 2011 theme was the need to develop our workplace organisation to meet the challenges of the reduced HSE inspection and enforcement regime. Workshops focussed on improving our performance in conducting inspections, improving employers risk assessments, recruiting members and giving reps the confidence that comes from knowing their functions are supported by the SRSC Regulations. We also ran workshops on dealing with specific issues like bullying, sickness absence, musculo-skeletal injury, cancer, mental health, excessive workloads and violence.

Conference opened on the Friday evening with an update on FACK, followed by a brief historical review of ‘Where the Hazards Conference and Campaign came from’ and a discussion around the need to re-awaken the enthusiasm that helped reps create self-organised hazards groups and networks following the introduction of the Safety Reps Regulations in the mid-1970’s.

Graham Petersen, one of those original activists in the Hazards movement, was awarded a Campaign silver badge. The ‘Alan’ was awarded to Simon Pickvance of the Sheffield Occupational Health Advisory Service, for his work in educating GP’s and health professionals on how work can damage health, and his almost 40 year involvement in the Hazards movement.

Speakers at the opening plenary were Sanjiv Pandita from the Asia Monitor Resource Centre; Hugh Robertson, TUC Senior Policy Officer and employee rep on the HSE board and Simon Hester from Prospect. Keynote meetings focussed on the effects of cuts to HSE funding and the increasing amount of political interference in HSE and local authority work, the move away from pro-active enforcement, the designation of many workplaces as ‘low risk’, and the refocusing on public and general health issues rather than targeting the real work-related causes of illness, especially stress and related factors.

Sunday meetings discussed suggestions and ideas about improving workplace organisation that could be put to Branches, while the final plenary session focussed on the need to organise the workplace fight back, and promote the campaign against a government that is determined to continue to undermine the health, safety and welfare of UK workers, putting us all at risk. In the face of continued attacks on workplace health and safety and its enforcement, and threats to our trade unions, we must maintain Hazards as a forum for education and focus for campaigning and organisation. Please consider this appeal positively.

Sponsorship Appeal 2012 pdf