“the most useful two hours on health and safety I’ve ever had”.
You have two hours to talk about health and safety with your board. What would you do?
The challenge is not simply explaining health and safety responsibilities. It is creating the right environment for a discussion about the risks people face, what is working well and where the gaps are. Running the training session within an existing board meeting avoids another diary commitment, brings all directors into the discussion and actively involves them in considering next steps. It also helps them understand what their responsibilities mean in practice, not just in theory.
Recently, I’ve run two-hour workshops at board meetings across several organisations. Directors wanted more than a standard explanation of their responsibilities, but not a full-day technical course. We explored what the legislation meant for their organisation, then focused on discussion and action planning. The discussions on lone working and work-related stress were particularly useful, with directors identifying clear actions to take forward. Feedback has been overwhelmingly positive. One CEO called it “the most useful two hours on health and safety I’ve ever had”.
The discussion centred on three questions: What risks do your employees face? Where are the gaps across the Plan, Do, Check, Act model? How confident are you that you receive the right assurance? These questions really helped directors to recognise strengths, identify gaps and agree next steps.
This is not a whole day compressed into two hours. It is dedicated time to pause, ask questions and reflect on physical safety and wellbeing. It may be easier to fit into busy diaries, but convenience is not the purpose. The purpose is understanding and discussion, rather than yet another presentation.
Two hours will not cover everything. But perhaps the better measure is the questions it opens up and the thinking people take back to the board table?
What has helped your board move from understanding its responsibilities to meaningful action?