Accident and ill-health in industry and commerce are a burden to employers and employees alike. Quite apart from the loss of productivity suffered by the employer, they mean physical and mental suffering and considerable financial loss to the victim and his or her dependants. It is therefore in the employer’s interest not only to prevent accidents and ill health but actively to promote safety by ensuring that proper standards of health and safety are maintained in every place of work. Whilst it is true that some organisations have qualified health and safety advisors to advise them, the prevention of accidents and the avoidance of working conditions which may give rise to ill health remain the responsibility of line management at all times. This has been a clear legal duty for many years but the role of management in promoting safety and health has been reinforced in the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974 and more recently by the Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1992.

Occupational Health and Safety Groups

These groups are self governing and self supporting organisations, many of which are affiliated either to the Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents or to the Institution of Occupational Safety and Health. The Sheffield Occupational Health and Safety Association is affiliated to RoSPA.

Inspectors of the Health and Safety Executive are honorary advisors to the groups and take an active interest in their work. Those groups which are affiliated to RoSPA are represented on the Safety Groups’ Advisory Council which is a national body and in this way the local group is through its membership able to influence and contribute to the development of occupational health and safety.

The Sheffield Occupational Health and Safety Association

The Sheffield Association, which was originally formed in 1922 as the Sheffield Area Committee of the British Industrial Safety First Association, is the longest established of 70 similar groups throughout the country. It has been in continuous existence since that time under various titles until it adopted its present name in 1976.

Aims

To achieve these aims, the Association may organise a variety of activities which could include:

1. To receive papers on health and safety topics.
2. To assist members in solving their own particular difficulties, which may include the discussion of accidents either of an unusual nature or presenting particular difficulties in preventing their recurrence.
3. To discuss pending legislation as well as current statutory provisions.
4. To hear matters of current concern and details of latest publications from a member of the Health and Safety Executive.
5. To report details of relevant activities of other groups throughout the country.
6. To organise from time to time conferences and seminars on health, safety and other related subjects.
7. To encourage and assist members in responding to Consultative Documents produced by the Health and Safety Executive.

How to Join

A nominal annual subscription is payable to cover the running costs of the Association, which is entirely self supporting.

Applications for membership should be made to the Hon. Secretary.

Constitution

1. The Association shall be called the Sheffield Occupational Health and Safety Association, and shall be affiliated to the Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents (RoSPA).
2. The objects of the Association shall be:
   • To maintain and foster the interests of all members in the promotion of occupational health and safety.
   • To encourage and develop the spirit of co-operation between employers and employees in risk management and to encourage the establishment of a health and safety ethos within organisations.
   • To afford facilities for the study of the statutory requirements, the presentation of papers and the promotion of understanding through lectures, discussions and seminars.
   • To pool and disseminate information and experience and to study accidents and any incidents of ill health reported by members with the object of preventing recurrences.
3. All employers, trade unions and other interested organisations, together with individuals having an interest in occupational health and safety, shall be eligible for membership.
4. Meetings shall be held at intervals of two months, or as decided by the Executive. Such meetings shall be open to representatives of member organisations, to individual members and to anyone invited by any member of the Executive. Only one representative of each member organisation may vote. The ordinary meetings of the Association shall be the second Tuesday in January, May, July, September and November, or as otherwise arranged by the Executive. Minutes of all meetings shall be compiled by the Hon. Secretary and copies circulated to all members and to RoSPA.
5. The officers of the Association shall be elected at the Annual General Meeting of the Association which shall be held in March each year. At the Annual General Meeting the Hon. Secretary and Hon. Treasurer shall submit reports on year’s activities and present an audited statement of accounts.
6. The officers Association shall be:-
   The Chairman, The Hon. Treasurer, The Vice Chairman, The Hon. Assistant Secretary, The Hon. Secretary
   These officers together with the immediate past Chairman and four representatives drawn from the Group’s membership will constitute the Executive Committee. Of the four representatives elected from within the Group’s membership, two will retire each year but will be eligible for re-election. A representative from the Health and Safety Executive and the Fire Service shall be invited to act as ex-officio members of the executive.
   
   The Executive shall make such arrangements for meetings and shall perform such other functions as may be referred to it by members of the Association.
   
   The Executive may form sub-committees to deal with specific matters as it sees fit, and shall have the power to co-opt members to those committees as necessary.
7. Subscriptions shall be as agreed and ratified at the Annual General Meeting. All subscriptions shall be payable on election to membership and shall be renewable on 1st January each year.
   
   For financial purposes the Association’s year shall end on the last day of December. All monies shall be duly deposited in a bank approved by the Executive and cheques shall only be drawn on two signatures, that of the Hon. Treasurer and the Hon. Secretary or Chairman.
8. The funds of the Association shall be applied solely for the purposes stated as the objects of the Association, as set out in Rule 2, with the sole exception of any honorarium that may be granted to the Hon. Secretary or Hon. Treasurer. Members and Officers of the Association shall not be entitled to payment either directly or indirectly for their services, other than the reimbursement of actual expenses incurred on behalf of the Association.
9. In the event of the Association being dissolved, the remaining funds shall be distributed amongst organisations dedicated to occupational health and safety and having aims similar to those of the Sheffield Occupational Health and Safety Association.
10. All matters not dealt with or covered by the foregoing rules shall be determined by the Executive Committee.
11. Alterations to this Constitution shall be made only at the Annual General Meeting. Notice of such alterations must have been submitted in writing to the Hon. Secretary at least two months prior to the Annual General Meeting.
12. This Constitution shall take effect from 1st April 1996.

All organisations, including government departments, local authorities, trade unions and also individuals having an interest in occupational health and safety are eligible for membership. Meetings of the Association are held regularly to pool and disseminate knowledge and experience of health and safety matters. Much information is available to members at these meetings, and full minutes including notes of talks given at the meetings are circulated to all member firms. Members are encouraged to take part in the proceedings and to seek solutions to their problems through group discussions. Occupational health and safety groups have a membership drawn from firms, government departments, local authorities and other organisations. Their aim is to keep employers informed on issues of current concern through the representatives attending the meetings and to develop the best practice in occupational health and safety.

Record of Constitutional Amendments

Rule 6: Last sentance, "A representative of the Health and Safety Executive shall be invited to act as an ex-officio member of the Executive" to be changed to "A representative from the Health and Safety Executive and the Fire Service shall be invited to act as ex-officio members of the executive".
This alteration of rule 6 to read as shown above was proposed by the association treasurer Mr Frank Smith and seconded by the Chairman Mr David Rance.

Further Information

• About the Association


• Association Officers & Executive Committee Members


• Sheffield Occupational Health and Safety Association Constitution


• SOHSA Information Leaflets