Background
Workplace health and safety issues in higher education are taken forward through a tripartite structure, the Higher Education Safety and Health Forum (HESH).
Membership is drawn from the Universities and Colleges Employers Association (UCEA), the Trade Unions, and HSE. The current membership (August 2011) is:
- Mr Andrew D Wilkinson
- Chair of the HESH Forum, Committee of University Chairmen
- Mr Clive Parkinson
- Director of Health and Safety, Surrey University and Chair of the Universities Safety and Health Association (USHA)
- Professor Colin Bushnell
- Assistant Principal, King's College London
- Ms Ruth Sleigh
- Health and Safety Executive
- Mr John Bamford
- Universities and Colleges Union
- Mr Glyn Baker
- Unite – the Union
- Mr Michael Hines
- UNISON
- Ms Helen Fairfoul
- Deputy Chief Executive, Universities and Colleges Employers Association (UCEA)
- Ms Nicola Carter
- Senior Employee Relations Adviser, UCEA
The Terms of Reference for the Forum are:
"To act as a forum for the Higher Education Sector, developing partnership between employer's and employee's representatives and provide strategic oversight and direction on matters of occupational health and safety.
It is expected that the establishment of this forum will lead to the evolution of practical solutions to occupational health and safety issues. The regulators will be invited to attend and others may be co-opted."
Minutes of the HESH Forum meetings can be found on UCEA website.