Statement of compliance with the Research Integrity Concordat for 2024-2025

The Concordat to Support Research Integrity^[1], otherwise known as the Research Integrity Concordat, aims to provide a national framework for good research conduct and its governance. It makes sure government, business, international partners and the public can continue to have confidence in UK research and its world-leading researchers.

Statement of compliance

Our statement of compliance with the Research Integrity Concordat ('Concordat') describes how HSE is meeting the Concordat's principles.

Science, engineering and analysis underpin the work of HSE and provide a basis for robust decision-making. It is a requirement for HSE under the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974 to ‘make such arrangements as it considers appropriate for the carrying out of research and the publication of the results of research and the provision of training and information, and encourage research and the provision of training and information by others’.

The science, engineering and analysis research undertaken within HSE and through our collaborative programmes with industry, academia, and our network of international partners, provides the expert evidence supporting our 10-year strategy Protecting People and Places^[2].

As Chief Scientific Advisor at HSE I am pleased to introduce HSE's statement of compliance, which aligns to the principles of the Concordat on Research Integrity.

The concordat provides a proportionate framework to help raise the visibility of how the science in government is managed and produced to high standards. Accepting the principles also highlights that science in a government context can be subject to different policies and procedures than academic science, which although complementary do not readily allow for direct comparison.

Our assurance and governance processes provide demonstration of HSE’s alignment with the concordat and the continuing refinement based on activities such compliance with functional standards, ongoing assurance processes and feedback from internal and external engagement.

Professor Andrew Curran CBE

Director of Science, Chief Scientific Adviser and Head of Government Science and Engineering Profession

Governance

HSE’s Chief Scientific Adviser (CSA) is accountable to HSE’s Chief Executive Officer for the governance and commissioning of HSE’s science, engineering and analysis research (‘science’).

To assist in discharging their accountability, the CSA is advised by the HSE Science, Evidence and Research Advisory Group (SERAG). SERAG comprises HSE senior civil servants in regulatory, policy and enforcement roles who represent the needs of the internal end-user policy and operational divisions, as well as the Chief Statistician, Chief Economist, and Chief Medical Adviser (CMA).

Assurance of HSE’s science governance and commissioning processes (including the effectiveness of SERAG) is undertaken by Government Internal Audit Agency (GIAA) and reported through to the Board via the Audit and Risk Assurance Committee (ARAC).

Additionally, the CSA is assisted by an external science assurance group, the Science Quality Assurance Group (SQAG). Its members are aligned to the science needs from HSE’s strategic objectives, and their deep dives provide assurance of the quality of the work to the Board.

HSE’s Ethical Statement^[3] for science sets out our commitment to the highest possible ethical standards of behaviour and conduct throughout all facets of the work we do whilst meeting all legal requirements. We have a Research Ethics Panel for work involving human tissue, subjects or data which is accredited to an external Research Ethics Committee and considers low and medium risk research proposals. All potentially higher risk proposals are considered by an external Research Ethics Committee.

HSE has an Analysis Function which subscribes to the Government Analysis Functional Standard^[4]. HSE has Heads of Profession for Government Social Research Service (GSR), the Government Economic Service (GES) and the Government Statistical Service (GSS), ensuring that GSR/GSE/GSS standards are followed within HSE.

HSE draws on external stakeholder expertise, both scientific and from other fields through a number of arrangements. This includes committees that are commissioned through the Health and Safety at Work Act, or other relevant legislation. HSE has a number of Committees that operate under the Code of Practice for Scientific Advisory Committees and Councils (CoPSAC)^[5] arrangements e.g. the Workplace Health Expert Committee^[6] and the CSA and CSA's Office engage with these groups regularly to ensure that the principles are followed. The Workplace Health Expert Committee is a formal scientific expert committee, provides expert opinion to our Chief Scientific Adviser and gives HSE access to independent, authoritative, impartial and timely expertise on workplace health.

HSE has a vast archive of incident, accident, investigation and concerns data. Some of our data sets have been further supplemented with data from industry stakeholders to enrich the information with additional and applicable knowledge. We use the collected data to provide new knowledge, tools, techniques and approaches to industry. In this way we share the knowledge that underpins everything we do.

HSE’s Privacy Policy Statement^[7] covers what stakeholders can expect us to do with their personal information, when they make contact with us, use one of our services or have an interaction with us as a regulator.

HSE has internally and externally focused equality and diversity priorities^[8], which are embedded within HSE’s Strategy^[9].

Processes to support a culture of research integrity

HSE’s science, engineering and analysis is undertaken in line with relevant standards, guidance and functional standards for government professions. These are further supported through a comprehensive Quality Management System, line manager support and amplified through coaching, mentoring and training arrangements.

We will continue to provide a transparent statement of our priority research interests, presented as Areas of Research Interest (ARIs) (PDF) ^[10], which either HSE or other organisations – sometimes working in partnership – could usefully address. 

External engagement

HSE was a member of the Concordat Working Group (CWG) which met regularly between March 2022 and February 2023 to discuss the practical considerations of implementing the principles of the concordat in government. Officials from across government attended the CWG to discuss and address issues arising from applying the Guidance to implement the Concordat to Support Research Integrity within Government and to share approaches on areas of common interest.

The Government Office for Science convened the group, provided its secretariat, and communicated with UK Research Integrity Office (UKRIO) and the Research Integrity Concordat Signatories (RICS) on its behalf. Department officials also attended teach-ins on the concordat and research integrity delivered by the Government Office for Science and UKRIO.

Training and awareness raising

Awareness of the Concordat has been raised through the relevant committees in HSE, and its importance and value has been cascaded to relevant leaders, researchers and others involved in commissioning, delivering or using science.

Our scientific capability and capacity is developed and maintained to optimise the contribution science makes to delivering HSE’s mission. We will continue to develop a confident, inclusive, innovative scientific professional leadership that inspires and empowers our workforce to achieve their best, through identified and targeted learning and talent development and through opportunities for secondment and interchange and academic learning.

We continue to support HSE in the effective delivery of current and future strategies through further development and alignment of HSE’s scientific capability. This has explicitly included demonstration through the promotion of the Government science and engineering Career Framework^[11].

Open science and research protocols

HSE's commitment to open science has been shown through a long-standing statement on HSE's website Science and research FAQs^[12].

"HSE is committed to providing open access to peer-reviewed papers describing research we have funded."

Since 1st January 2014, we have committed to making all HSE-led research published as scientific papers in peer-reviewed journals and comparable conference proceedings open access, wherever the publisher gives this option. This policy implements, for HSE, the UK Government's commitment to improving access to publicly funded research.

The majority of publications authored by HSE are subject to ©Crown Copyright. Their access, download and re-use are governed by the terms of the Open Government Licence^[13]. Additionally, all HSE’s Research Reports^[14] published on the HSE website are open access.

A full list of publications by year can be found on Solutions from HSE^[15]. This includes all publications from research we have fully, or jointly, funded.

Publication of research

We will continue to share our scientific and analytical knowledge through a wide range of channels. These channels include: papers in peer- reviewed scientific journals and conference proceedings; National Statistics, HSE’s Research Reports^[16] and Evidence Reports series^[17]; incorporation in information, advice and guidance published by both HSE and industry bodies; incorporation in standards; articles in trade and professional magazines; and presentations at seminars, conferences and industry events. These channels also include HSE products and services^[18], including high-quality, relevant training solutions that extend the reach of HSE’s key messages to thousands of delegates around the world each year, testing and monitoring services, and useful tools.

The peer-reviewed papers are also important in maintaining the credibility of our scientific capability for use to inform and underpin operational regulatory and policy making functions. Demonstration of science quality is also provided by challenge through the courts for evidence provided by expert witnesses.

We will continue to publish citations of all scientific publications^[19] by year. HSE’s Research Reports and Evidence Reports are available free online. This implements the UK Government's commitment to improving access to publicly funded research. Publications where HSE is the sole or lead funder are ©Crown Copyright.

We will continue to provide a high-level summary of our research interests, presented as Areas of Research Interest (ARIs) (PDF) ^[20], which either HSE or other organisations – sometimes working in partnership – could usefully address.

We will continue to share case studies that illustrate the benefits of our science through our Annual Science Review^[21]. We will also continue to publish HSE’s Science e-Bulletin^[22] which has over 80,000 subscribers and gives news about publications and major free online seminars. We will continue to extend opportunities for further external communications and engagement via digital and social media.

Research misconduct

Research misconduct within HSE would be investigated and handled through HSE’s disciplinary processes, whistleblowing guidance and the Civil Service Code^[23] as appropriate.

Responsible Officer: Professor Andrew Curran CBE, Director of Science, Chief Scientific Adviser and Head of GSE Profession
Contact: HSECSA@hse.gov.uk