Pilot set to rate safety

Universities will soon be expected to publish health and safety performance figures, a leading safety expert predicted this week.

Clive Parkinson, director of health and safety at Sussex University and adviser to the Universities and College's Employers' Association health and safety group, said Sussex had agreed to take part in a national pilot scheme to develop a quantifiable performance measure.

The pilot is being developed by the Confederation of British Industry and the insurance industry, to create a public health and safety "rating" system.

Mr Parkinson said: "In the private sector over the past three years there has been a big push to encourage companies to be more open about their performance. I'm sure that, before long, universities will be expected to publish health and safety performance measures.

"Parents and students will want to know this, especially as market forces come into higher education. A good health and safety record tends to reflect a good management system in general."

Mr Parkinson said that the sector had already signed up to the Revitalising Health and Safety project launched by John Prescott, the deputy prime minister, in 2000. Progress towards the project targets will be revised next year at the halfway stage of the ten-year scheme.