Spotlight On – The History of RoSPA

The History of RoSPA

This week, we’ve put the spotlight on RoSPA – the Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents. RoSPA are an important organisation in the world of health and safety. They carry out impressive work in a wide variety of areas, all working towards their mission to save lives and reduce injuries. We’re taking a look at the impressive work they’ve done over their many years of operation.  

RoSPA: The Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents

Each year, over 14,000 deaths and millions of injuries are caused by accidents across the UK. RoSPA exists to promote better safety, and help work towards the prevention of accidents at home, work, on the road, and everywhere in between. This is achieved through the promotion of key issues, the provision of relevant services, running campaigns, collecting data, research, creating policies, education, and providing relevant information.

The Society have been instrumental in improving safety standards on a number of varying issues throughout the UK, from teaching children to cross the road, to educating workers in proper lifting practice.

Their mission is to save lives and reduce industries. A key principle for the Society is that life should be ‘as safe as necessary, not as safe as possible’. In other words, accident prevention is about managing risks, not banning activities that might carry associated risks.

Early Years:

The First World War had led to a restriction in street lighting, and this was linked to an increase in road accidents. In 1916, concerns were growing about road safety, and a public meeting in Caxton Hall called for the formation of a council to tackle this. As a result, the London “Safety First” Council was established. New measures were brought in, and a campaign to change pedestrian behaviour, so that pedestrians walked facing oncoming traffic. This campaign was so successful that the incidence of fatalities from pedestrians stepping into the path of oncoming vehicles fell by an incredible 70% in just 12 months.

The following year, the British Industrial “Safety First” Association (BISFA) was created in order to tackle workplace safety issues nationally. The priority for the organisation was to educate drivers and children on safety issues.

1920 saw 1.5million new motorists on the road, following the end of the war. Therefore, the London “Safety First” Council introduced a ‘Think Safety’ campaign to deal with the issue. Nottingham set up their own “Safety First” council, and people began calling for a national “Safety First” movement. Therefore, the National “Safety First” Association was formed, bringing the London “Safety First” Council and the BISFA together.

Throughout the early 1920s, the focus began to expand to areas such as safety in coal mines, railways, and dockyards. Work on improving road safety also continued with half a million copies of a Safety Code for Road Users being printed.

Interestingly, the insurance industry refused to support the work being done, saying that:

“As the number of accidents is reduced, claim ratios become more favourable and premiums charged to the public have to be reduced. [… We cannot finance an association]”which by its activities enables the public to obtain these lower premiums.”

The work of the council was being recognised, and The Road Traffic Act of 1930 included many of the ideas that the association had put forward earlier to the Royal Commission on Transport. The following year, the Ministry of Transport began issuing the Highway Code. The committee that compiled the Code included representation from the National “Safety First” Association.

Work with educating children in safety issues was continued, with over 250,000 children viewing a safety film in 1933. 200,000 children entered a safety essay competition in the same year, and work began in educating children in cycling safety. 1936 saw the establishment of a Child Safety Section to aid the education authorities.

1937 saw the first international safety conference and the Association sent 8 representatives to the event in Holland.

Wartime Safety

Following the outbreak of the Second World War, the incidence of traffic deaths soared as a result of the imposed blackout. The influx of new workers into the factories led to a rise in the incidences of industrial injuries.

The “Safety First” War Time Code of Safety was distributed to 120,000 people in an attempt to reduce the number of accidents. The government commissioned the association to provide information on industrial accident prevention and road safety during the blackout. In fact, the information provided on improving road safety during the blackout led to a 24% drop in the number of deaths in this area.

The work of the industry was rapidly growing, with 62 different industrial safety posters designed in 1942 alone, and 550,000 of these being distributed.

It was at this time that the association changed its name to RoSPA – The Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents.

Post-War

Training courses continued after the war ended, and over 1,100 road safety committees were in existence by 1947. Industrial safety exhibitions toured the country, continuing the spread of accident prevention information and ideas.

It was 1947 that also saw the launch of the Cycling Proficiency Scheme. This ear also saw the first time in over 20 years that there were less than 5,000 road fatalities in the year.

A Building Regulations Handbook was published in 1948, providing the construction industry with the safety legislation that affected their trade. It proved such a popular publication that a second print was required only 3 months after the first.

Child safety continued to be one of the association’s main focuses throughout the 1950s. In fact, the 1950 National Children’s Safety Week was considered the most effective campaign in accident prevention history. Membership of the Cycling Safety League soared to 56,400. By 1955, over 100,000 had passed their cycling proficiency. Child road fatalities were at a 25-year low, despite the end of petrol rationing, and an increase in road activity.

This work continued into the 1960s, with child cyclist accidents dropping almost 5% in 1960 alone. 1961 saw the launch of the Tufty Club, which held over 60,000 members by the following year. By 1972, membership had reached 2 million. Work was continued in other industries too, of course, with campaigns to improve knowledge and standards of personal protection equipment such as safety goggles, and workers boots. Work on home safety was also growing. When 1963 saw the worst year of industrial accidents since 1946, RoSPA held its first National Industrial Safety Month.

RoSPA helped to improve control and regulation in several various industries throughout the next twenty years. Some highlights of the work done by RoSPA throughout the rest of the century, and beyond, include:

• 1960: the creation of the Register of Approved Driving instructors
• 1964: the formation of the National Water Safety Committee
• 1964: calls for drink driving legislation – which came into effect in 1967 and was met with an immediate drop in road casualties
• 1970: the production of a safety code for fairground operators
• 1971: the launch of the Green Cross Code, which saw a drop in child casualties straight away
• 1974: a campaign for National Farm Safety Year, followed by the launch of a Safe Warm Worker Award scheme in 1980.
• 1975: RoSPA provided support for the Seatbelt Bill.
• 1981: This year saw a collaboration between RoSPA and the BBC to create a series of home safety programmes called ‘Play it Safe’.
• 1981: Calls for legislation regarding the installation of domestic glazing.
• 1983: After 21 years of RoSPA’s campaigning, seatbelt legislation was introduced. This saved 500 lives in its first year alone.
• 1987: Campaigns for better fire safety regarding home furniture, and the promotion of fire safety.
• 1989: New training courses were introduced, including the NEBOSH National Certificate and Diploma.
• 1991: A five year campaign resulted in the government making it a legal requirement for domestic appliances to be sold fitted with plugs.
• 1992: A code of practice was devised for bouncy castle owners. Prior to this, there were a reported 4,000 child casualties on bouncy castles each year.
• 1993: RoSPA teamed together with the Royal Life Saving Society to create guidelines in order to improve safety on British beaches.
• 1996: Calls for stricter guidelines on powerful fireworks
• 1998: Together with Aston University, RoSPA began to investigate the dangers of driving whilst using a mobile phone. The ban on this was finally achieved in 2003.

Recent Years

RoSPA have continued to broach new, contemporary issues of health and safety throughout the twentieth century. They have continued to be at the forefront of new research and new safety issues.

Some of the campaigns they’re currently running include:

–          Driveway safety campaign

–          Public health campaign

–          Blind cord safety campaign

–          Electric gates campaign

–          Lighter evenings campaign

–          Young drivers campaign

–          Injury data campaign.

You can find lots of information about their current campaigns here, including different ways to get involved and support the programmes.

More information of the impressive work RoSPA are currently undertaking in their mission to save lives and reduce injuries can be found on their website, and you can have a look at their interactive heritage timeline here.