Horizon Scanning

Anticipating and preparing for future challenges, trends and opportunities is an essential component of any organisation's strategy. The government's Chief Scientific Adviser is encouraging Departments to undertake horizon scanning in a structured and auditable manner.

What is horizon scanning?
Horizon Scanning is defined by the Government Office for Science as:

'the systematic examination of potential threats, opportunities and likely future developments, including (but not restricted to) those at the margins of current thinking and planning.'

Horizon scanning may explore novel and unexpected issues as well as persistent problems or trends.

The government's Horizon Scanning Centre of Excellence, part of the Foresight Directorate in the Department for Innovation, Universities and Skills, has the role of supporting Departmental activities and facilitating cross-departmental collaboration.

HSL and horizon scanning
HSE has commissioned HSL to coordinate and build on its existing horizon scanning activities. Horizon scanning will consider all aspects of HSE's business and will take into account trends and developments in:

• technology;
• the workplace and working practices;
• socio-economic trends that affect the labour market;
• trends in public attitude towards health and safety risks;
• the UK political agenda, including major policy developments by other government departments;
• the European Union;
• international developments (globalisation).

Using the outputs of horizon scanning
Horizon scanning will be used to identify issues with the potential to present significant new or changed work-based risks over the medium to long term (three to ten years). The outputs will include regular reports of emerging issues and more detailed studies of particular topics.

Further Details
Contact our Business Development Unit by telephone (+44) 01298 218218, fax (+44) 01298 218822 or email hslinfo@hsl.gov.uk.

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