Driving Safety Forward: The BFPA HSE Forum Takes Shape
9 September 2026 
Health and safety is not just a regulatory requirement in the fluid power industry – it is fundamental to protecting people, ensuring operational continuity, and maintaining the reputation of businesses across the sector. With complex systems involving high pressure, stored energy,
and potentially hazardous environments, even minor oversights can have serious consequences.
Recognising this, the British Fluid Power Association (BFPA) has placed health and safety at the heart of its strategic focus – establishing it as one of the organisation’s core pillars and a key priority for the future. This renewed emphasis reflects a clear commitment to supporting members in raising standards, improving performance, and driving continuous improvement across the industry.
A Strong Start for a Vital Initiative
The launch of the BFPA Health, Safety & Environmental (HSE) Forum marks a significant step forward in delivering on that commitment.
The inaugural meeting, held on 20 April 2026, brought together a diverse and engaged group of members, industry specialists and a guest speaker from the Health and Safety Executive (HSE), setting a collaborative and forward-thinking tone from the outset. Chair Shaun Coetzer (EnerMech Ltd) emphasised the forum’s core purpose – to create a trusted environment where members can openly share expertise, best practice and real-world experience to drive meaningful improvements in health, safety and environmental performance.
The session explored a number of strategic topics with long-term significance, including industry data and trend analysis. Vice-Chair Jacky Lynch (Danfoss Ltd) contributed valuable insight, sharing practical examples of near-miss and hazard reporting systems, and highlighting the importance of consistent definitions to strengthen learning and support more effective accident prevention.
A key highlight of the meeting was an update from Chris Steel of the HSE. His contribution sparked a valuable discussion around workplace noise, with a focus on risks associated with compressed air systems. Members welcomed the opportunity to engage directly with the regulator and explore practical approaches to improving both noise management and the quality of noise assessments across the industry.
Throughout the session, high levels of participation and open dialogue reinforced the strength of the forum. Members shared experiences, offered practical insights, and demonstrated a clear willingness to support one another – underlining the real value of collaboration within the sector.
Overall, the inaugural meeting successfully set a clear direction, positioning the HSE Forum not simply as a platform for discussion, but as a catalyst for delivering tangible, measurable progress across the fluid power industry.
Looking ahead, the next meeting will welcome a guest speaker from Climate Action for Associations (CAFA), who will explore key sustainability challenges and opportunities. This will provide further insight into how organisations can strengthen their environmental performance, while reinforcing the forum’s role in driving both safety excellence and wider environmental responsibility.
Spotlight Issue: Swaging Machine Guarding
One of the key safety challenges currently impacting the industry is the issue of guarding on hose swaging machines — an area of growing regulatory focus.
Recent engagement between the HSE and industry has highlighted the expectation for suitable guarding to be implemented.
This presents particular challenges for fluid power businesses, as swaging operations often involve a wide variety of hose types; different fittings and configurations; and the need for flexible machine operation from multiple positions.
These factors can make standard guarding solutions difficult to implement in practice. As a result, organisations are now exploring engineered solutions to meet regulatory expectations while maintaining operational functionality.
In response, the BFPA is actively:
- Engaging with equipment manufacturers to identify viable technical solutions
- Working with the HSE to seek clarity and alignment on expectations
- Encouraging members to share experiences and best practice
A Platform for Collaboration and Progress
At its core, the HSE Forum is about bringing the industry together. It provides a space where members can:
- Share real-world challenges and practical solutions
- Learn from incidents and emerging trends
- Stay aligned with legislation and best practice
- Move from reactive compliance to proactive risk management
By fostering open discussion and shared learning, the forum is helping organisations not just meet requirements — but raise the bar for health, safety, and environmental performance across the sector.
Be Part of the Conversation
The early success of the HSE Forum has already shown what can be achieved when the industry works together.
But this is just the beginning.
With health and safety now recognised as a core pillar of BFPA activity, there has never been a better time to get involved, shape the agenda, and contribute to meaningful change.
Join the conversation. Share your expertise. Help drive safer, more sustainable fluid power operations.
To take part in the BFPA Health, Safety & Environmental Forum, please email: healthandsafety@bfpa.co.uk
Contact the BFPA – website: www.bfpa.co.uk tel: 01608 647900 or email: enquiries@bfpa.co.uk
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