KENT HEALTH & SAFETY GROUP

MINUTES OF 406th MEETING

held on 3rd November 2005 at BAE Systems, Rochester Airport.

1.The Chairman Welcomed Members, New Members and Visitors

Melvyn FrenchEnvironment Agency

Kathryn SmithHSE

Gary SmithKHSG

Harry StaffKHSG

Chris MoodyShepway District Council

R H MeesAEM Ltd

Carole ShepherdKCC

Paul DurkinKCC – Social Services

Sharrie SadlerKCC (visitor)

Doug BaguleyKCC

Peter SaundersThanet District Council

David MartinComma Oil

J SnellKita Ltd

John McNeilKent Wire

Pete HylandBurtons Medical Equipment Ltd

Tony WhibleyBarretts of Canterbury

Paul AshendenBAE

George PercivalK&G Fire Training

Amanda SeymourWire Belt Co Ltd

Henry AustinTunbridge Wells Borough Council

Adam ReedsDartford Borough Council (visitor)

F PestellKHSG

Chris PikeAvance UK Ltd

Sarah BrocklehurstSt John Kent (visitor)

Susan SturlaOccupational Health, BAE

Pauline GibsonOccupational Health, BAE

Kate WilliamsRainham Bookshop

Peter SiersKHSG

2.Apologies for absence.

Stuart Markey, Helen Bale, SallyAnne Clark, Doug Chenery, Debbie Hunt, David Nicholson, Richard Pavey.

Paul Ashenden welcomed the Group to BAE and gave details of fire evacuation procedures.

3.Title : Current HSE Campaigns.

Speaker: Rebekah Thorne, HSE.

Rebekah began her talk by saying that work-related injuries in the UK had fallen substantially since 1974. Between 1974 and 2004, the number of fatal injuries had fallen by 76% and the number of non-fatal injuries had fallen by 64%. However, on average 235 people a year are still killed at work, there are still 160,000 major injuries and 2.2 million people suffer ill-health caused or made worse by work.

The HSE are looking at new ways of getting the message about health and safety through to companies. They aim to have health and safety as a cornerstone of a civilised society.

The strategy has four themes:

  • Developing closer partnerships and working with and through others in order to involve the entire health and safety system in the delivery of targets;
  • Helping workers and employers to understand and benefit from effective health and safety management and a sensible health and safety culture;
  • Focussing on their core business, being clear about their priorities and concentrating resources on areas where they are most likely to make a difference
  • Communicating their vision; being more robust with both detractors and zealots; championing the cause of sensible controls sensibly applied.

Four enabling programmes have been put together to implement this strategy:

  • Local authorities and HSE working together in partnership;
  • Worker involvement – involve workers, and health & safety in the workplace will improve;
  • Business involvement – working with business and stakeholders;
  • Enforcement – proportionate but dealing effectively with reckless disregard for workers’ safety.

The priority topics are:

  • Stress;
  • Workplace transport;
  • Falls from height;
  • Musculoskeletal disorders;
  • Slips and trips.

Rebekah then moved on to the slips and trips programme. Slips and trips account for 34% of all major injuries, which is a huge number and needs to be reduced.

The main causes of slips and trips are floor contaminants, debris or misplaced items, unsuitability of the floor and poor consideration of task.

Management slips and trips – having a good system:

  • Planning – key risk areas and goals;
  • Organisation – involvement and responsibilities;
  • Control – checks, records;
  • Monitor and review – accident and inspection reports.

Some pointers:

  • Ensure slips and trips are included in risk assessment;
  • Prompt reporting and follow-up of leaks;
  • Operate a ‘clean as you go’ policy;
  • Allocate responsibilities for cleaning up;
  • Get workforce to ‘buy in’ to these.

Requirements for a successful campaign are:

  • Backing from the top;
  • Good preparation and communication;
  • Workforce involvement and commitment, eg in preparing briefing materials, risk assessments, accident/near miss investigations;
  • Targets/monitoring;
  • Perseverance.

In summary:

  • Slips and trips are NOT a trivial matter;
  • Risks need to be actively managed;
  • Include slips and trips specifically in risk assessment;
  • Involve the workforce;
  • Solutions can be cheap and simple, but must …..
  • Maintain standards through …..
  • Monitoring, audit, review.

It was pointed out from the floor that if the 2.2 million (quoted at the beginning of the presentation) who suffer ill-health are all those who have become ill over a period of time and will remain ill for the rest of their lives, it is not helpful. The number of people each year who suffer ill-health as a result of work is needed to see if the number is falling.

It was also pointed out that the workforce number was not known so it could not be compared with the percentage of injuries.

Rebekah then spoke of the moveable ladders and stepladders campaign which would be running from 14 to 25 November 2005. The campaign objectives are to:

  • Enforce maintenance of ladders;
  • Advise dutyholders of need to risk assess;
  • Promote new safe use messages;
  • Reinforce old messages;
  • Distribute new guidance material;
  • Gather intelligence and examples of good practice;
  • Generate local media interest.

There will be targeted inspection of facilities management companies, proactive inspections which have been selected based on history of ladder accidents and advice and promotional events.

There are alternative pieces of equipment such as telescopic platforms and low-level platforms and the cost of these is coming down.

Melvyn French gave a vote of thanks for the clear and concise presentation.

4GENERAL BUSINESS:

4.1Minutes of previous meeting and matters arising:

The minutes of the last meeting were agreed.

4.2Correspondence:

The usual journals etc had been received and were available to members.

4.3Accidents and other dangerous occurrences of interest to other Members:

Paul Durkin told of a work accident which had to be reported. A man fell down 10 stairs whilst carrying a large box containing virtually nothing. He fell on his back which he injured and was off work for more than 3 days. The man cannot remember falling and an examination of the staircase showed nothing that could have caused him to fall. With hindsight, he should have put the box in the goods lift.

Paul Durkin also told how his wife was walking home from work and fell in the street. She fell on her hand and almost severed her hand from her wrist. She had to have metal pins put in.

Another member told the Group of a fall in the ladies’ toilets in a supermarket. It turned out that the woman had slipped on spilled baby food. When she complained to a member of staff, she was told that they were aware of the problem and had sent for someone to clean it up. However it had not occurred to anybody to put up a warning sign.

4.4Any Other Business:

The next meeting of IOSH is due to take place on 8 November.

The Chairman hoped that visitors had enjoyed the talk and would come again to the Group’s meetings. He thanked BAE for their hospitality.

The next meeting will be held on Thursday, 1 December at Rochester Visitor Centre. The speaker will be Russell Timpson from the Fire Strategy Company and the topic Emergency Planning.

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