We are pleased to report that SOHSA was awarded the 2010 Best Programme award at the Safety Groups UK Alan Butler Awards for Excellence.
We also won the Best Communication award with judges commending the group’s range of communication to members, including its’ regularly updated content-rich website.
Along with the above two awards SOHSA were highly commended for the Best Seminar/Workshop category.
The Alan Butler Awards, sponsored by BT, recognise excellence and best practice among local safety groups in the Safety Groups UK (SGUK) network. Around 70 groups comprise SGUK, each one consisting of health and safety professionals from the local areas.
For more information on the awards and to see photographs of the award ceremony visit www.safetygroupsuk.org.uk/awards/2010/index.htm
The Sheffield Occupational Health and Safety Association (SOHSA) are inviting organisations throughout the region to attend their 16th annual conference on Tuesday, 11th October 2011.
This years’ conference will focus on safely managing the maintenance activities that affect every workplace – whether it be servicing plant or equipment, contractors coming on site, the installation of new equipment or significant redevelopment works – we will examine the pit-falls, the myths and what does happen when it “all goes wrong”.
Promoting the Safe Maintenance Campaign of the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) and European Agency for Safety and Health at Work (EU-OHSA), the conference shall focus on the effective management of maintenance tasks and projects.
Expert speakers will discuss “what goes wrong and why” and how effective preventative maintenance benefits both incident reduction and reduced costs. We will see how Meadowhall Shopping Centre, a large retailing organisation, controls their contractors while still carrying out business as usual - operating one of the busiest shopping complexes in Europe. The conference will also consider the unknown and the need for effective dynamic risk control to support safe systems for maintenance teams to operate with when the going gets tough.
The day will help delegates understand the systems needed to effectively control and maintain their facilities, processes and equipment and provide tools and practical advice for effective operation.
The association will be donating a proportion of any profit generated by the event to the Yorkshire Air Ambulance to help support the excellent service provided to those in need in the Yorkshire region.
Speakers include:
- Dr John Herbert, Managing Director, Peak HSE Ltd
- Sarah Taylor, Legal Director, Pinsent Masons LLP
- Alison Hoyes, Health and Safety Manager, Transition International Ltd
- Steve Batty, Facilities Director, Meadowhall Shopping Centre
- Chris Jerman, Corporate Safety Manager, John Lewis Partnership
The 2011 SOHSA Conference is kindly sponsored by Arco, Meadowhall Shopping Centre and Peak HSE Ltd; and will be held at Tapton Masonic Hall on the 11th October.
For further information about the day, or to book your place, please visit the conference website at www.sohsa.org.uk/conference.
The Red Tape Challenge (RTC) is intended to examine a different area every few weeks and offers a forum for people to share their views on regulation, to tell the government what they feel is working, what can be simplified and what regulations they feel should go. Health and Safety regulation will be the focus of the site for three weeks from 30 June to 21 July.
The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) is inviting employers and all organisations and individuals with an interest in health and safety to submit comments to the Red Tape Challenge website on how regulation impacts on them and any changes they would like to see.
Comments received will provide the Government with a clear picture of how regulations are perceived and will help them decide which regulations should stay, which change, and which go entirely.
All health and safety regulations will be available for comment on the website, under the following four areas:
- general health and safety
- major hazard industries
- higher risk workplaces
- dealing with hazardous chemicals and materials
As well as being the focus theme from 30 June to 21 July, health and safety regulation is one of six cross-cutting themes open to comments throughout the whole of the Red Tape Challenge campaign.
Speaking about the red tape challenge (RTC), HSE Chief Executive Geoffrey Podger said:
“HSE is committed to protecting people from genuine risk in the workplace while ensuring that businesses don’t face unnecessary bureaucracy.
“The Red Tape Challenge is an excellent opportunity for everyone with an interest to give their views on health and safety regulation. We urge them to get involved in the debate.”
For further information about the red tape challenge, please visit the SOHSA discussion below:
Health and Safety law applies to all businesses, whatever the size. A new online resource, Health and Safety Made Simple, provides employers with straightforward step-by-step guidance on what they need to do to achieve a basic level of compliance.
Aimed particularly at low risk small and medium-sized enterprises, the guidance has been developed by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) in consultation with business organisations.
Health and Safety Made Simple takes businesses through their basic health and safety duties, explaining what to do and how to do it by linking to helpful resources such as online risk assessment tools. It also signposts users to further information and advice where necessary. The new guidance illustrates that health and safety doesn’t have to be difficult and that in many lower risk workplaces it can be adequately managed in-house.
Health and Safety Made Simple was launched in March by Employment Minister Chris Grayling, as part of a package of changes designed to reduce unnecessary bureaucracy and promote a proportionate approach to managing health and safety.
Judith Hackitt, Chair of HSE said:
“Managing health and safety needn’t be complicated or costly for businesses. It’s about taking common-sense measures to minimise risks to your employees and members of the public who might be affected by your activities.
“Health and safety made Simple” explains clearly what the law expects and what businesses need to do to comply with it. It’s a good starting point for any business operating in a low risk working environment.”
>> Visit the Health and safety made simple website now <<
For further information, key facts for businesses, or to discuss these new support materials, please visit the Health and Safety made Simple discussion now.
The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) yesterday issued a statement confirming forthcoming changes in September to both RIDDOR incident reporting and also confirming that the HSE infoline would be closed.
Key changes to be aware of:
- As of 12 September RIDDOR reporting will be moved to a primarily online reporting system with revised forms aiming at making the reporting process faster and simpler for users. Fatal and major injuries may still be notified by telephone as they are currently.
- As of 30 September the HSE Infoline will end and businesses are advised to use the HSE website (www.hse.gov.uk) in its’ place.
For further information, please see the following related articles:
- HSE Q&A on the Changes: www.hse.gov.uk/press/2011/hse-iccqa.htm
- HSE Press Release: www.hse.gov.uk/press/2011/hse-icc.htm
Members can access the full statement released by HSE: Download the HSE Statement regarding RIDDOR changes and the HSE Infoline
Members are also invited to discuss these changes and how they may affect their businesses.
The HSE are conducting a consultation over proposed changes to the Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations 1995 (RIDDOR), focusing on amending regulation 3(2) of the regulations. If adopted, this amendment would change the period of incapacitation after which an injury must be reported to the authority from over three to over seven days.
It is worth emphasising that this amendment would not remove the duty on employers to still record ‘over-three-day’ injuries internally, however these would not need to be reported to HSE.
Those wishing to respond to these proposed changes must submit responses by 29 April 2011.
Background
The proposed amendments to the Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations (“RIDDOR”) 1995 aim to implement Lord Young’s proposals to extend the period for reporting injuries that lead to a worker being incapacitated for work from three days to seven days in his report: “Common Sense Common Safety” (see 'Lord Young Review - Common Sense Common Safety' for further information).
Consultation Summary
This consultation proposes that the duty to report to the relevant enforcing authority should apply where the worker has been unable to work as a result of the injury for more than seven (rather than the current three) consecutive days (excluding the day of the accident, but including any days that would not have been working days i.e. the weekend).
This change aims to increase the period of incapacitation from injury before a RIDDOR report is required from over three to over seven days for the following reasons:
- To coincide with the requirement for individuals to obtain a ‘Fit-Note’ from their GP;
- (As above) require individuals to have had a professional medical assessment;
- Reduce the administrative burden on businesses in preparing and submitting RIDDOR reports to the authority;
- Increase compliance with RIDDOR reporting requirements, currently estimated at ~50%
Responding to the Consultation
I encourage all members to respond to the consultation directly, by visiting the consultation pages online: CD233 - Proposed amendment to the Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations 1995 (RIDDOR).
A RIDDOR consultation discussion thread has also been set-up for members to share their views and debate these proposals online.
Nominations Open for the Frank Smith Award 2011
The Sheffield Occupational Health and Safety Association is proud to present the Frank Smith Award. This prestigious award acknowledges practical initiatives, good practices, engaging and innovation in health and safety that can be used for potential wider application across the association's membership and wider industry.
The Frank Smith Award is awarded on an annual basis to individuals or organisations that share best practice which can help others to improve standards, raise awareness, tackle issues and improve occupational health and safety performance in their workplaces.
The award commemorates Frank Smith - past chairman of the Sheffield Occupational Health and Safety Association anda strong believer in sharing and communicating information between organisations and was always keen to help others and offer support.
We are looking for examples of creativity and innovation in the following areas:
- Schemes for promoting health and safety awareness
- Good practice in health and safety;
- Tackling specific areas of risk;
- Promotion of a healthier working environment;
- Initiatives that can be shared and implemented for the benefit of wider businesses in the region.
Download the application form and information now to submit your application. All applications must be submitted no later than Tuesday, 1 February 2011.
Apply Now - www.sohsa.org.uk/franksmith
Past Winners of the Frank Smith Award
Past winners of the award include:
- 2010 - Chris Jerman of John Lewis plc for their SHAPE initiative for manual handling, click here for more information and press release; (image right)
- 2009 - Tracey Stubbs of Derbyshire & Nottinghamshire Chamber for a booklet that was produced to give to dental nurses undergoing qualifications;
- 2008 - Philip Marsh of British Glass for aiding the communication of health and safety information and guidance by providing the association's website (www.sohsa.org.uk);
- 2007 - Sally Gilmour and Rob Nash of Chesterfield Royal Hospital NHS for implementing a modified edition of the HSE Stress Audit Tool for medical environments;
- 2006 - Mick Mackfall of Firth Rixons Forgings for a simple on-line risk assessment that could be used by any organisation;
Lord Young of Graffham was commissioned by Prime Minister David Cameron to “investigate and report back to the Prime Minister on the rise of the compensation culture over the last decade coupled with the current low standing that health and safety legislation now enjoys and to suggest solutions.
The review looks at the range of factors that have led to the rise in civil claims, the poor perception of health and safety by the general public and businesses alike, and how (mis-)interpretation and ‘gold plating’ has caused overly bureaucratic burdens in some sectors of the economy. Importantly Lord Young acknowledges the importance of Health and Safety and the benefits it has created for the UK:
“Health and safety is important. Over the nearly four decades since the Health and Safety at Work etc Act 1974 was passed we have built up an enviable record: today we have the lowest number of non-fatal accidents and the second lowest number of fatal accidents at work in Europe. Anybody looking at a construction site today would find it hard to recognise from a similar site only a decade or two ago, and this applies throughout all hazardous occupations.”
“My aim is to free businesses from the imposition of unnecessary bureaucratic burdens and return the proper application of health and safety to the high standing it deserves”
“While health and safety has become a subject for humour for the general public, for businesses it is a source of confusion. Straightforward legislation originally put in place for hazardous industries has been applied in a disproportionate way to low risk businesses”
Lord Young emphasises that the use of health and safety as an excuse not to do something with no legitimate reason is inappropriate and a major cause of the poor perceptions of health and safety in both businesses and the general public. He recommends that such actions, for example banning of school fetes “for health and safety reasons”, should be put in writing and there should be a route for redress to challenge these decisions.
There are a range of common sense solutions advocated in his review, including simplification of guidance and clarifying requirements for small businesses, easing burdens on schools, educational visits and small businesses and reform of both the compensation system and insurance industry. These measures, combined with an accredited consultants register aim to reduce ‘over-the-top’ application of health and safety in many workplaces.
There are also more controversial recommendations included in the review, including extending the period for RIDDOR reportable accidents from 3 days to 7 days and a thorough review and consolidation of current regulations into a single set of regulations.
The main recommendations of this review are listed below, but please see the full review.
Key Recommendations Noted
Health and Safety Legislation (Pages 38-40)
- HSE should produce clear, separate, guidance under the Management of Health and Safety at Work Code of Practice focused on small and medium businesses engaged in lower risk activities;
- Current regulations should be reviewed and consolidated into a single set of accessible regulations;
- UK should take lead in cooperating with other EU member states to ensure that EU rules are not overly prescriptive, applied proportionately and do not attempt to achieve total elimination of risk.
Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations 1995 (Page 30)
- Amend the Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations 1995, through which businesses record workplace accidents and send returns to a centralised body, by extending to seven days the period before an injury or accident needs to be reported.
- The HSE should also re-examine the operation of the Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations 1995 to determine whether this is the best approach to providing an accurate national picture of workplace accidents.
Raising standards – Accredited Health and Safety Consultants (Pages 31-32)
- Professionalise health and safety consultants with a qualification requirement that all consultants should be accredited to professional bodies. Initially the HSE could take the lead in establishing the validation body for qualifications, working with the relevant sector and professional bodies. However, this function should be run by the professional bodies as soon as possible.
- Establish a web based directory of accredited health and safety consultants.
Local authorities (Pages 26-27)
- Officials who ban events on health and safety grounds should put their reasons in writing.
- Enable citizens to have a route for redress where they want to challenge local officials’ decisions. Local authorities will conduct an internal review of all refusals on the grounds of health and safety.
- Citizens should be able to refer unfair decisions to the Ombudsman, and a fast track process should be implemented to ensure that decisions can be overturned within two weeks. If appropriate, the Ombudsman may award damages where it is not possible to reinstate an event. If the Ombudsman’s role requires further strengthening, then legislation should be considered.
Low hazard workplaces (Pages 27-30)
- Simplify the risk assessment procedure for low hazard workplaces such as offices, classrooms and shops.The HSE should create simpler interactive risk assessments for low hazard workplaces, and make them available on its website.
- The HSE should create periodic checklists that enable businesses operating in low hazard environments to check and record their compliance with regulations as well as online video demonstrations of best practice in form completion.
- The HSE should develop similar checklists for use by voluntary organisations.
- Exempt employers from risk assessments for employees working from home in a low hazard environment.
- Exempt self-employed people in low hazard businesses from risk assessments.
Police and Fire Services (Pages 35-36)
- Police and Fire officers should not be at risk of investigation or prosecution when engaged in the course of their duties if they have put themselves at risk as a result of committing a heroic act.
- HSE, Association of Chief Police Officers and Crown Prosecution service should consider further guidance to put this into effect.
Compensation Culture (Pages 18-23)
- Introduce a simplified claims procedure for personal injury claims similar to that for road traffic accidents under £10,000 on a fixed costs basis. Explore the possibility of extending the framework of such a scheme to cover low value medical negligence claims.
- Examine the option of extending the upper limit for road traffic accident personal injury claims to £25,000.
- Introduce the recommendations in Lord Justice Jackson’s review of civil litigation costs.
- Restrict the operation of referral agencies and personal injury lawyers and control the volume and type of advertising.
- Clarify (through legislation if necessary) that people will not be held liable for any consequences due to well-intentioned voluntary acts on their part.
Insurance (Pages 32-33)
- Insurance companies should cease the current practice that requires businesses operating in low hazard environments to employ health and safety consultants to carry out full health and safety risk assessments.
- Where health and safety consultants are employed to carry out full health and safety risk assessments, only qualified consultants who are included on the web based directory should be used.
- There should be consultation with the insurance industry to ensure that worthwhile activities are not unnecessarily curtailed on health and safety grounds. Insurance companies should draw up a code of practice on health and safety for businesses and the voluntary sector. If the industry is unable to draw up such a code, then legislation should be considered.
Working with larger companies (Page 33)
- Undertake a consultation with the intention of having an improved system with an enhanced role for the HSE in place for large multi-site retail businesses as soon as practicable.
Food Safety (Pages 33-35)
- Combining food safety and health and safety inspections in local authorities.
- Local authorities to adopt the Food Standards Agency’s Food Hygiene Rating Scheme of 0 – 5 and publish this in an open, online, database. Harness local and national media to promote the scheme, whilst encouraging individual businesses to display their own ratings – combined with compulsory display for those failing to achieve a generally satisfactory standard (level 3).
- Results of inspections to be published in an open database;
- Open the delivery of inspections to accredited certification bodies, reducing the burden on local authorities and allowing them to focus on high-risk businesses.
Adventure Training (Page 36)
- Abolish Adventure Activities Licensing Authority and replace licensing with a code of practice.
Educational Visits (Pages 36-37)
- Simplify the process for schools and similar organisations to undertake before taking children on trips;
- Introduce a single consent form to cover all activities a child may undertake during his or her time at school;
- Introduce simplified risk assessments for classrooms;
- Shift to a system of risk-benefit assessment and consider reviewing the Health and Safety at Work etc Act 1974 to separate play and leisure from workplace contexts.
Related Articles and Links
-
TUC: Government should promote not pillory health and safety
-
Recommendation to abolish the Adventure Activities Licensing Authority
Please visit www.sohsa.org.uk/conference or contact the association by email on conference@sohsa.org.uk or telephone 0114 236 0854 for further information.
To book your places please use the booking form included with the conference flyer - available at the link below:
2010 SOHSA Conference Flyer - Winning Hearts and Minds
http://www.sohsa.org.uk/dl/conference/2010/SOHSA%20Conference%202010.pdf
The Sheffield Occupational Health and Safety Association’s Annual General Meeting 2010 saw the announcement of the Frank Smith Award 2010, which recognises and rewards creativity and innovation in health and safety. This award is issued on an annual basis to individuals or organisations that share best practice that can help others to improve standards, raise awareness, tackle issues and improve occupational health and safety performance in their workplaces.
Announced by John Pearce, past chairman of the association, the 2010 Frank Smith Award was presented by Diane Etchell, HM Inspector of Health and Safety with the Health and Safety Executive (HSE), to Chris Jerman, Health and Safety Manager at John Lewis plc for his initiative in reducing the burden of manual handling assessments across a business with over 300 000 product lines that could be handled in almost infinite combinations. Using an innovative new ‘virtual shape concept’ the idea was to condense these assessments down to a manageable number so that effective training and instruction can be delivered to Partners. The initial assessments for particularly large and heavy items have resulted in a comprehensive national training programme, train-the-trainer, video assessments and a dedicated ‘mock-up’ house for training. The initiative has already achieved a dramatic reduction in back injuries and Partners have expressed their views of the programme as being some of the best training that they have ever received. The next part of the initiative called SHAPE focuses on the smaller but, nonetheless significant, items handled within the Branches.
The application received strong competition from a range of workplaces in the South Yorkshire region, including the runners-up Chesterfield Royal Hospital and Sheffield City Council for initiatives in Workspace Ergonomics and Manual Handling respectively. The SOHSA Executive Committee determined that the application from John Lewis deserved the award this year as it “went the extra mile” in taking health and safety beyond legal compliance and for its’ innovative approach to tackling risks arising from manual handling operations.
Speaking about the initiative, Chris Jerman said, “mere compliance is not sufficient when running a business such as ours; there is intense scrutiny where any company is leading the field.”
“I am delighted to receive this prestigious award from SOHSA and for recognition of the amount of work put into this new initiative by all of our staff [at John Lewis] and hope that in sharing details of this initiative we can help other organisations with their own manual handling issues.”
Chris will speak at the next members’ meeting of the association on 11 May 2010 to present further information about the initiative, key findings and successes and discuss learning points with other members of the association in order to share any information that may benefit other organisations.
This award commemorates Frank Smith, past chairman of the Sheffield Occupational Health and Safety Association, who was a strong believer in sharing and communicating of information between organisations and was always keen to help others and offer support.
For further information about the Sheffield Occupational Health and Safety Association or Frank Smith Award, please visit www.sohsa.org.uk or contact the committee on committee@sohsa.org.uk.
