Safety Matters - APRIL 2007

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In this issue:

New health review to be launched by the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP)

Small businesses spend on average 14 hours per month on health and safety regulations

Businesses need to take more action to prevent fires starting in workplace kitchens, Norwich Union Risk Services warns

Trade unions have called for the Government to reverse cuts at the Health and Safety Executive (HSE)

The Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD), in association with the HSE, has issued new guidance to help employers manage stress effectively

Office workers most at risk of developing Deep Vein Thrombosis (DVT), according to the findings of new research

New 'health check' for employers launched by ACAS to help them identify what kind of information should be shared with employees

New campaign launched aimed at ensuring the safety of employees who are required to drive as part of their work

The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) has issued updated advice on preventing contact dermatitis at work

Series of "basic failings" led to a Legionnaires' disease outbreak that killed seven people in Cumbria, the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) has concluded

Companies fined for failure to ensure safe working at height even though no incident occurred

Bricklayer fall to death from unsafe tower scaffold costs self-employed builder £93,000

Shopper injured by falling ladder

Are your company's safety systems up to scratch or are you risking prosecution? At MESH we have extensive experience of helping companies to improve their health and safety and in many cases improve their competitiveness.

New health review to be launched by the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP)

The review is aimed at increasing understanding of the link between work and public health and promoting good health among people of working age. The intention is that the review would provide a "benchmark" for the future assessment of workplace health.

Speaking at a health and safety conference in Shropshire this week John Hutton, the Work and Pensions Secretary, said that although the UK has one of the best health and safety records anywhere in the world there are still problems to address.

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Small businesses spend on average 14 hours per month on health and safety regulations, according to new research from the Forum for Private Business (FPB)

Research carried out by the FPB asked small businesses how long they spend dealing with health and safety issues, including time spent understanding regulations, implementation, action and monitoring. The results showed that 47 per cent spent more than 7 hours a month coping with health and safety in the workplace, while 19 per cent spent between a day and a week. The average time spent was 14 hours per month.

FPB chief executive Nick Goulding argues that the burden is becoming too heavy for smaller firms. He feels the statistics show the amount of time being spent on health and safety is a real distraction from the day-to-day running of a smaller business. He went on to say that the time spent on administration and understanding the regulations replaces the time that should be spent on supervision, which could have a greater impact on safety.

Sixty per cent of respondents felt that the time spent administrating health and safety regulations was disproportionate to the benefits of or the need for the regulations; 64 per cent said that time spent understanding regulations was disproportionate to the benefits of or need for them.

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Businesses need to take more action to prevent fires starting in workplace kitchens, Norwich Union Risk Services warns

The warning follows a rise in the number of insurance claims for such incidents which Norwich Union attributes to poor cleaning and maintenance regimes. Norwich Union have identified that a lack of attention paid to poor cleaning and maintenance regimes within the catering kitchen workplace is of great concern. A build-up of fatty deposits will easily ignite in a fire and can very rapidly spread throughout a building.

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Trade unions have called for the Government to reverse cuts at the Health and Safety Executive (HSE)

The unions UCATT, PCS and Prospect argue that the rise in deaths in the construction industry should shame the Government into reversing cuts at the HSE.

Latest figures show that 74 people have died on building sites in the 2006/07 year, an increase of 14 per cent on 05/06. The unions argue that this figure could rise further, as the reporting year doesn't end until March 31.

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The Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD), in association with the HSE, has issued new guidance to help employers manage stress effectively

According to the CIPD, around one in five people experience high levels of stress at work, while 44 percent say they feel under excessive pressure once or twice a week or more. The three new guides are tailored to the needs of line managers and HR professionals to help organisations combat work-related stress.

Workplace stress is recognised as the most common cause of long-term absence, it also damages employee morale and productivity and leads to high staff turnover. Where employers fail to manage stress they are also vulnerable to litigation and potentially high compensation payouts.

It's vitally important that managers need to be able to recognise when the people they manage are working under excessive pressure so they can intervene before individuals suffer from stress-related ill health. It is also important for employees to have confidence in their managers so that they can admit to difficulties without fear of appearing weak or incompetent.

Copies of the guidance are available from: www.cipd.co.uk/guides.

Are your managers competent to recognise signs of stress and then how to respond in an effective way? Take a look at some of the companies that MESH has assisted by training managers and employees to recognise and manage stress.

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Office workers most at risk of developing Deep Vein Thrombosis (DVT), according to the findings of new research

DVT is the formation of a blood clot in a deep vein, usually in the leg, and can result in fatal complications such as heart attack or stroke.

The condition has, in the past, been principally associated with long-haul flying. But analysis by academics at New Zealand's Medical Research Institute indicated that, of 62 patients under the age of 65 who were admitted to hospital with blood clots, 34 per cent had jobs that required them to remain seated for long periods. Just 21 per cent were found to have recently travelled on long-haul flights.

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New 'health check' for employers launched by ACAS to help them identify what kind of information should be shared with employees

The health check was launched ahead of April 6, when new information and consultation rules were extended to apply to all businesses with 100-149 employees. This means that employers must consult on issues such as strategic direction, job losses, health and safety and mergers.

The new health check is designed to help employers to see how well they currently inform and consult and where any changes should be made. The website also provides a free e-learning step-by-step guide to implementing the regulations plus good practice guidance.

More information about the Acas health check can be found at: www.acas.org.uk .

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New campaign launched aimed at ensuring the safety of employees who are required to drive as part of their work

The THINK! Initiative is aimed particularly at reducing the threat to driver safety posed by tiredness, stress and the use of mobile phones. Employers and co-workers will be urged to think twice before telephoning employees and colleagues who are likely to be on the road; drivers and their employees will be offered advice on how to plan journeys better in order to reduce the need for speeding.

Government research shows that around 200 fatalities and serious injuries involving somebody at work occur on our roads every week. The Government message to drivers is that good driving is also safe driving, and employers must take responsibility for managing the safety of their staff when out on the road.

Often, tough deadlines can push drivers over the speed limit, and distractions like the boss calling staff when they are driving can take the drivers attention off the road. The campaign aims to show that simple measures can be adopted that will make a real difference.

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The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) has issued updated advice on preventing contact dermatitis at work

Contact dermatitis is an inflammation of the skin caused by contact with a range of chemicals including detergents, chemicals, toiletries and even natural products such as food and water (if contact is prolonged or frequent). A revised version of leaflet INDG233 instructs employers and safety representatives on how they can influence work practice and prevent this disabling disease.

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Series of "basic failings" led to a Legionnaires' disease outbreak that killed seven people in Cumbria, the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) has concluded

One hundred and eighty people were also infected in the outbreak which was traced back to a faulty air conditioning system at the local authority-run Forum 28 arts centre in Barrow. Bacteria had been free to breed in the system as it was not adequately cleaned and the temperature inside was not controlled.

The HSE's report, which follows a lengthy investigation, concluded that: "The number of fateful 'coincidences' involved was scarcely credible. Such basic failings should not have occurred and, sadly, these failures could have been easily prevented."
Inspectors said that communication between those responsible for the air conditioning system was poor and that they had failed to take action when concerns were voiced. They also failed to conduct a risk assessment of the system or to manage properly contractors to ensure that the system was adequately maintained.

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Companies fined for failure to ensure safe working at height even though no incident occurred

The two companies were prosecuted following a HSE visit after complaints from members of the public who had spotted unsafe working practices. The contractor was fined £1500 for failures under the Work at Height Regulations 2005 for failure to take suitable and sufficient, measures to prevent falls.

Both the contractor and client were prosecuted in this case, as it was considered that the client should take at least half of the responsibility for the dangerous practices. The client was fined £1500 under the CDM Regulations for failing to ensure an adequate health and safety plan had been put in place.

The work had been started using a scissor lift that was found to be unsuitable. A decision was then taken to access the roof via an insecure ladder at a height of 12 metres and to remove the roof sheets by walking on a six inch wide section of the roof where the roof bolts were located.

No precautions were taken to prevent falls through the roof, nor was there any edge protection in place.

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Bricklayer fall to death from unsafe tower scaffold costs self-employed builder £93,000

The bricklayer was killed after the tower he was working on toppled over. The investigations identified that the tower had no guard rails, toe boards, or a proper working platform. It did not have any bracing or proper sole plates underneath the legs and it was being used on ground that was not firm.

The HSE inspector commented that “this tragic accident was entirely preventable had the scaffold tower been properly set up and maintained”.

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Shopper injured by falling ladder

A contractor and a passer-by were seriously injured when the contractor fell from a ladder above a shop in Oxford Street, London.

The court heard that the University of the Arts London (UAL) had been taking down a marquee and as it was dismantled, the 5 metre long poles were left resting on a sloping canopy above a Carphone Warehouse store.

The contractor was climbing a folding ladder put up the side of the canopy when it slipped or collapsed on the sloping surface. Both the contractor and the ladder slid down the canopy and dropped over the edge onto the busy street below. The ladder struck the passer-by, inflicting head and back injuries. The contractor broke his heel and pelvis in the fall.

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