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The lives of children and adults are being put at risk as a result of the Government’s continual proclamations that a more ‘common-sense’ approach to health and safety be taken in schools.
This assertion formed part of a motion carried at the annual conference of the NASUWT – the largest teachers’ union – over the weekend.
The motion slammed the Government’s decision, based on Lord Young’s report in 2010, to redefine schools and colleges as ‘low-risk’ environments – noting that serious health and safety risks exist in schools and colleges, including exposure to work-related stressors, excessive working hours, bullying and harassment, asbestos and excessive temperatures. As a ‘low-risk’ workplace, schools and colleges are likely to encounter fewer health and safety inspections by regulators.
The motion also criticised the dilution of important guidance for schools on a range of matters, including the management of educational visits and pupil behaviour. In respect of the former, it deplored “the misleading claims made by some ministers that teachers have nothing to fear if a pupil dies, or is injured, as a result of participating in educational activity sanctioned by the school and where the teacher has exercised common sense”.
The Chancellor has promised that 84 per cent of health and safety regulation will be scrapped or improved, according to this year’s Budget.
Last year, in its response to the Löfstedt review, the Government said it is committed to reduce health and safety regulation by more than half. The latest figure announced in the Budget takes into account last year’s Red Tape Challenge, which asked the public and business for their suggestions on which laws could be amended, or revoked entirely.
A Treasury spokesperson confirmed to SHP that “167 of the 199 health and safety regulations considered as part of the Red Tape Challenge” will either be withdrawn or improved, although she could not give a more detailed breakdown.
The HSE has also been tasked with putting forward to the European Commission ideas for micro-exemptions, or lighter-touch EU health and safety regulation for SMEs, based on ideas raised by the Red Tape Challenge.
To help businesses make sense of this huge legislative streamlining exercise, the Budget commits the HSE to redesign information on its website this year to distinguish between regulations that impose specific duties on businesses and those that define ‘administrative requirements’, or revoke or amend earlier versions of regulations. Exactly how the HSE intends to make this distinction is unclear at present.
Among the significant legislative changes that had previously been announced by the Government, the Budget highlights amending RIDDOR, by extending to seven days, from three, the period an employee needs to have taken off work before an injury or incident needs to be reported – a change that is due to come into force next month.
HSE Passport, the company committed to helping agencies, umbrella companies, contractors and host companies achieve legal compliance to current Health & Safety legislation, now provides their health and safety passport scheme through UK broker: Professional Insurance Agents.
HSE Passport, the simple and cost effective health and safety compliance scheme (for contract and temporary workers) has teamed up with a leading UK insurance broker, Professional Insurance Agents to offer the passport scheme as an optional service when a contractor purchases professional indemnity insurance.
Professional Insurance Agents specialise in professional indemnity insurance and provide a number of business insurance products to SMEs, making it the perfect partner for HSE Passport.
Guy Schrecker, General Manager, HSE Passport said: “Compliance doesn’t need to difficult, time consuming or expensive, once HSE Passport is purchased, individuals can go through a simple and hassle free process to obtain their health and safety passport, enabling them to present a validated ID card on every project they are assigned to.”
An intensive inspection initiative in Merseyside and Cheshire over the past five days has shown that one in five construction sites have failed safety checks.
Health and Safety Executive inspectors (HSE), visited a total of 167 sites in the two counties between the 20th and 24th of February. During these inspections, 32 sites were found to have working practices which could put workers at risk.
These intensive inspections were carried out as part of a month long drive across Great Britain, in order to try and improve health and safety in one of the country’s most dangerous industries.
HSE inspectors are targeting sites where refurbishment or repair work is being carried out, with the aim to reduce the risk of ill health, death and injury.
The main focuses are on high-risk activity, including working at height and ‘good order’, such as ensuring sites are clean, tidy and have clear access routes. Structural stability, public protection, fire safety and asbestos are also being inspected.
The HSE issued 29 Prohibition Notices during their visits to Merseyside and Cheshire, stopping work immediately.
Government reforms of the UK’s system of health and safety are to be evaluated in a two-year study.
The Institution of Occupational Safety and Health (IOSH) has commissioned experts at The University of Nottingham to explore whether reducing regulation would help businesses to prosper, without harming the health and safety of their employees.
Health and safety and its implications at policy and practice levels have come under close scrutiny by the current Government.
A review of the health and safety culture by Lord Young, ‘Common Sense, Common Safety’ in 2010, was followed by Professor Ragnar Lofstedt’s 2011 report which called for the simplification of some regulation and recommending a rethink around the concept of risk.
The study, part of IOSH’s research programme ‘Health and safety in a changing world’, will assess the Government’s response to the Lofstedt review and its effect on practice according to various stakeholder perspectives and will map how the landscape continues to evolve for businesses and occupational safety and health (OSH) practitioners.
Research programme director Professor Robert Dingwall said: “The project supports IOSH’s mission to champion a realistic approach to risk management, supporting employees and employers in minimizing the social and economic costs of death and injury at work.
The National Examination Board in Occupational Safety and Health (NEBOSH) is showcasing an introductory health, safety and environmental qualification for people working anywhere in the world in the process industries
The NEBOSH Health, Safety and Environment for the Process Industries qualification has been developed for people who work in the chemical process industries. People who are process operators, technicians and line supervisors.
NEBOSH chief executive Teresa Budworth said: “Safety, health and environmental know-how is a must-have for anyone working in these major hazard industries. Process operators, technicians and line supervisors must all be competent in these areas on order to ensure compliance.”
“International demand for our qualifications has grown rapidly in recent years,” said Teresa Budworth. “We’re now finding that employers across the world, particularly those from hazardous sectors such as the process industries, want their people to understand health, safety and environmental practices far better so that they can raise standards, demonstrate competence and win more business.”
The qualification covers general workplace safety, looking at issues such as risk assessment and control; fire, electrical and transport safety; manual handling and hazardous substances.
HSE Passport, the company committed to helping agencies, umbrella companies, contractors and host companies achieve legal compliance to current Health & Safety legislation, is calling on recruitment agencies to review their approach towards health and safety training for temporary workers.
HSE Passport, the simple and cost effective health and safety compliance scheme (for contract and temporary workers) is advising recruitment agencies to get their temporary workers and freelancers ‘Health and Safety Compliant’, prior to releasing them into the workplace.
A simple health and safety passport for each temporary worker can prevent timely delays when arriving on site at a new project and also will present cost-saving benefits to both the client and agency.
Guy Schrecker, General Manager, HSE Passport said: “If an agency worker holds a recognised health and safety passport card , it presents many benefits: The agency can offer placements straightaway, the client does not have to hold health and safety induction sessions and the temporary worker can take the passport from project to project.”
WorkRite, Posturite’s specialist e-learning and training division, is enjoying a record year. Turnover is up by almost 90% over the corresponding period in 2010, with several major new contracts in the bag.
These include the company’s biggest ever deal for its market-leading AssessRite DSE training and assessment package which has been licensed by a multinational energy company to be rolled out to more than 12,500 users in 24 different countries.
WorkRite has had to translate the software into a number of different languages including Arabic, Hindi and Gujarati.
National sales manager Ryan Church said: “On its own, this was a fantastic deal for us. But coming on top of several other major contract wins over this year, it means that we are yet again out-performing the market by a considerable distance.
“This is the fifth year in succession that we have seen big turnover increases, though never quite as large as this year. There’s no doubt that all the hard work we put into developing our products and services in the early stages is now paying off.
“Our powerful and intuitive management system, in particular, is a significant factor in winning business for us. Health and safety professionals love it because it makes their lives so much easier.”
The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) has produced a new book that aims to improve the understanding of shift work and its impact on health and safety. More than 3.5 million people are employed as shift workers in the UK. They work in a wide variety of industries including the emergency services, healthcare, the utilities, transport, manufacturing, entertainment and retail. Poorly designed shift-working arrangements and/or long working hours may put them at risk of fatigue, accidents, injuries and ill health.
Managing Shift Work: Health and Safety Guidance is aimed at anyone with an interest in reducing the health and safety risks associated with shift work. This could include senior management, human resources, health and safety officers, occupational health advisors, trade union representatives, supervisors or shift workers themselves.
The book explains why we should be concerned about shift work, drawing on the evidence available in the scientific literature. It goes on to set out an approach to managing the risks from shift work and provides useful advice and good practice guidelines to help inform the design or redesign of shift work rotas.