Health and Safety: A Short Overview for Housing Association Committees

Transcription

1 Health and Safety: A Short Overview for Housing Association Committees Prof Roger Willey F.Inst.P, FIOSH, FRSA Managing Director ACS Physical Risk Control Limited Roger Willey 2014

2 A Question What are our Responsibilities as a Management Committee to our Housing Association?

3 Responsibilities Ethos Commitment policy agenda resources training monitoring

4 Why am I here? H&S Not my responsibility! Even if it was: No time No budget Not important Too boring What a waste of time should I go home?

5 May I suggest that you think again?

6 Why am I here? Complete change of philosophy in H&S Government targets Change in Court attitude

7 Objectives To invite you to join my crusade Aware of key H&S legislation & corporate policies. Know & understand your H&S responsibilities. Help develop a management culture for H&S. Help identify priorities in your organisation. Discuss & begin to identify solutions to H&S issues.

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15 WAIT AND SEE ATTITUDE 174 reported occupational deaths p.a. in the UK Estimated to be work related: One million skin diseases, One million bladder diseases, 170,000 respiratory diseases, deaths from respiratory disease p.a. (up to p.a. from occupational exposure), 50,000 asbestos deaths (2000 p.a.), Up to 8% of all cancers (up to 12,000 p.a.), Could be up to 30,000 deaths per annum from occupational ill health.

16 FINANCIAL IMPLICATIONS Estimated financial cost of deaths from industrial diseases: 2% - 10% of the National Wage Bill 24,000,000,000 per annum. Large FINANCIAL problem, Large MORAL problem.

17 THE FIRST AGE

18 Health & Safety what have we done? Health & Safety at Work Act 1974 (introduced after the Robens Report of 1972) Established a new statutory framework. Established the Health & Safety Commission (HSC). Established the Health & Safety Executive (HSE).

19 Health & Safety at Work Act ENFORCEMENT This is carried out by: Health & Safety Executive (HSE) (industrial premises, education, hospitals). Local Authorities (EHOs) (non industrial areas of employment)

20 Health & Safety at Work Act Actions by Inspectors: Advice verbal/written. Improvement Notice If breach has, or is likely to, occur. Carry on working but correct in agreed time scale. Prohibition Notice (immediate risk of personal injury) Stop work immediately, only restart when problem solved.

21 Health & Safety at Work Act Offences Legal proceedings must be raised within 6 months Summary Hearing England & Wales Magistrate/Scotland Sheriff Maximum fine Indictment England & Wales Jury/Scotland Jury Unlimited fine, up to 2 years holiday (all expenses paid).

22 Pretty Good?

23 Pretty good but still a problem All legislation is still retro-active. We put people in work situations and wait and see what happens. We wait for sufficient numbers of people to be injured, diseased, maimed or killed before we introduce new legislation.

24 THE SECOND AGE

25 Changing philosophy 1984 COSHH Regulations : An employer shall not carry on any work which is liable to expose any employees to any substance hazardous to health unless he/she has made a suitable and sufficient assessment of the risks created by that work

26 New Philosophy By late 1980 s some Health & Safety Legislation had became Risk Assessment based lead, asbestos, noise, chemicals. i.e. changed from retro-active to pro-active. Reflected in the Management of Health & Safety at Work Regulations requiring a risk assessment for all tasks, and the management of safety i.e. employer must have a system to manage the health & safety of all employees.

27 Management Regs What do we require: Risk assessments for all tasks A Management System

28 A pretty good system?

29 A pretty good system? Now less than 180 deaths per annum at work in the UK. 75% decrease since UK has one of the world s best Health & Safety records. USA 1.9 x UK death rate Sweden 2.1 x UK death rate France 3.6 x UK death rate Germany 4.2 x UK death rate Ireland 6.1 x UK death rate YES, the best!

30 BUT!!!

31 Sorry- not now good enough The latest industrial revolution: de-industrialisation of the UK old industries disappearing/disappeared new knowledge based industries most people now work in office type environment new work conditions RESULT old diseases starting to disappear

32 Sorry not now good enough The latest industrial revolution: de-industrialisation of the UK old industries disappearing/disappeared new knowledge based industries most people now work in office type environment new work conditions RESULT old diseases starting to disappear but replaced by new diseases

33 The new problems Stress, anxiety, depression Work related upper limb disorders (R.S.I.) Muscular skeletal conditions Asthma symptoms Headache & eyestrain Sick building syndrome Violence at work

34 The current position in the UK 2.5 million people believe they suffer work related ill health. 25 million working days lost each year through work related accidents & ill health. Cost to the UK is in region of: per annum

35 The Problem Many of the newly recognised industrial diseases could be caused by the individual s life style e.g. stress, depression, headache, etc. Now need to change our Health & Safety Philosophy again.

36 THE THIRD AGE

37 The Solution? Need to set up systems to differentiate ill health caused by work from that caused by life style. Extend care of the employer into life style issues e.g. smoking & alcohol policies. New Government initiative to develop an Occupational Health Strategy for the UK.

38 A little problem Work problem OR life style problem? How do you determine? You ask questions But Human rights Bill

39 Revitalising Health & Safety Introduced targets : reduce fatal & major accidents by 10% reduce lost working days by 30% reduce work related ill-health by 20% Name and shame policy on HSE web site.

40 So, how do we manage H&S?

41 The Legal Requirement Management of Health & Safety at Work Regulations 1992 required a risk assessment for all tasks and the management of safety i.e. employer must have a system to manage the health & safety of all employees.

42 So, how do we cope? We need to MANAGE our health & safety. We need a Management System

43 A Management system? A written document (signed by the Chair of the Committee and the Chief Exec/Director) Policy statement Management Structure Defined responsibilities Written procedures i.e. a system which can be audited by outsiders (HSE

44 Recommend A Health and Safety Control Manual

45 The Control Manual Join EVH and get the Health & Safety Manual free!!! Manual developed and tested over two years by ACS staff under contract to EVH. Manual written for lay people NOT specialists

46 The Control Manual Sectionalised: 1. Policy & Organisation 2. Buildings 3. People 4. Work Carried out by employees 5. Work carried out by contractors 6. etc Each section contains detailed guidance.

47 H&S Control Manual Define responsibilities of all staff. Has simple procedures for staff to follow e.g. accident reporting, fire safety, body fluids, sharps, staff safety, violence.

48 Progress? System installed in some 170 H.A. s in Scotland, has been operating for 17 years. Extensive training courses held for staff and Boards of Management/Committees Systems audited by ACS every second year. System has become the benchmark in Scotland

49 Who makes it all work? Once you have the system, how do you make it work? You now need a person

50 How do you make it work? You will (probably) never have a Safety Officer So, what do I do?

51 How do you make it work? Introduce the Health and Safety Administrator This person is NOT a Health & Safety officer, simply administers the Manual

52 What do we do? Designate the H&S Administrator. Identify the different Departments and the Different Managers. Ensure the Managers know their legal H&S responsibilities.

53 What do we do? Set up a prioritised programme and work consistently through the Manual. Use the Administrator to check progress. Report progress monthly to management Group.

54 Responsibilities of the Committee Ethos commitment policy agenda resources training monitoring

55 It is not about legal defence. THIS is what it is all about.