Agenda item

            The Committee considered the following report:

 

 

“1.0     Purpose of Report or Summary of main Issues

 

1.1  The purpose of this report is to provide a management update to the Committee on the progress being made to manage ‘Health and Safety’, one of the key corporate risks relating to the Committee’s sphere of work.

 

2.0       Recommendation

 

2.1       The Committee is asked to:

 

·        Note the arrangements in place to manage this risk and the progress being made to implement additional controls / measures to reduce the level of risk further. 

 

3.0       Main report

 

3.1       Description of risk

 

            The health and safety risk, as captured in the Council’s Corporate risk register is phrased as follows:

 

3.2       ‘Failure to protect the Health and Safety of employees and others and ensure compliance with Health and Safety legislation.’

 

3.3       Risk assessment

 

            Following detailed review of the corporate risks, this risk was assessed in terms of ‘impact’ and ‘likelihood’ (using the Council’s risk scoring system, as follows:

 

            Impact – 5 (severe)

            Likelihood – 3 (possible)

 

3.4       This assessment reflects the fact only one failure (i.e. a serious accident / incident) can have a catastrophic impact on individuals and the organisation.  It also reflects the priority senior management attach to this area in recognising this as a fundamental (and constant) corporate risk that we need to be continuously managing.

 

3.5       While it is difficult to envisage how we can significantly reduce the potential impact from ‘severe’ if the risk materialises, we are committed to doing all we can to reduce the likelihood of the risk occurring.

 

 

3.6       Current measures in place to manage the risk

 

            The Council has an established framework, policies and procedures to manage health and safety risks.  These include, but are not limited to, the following:

 

·        a dedicated, qualified Corporate Health and Safety Unit (CHSU), providing policy advice, training / support throughout the Council

·        a Corporate Health & Safety Policy and Codes of Practice and a review, approval and communication process for all new policies

·        a Corporate Health and Safety Business Plan, setting out corporate health and safety objectives, priorities and deployment of CHSU resources

·        quarterly reporting on health and safety compliance to a dedicated Health and Safety Assurance Board (chaired by the Deputy Chief Executive and Director of Finance and Resources), the Audit Assurance Board (chaired by the Chief Executive), the Audit and Risk Panel (Members) and Corporate and Departmental Health and Safety Committees attended by management and trade union representatives

·        annual scheduled staff training on health and safety matters, incorporating client feedback

·        annual health and safety (WIRES) and fire risk assessment inspection programme (risk based, undertaken by the CHSU across Council premises), with actions captured, monitored and reported using a specific IT system (MKInsight)

·        four operational services continue to maintain independently certified OHSAS 18001 health and safety management systems which are subject to annual review

·        a process of health and safety risk assessment at corporate, departmental and operational task specific risk assessments.

 

3.7       Council performance

 

            The above measures have supported the Council in maintaining a very low level of reportable major injuries (just six in previous five years):

 

·        April 2016 – employee sustained suspected cracked rib after pushing vehicle which was stuck in mud

·        January 2016 – employee sustained fractured elbow after slipping on ice

·        January 2016 – agency worker lost tip of finger in accident involving the connection of a tractor and trailer. 

·        March 2014 – employee sustained fractured elbow after slipping in changing room

·        December 2012 – employee sustained broken arm after slipping on grass

·        July 2011 – employee sustained broken coccyx after falling through open manhole (suspected manhole cover stolen for scrap metal value).

 

3.8       The majority of employee accidents remain related to slips/trips/falls and injuries when lifting or carrying.

 

3.9      There have been no formal HSENI (Health and Safety Executive for Northern Ireland) interventions or prosecutions in the previous five years.

 

3.10     Areas for improvement

 

            Even though the above arrangements are in place, we are always aware of the wide range of potential health and safety hazards associated with the delivery of our services and the ever present potential for accidents. 

 

3.11     For this reason, we are constantly striving to continually improve the management of this risk and to this end, a number of improvement actions have been identified and captured in both the risk action plan and related Corporate Health and Safety Plan 2016/17 which was agreed by the Health and Safety Assurance Board in April 2016. 

 

3.12     These include the following:

 

·        complete a corporate wide review and update of task specific risk assessments in line with the revised Risk Assessment Code of Practice

·        complete, update and implement key health and safety policies and codes of practice in the following areas:

·        Event Safety (new)

·        Work Related Transport (new)

·        Working at Height (new)

·        Control of Contractors (update)

·        Work Equipment (revised)

·        Control of Asbestos (revised)

·        implement health and safety management information reporting through health and safety assurance processes and establishing departmental co-ordinating roles

·        review of health and safety committee structure to reflect new departments (now implemented)

·        improve accident and claims management

·        implement a health and safety senior management training programme

·        research into seeking health and safety management standard accreditation for the Council

·        review current health and safety (WIRES) inspection programme (as administered by CHSU) to align to key risk areas

 

3.13     Progress against these actions is monitored through the Council’s performance management system (CORVU), by the Health and Safety Assurance Board and reported through the Audit and Risk Panel. 

 

3.14     These improvements do take time and have to be phased. Further improvement actions are being planned for 2017/18 (further health and safety management training, embedding of new policies, procedures and assurance arrangements, implementation of an accredited health and safety management system across the Council).  Through these improvement programmes, we are working towards reducing the risk rating in terms of likelihood to 2 (low).  However, health and safety will continue to be a priority area and we will never be able to eliminate the risk.

 

3.15     In addition to management assurance arrangements, Members should also be aware that the Council’s health and safety management arrangements are regularly subject to independent scrutiny through HSENI and Northern Ireland Fire and Rescue Service inspections / visits and periodic independent audits.

 

3.16     Financial & Resource Implications

 

            None.

 

3.17     Equality or Good Relations Implications

 

            None.”

 

            The Committee noted the arrangements in place to manage this risk and the progress being made to implement additional controls/measures to reduce the likelihood element of risk further.