Meeting documents

Councillor Sir Beville Stanier

Cabinet Member for Environment and Waste

 

To consider the attached report.

 

Contact Officer:  Joanne Crosby (01296) 585194

(a)          Decision(s)

 

            That Council be recommended to:

 

(1)   Approve the updated Health and Safety Policy and Strategy for it’s implementation.

 

(2)   Authorise the Director with responsibility for finance, after consultation as necessary with the Corporate Health and Safety Board and/or Cabinet Member for Environment and Waste to make any changes to reflect, as appropriate the comments expressed by the Finance and Services Scrutiny Committee, and in particular to reflect:-

 

o   Changes in legislation and Statutory Requirements.

o   Changes in British Standards.

o   The introduction of ‘new machinery or technology’.

o   Changes in nominated responsible persons.

o   Changes in the responsibilities of nominated persons.

o   Changes in management policy and/or procedures.

(b)          Reason(s) for Decision(s)

 

It is essential for the Council to have a comprehensive approach to health and safety and that this is properly embedded within the organisation.  The existing Policy/Strategy have not been reviewed for a while and the latest refresh takes account of changes in legislation and the transformational changes that have taken place within the organisation.

 

(c)        Alternative Options Considered

 

Not to undertake a refresh of the existing Policy/Strategy but this would not be acceptable and an abrogation of the Council’s responsibilities.

 

(d)       Relevant Scrutiny Committee

 

This is a policy framework issue and will be the subject of a report to full Council.  As such the above recommendations are not subject to call-in.

 

The Finance and Services Scrutiny Committee had however also considered this matter and the Chairman of that Committee attended the Cabinet meeting to elaborate upon his Committee’s deliberations.  The Committee had made a number of comments and the Chairman reported these to Cabinet.

 

The Cabinet Member for Environment and Waste gave an assurance, that where relevant and appropriate the Committee’s views would be reflected in the finalised documents prior to publication

 

(e)        Conflicts of Interest / Dispensation(s)

 

None.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Cabinet received a report concerning the work undertaken to update the Council’s Corporate Health and Safety Policy and the formulation of an implementation strategy.  This was a Policy Framework issue and as such a similar report had been considered by the Finance and Services Scrutiny Committee.  Cabinet’s recommendations would be submitted to full Council.

 

The Policy would apply to all staff employed by the Council, either directly or indirectly and to any person or organisation that used Council services or premises for any purpose.  The existing policy had not been the subject of a comprehensive refresh since 2014.  The Policy would also apply to temporary staff, young workers, staff working from home and contractors working on Council business.  The principles of the Policy would apply to all Council work activities, regardless of who had or who was supplying or providing them.

 

The aims of the Policy were to:-

 

·         Outline the requirements of Health and Safety Regulations.

 

·         Outline Health and Safety Guidance and Approved Codes of Practice that applied to the Council.

 

·         Inform managers, supervisors and staff as to their roles and responsibilities in relation to health and safety.

 

·         Demonstrate the Council’s commitment to reducing accidents and incidents causing ill-health, as well as other environmental hazards and risks in the workplace.

 

·         Set out clearly and unambiguously the organisation’s arrangements for health and safety in accordance with the Health and Safety Executive’s (HSE) Guidance – HSG65, Managing for Health and Safety.

 

·         Set out the organisation’s training requirements for health and safety.

 

The Policy identified the roles and responsibilities of Directors, Assistant Directors, Managers, Supervisors and Staff and reflected legislative changes that had occurred since it was last reviewed.  The Policy would result in the following outcomes:-

 

·         To ensure that there was a standardised approach to the Council’s health and safety management system.

 

·         To prevent foreseeable accidents or incidents so far as was reasonably practicable by undertaking suitable and sufficient risk assessments.

 

·         To demonstrate how the Council complied with its statutory obligations against legislation, Regulations, Approved Codes of Practice (ACOPs) and best practice.

 

·         The prevention of the reoccurrence of adverse events so far as was reasonably practicable.

 

The Council had a Corporate Health and Safety Board and in accordance with HSG65 – Managing for Health and Safety, the Board would review the  Policy and performance against it annually.

The Health and Safety Strategy (Implementation Plan) set out the Council’s approach to managing a positive health and safety culture.  It would put in place a defined and co-ordinated process for health and safety performance.  The Strategy had last been reviewed in 2015.  A corporate health and safety action plan would be prepared to support the Strategy.  This would be monitored by the Corporate Health and Safety Manager and the Corporate Health and Safety Board.  The targets would be reviewed and updated annually by the latter.  The aims and objectives of the Strategy were to:-

 

·         Ensure that there was a standardised approach to the Council’s health and safety management system.

 

·         Regularly measure and monitor the Council’s health and safety performance.

 

·         Use accident, incident and near miss software for the Council to record and consolidate accurate reports and data.

 

·         Ensure that there was an appropriate level of health and safety risk control throughout the Council.

 

·         Ensure that all managers, supervisors and staff were engaged actively in the positive management of health and safety.

 

·         Ensure that there was a standardised approach for event safety planning and resilience.

 

The following outcomes would be delivered:-

 

·         Necessary key performance indicators would promote a positive health and safety culture within the Council.

 

·         Appropriate means of co-operation and communication between sectors and roles would be would be secured.

 

·         The Council would automatically audit, monitor and review all health and safety policies, guidance notes, safe systems of work and risk assessments.

 

·         Health and safety management would be embedded as an integral part of the management approach to the achievement of objectives.

 

·         Staff would be involved in health and safety performance within the Council.

 

The Finance and Services Scrutiny had also received a similar report and the Chairman of that Committee attended the Cabinet meeting and elaborated upon the Committee’s deliberations.  The Committee had made a number of observations, including:-

 

·         Stress at Work/Mental Health/Equalities/Disabilities - It had been commented that the policy should demonstrate with more clarity the impacts of stress in the workplace.  Cabinet appreciated however the need to avoid the blurring of policies.  The Council did and would continue to have regard to all policies when making operational decisions, and as such it was considered unnecessary to duplicate responsibilities within the Council's policy structures.  The streamlining that had taken place in relation to the Health and Safety Policy was intended to achieve that and references to disability, equalities and mental health would recreate that blurring.  Health and Safety Policies should relate to health and safety responsibilities and the Equalities Strategy should deal with equalities etc.

 

There was no obligation under Health and Safety at Work legislation for mental health first aid.  However the Council was a responsible employer and would make sure that there was a clear statement of how it would respond to mental health issues within its HR policies.

 

Equalities/disabilities issues would be dealt with in the Council’s equalities strategy/policies.  Due regard would however be had to equalities issues when undertaking risk assessments.

 

·         Working at Height - The Committee had sought clarity around the wording used.  Cabinet was advised that the refreshed Health and Safety policy used the statutory definition.

 

·         Roles and Responsibilities – The Committee had felt that there should be greater clarity within the context of officer delegations.  In particular it had been felt that the authority sought in the report should be to the Director rather than the Assistant Director.  Cabinet accepted this point.

 

·         CCTV – The Committee had commented on the need to preserve CCTV evidence within the context of violence against staff.  Cabinet was advised that the Council’s CCTV policies would be reviewed and that this would be reflected in any revisions.

 

·         Key Performance Indicators – The Committee had felt that reference should be made high level performance indicators.  Cabinet was advised that these would be included within the Strategy and would be monitored accordingly.  A health and safety monitoring report was normally brought to the Scrutiny Committee annually and this would include necessary statistics and details of performance against targets.

 

·         Corporate Health and Safety Board/ Health and Safety Committee – The Committee had felt that the titles and responsibilities should be clearly defined.  Cabinet concurred with this view.

 

Cabinet thanked the Committee for its input and confirmed that where necessary and/or appropriate the final documents would be amended to reflect the Committee’s considerations.

 

RESOLVED –

 

That Council be recommended to:-

 

·         Approve the updated Health and Safety Policy and Strategy for it’s implementation and;

 

·         Authorise the Director with responsibility for finance after consultation as necessary with the Corporate Health and Safety Board and/or Cabinet Member for Environment and Waste to make any changes to reflect the Scrutiny Committee’s views and in particular to reflect:-

 

o   Changes in legislation and Statutory Requirements.

o   Changes in British Standards.

o   The introduction of ‘new machinery or technology.

o   Changes in nominated responsible persons.

o   Changes in the responsibilities of nominated persons.

o   Changes in management policy and/or procedures.