Agenda item

To consider item 11

The Lead Member for Health and Safety and Corporate Risk informed Members that he was pleased to be introducing the Health, Safety and Wellbeing annual report for the second year as Lead Member. He advised Members that the Service had responded to the demands of the pandemic with fortitude, implementing robust procedures quickly and efficiently which was evidenced by both the small numbers of positive cases amongst staff and the outcomes of the Health and Safety Executive’s Covid spot audits on stations and at headquarters.

The external work carried out by some firefighters, officers and support staff in assisting partner agencies included driving ambulances, delivering PPE to other organisations, delivering medication and food to those members of the public who were shielding and setting up and running mass vaccination centres, whilst maintaining the core business of the Service throughout. All of which exemplifies the ethos of the Service.

The Lead Member for Health and Safety and Corporate Risk was proud the Health, Safety and Wellbeing statistics continued to demonstrate how importantly the Service treats these matters; however, it should not be complacent and must continue to reduce risks to employees and the public it serves.

The Health and Safety Manager advised that as the Lead Member had said, 2020/21 had required the Service to focus primarily on the response to, recovery from and managing the Covid-19 pandemic as new variants emerge whilst maintaining business as usual. This had proved challenging at times especially during the four lockdowns with non-operational personnel working from home for much of the year and operational personnel being placed at risk of transmission of the virus when serving the community. It was to be noted that cases of Covid-19 within the Service for the year up to 31 March 2021 had been very low at 38 which was testament to the commitment of staff in adhering to the Covid Secure measures in place.

Early in the pandemic the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) went on record stating that, should they receive a complaint from an employee concerned about Covid-19 in their workplace, they would carry out an investigation. To date, the HSE had conducted Covid-19 spot audits at four fire stations and headquarters with excellent outcomes at each. There had been no requirement for any further action and comments received from the inspectors had been favourable.

Throughout the year the Service had assisted partner agencies and local authorities in ways that had never been experienced before. (Driving ambulances, delivering medication and food to those shielding, training care home staff in donning and doffing personal protective equipment and setting up and running mass vaccination centres). Whilst each activity came with its own challenges, the tenacity and commitment of staff ensured participation was a success. As these activities were over and above what staff would normally undertake the Service was cognisant of the potential impacts on both their physical and mental health and wellbeing. An example of how this was managed was by releasing operational staff who had volunteered to drive ambulances from their fire service duties and to provide them with time off prior to them returning. Access to additional trauma support and welfare support networks was also provided.

The HMI conducted a Covid-19 inspection in November 2020; the headline of the report read “Buckinghamshire Fire & Rescue Service has been praised for the way it is coping with the challenges it faces during the COVID-19 pandemic, and for the positive contribution it is making to its community”.

The Health and Safety Manager advised that overall, there had been reductions in five of the seven categories which was a considerable improvement in performance compared to last year. Personal injury, vehicle safety events, acts of violence and the number of events that come under the Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations (RIDDOR) had all decreased. There has been a significant decrease in the total number of persons injured from 38 in 2019/20 to 24 in 2020/21. Of these, 17 occurred at training events, three during routine activities and four at fires.

With regard to Working Time Regulation breaches, from April 2020 to March 2021 there were 3822 Bank shifts worked and of those there were seven breaches. A breach would occur when a worker does not have a full 24-hour uninterrupted rest break in any seven days or 48 hours in 14 days, or the total of hours worked per week exceeds 84. The Service had implemented a limit on the number of hours worked at 78 per week to build in extra protection against fatigue for staff. This was a significant improvement from the previous year, providing assurance that should the HSE conduct an inspection on the Service there was a robust and effective monitoring process in place.

The Health and Safety Manager advised Members that the pandemic had provided the opportunity for the Service to review its working practices. With support staff working from home, productivity increased as employees did not have to commute into the workplace during lockdown and the systems technology available enabled work to carried out efficiently. Working from home was not suited to everyone, the lifting of Government restrictions had meant that employees could return to the workplace in a safe and managed way.

Moving forward, the Service was taking the opportunity to explore ways in which people worked and how they prefer to work. This work would inform how hybrid working could be implemented throughout the Service for those groups of staff who were able to work both from home and in the workplace. However, this was not an option for all staff due to the nature of their role.  “Work Evolution- work is what WE make it” was the strapline for this project which was in its infancy. An update would be provided in next year’s report.

The Chairman and Members gave their thanks to the Health and Safety team and every member of staff for all their hard work during the pandemic.

RESOLVED –

That the health, safety and wellbeing performance as detailed in the Health, Safety and Wellbeing Annual Report for 2020/21 be noted.

(Councillor Christensen left the meeting)