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13th September 2010 The Big Discussion on Leadership in H&S Roger Bibbings MBE, from RoSPA and Safety Groups UK, will introduce us to RoSPA's view that the next big project in influencing the direction of the UK's occupational safety and health policy is to turn the spotlight on what makes for effective leadership of health and safety by those in operational management roles. There are clear legal duties for those at the top of an organisation to lead, but the development of a healthy and safe working culture depends critically on the role played by line managers and supervisors. RoSPA wants to focus on what team leaders, need to feel, think, know, say and do, to ensure that board level health and safety objectives are met throughout the entire workplace.		New Programme for 2010 - 2011 Dates for your Diary While the details of the new programme are being finalised, you may care to note the following dates for your diary:- 11th October, 15th November, 13th December 2010, 17th January 2011, 14th February, 14th March, 11th April, 16th May, 13th June.
__________________________ 19th April 2010 AGM and HSE Report for the Year The meeting started with the Group's AGM, which was expertly chaired by Lord Brougham. Nigel Ree and Nick Roarty were two new members to be elected to the Committee. The meeting also approved three new Honorary Members; Bill Sargent, Liz Ferrier and Marion Murphy. This was followed by Margaret Pretty, HSE Principal Inspector - London Partnership Manager, who gave us a presentation on the annual update of HSE Activity, Plans and Work Programmes. HSE continues to focus its resources carefully at key target areas for maximum effect. The London Olympics represents a massive construction site and event so both are being given special attention. Margaret's presentation is available as a download.		_____________________ 17th May 2010 Is that Scaffold Safe? Neil Tomlinson from the National Access and Scaffolding Confederation gave a presentation on the work of the Confederation in promoting professional standards and improving safety performance throughout the whole scaffolding industry. Neil described in detail the programme of activities that are being promoted by NASC and the dynamic cultural changes that were occurring in the industry. He will also give us his thoughts on how clients could enhance the drive for higher standards of safety during the purchasing and management of contracts.
______________________________ 15th March 2010 When a Slip or Trip Becomes a Crime Two solicitors from Berrymans Lace Mawer gave presentations on this topic. James Chambers gave an overview of why prosecutions occur, health and safety offences, HSWA enforcement and inspectors powers and matters to consider from an organisational perspective when an accident is investigated by the HSE or the police. Sophia Reed took us through several recent interesting cases involving Employer’s Liability/Public Liability issues. These were: Steven Threlfall v Hull City Council[200] EWHC 3042 (QB). - This dealt with an employer’s provision of suitable PPE. Dale Wellard v DSG International Plc [2009] (Norwich County Court) (unreported). This considered whether the claimants actions would be taken into account in deciding liability. Dorothy Elizabeth Munro v Aberdeen City Council [2009] SLT 964. This Scottish case dealt with Regulations 5 (1) and 12 (3) of the Workplace (Health, Safety and Welfare) Regulations 1992. Spencer – Franks v Kellogg Brown and Root Ltd and Others [2009] CSIH 23XA33/06. This dealt with when equipment is work equipment for the provisions of PUWER. Smith v Northamptonshire County Council (HL -4 February 2009). This considered that the degree of the employer’s control over equipment is crucial in determining their liability. Grant Couzens v T Mc Gee and Co Ltd[2009] EWCA Civ 95. This considered equipment used at work not supplied by the employer in relation to the PUWER regulations 1998 James' presentation is available as a download.		_______________________________ Tuesday 13th April 2010 at 6pm Achieving the highest level of H&S in your buildings by ensuring the right design choices Ryan Sukhram of Arup Security Consulting gave a presentation on their software "SimGuard". It is a 3D Simulation Tool that simplifies risk mapping in buildings, to optimise operational risk management. The tool addresses human factors, emergency planning, buildings and their environment. This meeting was hosted by IOSH Met to which LHSG was invited. The underlying purpose was to promote good working relationships between members of both Groups who have a common interest in improving health and safety at work.
_________________________________ 18th January 2010 Compliance with Fire Regulations Richard Kennedy of FireRisk.Net gave a most interesting presentation on how to comply with the current Fire Regs. He drew on his 32 years of experience with the London Fire Brigade to outline the the contents of the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 and explain the steps that must be taken to comply. These steps are essential to satisfy an audit by an Inspecting Officer from the local Fire and Rescue Service who are the enforcing authority. The meeting was very well attended and the attentive audience had many perceptive questions to the explore the practical implications. These were expertly dealt with by Richard whose company offers Risk Assessment, Fire Training and other Fire Services. His presentation is available as a download.		_________________________________ 15th February 2010 Noise Measurement and Control Shaun Knott, Area Business Manager, Casella Measurement Ltd, provided us with a very informative and humorous presentation on the main features of noise measurement and control with practical examples. The presentation is available. He first of all took us through the types of noise measurement that can be made and emphasised frequent review of these. In measuring personal noise doses it is important to consider all sources of noise, including employees working for several employers who may not be using rest days. Often turning off site radios can contribute greatly to reducing noise dose. Noise is transmitted by structure and resonance so vibration reduction and engineering controls play a great part in reducing the noise from existing equipment. If PPE is needed to protect employees, Shaun emphasised that workforce involvement and giving employees a choice of PPE contributes hugely to persuading the workforce to use them. It is essential to keep records of demonstration and training of PPE supplied. Shaun also left us with the sad fact that research has shown that in men in the UK the average deterioration in auditory acuity now occurs at the age of 27 rather than 47-50 years due to the use of MP3 players.
_________________________________ 16 November 2009 Resolution of Stressful Work Conflicts Henicka Uddin from ACAS, presented three case studies that have occurred recently. There were no slides for this presentation, so there is no download. Henicka started by observing that conflict and animosity between individuals and groups was a natural and fairly frequent state of affairs. The Advisory, Conciliation and Arbitration Service, ACAS is frequently invited to assist when an organisation is faced with an intractable situation. She frequently acts as a Conciliator, and uses shuttle diplomacy with the aim of trying to get the two sides to understand each other's position and to come to an acceptable accommodation. Henicka concluded by advocating that organisations should monitor stress levels in the work place and encourage individuals and groups to become self-aware of their effect on others.		__________________________________ 14th December 2009 Health and Safety when Working Overseas Michael Smith from the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine gave a thought provoking talk about the extra health and safety precautions that must be taken when working abroad. Michael’s talk encompassed a wide range of topics that need to be considered as part of the risk assessment process for staff working overseas. These included, Competence and Experience, Health, Equipment, Travel, Area Accommodation and Politics, and Insurance. The assessment must be proportionate and involve the traveling worker. Also, there must be mechanisms for allowing flexibility if circumstances change. In other words, it is not possible to take the "one size fits all" approach. Each assessment must be customised to suit the current prevailing circumstances. The talk also touched on consideration of workers' access to rights under UK legislation while based overseas. This is a serious subject but Michael sparked up the presentation with a touch of humour that is clearly evident in his presentation, which is available as a download.
_____________________________________ 19th October 2009 Construction of the new East London Railway Line Andrew Petrie, Safety Manager for London Overground Railways gave a most interesting insight into the safety challenges involved in this massive and complex construction project. His presentation is available as a download. The project envisioned developing the old East London Underground line so it becomes a part of the Overground network that forms a ring around London with a connection to Croydon in the south and Dalston in the north. This involved a massive programme of construction work to modify existing facilities and install new track, stations and bridges all in close proximity to Londoners going about their normal business. The project allowed the specification of many safety features to be built into the new facilities such as accessibility for passengers, CCTV, fire fighting, automatic train stopping, etc.		__________________________________________ 19th October 2009 Construction of the new East London Railway Line (cont) Safety during the constructional work was primarily the responsibility of the contractors with monitoring and input by the client; as per CDM Regs. So far, the safety record of the construction work has been well above average. However, there was one major incident when debris from an installation problem caused severe delays to some passengers. This was the subject to a report by the Rail Accident Investigation Board. As the new line uses both overground and underground facilities it has been decided to set up a new organisation, London Overground, to operate and maintain the new line. Hence they are striving to establish the best safety standards and procedures from Network Rail and London Underground. The extended underground line is due to reopen in May 2010 and the link to Clapham Junction should be complete by 2012. The session concluded with some wide ranging questions from an attentive audience.
________________________________ 18th May 2009 Effective Management of Legionella Mick Gray, Principal Occupational Hygienist for MWG Associates Ltd, gave an authoritative review of Legionella hazards. His presentation is available as a download. Mick based his talk on some notable case studies since the bacteria was first identified in 1976. Facilities Managers really must have safety plans in place to minimise and monitor the growth of this deadly bacteria. This applies particularly to evaporative cooling water systems and to hot water systems in buildings. Newspaper headlines make it clear that when there is an outbreak, then employers and the public can become serious ill, with the possibility of some deaths. To avoid the possibility of criminal prosecution, it is advised that organisations should review the effectiveness of their precautions to control Legionella on an annual basis.		_____________________________ 14th September 2009 Fostering a Safety Culture Neil Budworth, Corporate Health & Safety Manager of E-On Ltd and a previous President of IOSH, gave two stimulating presentations on Safety Culture and Occupational Health; these are available as downloads. Neil started with some definitions of Safety Culture, one being "Unsafe behavior that is tolerated, will reoccur". He went on explain how Eon had set about changing their safety culture. Getting top management's commitment and involvement is essential. Hence it is essential to explain the importance of H&S in terms that managers can understand and relate to. Then, technical rules and procedures can be established and enforced. Neil is also a keen advocate for a proactive approach to occupational health issues and that H&S Specialists should adopt a key role in addressing these issues. See his presentation for more details.

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NB:- These reports have been written by a member of the audience so they may not fully reflect the views of the speaker.

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Page updated:- 04.09.2010
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