News of The London Health and Safety Group

News for 2011

12th December 2011 A Fall from Height Jason Anker was paralysed from the waist down when he was 24, due to an avoidable incident on a construction site when he fell off a ladder. Jason described the consequences to him over the last 19 years of this "Major Injury" accident. There are the obvious problems of coming to terms with being paralysed from the waist down. This included an intimate account of the essential processes in dealing with bodily wastes. It had a dramatic impact of his family life because his wife immediately left with their two children. Re-establishing and re-defining his role as a father was described as major emotional upheaval. Also friends gradually drifted away. Money problems loomed large, because the accident compensation took many years to be agreed and paid.		12th December 2011 A Fall from Height (contd.) Depression set in, followed by drink, drugs and degradation. After a very dark period, Jason managed to get his life back on track. He now makes a business of describing his personal experience. This is a way of trying the persuade employees to take health and safety seriously. He stressed the importance of employee engagement and safety being more than a tick box activity. See his website for more information. This detailed but good humoured presentation clearly gripped the audience's attention. They gave a spontaneous and heart felt round of applause for this powerful insight into to what can happen when things go badly wrong.
______________________________ 17th October 2011 Dynamic Risk Assessment Chris Ellis from Bryne Bros replaced the advertised speaker at very short notice and gave a most interesting presentation on Dynamic Risk Assessment (DRA). The traditional risk assessment works well in situations were the work is predictable and it is carried out in a stable environment. However, for people such as the Police and Fire Services their working is not predictable and the threats can change dramatically within a short time while they are dealing with the situation. Hence the reason for the Fire Service developing DRA in the early 1990's. An essential feature of DRA Training is for everyone to develop a common perception of risk for a given situation. Only then can individuals be expected to carry out an assessment and come to similar conclusions. Hence DRAs need to be documented after the event and reviewed. Then the lessons learnt need to be feed back into the training programmes.		_____________________________ 21st November 2011 Asbestos Management Mark Sarton from Sypol, gave a presentation on the change in standards now that Type 1-3 Asbestos Surveys have been superseded by Management or Refurbishment & Demolition Surveys. He went on to discuss how this affects your business and your legal requirement to manage and share information with third parties. Also what to look for when preparing a robust Asbestos Management Plan and selecting contractors. His presentation is available as a download and the slides form a comprehensive set of notes on the subject.
______________________________ 19th September 2011 Occupational Health Cheryl Toms and Jane Coombs from Constructing Better Health (CBH) gave a presentation on the benefits of building an effective occupational health (OH) service. Their presentation is available as a download. CBH is a not-for-profit company setup by the construction industry to promote excellent occupational health standards in their industry. Cheryl started by quoting recent statistics that show there are many more deaths from ill health than from accidents (12,000/year : 152/year). Hence she advocates all employer to setup an appropriate occupational health service. This OH service could be In-house, Local GP, OH Contractor or National Company. There are pros and cons for each option, so each employer needs to carefully consider their requirements. In addition, Cheryl emphasised the need for an organisation to have arrangements for implementing and following up on the OH action plan for an individual.		______________________________ 19th September 2011 Occupational Health (contd) Jane talked about some of the health issues that can arise. Starting with pre-existing issues outside of work. Then the work environment can lead to a very wide range of health problems; e.g. Noise induced hearing loss, Occupational asthma, Vibration white finger, Work related upper limb disorders (WRULDs), Back Injuries, Stress, etc. The benefits of an OH service can include taking pro-active measures to prevent serious harm, facilitating effective rehabilitation and providing health care prescribed by legislation. Additional benefits can include reducing costs by avoiding insurance claims, improving productivity because more people are at work for more of the time, improving moral because employees feel they are working for a caring company and enhancing the company's reputation on CSR matters. The attentive audience responded with several questions that showed OH is a topic of serious concern and enduring interest.
_____________________________ 13th June 2011 H&S in the Film Industry Jake Edmonds from Leavesden Studios gave a presentation on the H&S challenges he had faced in the film industry. His talk was illustrated with film clips, which are not available as downloads. Jake explained that the context of the film industry could be viewed as glamorous and fast moving but the underlying H&S challenges are frequently very familiar to all H&S practitioners. It is absolutely essential to build a reputation for giving good advice that is trusted and respected. Many of the film shoots are subject to lengthy planning meetings when it is crucial for H&S considerations to be built into the process from the very beginning. Once the filming begins the H&S professional needs to be on hand to respond to sudden changes. For instance, a director wanted the windows blacked out to stop sunlight coming into the room. Whereupon, abseilers were instructed to cover the windows with sheets on the outside of this tall building.		_______________________________ 13th June 2011 H&S in the Film Industry (contd) As ever, people's perception of danger can be different from reality. For instance, a film crew going to Africa was fearful of being bitten by lions or snakes. However, it was the biting insects that caused a fever in all the crew and delayed the filming for over a week. The film crew had refused to wear long sleeved shirt and long trousers and boots rather than sandals. Motivating people on the film set to adopt good H&S practices can be difficult because almost all of them are self employed. However, one of the powerful considerations when working on location is not to upset the owners of the facilities; loss of location would be very expensive and disastrously disruptive. So this can be a spur to encouraging good working practices. The film clips from the Harry Potter movies clearly illustrated the excitement of the thrilling stunts. However, the film makers could not possibly afford to pay injury compensation to a top movie stars; so their H&S was of paramount importance. This helps create a culture that benefits everyone.
___________________________ 11th April 2011 AGM and HSE Report for the Year The meeting started with the Group's AGM. None of the items on the agenda proved to be controversial so the formalities were dealt with promptly. The outgoing committee was re-elected with the addition of Stuart Bernard. Tim Galloway, HSE Head of Operations London, gave a presentation on HSE Priorities and Activities, this is available as a download. Tim's talk focused on three priority topics. Firstly, the developments arising for Lord Young's review "Common Sense, Common Safety". Secondly, the need for effective pro-active initiatives to ensure that the Olympics are successful and accident free. Thirdly, with a reducing budget, HSE is focusing their inspections on high risk sectors and poor performers, where they can reasonably expect to make an impact. Significant outcomes from the Common Sense, Common Safety Review include the introduction of a register of competent H&S Consultants, on-line risk assessment forms and specific guidance for low risk businesses such as shops, offices and schools to minimise the burden of H&S legislation on SMEs. In addition, he mentioned the merger of the HSE London and SE Regions and the moves to work more closely with the Environmental Health Officers of the Local Authorities.		___________________________ 16th May 2011 Visit to Taskmasters Ltd It can be quite surprising what one gets into during a LHSG visit. Taskmasters have two major strands to their business. They have a team of experts who specialist in rescue at height. So for instance, if a tower crane driver becomes ill and is unable to get himself down, then they will undertake the rescue. Secondly, they have a training unit in New Romney on the south coast were they utilise their knowledge and experience to train others. They offer courses in all aspects of the theory and practice related to the Working at Height Regs and Confined Space Regs. There are classroom sessions for supervisors needing to plan in sensible precautions to counteract the potential hazards. Taskmasters practical training facilities built into an aircraft like structure was the highlight of the visit. There was a tower crane simulator, an inclined roof and an enclosed room for confined space exercises. These were available for us to use and gain first hand experience in using the specialist equipment and harnesses. In addition, DeWalt provided a demonstration of their hand held tools and their facilities for dust collection and minimising harmful vibrations.
_______________________________ 14th March 2011 Vibration Health Hazards Huw Kellett, Head of Occupational Hygiene at Riverside Environmental Services, gave a most informative presentation on Vibration Health Hazards; this is available as a download. Huw outlined the three areas of concern. Firstly, hand-arm vibration (HAV) which could affect approximately 5m workers who use hand operated tools. The vibrations can cause significant pain and damage to blood flow, joints and nerves; typified by "vibration white finger" disease. Secondly, whole body vibration where shocks and jolts from driving certain types of vehicles can cause severe back pain. Thirdly, vibration that could damage buildings and other structures. Huw highlighted the HSE website as a valuable source of some very useful information. There are HAV guides for employers, employee and tools for calculating daily exposure. The HSE also has some helpful guidance on whole body vibration hazards.		____________________________ 14th March 2011 Vibration Health Hazards (contd) The Control of Vibration at Work Regulations 2005 is the relevant legislation. For HAV it specifies an Exposure Action Value (EAV) of 2.5m/s2 A(8). At this level employers should introduce technical and organisational measures to reduce exposure. There is also an Exposure Limit Value (ELV) of 5.0m/s2 A(8); which should not be exceeded. There is a similar regime for whole body vibration. To carry out a meaningful risk assessment it is usually necessary to take measurements. This is because actual working conditions and the maintenance of the tool can give significantly different figures from the typical figures quoted by the manufacturers. The preventive and protective controls should consider the usual hierarchy of controls, maintenance, discussion with employees, health surveillance and regular reviews. For vibration hazards to buildings there are British Specification that can provide some guidance. To evaluate a particular situation really requires the use of specialist instruments operated by an expert.
__________________________________ 14th February 2011 Fire Safety - Are You Compliant Phil Spurgin, director of Safety Consultancy Services, gave a presentation on Fire Safety - Are You Compliant; this is available as a download. Phil's talk was based on a personal overview of incidents, attitudes and oversights since the coming into force of the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 (RRFSO). (The government has issued guidance on implementation.) The RRFSO has replaced all previous fire legislation and has improved the definition of who is the "Responsible Person". Hence the need for a risk assessment and protective plan should be delegated by a senior person with authority. However, in Phil's experience there are still some organisations where there is a lack of commitment from the top, insufficient time and finance available, Fire Risk Assessments (FRA) that are not thorough enough, FRA identified action points are not implemented, nominated persons who are insufficiently trained for the duties expected of them, etc. This probably stems from a lack of appreciation of the devastating effects that a fire can cause.		_________________________________ 14th February 2011 Fire Safety - Are You Compliant (contd) There are many notable examples of devastating fires; Lakanal House, Camberwell, 6 killed in high rise flats, July 2009; Buncefield Fuel Terminal, serious damage but no deaths, Dec 2005; Kings Cross Underground, 27 killed, Nov 1987; Piper Alpha Oil Platform, 167 killed, July 1988; Flixborough Chemical Factory, 28 killed, June 1974. The Flixborough incident was the precursor to the Robbins Report and the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974. In addition, there are very many smaller fires every year. Recent statistics show that for non-domestic premises in England, the Fire and Rescue Service were called to 22,000 fire in a year (i.e. 60 fires/day). In many cases, an organisation or a site never recover from a serious fire; they simple go out of business. Hence there are some compelling reasons to treat fire prevention as a very important objective. This meeting was very well attended and the members took a keen interest in the topic. The vote of thanks to the speaker was endorsed with an enthusiastic round of applause.
_______________________________ 17th January 2011 Lone worker Safety Martin Rodgers, a director of Peoplesafe, gave a presentation on the Assessment and Protection of Lone Workers; this is available as a download. Martin started by defining Lone Workers as those who work by themselves without close or direct supervision; ref HSE Booklet on Working Alone INDG73 This quickly leads to the realisation that there are a lot of people that can fall into this category during part of their normal duties. The risks faced by lone workers can vary widely, so these need to be considered carefully in the assessment and protection plan. In all cases, the HSE expects the Employer to "confirm the safety of a lone worker at reasonable intervals". Hence an effective means of communication is essential. Martin went on to describe the equipment and services that Peoplesafe offer to assist in this area. There was a large audience for this talk, so the topic is clearly of current interest.		________________________________ Alan Butler Awards for Excellence in H&S - 2010 The LHSG is affiliated to Safety Groups UK and RoSPA who promote the Alan Butler Awards. For further information, please see the website for Safety Groups UK. The Awards are open to all safety groups in the UK. The LHSG presented a submission in all four categories; Best Communication, Best Programme, Best Seminar and Best Recruitment. The LHSG's submission for Best Communication was Commended by the judges. The awards were presented to the winners on 24th January at a special luncheon held in the House of Lords.

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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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