Judith Hackitt, chair of the health and safety executive, has said Britain’s systems of regulations are designed to help businesses thrive.
“The regulations, including COMAH, are not designed to stop you doing what you’re doing,” Ms Hackitt told delegates at The Process Safety Management Summit II on January 21st.
“The idea is that if you manage the risks, you can carrying on doing what your business does because you build trust and confidence in your ability to do it.”
She added: “We as regulators are here to help you be successful, to enable growth and prosperity, we are not in the business of stifling your success, we are here to enable you to be successful.”
Speaking as the HSE celebrates its 40th birthday, Ms Hackitt said the underpinning principles of Britain’s regulatory health and safety system “remained the same today” as when the HSE started.
“It’s about those who create the risks being the people who have to manage them and that they should do that in a proportionate way and in a practical way.”
This principle applied to all employers including the major hazard industries, offices and shops, she added.
Major incidents will always be a reality of high hazard sites until boardrooms start to mitigate risks through good process safety management, according to the chair of the Health and Safety Executive.
“We have to move away from this idea of process safety being seen as a specialist subject,” Judith Hackitt told delegates at The Process Safety Management Summit II on January 21st.
Ms Hackitt praised industry for making a “great deal of progress”, but said boardrooms needed to take a lead in ensuring good process safety practices across their high hazard sites.
“We need to change the mindset at the top of organisations starting with the boardroom but it doesn’t have to start there, you can still do things,” she said.
“Because unless we start somewhere, major incidents are going to happen which will cause substantial casualties, environmental loss, loss of assets, loss of the ability to produce and loss of reputation.”
Boardrooms which failed to focus on process safety had a “really really big gap” in their corporate risk register and were risking the “survival of their business”, she warned.
Alluding to avoiding well-documented “mistakes” such as Buncefield, Ms Hackitt said a “real need” also existed to mitigate “making new mistakes as businesses and processes change”.
The Health and Safety Executive is marking its 40th anniversary with an appeal for Lincolnshire businesses to put the wellbeing of workers centre stage during the new financial year.
The safety drive comes against the backdrop of fresh figures which show that two people lost their lives at work across Lincolnshire in 2013/14 with 1,252 suffering injuries. These numbers compare with two deaths and 1,286 injuries in Lincolnshire during the previous year.
Samantha Peace, HSE regional director for the East Midlands said: “The families of the workers in Lincolnshire who sadly lost their lives last year have just had to spend the festive period without their loved ones, while thousands of other workers were made ill through their work or had their lives changed forever by a major injury.
The figures “offer encouragement that we are continuing to head in the right direction”, but Ms Peace cautioned that they also “show that we can still go further and challenge the industries where there is room to do more”.
“Workplace conditions have improved dramatically in the past four decades, but as employers plan and prepare for the new financial year they need to ensure that health, safety and welfare is a clear focus.”
Health and safety national statistics
The Lincolnshire statistics, which show around 14,100 people were estimated to have fallen ill through work over the same period, were extracted from national safety figures.
Across Great Britain, 133 deaths occurred at work in 2013/14 with over 79,500 injuries formally reported through RIDDOR. An estimated 1.1 million people were also found to have been made ill.
The new safety statistics mark a huge reduction in incidents since the HSE established in January 1975 to enforce the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974.
HSE chair Judith Hackitt, welcomed the decline but warned against complacency on the part of employers when it comes to competently carrying out their health and safety requirements.
“In the forty years since HSE was formed, we’ve worked with businesses, workers and government to make Britain a healthier and safer place to work,” commented Ms Hackitt.
“Thousands of serious injuries have been prevented and work-related deaths have reduced by 85 per cent. HSE has helped Britain become one of the safest places to work in the world.”
But she underscored the need to stay mindful of the fact that there is “still a big challenge to prevent the suffering which does still occur”.
Ms Hackitt explained: “Seeing the annual statistics always leads to mixed emotions, sympathy for those who have suffered injury themselves and for the families and workmates of those who have lost their lives, determination to improve things further as well as encouragement that we are continuing to make progress in reducing the toll of suffering.
“For the last eight years we have consistently recorded one of the lowest rates of fatal injuries to workers among the leading industrial nations in Europe.
“However, in HSE’s 40th year it is right that we acknowledge the progress we’ve made and look to a future of striving to bring down these statistics even further.”
According to the figures, workers in construction, manufacturing and waste and recycling are most at risk. Agriculture was also pinpointed as industry where sustained improvement is needed.
The following table lists the numbers of deaths and injuries to workers across Lincolnshire during 2013/14.
| Local Authority |
2013-14 Fatalities
|
2013-14 Injuries
|
2013-14
Work-related illness
|
| Boston |
|
160
|
1,200
|
| East Lindsey |
|
190
|
2,600
|
| Lincoln |
|
193
|
1,900
|
| North Kesteven |
|
164
|
2,200
|
| South Holland |
|
215
|
1,600
|
| South Kesteven |
1
|
189
|
2,900
|
| West Lindsey |
1
|
141
|
1,700
|
| Lincolnshire TOTAL |
2
|
1,252
|
14,100
|
| GB TOTAL |
133
|
79,575
|
1,155,000
|
The full statistics, including comparisons to previous years, are available here
The Health and Safety Executive has published draft guidance to help businesses prepare ahead of the introduction of the Construction (Design and Management) Regulations 2015.
The new regulations, which are set to come into force on 6th April 2015 subject to parliamentary approval, will replace the existing Construction (Design and Management) Regulations 2007.
Philip White, the HSE’s chief inspector of construction, said the interim draft guidance would help anyone who has duties under the regulations to prepare in advance.
“The guidance may be subject to change while the regulations are awaiting parliamentary approval but we want duty holders to have the opportunity to familiarise themselves with the main requirements before they come into force,” he explained.
“In addition we have worked with the industry to produce guidance to assist small businesses. Both sets of guidance complement each other and will help anyone affected by CDM 2015 to prepare for the changes in the law.”
More information on the draft industry guidance can be found at the Health and Safety Executive’s website
Is the health and safety force strong with Star Wars? Fan reaction to the new teaser trailer would suggest that, in response to Kylo Ren’s distinctive crossguard lightsaber, they are not.
One viewer was so concerned that they carried out an unofficial risk assessment. The outcome of the review would seem to suggest that the mysterious villain’s weapon of choice may in fact stand in contravention of health and safety wars … sorry, we mean health and safety laws.
Ren’s personal safety, as depicted by the YouTube user named ThegnThrand, is at risk of falling prey to the dark side of the force. Indeed, the unguarded crossguard leaves him in danger of accidentally cutting off his thumbs or other appendages.
Likewise – and this is the view of our safety experts at Reynolds Training Services – the cloak donned by Ren falls foul of personal protective equipment rules. Sure, it looks cool but in practical terms it heightens the risk faced by Ren when at work. His employer needs to address this PPE issue posthaste.
Check out the video. Let us know in the comments whether you think Ren’s lightsaber is a health and safety hazard?
The health and safety wars video
The teaser trailer which sparked the safety concerns
The Health and Safety Executive is urging business to commit to a New Year’s resolution designed to bring an end to the health and safety “blame game”.
Judith Hackitt, chair of HSE and the Myth Busters Challenge Panel, said the time had come for employers to stop blaming health and safety for poor or over-the-top decisions.
“HSE wants to encourage everyone, especially those working in leisure and retail, to make a resolution to stop using the health and safety catch-all excuse,” Ms Hackitt said in comments reported on the HSE’s website.
Ms Hackitt was speaking against the backdrop of new research which reveals that half of all cases put to HSE’s Myth Busters Challenge Panel came from shops, cafes and leisure centres.
A prevailing fear of being sued, cost avoidance and lack of training were key drivers behind the use of the health and safety myths, according to the research.
As such, Ms Hackitt said it was incumbent upon businesses to start the year as they meant to go on by giving customers “the real reasons” for the decisions they take.
“We want people to be honest – giving health and safety the blame is lazy and unhelpful,” she added. “Customers are at the heart of any business. Getting rid of over-the-top decisions blamed on health and safety will improve the service customers receive and enable the business to prosper.”
Health and Safety Executive turns 40
Calls to curtail the health and safety blame culture come as the regulator celebrates its 40th anniversary year.
Department for Work and Pensions Minister, Mark Harper, poured praise on the HSE for its “fantastic work” keeping people safe over the past four decades.
But Mr Harper warned that the continuation of “elf n safety myths” would only get in the way of efforts to “save lives”.
“No employer or worker should hide behind the health and safety excuses, if they act in a sensible way,” he said.
Mr Harper urged anybody who hears what they suspect to be a “bogus health and safety myth” to report it to the HSE’s panel for review.
Health and safety guidance: The Health and Safety Executive has published updated regulatory guidance surrounding the safe use of lifting equipment.
This Approved Code of Practice and guidance lays down what you should do to comply with the Lifting Operations and Lifting Equipment Regulations 1998 (LOLER).
It is designed for:
- Those involved in working with any equipment provided at work or for the use of people at work
- Those who employ such people
- Those that represent them and those people who act as a competent person in the examination of lifting equipment
This edition, which brings the document up to date with regulatory and other changes, clarifies which equipment is subject to the provisions of the regulations and the role of the competent person.
More information is available at the Health and Safety Executive’s website.
NEBOSH training courses Lincolnshire 2015: With 2015 upon us, we’ve just added a range of new NEBOSH oil and gas training courses dates in Lincolnshire.
Book your place now on the NEBOSH International Technical Certificate in Oil and Gas Safety. This NEBOSH training course runs at CATCH, Stallingborough in Lincolnshire during March, June, September and November.
NEBOSH training course handout
Download, print and/or share your guide to NEBOSH training courses in Lincolnshire during 2015.
Book your place now:
Booking places on this NEBOSH training course couldn’t be easier. You can do so online right now for the following available dates:
- March 2015
- June 2015
- September 2015
- November 2015
If you would rather speak to a real person about the NEBOSH International Technical Certificate in Oil and Gas Safety, just let us know and we’ll be happy to help.
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About Reynolds Training Services
Reynolds Training Services is a Lincolnshire-based provider of health and safety training, courses and consultancy. Working with businesses in Grimsby, Scunthorpe, Hull, the wider UK and globally, Reynolds Training Services is accredited to deliver the NEBOSH International Technical Certificate in Oil and Gas Safety.
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Health and safety guidance alert: The Health and Safety Executive has published updated regulatory guidance surrounding safe work practices within confined spaces.
This edition brings the document up to date with regulatory and other changes. The guidance has been simplified for ease of accessibility, with particular emphasis on clarifying the definition of a ‘confined space’.
The updated health and safety document:
- Details the regulatory definition of a confined space
- Helps you assess the risk of working within a particular confined space
- Guides you towards putting precautions in place for work to be carried out safely
Other changes to the health and safety document include:
- A flowchart to help inform the decision-making process
- Additional examples including new workplace risks such as specifically created hypoxic environments and fire suppression systems
- Changes pertaining to the need to check, examine and test equipment
More information is available at the Health and Safety Executive’s website.
Health and safety news: A national oil and environmental services company has been fined £25,000 after a tanker explosion left two workers badly burned.
Adler and Allan Ltd was prosecuted by the Health and Safety Executive following the incident at its site in Walkden on 5th March 2013.
Manchester Crown Court heard how a subsequent HSE investigation revealed that the company’s procedure for cleaning out the tanker lorry had been unsafe.
A 32-year-old male from Eccles, who wishes to remain unnamed, incurred life-changing injuries. He is now unable to expose his skin to direct sunlight and is unlikely ever to be able to return to work.
Speaking after the hearing, HSE inspector David Norton said: “Two men were badly burned, with one suffering horrific, life-changing injuries, because their employer didn’t do enough to make sure they stayed safe.”
Health and Safety at Work Act 1974
The court heard that on the day of the incident the workers were using the tanker to remove fuel from disused pumps at Plant Hill police station in Manchester. After dropping off a load of waste petrol, the men headed to Adler and Allan’s site on Harcourt Street to clean out the inside of the tanker.
Reversing the vehicle into the yard, they opened the rear door on the tanker in readiness to use a pressure washer gun. As this happened, an explosion engulfed both men, triggering a fire that destroyed the side of a neighbouring building.
The HSE’s investigation found that petrol vapour had been allowed to escape into the yard when the tanker door was opened. A subsequent spark from the pressure washer or other ignition source at the site then caused the explosion.
HSE inspector Mr Norton commented: “Adler & Allan is experienced in dealing with flammable substances but its risk assessment for cleaning out the tanker did not identify fire or explosion as a potential danger.
“The firm now uses a specialist contractor to clean out its tankers to avoid the risk of vapours escaping. If this procedure had been in place at the time of the incident then the injuries both men suffered could have been avoided.”
Adler & Allan Ltd, of Station Parade in Harrogate, pleaded guilty to a breach of the Health and Safety at Work etc Act 1974 on 12 December 2014. The company was fined £25,000 and ordered to pay £8,166 in prosecution costs.
