QUARRY INDUSTRY BEATS 'HARD TARGET
The quarry industry has celebrated surpassing its 'Hard Target' in reducing all reportable injuries by 52% in five years from a baseline of 655 to 317 in the reporting year 2004/05
In an event held to celebrate the achievement, Health and Safety Commission (HSC) Commissioner, Hugh Robertson, congratulated all those who had helped reach the target. He said: "Well done to everybody in the industry who has risen to the challenge of the 'Hard Target'- to cut reportable injuries by 50% by 2005. The quarry industry has shown that a competent management and a genuinely involved workforce will deliver targets making it an exemplar to other traditional heavy industries."
The achievement has included significant progress against each of the Health and Safety Executive's (HSE) priority programmes ie falls from height; slips and trips injuries; manual handling injuries; and work place transport injuries. Helen Turner of HSE's Manufacturing Sector called on industry to recommit to a further 50% reduction in reportable incidents by 2010. She said: "In order for injury reduction to be sustained into the future we must ensure not only that we share a common vision of where we want to be, but also that it is the right vision, and we know the steps we must take to get us there together. The thrust of HSE's efforts over the last five years has used the overall concepts of commitment, competence and involvement and these remain key underpinning requirements."
The Quarries National Joint Advisory Committee is adopting the title of Target Zero a World Class Industry for this next stage. Other speakers highlighted areas of activity, which remain priorities if injury reduction is to be sustained. These include occupational ill health, workforce involvement, working effectively with contractors and hauliers, equipment design, gaining and supporting improvements in small and medium sized businesses, and maintaining emphasis on the competence of all who work in the quarry industry.
INDEPENDENT CHAIR OF BUNCEFIELD INVESTIGATION BOARD
The Health and Safety Commission (HSC) has announced the appointment of the Rt. Hon. Lord Newton of Braintree as the independent chairman of the board supervising the investigation into the Buncefield oil depot incident on 11 December 2005. Commenting on his appointment, Lord Newton, said: "The HSC's decision to establish an investigation board was a significant move and highlights the severity of the incident and the degree of concern for people living close to the Buncefield site and to the wider industry. The investigation will be carried out thoroughly, objectively and concluded in a timely manner with its findings made public as soon as possible, subject to legal considerations."
The investigation board will report to both HSC and the Environment Agency. The HSC Chair, Bill Callaghan, has approved the membership of the board. As well as the board chair, it also includes two other independent members with relevant expertise, Professor Dougal Drysdale, a leading authority on fire safety engineering and Dr Peter Baxter, a consultant physician in occupational and environmental medicine. Other board members are Taf Powell, Investigation Manager and head of HSE's Offshore Division, David Ashton, head of HSE's Field Operations North West and Headquarters Division and Paul Leinster, Director of Operations at the Environment Agency. The board will oversee the investigation in accordance with HSE's Major Incident Investigation Policy and Procedures. The Commission will publish the special report under Section 14(5) of the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974.
STAFF REHABILITATION AND MANAGING SICKNESS ABSENCE CONFERENCE PROVIDES KEY TO HUGE REWARDS
The Health and Safety Executive's (HSE) manufacturing sector has announced a 'best practice' conference on rehabilitation and managing sickness absence among employees in manufacturing industries. The conference takes place on 9 March 2006 in Stoke-On-Trent and is aimed at key intermediaries involved in manufacturing industries, such as trade associations, employer associations, trade unions and training organisations. It brings together a series of speakers who will share their success stories on how they implemented effective programmes to manage sickness absence and rehabilitation, together with the business and human benefits that flow from them. Delegates will be able to take away examples to adapt and apply to help their own stakeholders realise similar successful strategies. Announcing the conference, Terry Aston from HSE's manufacturing sector said: "Long-term sickness absence costs UK businesses over £3.8 billion each year. Organisations that have implemented effective management programmes have reaped huge rewards in terms of having a healthy workforce, reducing costs, improving competitiveness, improving workplace relationships and holding on to valued staff. One of our speakers will, for example, show how his company reduced musculoskeletal disorders by 90% and through that, saved not only considerable human suffering, but also £0.5 million in the first year of their programme alone. Other businesses can learn from this experience."
The venue for the conference is the North Staffordshire Medical Institute, Hartshill Road, in Stoke-on-Trent. Organisations and individuals who are interested in attending should forward their details, including the organisation they represent to: Tracey Oliva, HSE, Manufacturing Sector (Stakeholder Engagement Section), Lyme Vale Court, Parklands Business Park, Newcastle Road, Trent Vale, Stoke-on-Trent, ST4 6NW. Tel 01782 602340, Fax 01782 602400 or mail to: tracey.oliva@hse.gsi.gov.uk
HSE TO CONTRIBUTE SAFETY REPORT TO ENERGY REVIEW
The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) has confirmed that it is to produce a report on health and safety issues relating to significant energy sources and technologies, as a contribution to the Government's Energy Review. The Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) has asked HSE for an expert report that assesses potential risks associated with new energy developments and sets out HSE's regulatory approach to ensuring these risks are sensibly managed by industry. HSE Chief Executive, Geoffrey Podger, said: "Safety is an important consideration in this Review and HSE welcomes the Government's recognition of this. There are risks associated with energy generation and distribution, as with most industrial activity. Sensible health and safety is about managing such risks effectively, not eliminating them, and ensuring the regulatory system enjoys public confidence. HSE is committed to working with others to improve health and safety but without hindering technological and industrial development. "HSE has established a project team to deliver the HSE report, which will be published, by the end of June. HSE will provide independent, expert advice on health and safety issues. It will not be for HSE to offer views on the desirability or economic viability of specific energy options. DTI has asked HSE to offer expert advice on risks, both to workers and the public, arising from some recent and possible future developments, including:
- An increasing need for gas storage as the UK becomes an importer;
- New demonstration projects for carbon capture and storage, and its potential in the UK;
- Increasing penetration of renewables (e.g. wind, wave, biomass) and distributed generation; and
- In the event of the building of new nuclear power stations, the potential role of pre-licensing assessments of candidate designs.
Geoffrey Podger concluded: "HSE is pleased to have been asked to make this contribution to the Energy Review and we are committed firmly to delivering a quality product to DTI by the end of June."
For further details of the Energy Review see www.dti.gov.uk/energy/review
PARTNERSHIP TO PROMOTE HEALTH AND SAFETY IN MANUFACTURING
The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) today signed a ground-breaking partnership agreement with EEF, the manufacturers' organisation, to promote effective health and safety management across manufacturing industries. The agreement, the first of its kind between HSE and other organisations, builds on a strong history of co-operation. It recognises EEF's expertise in the field of health and safety and the quality advice and services it provides to member companies.
The partnership will provide manufacturing companies with an improved network for communication with HSE. This will allow them to receive the latest information and guidance from the regulator, as well as offering opportunities to feedback issues, concerns and examples of good practice. Industry will also benefit from joint seminar and training events covering issues that particularly effect manufacturing. These will feature technical input from HSE's specialist staff, as well as information on best practice and implementation from EEF's network of health and safety professionals.
Bill Callaghan, Chair of the Health and Safety Commission (HSC), said in his keynote speech at the launch: "I am sure that the EEF/HSE partnership will help us achieve our vision of being a modern, 21st century regulator. I hope all here at the partnership launch recognise the great benefits that regulation can bring in protecting people at work. But we all know that ill-esigned regulation can bring unnecessary burden. Getting the balance right can be tricky but you have already helped us on difficult issues."
On signing the agreement EEF Director General, Martin Temple said: "Manufacturing companies take their health and safety responsibilities extremely seriously. This agreement is a recognition not only of EEF's expertise in this area, but a signal of our commitment to promoting effective health and safety as part of a best practice business culture."
HSE Head of Field Operations, Sandra Caldwell signed the agreement for HSE, commenting: "This partnership agreement reflects a relationship of equals interested in a strong manufacturing sector with a healthy and safe workforce. It offers improved communications, better co-ordination of effort, greater efficiency in the delivery of effort and empowers us to work together more effectively without constraining initiative."
The partnership between the two organisations will extend across England, Wales and Scotland, establishing close links between staff operating in every region. EEF, the manufacturers' organisation, has a membership of 6,000 manufacturing, engineering and technology-based businesses and represents the interests of manufacturing at all levels. Further information on the organisation can be found at: www.eef.org.uk
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