STAGESAFE | Event Safety - Health & Safety Services - Safety Training | News for 2007

News for 2007

November

London venue using software-based crowd management system

The O2 in London is a multi-attraction venue that features a 20,000 capacity arena. The destination also includes IndigO2, a smaller live music venue, an 11-screen Vue cinema and over 25 bars and restaurants. The overall capacity of The O2 is in excess of 50,000. When tickets for the Spice Girls’ December concert at The O2 arena in London went on sale, all 20,000 were snapped up in 38 seconds. Each and every one of the concert-goers will be counted in and out of The O2 by video analytics software from Ipsotek.

The O2, owned and operated by AEG Europe, has installed Ipsotek’s people-counting system across dedicated cameras at its main entrances so that AEG’s management and tenants benefit from hour-by-hour, day-by-day analysis. Ipsotek’s software was chosen for its ability to provide an accurate, automated headcount covering both steady streams of visitors and sudden influxes during high-profile events.

Tim Rawlins, Operations Director at The O2, said: “We were impressed that Ipsotek could cover multiple entrances with a high degree of accuracy. Naturally our principal reasons for wanting to know how many people are within The O2 concern health, safety and staffing levels, but as London’s major entertainment destination we also need to measure footfall for our tenants.”

He continued: “Data is freely available to the operations room and Ipsotek has set up trigger points on visitor numbers so that we receive emails at certain threshold figures and when we are approaching maximum occupancy. We are able to export figures in convenient formats – including spreadsheets, graphs and pie charts – to a range of business customers who may want templates that tell them about footfall during particular periods. The Ipsotek interface could not be easier to use and I have running totals available to me 24 hours a day.”

The O2 presented considerable challenges, notably the need to count clusters of people who might be walking three or more abreast through the same doorway. In addition to totals, the client needed reports on peaks and troughs at the entrance. Ipsotek’s combination of software and hardware was one of few offerings able to analyse busy CCTV images and convert the data into meaningful statistics.

The venue’s management knew there would be bursts of activity in the run-up to a major concert but a counting system using people mass was not acceptable to them. They also felt that manual counts would be inaccurate and time-consuming. Cameras from ADT have been positioned above the entrance points and the system is networked to provide a count for individual or combined doors.

Chris Gomersall, CEO of Ipsotek, said: “Few, if any, commercially available systems possess either the advanced analytics or the processing power to cope with the demanding conditions at The O2. We are delighted to have such an iconic London landmark on our client list. ”

HSE warns on work at height

The HSE has warned employers to ensure they have safe systems of work in place when working at height. The warning follows the HSE’s prosecution of a Merseyside company after an employee fell 8m through a roof and broke his arm. Animal feed manufacturer B. Tickle and Sons Ltd of Woodend Avenue, Speke was fined £2,500 and ordered to pay costs of £1,828 at Liverpool Magistrates Court yesterday after pleading guilty to breaching section 2(1) of the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974. On 11 June 2006, John Dyer went onto the roof of the company’s building with a colleague to repair a gutter. They accessed the roof via a fire escape, climbing through the handrail onto the fragile roof where Mr Dyer fell through a skylight.

HSE Inspector Martin Paren said: “This was an avoidable incident and the consequences could have been far worse. On average one person dies every month at work after falling through a fragile roof or skylight and many others sufferer permanent disabling injury. Contractors and building owners or occupiers have a joint legal responsibility to ensure that construction, repair or cleaning is planned properly and carried out safely. If your company does not have the specialist knowledge for this type of work, it should not be attempted. Repairing a fragile roof is potentially high risk.

"Before work starts, ensure that a competent person assesses the roof using a safe system of work. All those carrying out the repair work must be suitable trained and supervised and follow a method of work based on a risk assessment.”

HSE appeal allowed

The HSE has been allowed to appeal against a ruling that it had to prove a managing director had knowledge of unsafe practices to be convicted of an offence under the Health and Safety at Work Act. The defendant company was responsible for management of an industrial area where a child died as a result of an accident involving a forklift truck carrying an unsecured load.

The HSE alleged that the manner in which the unsecured load was carried contravened safe working practices. It prosecuted the company for offences of breach of duty under, inter alia, section 3 of the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974 to ensure the health and safety of others, and it prosecuted the second defendant, the company's managing director, under section 37(1) with being an officer of a body corporate to whom offences committed by that body corporate were attributable by his consent, connivance or neglect.

At a preparatory hearing, the HSE contended that the managing director had ultimate responsibility for ensuring that the company complied with safe systems of work; and that he was aware of the unsafe practice of carrying unsecured loads, but through consent, connivance or neglect suffered the company to continue breaches of its duty under the 1974 Act.

The judge made a preliminary ruling that to establish the offence under section 37(1) the prosecution had to prove subjective knowledge by the second defendant of the material facts giving rise to the breaches, and that he was neglectful of his duty to act in relation to those facts in the sense that he either knew or ought to have known but shut his eyes to the fact that there were reasonable practical steps that he could have taken. The HSE appealed against the judge's ruling.

The Court of Appeal held: The requirements of section 37(1) of the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974 did not refer to wilful neglect, and the question was not whether the defendant ought to have been aware of the material facts in the sense that he turned a blind eye. Where there was no actual knowledge of the state of facts, the question was whether the officer should none the less, by reason of the surrounding circumstances, have been put on inquiry, so as to require him to have taken steps to determine whether or not the appropriate safety procedures were in place.

Accordingly, in order to establish a case to go before the jury, the prosecution did not have to prove that the defendant knew of the practice and its dangers, if there were circumstances which ought to have put him on inquiry as to that practice, and that was a question which could only be answered at the end of the prosecution case. The judge's ruling at the preliminary stage had been too prescriptive, and the appeal would be allowed to the extent of abstracting from the ruling the requirement that the defendant did know the material facts.

The appeal was allowed.

Hogmany celebrations to be sandbagged

It is one of Scotland's most iconic events - renowned the world over and worth tens of millions of pounds to the nation's economy. Yet the fate of Edinburgh's Hogmanay celebrations may be resting on sandbags. They are among a series of extra measures being introduced this year to ensure the event can withstand anything but the worst weather. Organisers have refused to scale down any area of the street party this year - despite two of the last four events falling victim to the elements.

They insist they will leave it as late as possible to make a decision on whether the party actually goes ahead. Portable toilets will be bound together and held down by sandbags in order to avoid a repeat of last year, when several were seen hurtling down Princes Street. Two stewards were injured by "flying" portable toilets in the run-up to the 2006-7 street party, which was called off after an emergency meeting at 8pm.

The size of lighting rigs in the main arena at the Ross Theatre, where the flagship Concert in the Gardens is staged, is to be reduced after the main one fell over. Temporary bars on Princes Street are to be turned around to face Edinburgh Castle, in a bid to reduce possible crowd congestion next to shops. Winds of up to 92mph were recorded in Edinburgh city centre last year, at the height of storms that wreaked havoc across the UK. Belfast cancelled its Hogmanay party at 1:30pm, Newcastle axed its bash at 3pm and Glasgow's celebration was called off an hour later.

At 7pm, Edinburgh organisers were insisting that their party was going ahead. An official decision was not made until almost 9pm. A spokesman for City of Edinburgh Council, which stages the party, said: "Everything possible will be done to ensure that the street party can go ahead, even if there are weather problems earlier in the day. "We were pretty happy with the arrangements that were in place last year. The big problem was the winds, which were just too strong on the night."

Andrew Holmes, director of city development, said: "Last year it was just not safe enough for performers to go on stage. Public safety has to be paramount." Pete Irvine, director of Unique Events, the event's producers, said: "We'll take the advice of weather and safety experts, but it's best to leave it as long as possible to make a decision. We could cancel in the afternoon and find the weather improves." The four-day festival is believed to generate upwards of £30 million.

Fines for corporate manslaughter unveiled

Companies found guilty of the new corporate manslaughter offence could be fined 10% of their annual turnover, under proposals published this week. The Sentencing Advisory Panel (SAP) said firms could be fined an even higher sum for a particularly serious offence, or if they had previous convictions. The new offence - due to come into force next April - is designed to make it easier to prosecute companies whose negligence causes a death.

A report by the SAP said its recommendations could lead to larger fines than those previously handed out by the courts for health and safety offences. It also suggested that large national companies convicted of the crime could be forced to publish details of the case in a newspaper, TV or radio advert. The legislation will allow courts to impose a "publicity order" to name and shame offenders. In addition, the SAP suggested that details of the conviction be included in the company's annual report and shareholders notified.

The panel's consultation document said the starting point for a fine - in the case of a first-time offender who pleaded not guilty - should be 5% of the company's annual turnover, calculated as an average over the previous three years. Aggravating or mitigating factors could lead to a fine of between 2.5% and 10% of turnover, with the worst cases leading to an even higher penalty, it added.

The panel proposed setting a minimum fine for corporate manslaughter, because fines against some small companies would be relatively low if based on their turnover. It also warned that courts should be aware that some firms may try to alter their accounts in an attempt to lower their fines. The largest health and safety fine to date in the UK was £15m against Transco in 2005 for regulation breaches which led to the deaths of four members of a family in a gas explosion in Larkhall, South Lanarkshire, in December 1999.

After the Hatfield train derailment, which claimed four lives in 2000, maintenance firm Balfour Beatty was fined £7.5m and Network Rail was handed a £3.5m penalty. Responses to the SAP's consultation paper can be submitted until 7 February. The panel will then hand its recommendations to the Sentencing Guidelines Council, chaired by Lord Chief Justice Lord Phillips, which will draw up final guidelines for judges.

Migrant labour warning issued

Businesses must source migrant labour through legal means or face severe penalties, the Home Office announced today. The Government is setting out new measures to prevent illegal working following a consultation with UK businesses. Under a new system of civil penalties, employers who negligently hire illegal workers could face a maximum fine of £10,000 for each illegal worker employed.

If employers are found to have knowingly hired illegal workers they could incur an unlimited fine and be sent to prison. The measures, which take effect in February 2008, will make it easier than ever before for employers to carry out checks and for the Border and Immigration Agency (BIA) to deal with non-compliance. The civil penalties form part of the biggest immigration shake-up for forty years,

Other the next 12 months BIA will also introduce:

an Australian-style Points Based System to make sure only workers with the skills to benefit Britain's economy come to the UK;
single border force bringing together the Border and Immigration Agency, Customs and UK Visas providing a tougher, highly visible policing presence at Britain's ports and airports; and
compulsory ID cards for foreign nationals allowing us to know who is here and what they are entitled to.

Home Secretary Jacqui Smith said of the new civil penalties: "By stamping out illegal working we are making the UK a less attractive destination for illegal migration. The new civil penalties are a more effectve way of dealing with employers who use slipshod or exploitative recruitment methods. Together with the introduction of compulsory identity cards for foreign nationals next year, there can be no excuse for not checking the identity of those applying for jobs. By working together with employers and others we have developed a system that delivers the migrants the UK needs, but which also keeps out those that it does not."

The Government today also published a Statement of Intent setting out a new approach for licensing employers or colleges who wish to sponsor migrants for visa applications. Under the Points Based System employers and colleges will need a licence in order to sponsor migrants. To earn and hold a licence they must agree to fulfil certain duties. Employers will need to understand how these changes, under the Points Based System and the new civil penalty regime, will affect recruitment and employment practices.

To build awareness the Government is also launching a national press advertising campaign, and has enhanced the employment verification scheme for employers. The new measures are part of a broader package of proposals introduced to toughen border controls, increase enforcement activity and enhance joint working with police and other Government agencies in order to tackle illegal immigration and its consequences.

STAGESAFE to run Safety Passport courses in Somerset

STAGESAFE is pleased to announce that they will be running Safety Passport courses in the Somerset area for 2008. The first course is scheduled for February 6th 2008 at the Tor Leisure Centre, Glastonbury. For further details, please click here.

Home Office discovers illegal immigrants with SIA licences

The Home Office has admitted that it has given clearance for more than 5,000 illegal immigrants to work in high security positions. Ministers have ordered more checks on 40,000 people following the discovery that the Security Industry Authority (SIA) was not checking that applicants had permission to work the UK before it granting them licences.

The Metropolitan Police confirmed that some of the migrants who were not properly vetted by the Security Industry Authority had been working for them. The SIA said it was not its job to ask applicants if they were illegal immigrants. The only checks carried out were on a person's past behaviour or for any criminal record.

A spokesperson for SIA said: "There is no legal responsibility for the SIA to carry out right to work checks; that is the role of the employer. We work closely with security companies to remind them of their legal obligations and best practice when establishing the rights of their potential employees to work but employers should not accept the possession of an SIA licence as proof of this right. No licences have been knowingly issued to illegal immigrants, nor to those who do not have the right to work in the UK. Swift action has been taken to ensure that all current, previous and future SIA applications undergo thorough right to work checks through the Border and Immigration Agency (BIA.)

"Since July this year the SIA has carried out right to work checks on 100 per cent of applicants, excluding EU and EEA nationals who automatically have the right to work in the UK. Where it is subsequently discovered that a licence holder does not have the right to work in the UK the licence will be revoked. However, it is inevitable that criminals and illegal workers will seek to obtain licences to which they are not entitled and we are working closely with BIA to share resources and information to target illegal working."

The Government review of 40,000 security staff given licences by the security regulatory body over the past three years is expected to be completed by the end of the year, the Home Office said. A spokeswoman for the department said that about 5,000 illegal immigrants were estimated to have been identified by the review, and that anyone found to be working illegally would have their licence taken away and would face removal from the UK.

It is a criminal offence to employ someone in the United Kingdom who is over the age of 16, is subject to immigration control and has no permission to work in this country or is in breach of the conditions of his stay. To avoid prosecution employers must show that they have carried out detailed checks to ensure that the prospective employee either has the required permission to work or does not need it.

Fairground ride malfunctions

Five people have been taken to hospital after a ride at a local fair in Long Melford, Suffolk, suffered from a malfunction. An investigation has been launched into how the Hellraiser ride, one of the attractions at an annual event at Melford Hall, went off the rails. The ride has been shut down and the Health and Safety Executive has begun to probe the accident.

Andrew Hagger, one of the event's administrators, said: "The incident involved the Hellraiser fair ride. The carriage left the rail. I've been told it's being preserved by the police as a crime scene. "All I've been told is no one has suffered life-threatening injuries. They're being taken to West Suffolk hospital," he added.

Eyewitness Danielle Smith, 16, said the accident occurred when the ride's compartments crashed into each other. She added that one compartment became wedged between two others. Speaking about the accident, an ambulance service spokesman said: "The ride appeared to have either gone of its rail or off its central hinge. There were about 30 people on the ride when it came to a sudden halt.

"Five people were taken to hospital and they were aged between 17 and 25. Four were female and there was one 17-year-old male. One of the injured is being treated for back injuries, another for abdominal injuries and the rest had cuts and bruises," he added. Melford Hall is a National Trust property located near the River Chad.

Rocket misfire launches investigation

An investigation is under way after three people were injured when a rocket misfired and landed in the crowd during a firework display in Bristol. About 20,000 people had gathered to watch the annual display on the Clifton Downs on Saturday. The display was stopped immediately after the incident while safety checks were carried out. Those hurt were outside the official display area.

Organisers have said the event will continue in the future. The injured were treated by St John's Ambulance for minor burns and grazes and did not require hospital treatment. The display resumed later in a limited form, but some spectators demanded a refund. The event was organised by Bristol Round Table and Clifton Rotary Club in aid of local charities.

Richard Marshall, chairman of Bristol Round Table, said: "We obviously deeply regret these [injuries], although luckily they were very minor. We've got a good safety record. This appears to be a rogue rocket that didn't fire properly. The fireworks company we use are very reputable and they will be carrying out their own investigation."

The fireworks company responsible for the demonstration, Fantastic Fireworks, said it had started an inquiry into what happened.

Smoking ban causing problems for publicans

Business across the country are facing legal showdowns with councils over issues arising from the smoking ban. According to the The Publican, licensees in particular have been reporting harsh treatment from their local authorities and noise from smokers outside pubs is the main issue causing licensees headaches. At the Westgate Inn, in Taunton, Somerset, licensee Carl Ashley has been summoned by his local council to an interview to answer allegations that he has breached his licence. Taunton Dean Borough Council said the breaches concern noise. The letter sent to Ashley states: “As the interview will be tape recorded in accordance with the Police and Criminal Evidence Act 1984 you may bring a legal representative/solicitor with you. The maximum penalty for breaching licence conditions is £20,000 and or 6 months imprisonment.”

Ashley, who has a smoking shelter in his beer garden, said he was “absolutely gutted” when the letter arrived. “We have been here four years and had only one complaint before the ban,” he said. “We’ve now had five complaints since August. Ninety per cent of my customers smoke. It seems very heavy handed.” The smoke free legislation does not specify how far away smoking shelters must be from a building, but it does say that if you are erecting a smoking shelter or designating an area away from the building for smoking, it must be far enough from the entrance to a building so that no smoke blows into the premises. If the space available is limited, or the shelter is close to a residential area, this could lead to complaints about noise, nuisance or litter. Jeff Castledine, a publican who is facing legal action for letting smoke drift into his neighbour’s garden has submitted a planning application for a smoking shelter in his beer garden. He said that most of his customers smoked around 20m from the six-foot fence that separates him from his residential neighbour.

Advice from local authority co-ordinating body LACORS is that although understanding the letter of the new law is of paramount importance - talking things through with your neighbours can often go a long way. "Good communication, not only with local residents but also with your local council to discuss planning, licensing, environmental protection and smokefree issues, is key to addressing any factors associated with smokefree legislation."

HSE issues risk warning over boy's death

The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) has warned companies to ensure they identify the risks in their workplace and manage them following the death of a six year-old boy at Tilbury Free Port, Essex. Port of Tilbury London Ltd was fined £100,000 (with £157,000 costs) at Croydon Crown Court after pleading guilty to breaches of Section 2(1) and Section 3(1) of the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974.

On 29 August 2003, a port employee took his son, Harry Palmer, to work. While at the site, Harry was taken for a ride on a forklift truck, which collided with a second truck. Harry was thrown onto the floor and then crushed by a three-quarter tonne paper reel, which rolled off the second truck because it was not clamped in place.

The HSE investigation found work practices at the company, sanctioned by management, which contravened their own training instructions and specific advice given by HSE on carrying paper reels. Whilst the two paper reels that were meant to be transported were clamped to the truck, a third unsecured reel was routinely balanced on top. This practice, known as "carrying a rider", had continued for a number of years despite the fact that equipment was available which would have clamped all three.

HSE Inspector, Eddie Scoggins said: "I hope this tragic incident makes it clear to employers that they need to take positive steps to identify the risks in their workplaces and manage them. Moving the paper reels was a routine part of work at the docks. Had the company undertaken a proper risk assessment and stopped the practice of carrying riders the completely unnecessary death of Harry Palmer would not have happened."

Carbon Trust launches new initiative

A new initiative launched by the Carbon Trust should help businesses to shrink their carbon footprints and save money this winter. Businesses are being called on to take advantage of a new package of carbon footprint resources to help them to understand what a carbon footprint is, how to calculate it and how to reduce it. Potential savings of over 2.7 million tonnes of CO2, and related energy savings of almost £350m could be realised through cost free and low cost energy saving actions.

The initiative follows last week’s Climate Change Bill announcement, which will set the UK a target of a minimum 60% reduction in carbon dioxide emissions by 2050 as legally binding for the first time. The Carbon Trust’s new business carbon footprint calculator enables businesses to quickly quantify their key carbon impacts and understand where action might be required to reduce emissions. The tool uses a series of screening questions to work out likely corporate emissions. Based on these questions the user can enter details of their energy usage and other potential emissions sources, including fuel and vehicle use, electricity bill data and employee travel.

Tom Delay, Chief Executive of the Carbon Trust, says: "Today’s new initiative is a timely reminder that acting on CO2 makes perfect business sense. We want all businesses to take advantage of our new free online carbon footprint calculator to help them measure and ultimately reduce their carbon emissions. Businesses that act will quickly reap the multiple benefits of improving their bottom line while increasing their overall competitiveness.”

Michael Roberts, Director of Business Environment at the CBI, adds: "We welcome this initiative to help make it easier for firms to measure and manage their carbon footprint. Leading companies are already tackling their emissions and increasingly expect their business partners to do the same. But many firms also lack the knowledge, time or resources to take the first step: this package of support aims to help address that.”

To use the calculator, go to: www.carbontrust.co.uk/footprintcalculator

Workers' road accidents under-reported

The number of road accidents involving drivers who were working at the time is being significantly under-reported, according to Fleet News. Since 2001 and the publication of Richard Dykes’ report from the Work-related Road Safety Task Group, it has been accepted that one-third of all road accidents involve an at-work driver. However, the road incident reporting system used by the police – known as Stats 19 – puts the figure at just 17% last year and 15% the previous year.

Now road safety organisations and some Government agencies, including the HSE, are raising concerns that the reporting mechanism does not give a true picture of the extent of at-work crashes. HSE spokesman Mark Wheeler said the executive has become aware of problems with the accuracy of Stats 19 data. "It is an issue, we recognise that,” he said, describing the current reporting system as "a messy approach”.

In 2005, the HSE succeeded in getting changes made to the Stats 19 form to include a section on whether those involved in a crash were at work. Despite this, the Stats 19 figures remain unreliable. Robert Gifford, executive director of the Parliamentary Advisory Council for Transport Safety (PACTS), explained why: "My suspicion is that the police would be quick to put ‘work’ under the purpose of journey for HGVs, LCVs and buses and coaches, but not so quick for cars. Remember this is a substantial document that the police have to fill out in often very difficult situations. It’s always a balance between gathering robust data and not overloading a police officer."

Saul Jeavons, from road safety consultancy Transafe, said this under-reporting could have serious implications for fleet managers: "This could be a major issue for fleet managers trying to persuade their board to take action if these new figures are used by the board to undermine their argument as to the scale of the problem,” he said. "Our view is that it is actually more likely that the data collection is flawed.” Mr Gifford said this should not stop fleet operators pressing management to ensure all driver safety obligations are met. The Stats 19 form will not be reviewed again until 2010.

Ageism against the young can flout discrimination laws

Employers must curb their demands for fixed amounts of experience from job applicants to avoid falling foul of discrimination legislation, an employment law specialist has warned. The caution comes after a secretary won a case against her former employer for dismissing her because she was too young. Catherine Barker, an employment law specialist at Pinsent Masons, the law firm behind OUT-LAW.COM, said that advertising jobs as being for people with a fixed number of years of experience could also discriminate against the young.

"Ideally, employers should stop this, unless they think they can objectively justify it," said Barker. "It has to be taken on a case by case basis, but employers will have to sit down and think about why they require that experience". Do they genuinely need this number of years of experience? They should also create a paper trail to show that they have thought about it," said Barker. "They would also ideally carry out an age review of all policies and procedures to look for age bias."

Megan Thomas was a 19-year-old membership secretary at the Eight Member Club in London but was dismissed after she was told that she was not mature enough to deal with the club's members. An employment tribunal ruled that Thomas had been discriminated against on grounds of her age. It is thought to be the first time that the UK's age discrimination legislation has been used to protect a young, rather than an old, worker. The Eight Members Club said it would appeal the ruling.

Barker said that the case would raise awareness the potential pitfalls of age discrimination against young, as well as old, people. "I think as awareness of the age regulations sinks in we'll see more of these types of claims. Regulations do cover discrimination against people of all ages, they will cover younger as well as older workers. Undoubtedly there is discrimination. I think people make presumptions about younger people and their abilities and experiences in same way as they do for older workers."

Barker said that employers would have to review all their staff policies to weed out discriminatory practices. This, she said, could include advertising for staff of a fixed number of years' experience: "How to avoid liability generally is make sure that through your whole employment process from recruitment to promotions to selections for redundancy you have clear, objective criteria. There should be a job description and a person specification based solely on the skills required to do the job, avoiding references to so many years' experience."

Barker said that the law allowed for recruitment based on specific periods of experience, but that an employer would need to satisfy strict criteria in order to avoid discrimination claims: "[You can do it] provided you can objectively justify that the experience required achieves a legitmate aim and that there is a proportionate means of fulfilling that aim," said Barker. "For example if you're an aircraft pilot and the employer can demonstrate that only when pilots have achieved so many hours flying time can they fly safely unaided, then that may fulfil the defence. Employers need to ask themselves is there any less discriminatory way to achieve the same result?" said Barker.

New health and injury figures published

The Health and Safety Commission (HSC) has today published the latest statistics on work-related ill health, and workplace injury in Great Britain. ‘Health and Safety Statistics 2006/07’ presents the top-level statistics, including reports on progress against the targets set in the ‘Revitalising Health and Safety’ strategy launched by the Deputy Prime Minister and the Chair of the Health and Safety Commission in June 2000. The publication also includes the latest statistics on health and safety enforcement activity.

The ‘Revitalising Health and Safety’ strategy statement set national targets to reduce the incidence rate of fatal and major injuries, the incidence rate of work-related ill health and the rate of working days lost from work-related injury and ill health. The targets relating to ill health were also featured in ‘Securing Health Together: A long-term occupational health strategy for Great Britain’, launched by the Health and Safety Commission and Executive, in association with other government departments, in July 2000. More detailed data is available on the HSE website at: hse.gov.uk/statistics. The document itself is at hse.gov.uk/statistics/overall/hssh0607.pdf.

Key facts for 2006/07 are as follows.

Ill health

2.2 million people were suffering from an illness they believed was caused or made worse by their current or past work.
646,000 of these were new cases in the last 12 months, equating to 2,100 per 100,000 people employed in the last 12 months.
2,037 people died of mesothelioma in 2005 (latest data), and thousands more from other occupational cancers and lung diseases.

Injuries

241 workers were killed at work, a rate of 0.8 per 100,000 workers.
141,350 other injuries to employees were reported under RIDDOR, a rate of 535.1 per 100,000 employees.
274,000 reportable injuries occurred, according to the Labour Force Survey (LFS), a rate of 1,000 per 100,000 workers.

Working days lost

36 million days were lost overall (1.5 days per worker), 30 million due to work-related ill health and six million due to workplace injury.

Health and safety targets: progress to 2006/07

The incidence rate of self-reported work-related ill health from the Labour Force Survey rose suddenly between 2005/06 and 2006/07. The rate in 2006/07 is similar to that in 2001/02 despite earlier indications of a downward trend from 2001/02 to 2005/06.
HSE judgement is that it is not on track to meet the Revitalising or PSA ill-health targets.
The rate of employee major injury reported under RIDDOR, which dominates the injury target, shows a fall within the range of 7% to 11%, between 1999/2000 and 2006/07. This is against a pro-rata Revitalising target for 2006/07 of a 7% reduction.

HSE judgement is that it is on track to meet Revitalising and PSA fatal and major injuries targets.

The number of working days lost per worker from the 2006/07 Labour Force Survey is similar to that in 2003/04 despite earlier indications of a downward trend from 2000-02 to 2005/06. Since 2000-02 working days lost per worker has fallen by 12% within a possible range of 2% to 23%. The pro rata Revitalising target reduction of 21% for 2006/07 falls close to the top end of this range.

HSA judgement is that it is not on track to meet Revitalising or PSA days lost targets.

Enforcement

1,141 offences were prosecuted by HSE.
257 offences were prosecuted by local authorities in 2005/06 (latest data).

New figures on risks at work published

New statistics published by the Health and Safety Commission (HSC) have revealed the real risks faced by employees every day of their working lives and the suffering that occurs when health and safety processes fail. Last year over 140,000 reported workplace accidents took place resulting in employees suffering injuries such as amputations, chemical burns and fractures.

Slamming critics who have repeatedly concentrated on ‘elf and safety’ stories and the regulator’s role, new Chair of the HSC, Judith Hackitt, said: "Never mind banning conkers or Christmas decorations – look at these figures, this is what real health and safety is all about." Geoffrey Podger, Chief Executive of the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) said: "The statistics indicate that last year alone in Great Britain 2.2 million people suffered from work-related illnesses and 241 people were killed at work. While workplace injuries have reduced, we lost 30 million working days due to ill health. Last year the HSE issued 20% more notices and industry was fined a total of over £13m for flaunting health and safety laws."

Responding to the newly released figures HSC Chair Judith Hackitt said: "Employers have a legal duty to protect their employees and visible leadership from the top of the organisation can truly influence the health and safety culture in our changing work environments. To make workplaces in 21st century Britain healthier and safer we all need to work together to do better.

"We use a range of enforcement measures to tackle workplace ill health and injuries and we do not hesitate to prosecute where necessary. The rising enforcement figures show that negligence in workplace health and safety is not tolerated. The figures also show that where we have intervened with all industry partners, together we have and can make a difference. We want to continue this. We must remember that with each injury or fatality there is a personal cost and suffering attached and we all therefore need to focus on the real health and safety agenda, not the trivia."

Campaign for driver safety to target companies

Companies that fail to make sure that their employees drive safely face prosecution under a new campaign by police to reduce the 1,000 fatal crashes a year involving work vehicles. Police will investigate whether the company carried out basic checks, such as ensuring that staff have an MOT certificate for their vehicle, are insured for business use and have a valid driving licence. They will also question managers on whether they made excessive demands of their employees and required them to drive when tired.

The Metropolitan Police is one of several forces that have decided to investigate company road-safety policies following research by the HSE, showing that 20 people are killed and 250 seriously injured each week in crashes involving someone who was driving for work. Superintendent Mark Bird, of the Met’s traffic unit, says: "More and more we carry out follow-up investigations with companies after collisions, to ensure that work-related road safety is embedded within company policies. In the event of a collision or injury, the police take seriously all the reasons that have led to it happening including the condition of the vehicle and why the driver was on the road, including if they were travelling for business reasons."

He says that employers needed to realise that their responsibility for ensuring safety did not end when employees left company premises: "Just as employers would make sure that employees are safe in the workplace so they should while they are on the road. Businesses must face up to their duty-of-care responsibilities and realise that they are responsible for employees’ welfare when on the road for business purposes, whether they are driving a company car or not.”

Vehicle loading still cause for concern

The transport industry still has one of the worst records for major injuries due to falls from vehicles during loading and unloading, according to figures released by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE). Statistics show that in 2004-5, 31% of all workplace fatalities involved transport, and with an estimated three million people in Britain regularly working with vehicles as part of their job HSE's ongoing workplace transport campaign warns of the need to take sensible precautions to minimise risks in all vehicle related work.

Marking the current awareness campaign, Judith Hackitt, Chair of the Health and Safety Commission (HSC) said: "Every year 2000 workers are seriously injured after falling from their vehicle. It is vital that those who work in the transport industry take this issue seriously. Last year four workers actually lost their lives after falling from their truck or lorry and the cost of these deaths and serious injuries to the industry is in excess of £35m a year. Simple, sensible precautions can avoid these incidents and the distress they cause. Those who buy and manage the many fleets of workplace vehicles up and down the country have an opportunity to set a real leadership example."

The awareness campaign aims to help those who are responsible for buying and managing workplace vehicles with simple steps that can be taken to improve the safety of vehicles:

Vehicles should be well maintained and checked regularly
Procedures for loading and unloading should avoid the need to work at height where possible
Floor surfaces should be anti slip when possible, or, slip-resistant footwear provided
If work at height is unavoidable steps, platforms and other safety equipment should be provided

Guidance and advice, including safety checklists, is available to vehicle buyers, managers and workers at: http://www.hse.gov.uk/fallsfromvehicles/index.htm

The Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents said that it welcomed the move towards greater enforcement by police. Falls in the workplace remain a significant source of concern, both for employers and enforcing authorities. The HSE indicates that in the year 2006-2007, 45 people died and 3,351 suffered major injury as a result of falls from height at work. This is the most common kind of accident causing fatal injuries - 22% of the total in the preceding year. These statistics do not include injuries or fatalities caused by slips, trips or falls caused by defective or unsuitable flooring.

These accidents are the single most common cause of injury in UK workplaces. Avoiding falls should be a major priority for employers and their health and safety advisors. This applies across the board - a slip on a kitchen floor can lead to very serious injuries, just as serious as those caused by a fall on a construction site.

Knowledge of and compliance with relevant legislation is a key first step to avoiding falls. Employers must look at and be aware of:

the legislative framework surrounding slips, trips and falls;
hand rails and stairs;
falls from heights;
falls and falling objects;
ladders; and
the duties on workers.

Training importance highlighted

Following recent media coverage of health and safety issues restricting the work of the emergency services, IOSH has said that training is key when it comes to keeping employees safe. Malcolm Adcock from IOSH told said: "There needs to be an investment in training to prepare emergency service personnel to do their jobs. Emergency service workers are entitled to receive the training they need to perform their job functions and meet the reasonable expectations of the public.”

A cycling ban has apparently been introduced by Greater Manchester Police after the tragic death of a 21-year old cycling Police Community Support Officer (PCSO) who was hit and killed by a lorry. Its two-month duration is to allow a safety review to be carried out."The reported banning of 300 police officers and PCSOs with less than a year's cycling experience from patrolling on bicycle is yet again another example of a poor decision that brings health and safety unjustifiably into disrepute,” added Malcolm.

"It would make more sense to address the risk of death and injury of police officers and PCSOs inexperienced at cycling in city traffic by providing urgent training. Training is the key to enable police and PCSOs to protect the public and themselves. The overriding message from IOSH is that "all employees need training that equips them to fulfil all areas of their job description.”

Health & safety dress code for rock 'n' roll

Fans of Motorhead and Alice Cooper have been promised an evening of relentless, ear-splintering dirty rock ‘n’ roll experience at the NEC Arena concert next month.They have also been told they cannot wear studded belts, large rings, trouser chains or dog collars.While the stars on stage can wear more or less whatever they like in keeping with their chosen image, fans going along to their November 10 concert had beware - if you're sporting any of the above paraphernalia or other items dedicated rockers wouldn't be seen without, be prepared for them to be confiscated at the door.

All in the name of health and safety. "To ensure the comfort and well-being of our visitors, the NEC group does not permit any item to be taken into the venue that could be considered a potential safety risk to any member of the public," said a spokesman. NEC group advises that "if someone is in doubt as to whether an item may be considered to be a health and safety risk, they should leave it at home or in their vehicle". So no more cigarette lighters being held up in the air during Barry Manilow concerts then. And thank goodness some may say.

The restriction on dress is but one of a long line of measures altering the experience of music fans. Arguably, the smoking ban has had an effect on the gig-goers' experience especially those who may have substituted tobacco with another product. Similarly, regular attendees are now encouraged to protect their hearing with ear plugs (raising the question of why they're there in the first place). It hardly seems in keeping with its free-spirited, anti-authority image, so has rock gone soft and sanitised?

"We hold our own events, and public safety has to be at the heart of what we do," said Birmingham-based Kerrang! radio's brand manager Andy Price. "In that sense we can see the NEC's point. However, it's a shame when it gets to this stage." It seems even to have got to those we pay to see perform. The most rebellious many of them get now is to flout the smoking ban by lighting up on stage. Unfortunately, we can probably expect more of the same in these caring, sharing, times of safety. And the future for the rock fan? Mr Price was not hopeful. "It seems to be the way of everything. They'll be banning alcohol next."

Police campaign to reduce work vehicle crashes

Department for Transport figures show that about 300 people are killed each year as a result of drivers falling asleep at the wheel. About 40% of crashes related to tiredness involve someone driving for work. The Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents said that it welcomed the move towards greater enforcement by police.

New fire safety order a success

One year on, there has only been one notable prosecution under the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 (RRO) – back in September the Co-op Group was fined £250,000 after 38 out of its 41 stores in East Sussex failed to meet proper safety standards. So does this make the legislation a success? Yes, says the Chief Fire Officers’ Association (CFOA)’s Neil Gibbins.

Gibbins (Chair of the CFOA’s Fire Safety Order Working Group) admitted that time will tell whether the RRO is a success but believes that it is "really fit for purpose". "The RRO took three to four years to go through Parliament, and I think we have ended up with a piece of legislation that should be copied around the world…If we can work together with businesses in the appropriate spirit to protect people from fire, I think this vehicle will quite suit all of us."

He also believes that the role of the fire service in relation to businesses is much clearer than it was before: "In the past we could have ended up visiting one building six times for the same ends because of different pieces of legislation. Our new role as enforcers of the RRO in almost all premises is to ensure that the responsible person is meeting their legal obligations and providing safety for the persons that are in their care.

"We are enforcing in a similar way to how we were enforcing before, but we’ve got a new risk-based approach to prioritising the places we will audit and check. In the past the certificate regime led us to go back to the same places time and time again; we are now in a new world of wide risk reduction efforts."

However, despite Gibbins’ positivity, there are still questions about the RRO as this month’s issue of Workplace Law magazine uncovers:

do measures to cut the cost of false fire alarms mean that businesses will lack support in a real fire situation?
why have there been no charges under the RRO that weren't brought about after a fire?
and could the Penhallow Hotel fire have been prevented?

Report criticises voluntary approach to health & safety

A new report commissioned by construction union UCATT and written by the Centre for Corporate Accountability, titled Bringing Justice to the Boardroom, indicates that the voluntary approach to reducing injuries and fatalities in the workplace is not working. The report is published to coincide with the launch of new voluntary guidance for directors published jointly by the Institute of Directors and the Health and Safety Commission. Rather than following the voluntary approach the report says that a large number of lives could be saved every year if statutory legal health and safety duties for directors were adopted.

Alan Ritchie, general secretary of UCATT, said: "This damning report demonstrates the Government’s failure to introduce statutory legal duties forcing directors to take responsibility for their company's health and safety policies, is literally costing workers their lives.” The report claims that there are flaws in the HSE’s figures on the subject, and that since voluntary guidance on directors' duties was introduced in 2001 only 44% of companies have actually appointed an individual director. The HSE has previously set that figure at 79% but the new report claims that figure only applies to companies with over 4,000 employees.

The report reveals that when a company does take positive action at director level regarding health and safety, major improvements can be achieved, with an average reduction in accidents of 25%. In some cases a proactive approach has led to a reduction of as much as 80%. The lack of statutory legal duties is further demonstrated by the revelation that on average in the last five years only seven directors/senior managers have been convicted of health and safety offences, while over 200 workers suffer fatal accidents in the workplace.

The figures are particularly poor for the most dangerous industry: construction from 2002/3 – 2006/7, 347 construction workers were killed and 13 directors/senior managers were prosecuted. Michael Clapham MP, chair of the all party occupational safety and health group, said: "This report should be required reading for all those who argued against the need to make directors directly liable for companies' health and safety failures. It is essential that Parliament have the opportunity to revisit this matter at the earliest possible opportunity."

New guidelines on health & safety responsibilities

A group of directors has created health and safety guidelines to help remind directors of organisations of all sizes that it’s their responsibility to lead on health and safety. The guide will also help directors to establish policies and practices that make it an integral part of their culture and values. The HSC and the Institute of Directors (IoD) has published 'Leading health and safety at work' – a guide written by directors, for directors.

Supporting the new guidance, Health and Safety Minister Lord McKenzie of Luton said, "The health and safety of employees is a moral and ethical obligation for each and every employer and this must be driven home from Board level. Only this way will we ensure that health and safety is taken seriously. This guidance clearly sets out the agenda for effective leadership of health and safety."

New Chair of HSC, Judith Hackitt agreed: "It is visible leadership from the top of an organisation which truly makes for an effective health and safety culture which in turn delivers good health and safety performance and much more. I am still confounded by the number of people who see 'health and safety' as a barrier to doing things, as experience and evidence shows that the reverse is true. The challenge before us is changing behaviour. This guidance makes it clear what directors need to do but it is their action and delivery which will really count".

Director General of the IoD, Miles Templeman, added: "The Institute of Directors believes that it's vital that board members lead the approach of their organisation to health and safety, whatever the environment they operate in. Too often health and safety are words used as excuses by organisations that have not developed their thinking in this area. The IoD hopes that the new guidance can help organisations integrate health and safety into business decisions in an appropriate way, not one that stifles appropriate activity."

The guidance is written offers straightforward practical advice on how to plan, deliver, monitor and review health and safety in the workplace. Production of the guidance was overseen by an IoD led steering group with nominees from the:

Confederation of British Industry;
Federation of Small Businesses;
Institute of Occupational Safety and Health;
Local Government Association
National Council for Voluntary Organisations;
NHS Confederation, Trades Union Congress; and
and Warwick Law School, University of Warwick.

Read the guide: http://www.hse.gov.uk/pubns/indg417.pdf

Worry over workplace falls

Falls in the workplace remain a significant source of concern, both for employers and enforcing authorities. The HSE indicates that in the year 2006-2007, 45 people died and 3,351 suffered major injury as a result of falls from height at work. This is the most common kind of accident causing fatal injuries - 22% of the total in the preceding year.

These statistics do not include injuries or fatalities caused by slips, trips or falls caused by defective or unsuitable flooring. These accidents are the single most common cause of injury in UK workplaces. Avoiding falls should be a major priority for employers and their health and safety advisors. This applies across the board - a slip on a kitchen floor can lead to very serious injuries, just as serious as those caused by a fall on a construction site.

Knowledge of and compliance with relevant legislation is a key first step to avoiding falls, items to look for include:

the legislative framework surrounding slips, trips and falls;
hand rails and stairs;
falls from heights;
falls and falling objects;
ladders; and
the duties on workers.

New study into health & safety published

Research commissioned by the Institution of Occupational Safety and Health into British businesses' health and safety performance has highlighted a strong link between investing in professional health and safety workers and fewer accidents. The new academic study was carried out by Dr Iain Cameron, Dr Billy Hare and Dr Roy Duff, from Glasgow Caledonian University, who analysed data from 101 contractors in the construction industry – who have over 200,000 employees between them.

The research found that where subcontractors were approved by an organisation’s health and safety representatives, the accident rate was reduced by 60%. Ray Hurst, IOSH President Elect, said: "Although this is the first such UK study, these results support the case that health and safety is good for people and good for business. Skimping on safety has a very negative human impact indeed. It’s time to act now to get proper health and safety investment and training across all employment sectors in the UK.

"Currently, the health and safety profession is not legally regulated, meaning that almost anyone can call themselves a health and safety expert, without any qualifications or experience. IOSH, the Chartered body for health and safety, is calling for UK-wide legal minimums for all those practicing as health and safety professionals."

Dr Billy Hare, senior research fellow at Glasgow Caledonian University who was part of the team that conducted the study, added: "What we found particularly staggering was that, on average, the more qualified in health and safety the line manager in an organisation is, the less the accident rate. This shows that investing in health and safety training does have an impact, benefiting employees, and helping to boost productivity by reducing the considerable disruption caused by an incident causing death or injury."

Heavy metal band turn refugee

Iraqi heavy metal band, Acrassicauda, has found itself in the cross hairs of Middle Eastern turmoil after fleeing their native Baghdad for the safety of nearby Turkey. The four members of the band now count themselves as refugees and may be forced to return to Baghdad now that fighting has escalated between Turkish forces and Kurdish rebels near the Iraqi border.

"If we ever made it back to Baghdad, and we ever made it back to our families, where would we rehearse?" said Marwan, a 23-year old member of the group. Marwan, along with fellow band mates Firas, Tony and Faisal, fear that if they return to their home city they will become prisoners in their homes and will not even be able to "go out to buy a packet of cigarettes."

Pier owners prosecuted over safety flaws

The owners and operators of a crumbling pier have been convicted of breaching health and safety laws. Hastings Pier was closed by Hastings Borough Council in June 2006 due to fears that it could give way. The council had to use emergency powers to close the pier before a rock performance took place on the pier in front of 2,000 people.

Ravenclaw Investments and operators Boss Management (UK) were each fined £40,000 plus costs at Hove Crown Court. According to the Brighton Evening Argus, Judge Cedric Joseph said if the council had not closed the Victorian structure there could have been serious injury or loss of life, and that the pier companies had failed 'completely and lamentably to meet their responsibilities'. Both companies were prosecuted on two separate charges under the Health and Safety at Work Act. They were found guilty of not maintaining the pier safely and of failing to comply with an improvement notice the council had served.

After the hearing, a spokesman for Hastings Borough Council said: "This is clearly a huge fine and shows how seriously the court viewed the offences. As the court heard we tried for several months to work with the pier owners, to no avail. Because of our concerns over public safety, we ultimately had no option other than to use our legal powers.” Hastings Borough Council has commissioned a full structural survey to ascertain the cost of repairs and maintenance of the pier and will be talking to interested parties once the survey has been published. Ravenclaw and Boss failed to attend the trial and both firms pleaded not guilty to all charges.

reading room