1. HEALTH & SAFETY Member Briefing Health, Safety & Wellbeing Team healthandsafety@plymouth.gov.uk 01752 312523

2. Aims & Objectives  Outline PCC health and safety management systems  Know where to find PCC policies and procedures  Appreciate the wider implications of health, safety and wellbeing in decision making  Understand the employer and regulatory obligations of PCC in terms of health and safety  Understand responsibilities for health and safety.

3. WHAT IS HEALTH AND SAFETY?

4. WHO IS RESPONSIBLE? Everyone!  Chief Executive = top of the organisational structure for paid service, overall responsibility for health and safety  Line managers = day-to-day management of health and safety  Employees = responsible for themselves and others affected  Elected Members = responsible for many local policies and budgets, risks considered in decision- making process.

5. ELECTED MEMBERS  advocate – champion causes and resources  lead - vision and direction for communities  enable and facilitate – encourage communities  Part of the decision-making process  represent the council and their communities on external bodies Actions and decisions affect, employees, contractors, suppliers, service users, communities. LG Improvement and Development (formerly the IDeA)

6. WHY WORRY? Rates have substantially reduced, but still huge impact:  1.1 million people suffering from an illness caused or made worse by work in 2011/12  27 million working days lost  2291people died from mesothelioma in 2011  148 workers were killed at work  78 thousand reportable injuries to employees  £14 billion cost to society due to work-related ill health and injury (in 2010/11). Source: The Health and Safety Executive Statistics 2012/13

7. GETTING IT WRONG  Annual cost of sickness absence & worklessness exceeds £100 Billion (Black report)  Cost of sick pay to PCC £2.6 million 2012/13  7.6 days absence per FTE per year (Feb 14)  Indirect costs include: Reduced productivity Social impacts; family, partners, children, social engagements, isolation, mental health issues, stress anxiety etc Insurance premiums Fines/legal costs Repairing damage Civil claims Enhanced benefits on retirements Impact on PCC budgets?

8. BARROW  2002 legionnaire’s disease, arts & leisure centre  7 deaths  £125k fine £90k costs  Design Services Manager £15k personal fine ‘’We had policies written on paper but it was not part of the culture of the organisation and there was no chain of command. We ticked all the boxes but there was not a procedure which ensured it was all adhered to’’ Council Leader Bill Joughin.

9. RECENT CASES  City of Bradford (2012) £12k fine £9.6k costs – unsafe tree pruning, vehicle toppled due to ground conditions  Suffolk County Council (2012) £48k fine £43.7k costs – 2 falls from height, 4 hand arm vibration cases  Northumberland County Council (2010) £13.4k fine £8.4k costs – contact with electric cable (no injury)  Newcastle upon Tyne City council (2009) £12k fine £7.7k costs – member of the public injured hand/fingers at museum exhibit  PCC (2007) £75k fine £16.7k costs – agency worker crushed between fork lift and lorry.

10. GETTING IT RIGHT  Is enabling  Saves lives  Keeps people from harm  Improves morale  Saves money  Improves efficiency  Sets a good example  Sends out positive message and improves our reputation to employees, contractors, electorate.

11. WHAT CAN I DO? Ask yourself:  Do I know enough about the health and safety risks facing employees of PCC?  Do I understand health and safety issues in the service areas I’m involved with?  Has PCC set the right strategy and budget?  Do I show commitment to health and safety when I speak to service areas?  Have any decisions I’ve made put people at risk?  Am I satisfied risks are being sensibly managed?

12. WHAT CAN I DO (2)  Policy– where is it, is it clear and communicated?  Management – where is HSW performance reported?  Advice – do we have competent HS and OH advice?  Training – is it suitable and sufficient? Promote sensible risk management – encourage decisions based on a balance of benefit and risk, rather than fear of litigation..

13. LINKS Health and Safety Executive www.hse.gov.uk Institution of Occupational Health and Safety www.iosh.co.uk Local government Improvement and Development www.idea.gov.uk Leadership Centre for Local Government/LGA www.local.gov.uk National Member Development Community of Practice https://knowledgehub.local.gov.uk/web/nationalmemberdevelopmentcommunityofpractice