HSE management guidance changed to the plan, do, check, act (PDCA) approachDetails about the HSE’s new approach to workplace health and safety guidance

Risk prevention during fire brigades union (FBU) strikes Advice for reducing fire risks as FBU strikes continue

Recent HSE myths and prosecutionsNo more sundae sauce and improper sign maintenance

November 2013

A newsletter of practical compliance and safety tips provided byCrendon Insurance Brokers Ltd

The HSE recently changed its health and safety management guidance from the POPMAR (Policy, Organising, Planning, Measuring performance, Auditing and Review) model to the PDCA (Plan, Do, Check, Act) approach. The adoption of the PDCA approach will further incorporate health and safety management into everyday workplace management activities rather than treating it as an isolated system.

A hard copy of the new edition will be published soon by the HSE. While waiting for the print copy, you can find the refreshed guidance at www.hse.gov.uk/managing. The website explains the PDCA approach and provides comprehensive guidance applicable to a wide range of organisations from large, complex businesses to single-employee startups.

Managers should use the PDCA approach to implement their organisation’s health and safety policies. The PDCA approach advocates the following four steps:

Plan. When planning your organisation’s health and safety policy, make sure it meets legal requirements, prevents health and safety risks and lets you respond quickly when problems arise. Your plan will be most effective if it can adapt to changing circumstances. Remember to determine your organisation’s current position and its future goals, consider various emergencies, decide how to measure performance and account for any possible changes.

Do. Executing a successful management policy means ensuring, so far as reasonably practicable, the health and safety of your employees and anyone else involved in your work. Make sure to assess your organisation’s risks, compose a risk profile, align your business’ activities to realise your plan and implement your plan through concerted, organisation-wide efforts.

Check. Implementing your plan is pointless if you do not evaluate the results. Do this by generating both specific and routine reports. The specific reports should address individual incidents and how well your health and safety plan handled them. The routine reports should follow a frequent, habitual schedule. Do not rely solely on paperwork to gauge the success of your plan—actively involve yourself in assessing its success.

Act. After reviewing your safety plan and its results, you should act on your findings to improve your processes. Judge whether your organisation’s health and safety principles are embedded in the health and safety plan. If not, revise your organisation’s plan to reflect any shortcomings you identified. Learn from accidents, errors or near-misses. Update old documents to reflect changes.

Encourage your employees to take an active role in planning. Employee investment can drastically improve the efficacy of health and safety policies.

HSE Management Guidance Changed to the Plan, Do, Check, Act (PDCA) Approach

Firefighters in England and Wales have scheduled two more strikes in early November, after calling off a 19 October strike. The Fire Brigades Union (FBU) held its first strike on 25 September, citing insufficient pensions and that working until age 60 to receive full pensions, as planned by the government, is too old for the demanding and dangerous work of a firefighter.

The pension issue seemed to be on the path to resolution when the 19 October strike was called off, however talks since then have broken down. The FBU states that the government and fire employers have failed to offer firm guarantees on jobs or pensions. If the November strikes go on as planned, businesses need to be prepared for the possibility of increased fire and emergency response times.

During the 25 September strike, more than 32,000 union members walked out for four hours, showing that FBU strikes are very real threats and can potentially leave your business vulnerable to fire. Reduce the risks of future strikes by heeding the following advice:

Review your risk assessment. As an employer, you are responsible for carrying out and regularly reviewing the fire risk assessment of your premises. Record any fire hazards, identify people at risk and remove any threats.

Check your fire detection systems. Regularly test your business’ smoke alarms, manual fire alarms, sprinkler systems and portable fire extinguishers. It is not enough for your premises to have the alarms, they must also be in good working order.

Ensure escape plans are in place. Periodically review your business’ fire escape plans with your employees. Make known a safe meeting point for all employees after a fire and keep corridors clear of debris to facilitate faster evacuation.

Avoid arson risks. Stay one step ahead of arsonists by investing in CCTV and other measures that deter intruders.

For more information on drafting fire risk assessments and enforcing fire safety, visit www.hse.gov.uk/services/fire/industrial-action.htm.

No questions during two-hour train delayA train was delayed by more than two hours, causing passengers to arrive at King’s Cross after the last tube had departed. The conductor announced the news to the train but stated she was unable to leave her on-train office due to health and safety reasons, and therefore unable to answer passenger questions about the exact nature of the delay. The HSE Myth Busters panel conceded that the conductor could have had a legitimate excuse for remaining in her office, but it almost certainly was not related to health and safety.

Café refuses to add sauce topping on ice creamA Bristol café refused to put sauce on a customer’s ice cream due to vague health and safety reasons. The proprietor’s actual reasons for withholding ice cream sauce are unknown, but the HSE panel concluded that the decision lacked any real basis. Health and safety law should never be misapplied, especially when it precludes enjoyment of ice cream sundaes.

Kebab company fined after serious injuriesAn Essex kebab manufacturer was fined £17,500 and ordered to pay £7,500 after a 36-year-old employee suffered horrific injuries to his right hand. While cleaning a derinding machine, the employee noticed a stubborn piece of meat or sinew. After trying to remove it with a pressure washer, the employee reached in to dislodge it but was caught and mangled by the machine. The manufacturer failed to provide adequate training or a guard that would prevent employees from reaching into the machine.

Collapse of advertising sign leads to finesA Middlesex sign company and a London developer have been ordered to pay more than half a million pounds after their decaying sign collapsed and seriously injured a pedestrian near Vauxhall Bridge in London. The pedestrian suffered permanent brain injury and underwent several significant surgeries. In the nine years this sign was up, it was never once checked for structural soundness.

Contains public sector information published by the HSE and licensed under the Open Government Licence v2.0.

Design © 2013 Zywave, Inc. All rights reserved. This publication is for informational purposes only. It is not intended to be exhaustive nor should any discussion or opinions be construed as compliance or legal advice. In relation to any particular problem which they may have, readers are advised to seek specific advice. Further, the law may have changed since first publication and the reader is cautioned accordingly.

Risk Prevention During Fire Brigades Union (FBU) Strikes

Crendon Insurance Brokers Ltd11 Greenfield CrescentBirmingham, West Midlands, B15 3AU0121 454 5100www.crendoninsurance.co.uk

Recent HSE Myths and Prosecutions