understanding the threat - iirsm · trapped for more than two hours. the hse prosecuted ultimate...

INTERNATIONAL INSTITUTE OFRISK AND SAFETY MANAGEMENT

Visit our website at wwwiirsmorgIssue 042016

In todayrsquos world data is fundamental to the structures and dynamics of any organisation It is an essential and critical element in the effective and efficient delivery of its purpose as judged by its various stakeholders It is therefore a key component of an organisationrsquos potential prospects and risks as it operates under a myriad of uncertainties that is made worse by the ongoing data revolution with technology at its core

In a 2013 government commissioned report 87 of all UK SMEs and 93 of larger firms had suffered some form of data breach But how many actually knew

The way data is held processed shared and communicated is becoming increasingly sophisticated through globally advancing technical innovation It is essential that organisations engage with this ongoing change in the way data is used

in their internal and external operating environments in order to exploit the upside guard against the downside and remain competitive

At the same time as the innovation of legitimate software we have seen the rapid emergence and deployment of illegitimate solutions to steal destroy and cause chaos across the global business community The ongoing data evolution will create new opportunities and threats that will in turn present new management challenges

Internal and external system interfaces will become more dynamic complicated and blurred making analysis and prediction much more difficult This will necessitate the need for increasingly advanced risk management systems which will need to be holistically and systematically applied to an organisationrsquos overall business systems and not just to IT systems viewed in isolation

Organisations must not blindly follow IT fashion and its persuasive marketing but should ensure that its systems supply chain and delivery chain are resilient and able to deliver its purpose with a high degree of confidence Governance must be holistic systematic and comprehensive and delivered through a fully integrated management system recognising no artificial boundaries

How well equipped are the risk managers of today and tomorrow to advise their business leaders or manage the risks facing their own business During the coming months IIRSMrsquos technical committee will provide an overview of the risks faced by organisations and issue guidance on the mitigation solutions available as well as giving our members a clue to the future threats in this fast changing arena

Global news air pollution kills 55 million annually

11INSIDE THIS ISSUE

New HSE strategy launched02 Introducing the

worldrsquos first universal management system standard

06 MoU with the Association for Project Safety

08

Understanding the threat

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0

wwwiirsmorg | 042016042016 | wwwiirsmorg 32

News Prosecutions

Chief executive Phillip PearsonHead of marketing and communicationsClare FlemingManaging editor Louis Wustemann

Editor Kellie Mundellkelliemundelllexisnexiscouk Designer Carrie Love

ADDRESSIIRSM 77 Fulham Palace Road London W6 8JA UK Tel +44 (0)20 8741 9100 Fax +44 (0)20 8741 1349Website wwwiirsmorgEmail infoiirsmorg

Registered in England and WalesCharity No 1107666Company No 5310696

PUBLISHED BY LexisNexis copy Reed Elsevier (UK) Limited 2016Printed by Headley Brothers Ltd Kent

This publication is intended to be a general guide and cannot be a substitute for professional advice Neither the authors nor the publisher accept any responsibility for loss occasioned to any person acting or refraining from acting as a result of material contained in this publication

Reproduction copying or extracting by any means of the whole or part of this publication must not be undertaken without the written permission of the publishers

ISSN 1746-1359

News Prosecutions

WORKPLACE TRANSPORT

Director given suspended sentence over mast crush

Ultimate Traders fined pound2 for its breaches Firm failed to report injury for three months

A scrap metal firm and its director have appeared in court after a worker suffered severe injuries to his left arm when it became stuck in a forklift truck and was trapped for more than two hours

The HSE prosecuted Ultimate Traders and Nasir Rashid after investigators found that the worker had been told to stand on the forks of the truck to help move scrap cars into the back of a shipping container The cars were due to be exported to Pakistan where the metal would be sold

Manchester Crown Court heard that Rashid had been driving the forklift truck at the site in Manchester when the incident happened in November 2013

The worker suffered severe crush injuries when his arm became trapped and it took the combined effort of three fire crews a specialist major rescue unit

two air ambulances a medical team from Manchester Royal Infirmary and three ambulance crews to rescue him He sustained nerve damage to his left arm which makes it difficult for him to grip or lift items and was in hospital for nearly two months He still needs to visit Manchester Royal Infirmary for treatment and has been unable to return to work due to the extent of his injuries

The court was told that the company failed to report the incident to the HSE for nearly three months

Ultimate Traders pleaded guilty to breaches of Section 2(1) of the Health and Safety at Work Act and Regulation 4 (2) of the Reporting of Injuries Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations 2013 The firm was handed a nominal fine of pound2 because of its poor financial position

Rashid was sentenced to six months imprisonment suspended for 18 months and ordered to pay costs of pound750 after pleading guilty to a breach of Section 2(1) of the Health and Safety at Work Act

ldquoWorkers should never be allowed to stand directly on the forks of a forklift truck because of the risk of them falling or being injured by moving parts on the mastrdquo said HSE inspector Sarah Taylor

ldquoThis case should act as a warning to firms that they will find themselves in court if they do not take the safety of workers seriouslyrdquo

REGULATION

New HSE strategy launched

Renewed emphasis on occupational health

The HSE officially launched its new strategy recently at an event at the construction site at Battersea power station in London

The overarching themes of Helping Great Britain work well which was was launched on 29 February remain unchanged since the regulator ran a consultation on it in December (see page 3 of issue 022016 of Insight)

Justin Tomlinson the minister with responsibility for the HSE said that when people are harmed at work it makes Britain less competitive He said ldquoTackling workplace ill health is rightly a key theme Some 23 million working days are lost each year because of it Individuals employers and the state incur an annual cost of around pound9 billion from ill health due to todayrsquos working conditions So reducing workplace ill health is a must for Britainrsquos well-being and prosperityrdquo

HSE chair Judith Hackitt added ldquoToo much complexity and bureaucracy has built up around health and safety We heard many people say that we already have the knowledge to make the themes of the strategy a reality The message that this is about being smarter ndash not simply doing more ndash resonated with our audiences By keeping things as simple and straightforward as possible we can ensure that all businesses see this as enabling them to be successful and productiverdquo

The worker sustained nerve damage to his left arm which makes it difficult for him to grip or lift items

TRAINING

Worker killed by loading shovelrsquos bucket

A waste management company has been ordered to pay more than pound200000 after a worker died when he was crushed by the bucket on a motorised loading shovel

On the 7 June 2013 24-year-old Ashley Morris known as Will was working at Rainbow Waste Managementrsquos site in Swadlincote He sustained fatal injuries to his head and spine when the bucket of the loading shovel that he was operating crushed him

An inquest held in 2014 concluded that Morrisrsquos head had become stuck between the arm that links the cab of the vehicle he was on and the lsquobucketrsquo that scoops up material to load on to a conveyor belt

Workers said at the inquest that the emergency services arrived but nobody had tried to move the vehicle as they were not trained on how to use it and were afraid that they would cause him more physical damage

Derby Crown Court heard that in the 10 days leading up to the incident CCTV cameras at site captured more than 200 examples of unsafe working practices These included dangerous operations with the shovel such as workers being lifted in the bucket and workers having to take evasive action to avoid contact with moving vehicles

On 24 February Derbyshire-based Rainbow Waste Management pleaded guilty to breaching Section 2(1) of the Health and Safety at Work Act and was fined pound136000 plus pound64770 in costs

ldquoRainbow Waste failed to put in place basic legal requirements of training and supervisionrdquo said HSE principal inspector Elizabeth Hornsby after sentencing

OFFSHORE SAFETY

ConocoPhillips fined pound3m for offshore gas leaks

Gas releases happened due to isolation and planning failures

Oil and gas giant ConocoPhillips (UK) has been fined pound3 million after leaks on a gas platform 70 miles off the Lincolnshire coast put workersrsquo lives at risk

Between 30 November and 1 December 2012 there were two uncontrolled and one controlled but unexpected gas release on the Lincolnshire Offshore Gas Gathering System (LOGGS)

The LOGGS complex consists of five interlinked platforms As well as having its own wells the installation collects natural gas from other gas platforms in the southern North Sea and pipes it to the onshore Theddlethorpe gas terminal HSE investigators found the November releases on happened during

maintenance work to replace a gas pressure control valve on one of three gas turbines used to generate electricity for the installation To do this the fuel gas pressure safety valve and a flexible hose had to be removed

The gas releases occurred because of isolation and planning failures which allowed gas to come out of an open ended pipe connected to the high pressure vent system

ConocoPhillips pleaded guilty to one breach of Section 9 of the Offshore Installations (Prevention of Fire and Emergency Response) Regulations and two breaches of Section 19 of the same regulations

InBriefMerlin charged over ride collisionThe HSE has announced it will prosecute Merlin Attractions Operations over a collision in which five people were seriously injured while travelling on the lsquoSmilerrsquo ride at Alton Towers in Staffordshire

Two women had to have their legs amputated and three other people were seriously injured when their carriage collided with a stationary carriage on the same track in June last year

Merlin Attractions will appear at North Staffordshire Justice Centre Newcastle-under-Lyme on 22 April to face a charge under Section 3(1) of the Health and Safety at Work Act

ldquoWe have conducted a very thorough investigation and consider that there is sufficient evidence and that it is in the public interest to bring a prosecutionrdquo said Neil Craig head of operations for the HSE in the Midlands

The bucket on this motorised loading shovel crushed Ashley Morrisrsquo head and spine

Millions of days lost each year due to work ill health

23

Workers should never be allowed to stand on the forks of a forklift truck because of the risk of them being injured by moving partsrdquo

The firm was fined a nominal amount of

pound2

CCTV captured 200 unsafe practices at waste site where worker died

To read an interview with the investigating inspector visit httpbitly21VrpWa

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SE

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SE


News ProsecutionsNews Prosecutions

SLIPS TRIPS AND FALLS

Pregnant bar worker fell through open hatch

A night club operator has been fined pound14000 after a pregnant bar worker fell through an open cellar hatch

Oldham Council prosecuted the owners of town centre nightclub Bamboogy after the 23-year-old woman who was about seven weeks pregnant was knocked unconscious

The woman who didnrsquot want to be named was working behind the main bar on 8 February 2015 when she turned around and fell down a set of stairs

She was treated for bruising at hospital and the baby was unharmed

Goodfellarsquos Leisure trading as Bamboogy pleaded guilty at Oldham Magistratesrsquo Court to one offence under the Health and Safety at Work Act and two offences under the Management Regulations

The firm was fined pound14000 with a pound150 victim surcharge and costs of pound3150

The court was shown CCTV footage of the accident with several members of staff walking around the open hatch

The incident was investigated by Oldham Councilrsquos environmental health officers who had previously warned the company about the cellar hatch

Since the incident officers have made health and safety recommendations which the company have complied with

Councillor Barbara Brownridge said ldquoThis was an extremely serious incident which could have had far more tragic consequences for the lady and her baby

ldquoFrom the CCTV footage you can clearly see this was unsafe for members of staff to be working around

ldquoIt was unacceptable and an accident waiting to happenrdquo she added

RISK ASSESSMENT

Aldi fined pound100k over unsecured smoking shelter

Maintenance contractor had not risk assessed moving the shelter

Supermarket giant Aldi and a contractor have appeared in court after a smoking shelter at one of its stores blew into a group of workers taking a break

Darlington Borough Council prosecuted Aldi and a contractor Wilkinson Maintenance after investigating the incident which happened on 21 October 2014 at the supermarketrsquos distribution centre on Faverdale Industrial Estate in Darlington while a group of employees was outside taking a break

The smoking shelter blew into the group striking and pinning one man who was left with soft tissue injuries to his back and arms

Aldi had contracted Wilkinson Maintenance to build an emergency exit to a first floor office

A smoking shelter had to be moved as it was at the bottom of the new fire exit staircase It was left unsecured for eight days near the staff rest area

An investigation by Darlington Borough Council revealed neither Aldi or Wilkinson Maintenance took responsibility for checking whether it was secured or not

The council found a number of failings by Aldi including lack of a risk assessment and ensuring that Wilkinson Maintenance was properly carrying out the job

Neither firm had properly supervised those involved in the shelterrsquos relocation and Aldi had not made sure that Wilkinson had the necessary skill expertise and instruction to move and secure the shelter or that the rest area was safe for Aldi staff to use Wilkinson Maintenance also failed to produce a risk assessment for the job

A prosecution was brought to Teesside Crown Court on 24 February Aldi Food Stores admitted breaching Section 2(1) of the Health and Safety at Work Act while Wilkinson Maintenance pleaded guilty to an offence under Section 3(1) of the Act

Judge Bourne-Arton fined Aldi pound100000 and Wilkinson pound20000 Both firms must pay costs of pound5295 each At the sentencing hearing Aldi Stores said its maintenance managers have since received additional training

An Aldi spokesperson said ldquoWe regret this isolated incident and are pleased the judge recognised the companyrsquos impeccable character

ldquoWe take our health and safety responsibilities extremely seriously and are committed to safeguarding the welfare of our employees

ldquoAll necessary steps have been taken to remove the risk of this incident happening again and we are pleased that our employee has returned to workrdquo

RISK ASSESSMENT

MoD faces Crown Censure over Brecon Beacons deaths

The HSE has announced it will administer a Crown Censure to the Ministry of Defence (MoD) over the deaths of three soldiers on a training exercise in the Brecon Beacons in July 2013

Reservists Edward Maher James Dunsby and Craig Roberts fell ill while on a training march Mr Roberts and Mr Maher died during the exercise while Mr Dunsby suffered multiple organ failure (as a result of hyperthermia) and died on 30 July 2013

The HSE investigation found a failure to plan assess and manage risks associated with climatic illness during the training

These failings resulted in the deaths of the three men and heat illness suffered by 10 other on the march

Despite its Crown status the MoD is not exempt from its responsibilities as an employer to reduce the risks to its employees as far as reasonably practicable Had it not been for Crown immunity the MoD would have faced prosecution for the failings identified

HSE head of operations Neil Craig said ldquoSpecialist military units rightly need to test rigorously the fitness and resilience of potential candidates Health and safety is not about stopping people from

doing dangerous work or being properly prepared for military duties Military training is inherently hazardous However such testing needs to be managed effectively The MoD has a duty to manage the risks during training exercises It failed to do so on this occasion

ldquoSince the incident the HSE has worked closely with the MoD to ensure it has learned lessons on how it can reduce the risk of similar tragedies occurring in future without compromising or changing the arduous nature of the essential training and testing it needs to providerdquo

A worker fell through an open cellar hatch at this night club in Oldham

The supermarket chain was prosecuted after a smoking shelter blew into staff

CONSTRUCTION

Blacklist victims receive pound56mMembers of construction union UCATT who were victims of blacklisting by major construction companies have begun to receive compensation

In total 71 UCATT members have received a full and final settlement for compensation worth pound56 million from the companies involved in blacklisting The compensation is for breach of confidencemisuse of private information breach of the Data Protection Act 1988 defamation and loss of earnings

Brian Rye acting general secretary of the union said ldquoUCATT has been fighting the blacklisting case since the day it was revealed This initial tranche of compensation is the first significant milestone in the battle to win justice for blacklisted workers I hope that this compensation will provide some recompense for these members who have suffered appalling treatment at the hands of the blacklistersrdquo

The construction union has a total of 160 cases for the victims of blacklisting and negotiations are ongoing for compensation for the remaining cases Unless settlement is agreed the cases will go to trial in May 2016

Aside from the financial compensation UCATT is also trying to secure a formal apology made in the High Court to the victims of blacklisting There is also a determination to ensure that all documentation in the case is preserved so that if a public inquiry is secured into the scandal the information can be properly examined

UCATTrsquos lawyers are also attempting to secure a guarantee that if any further documents are discovered relating to the blacklisting of workers or their personal information the individual is given access to them and they are then destroyed by the blacklisting companies in order to prevent future blacklisting

The legal teams involved in the case are trying to secure agreement that the companies concerned will provide training and future support to any of the victims who require it in order to assist them in rejoining the industry

InBriefLawyers predict more appeals under new sentencing rulesThe Sentencing Councilrsquos new guideline on health and safety crimes will lead to more cases going to Crown Court and more organisations choosing to defend prosecutions and appeal fines according to respondents to a survey by the Health and Safety Lawyersrsquo Association (HSLA)

The survey received responses from 170 members of the HSLA which represents both practitioners and academic lawyers and took place in November 2015 before the guideline came into effect on 1 February this year It found that three-quarters of respondents believed more cases would be sent to Crown Court about two-thirds felt more defendants would elect for trial or sentencing in Crown Court about three-quarters thought higher fines would make organisations defend prosecutions and two-thirds believed more organisations would appeal fines

Health and Safety Bulletin has analysed the 50 most recent cases ndash stretching back to early 2014 ndash where the judge accepted that the offence was a significant cause of death and then used the offenderrsquos turnover to place each into one of the four size categories IIRSM members can access this article for free at wwwhealthandsafetyatworkcomhsbsentencing-guidelines

Aldirsquos contractor Wilkinson Maintenance was fined

pound20k

Worker fell down stairs banged her head and was knocked unconscious

From the CCTV footage you can clearly see this was unsaferdquo

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ickr

Mik

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oogl

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Management standardsManagement standards

A significant changeThe worldrsquos first universal management system standard that totally focuses on the structures and processes of the organisation has been created IIRSM technical committee member Ian Dalling tells us more

The role of a formal management system is to systematically direct and guide an organisationrsquos

processes to achieve various aspects of performance such as productservice quality health safety environment financial information and security BS5750 was published in 1971 followed by ISO 9001 in 1987 to define the requirements for a productservice quality management

Its total focus is on the structures and processes that deliver an organisationrsquos purpose and not on isolated facets of performancerdquo

IIRSMCQI survey showed that 80 of organisations either already had or were intending to implement an integrated management system

In 2011 lsquoOrder from Chaosrsquo was published in the CQIrsquos magazine Quality World and demonstrated a total management topic taxonomy permitting the creation of fully integrated management systems for example a logical place for everything with nothing leftover to be handled separately This universal management topic taxonomy focused on the structures and processes of an organisation that deliver its purpose rather than the various dimensions of performance that had hitherto been addressed in multiple management system standards The article also invited volunteers to participate in the creation of a truly universal management system standard

An international team of experts was assembled and following a three-year project MSS 10002014 was published It was the worldrsquos first one-stop universal management system standard facilitating fully integrated management systems without boundaries It not only replaces the need to comply with commonly used management system standards but also addresses performance aspects not explicitly covered in auditable standards such as personnelHR commerce and corporate social responsibility in a fully

joined up way making it a one-stop seamless enterprise quality prospect and risk management system standard It is the underlying 12 element hierarchical management topic taxonomy shown pictorially in Figure 2 that makes a universal management system possible because of its total focus on the structures and processes that deliver an organisationrsquos purpose and not on isolated facets of performance Its composition brings together the following three characteristics of an organisationrsquos functionality

plan-do-check-act learning and improvement cycles to keep the organisation stakeholder aligned

the four ingredients of an organisation personnel commerce data matter and energy

the three modes of functionality normal purpose fulfilling delivery contingency and change processes

While this is great news for all types of organisation worldwide ndash empowering them to greatly simplify and improve the effectiveness of their management systems ndash it is also a highly disruptive innovation threatening the established business practices of the standards and certification bodies It is like what electronic calculators did in the 1970s to the slide rule industry and what Uber ndash together with driverless cars ndash will eventually do to Hackney cabs

Quite when MSS 1000 single universal certification services will become available is anyonersquos guess but MSS 10002014 can be freely downloaded now to readily create a full scope integrated management system Organisations can still employ the established certification bodies to check compliance against any adopted management system standards

Appendix 9 of MSS 1000 shows the correspondence with other commonly used management system standards including ISO 9001 ISO 14001 OHSAS 18001 ISO 27001 and ISO 31000 By using MSS 1000 to structure an integrated management system it is automatically aligned with the way it needs to optimally operate its management processes and also readily permits any relevant management system standard item of legislation or regulatory license to be readily mapped onto its structure providing a simple employee interface IT developers are free to create Apps directly interacting with the standard via extensive bookmarking

The standard can be downloaded for free at httpbitly1J9te4Q

Next monthrsquos edition of Insight will elaborate on MSS 1000 and how it universally manages prospect and risk

Ian Dalling chairs the CQI Integrated Management Special Interest Group serves on the IIRSM Technical Committee and lead the creation of MSS 10002015

Key features free one-stop standard and guidance promotes integrated management universal boundless transcends

disciplines qualitative and quantitative

compliance bronze-silver-gold compliance levels stakeholder focus on prospectrisk overt and covert arrangements tried and tested structure comprehensive universal definitions stimulates innovation and research directly interfaceable with IT

applications

Figure 2 Twelve element management taxonomy

Continual improvement and alignment with stakeholder evolving needs and aspirations

1 Analysis amp synthesis

2 Personnel

3 Commerce

4 Data

5 Matter amp energy

6 Suppliers

8 Contingency

7 Delivery

10 Reactive investigation

11 Planned monitoring

12 Review amp action

9 Change

PLAN DO CHECK ACT

MSS1000

ISO31000

ISO26000

ISO14001

ISO9001

ISO18001

ISO27001

ISO27002

ISO45001

ISO22301

ISO28001

Figure 1 Antidote to standards proliferation

system ISO 14001 was published in 1996 for environmental management systems and since then there has been a proliferation of other management system standards covering different facets of an organisationrsquos performance (see Figure 1) These standards encouraged organisations to operate multiple management systems usually each having its own certification process

Research conducted on IIRSM and the Chartered Quality Institute (CQI) members in 2011 showed that post millennium integrated management systems spontaneously emerged from within many organisations endeavouring to counteract the ineffectiveness and wastefulness of operating multiple management systems Attempting to improve the situation ISO required all of their management system standards published from 2003 to be aligned under a standard set of headings known as ISO Annex SL However this structure does not integrate the content across the various standards but simply aligns some of it under standard headings

This leaves a large amount of non-fitting non-integrated content to be placed in appendices The fundamental problem is that ISO Annex SL is only a partial taxonomy of management headings leaving the designers of management systems to make sense of multiple non-integrated requirements that have only been partially and coarsely aligned The resulting impact is enormous as the


Institute News Institute News

MEMORANDUM OF UNDERSTANDING

A constructive agreement

IIRSM is delighted to announce that following a series of meetings and discussions we recently signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Association for Project Safety (APS) to formally put in place agreement to work collaboratively on issues that will benefit both IIRSM and APS members

The MoU sets out the aims of our willingness to work together collaboratively to promote the improved awareness and understanding of construction related health and safety risks and their management

IIRSM chief executive Phillip Pearson said ldquoI am very pleased to be working more closely with APS and look forward to delivering some practical achievements with the organisation over the coming months and years This MoU cements our

relationship with a reliable partner and is a positive step forward for the instituterdquo

We are confident that this agreement will bring benefit to the large proportion of our membership who are working in

the construction sector and will keep you informed regarding developments

The MoU was signed by IIRSM president Siobhan Donnelly and APS chief executive Rob Strange at an event at the House of Lords in February The signing was also attended by IIRSM deputy president Andy Hawkes IIRSM council member Clive Johnson and Phillip Pearson alongside John Banks APS past president Rob Strange Adviser to the APS board and Bobby Chakravarthy APS president elect

BRANCHES UPDATE

Get involved Join a Branch commitee Other ways to help promote Branches Start a new Branch

IIRSM Branches have had a busy year already with 15 meetings having taken place around the UK and internationally at the time of writing Many more planned which are usually free to attend so be sure to keep your eye on wwwiirsmorgevents to see whatrsquos happening near you

IIRSM Branches are established and run by volunteer Members with central support from the institute They provide Members with the opportunity to undertake continuous professional development (CPD) through participation in seminars workshops or site visits and provide an opportunity to network with peers

Our Branch meetings are open to non-members as well so please feel free to invite friends and colleagues

Joining a Branch committeeWe recently launched a vacancy page for Branches to advertise available positions on Branch Committees Please visit the branches section in the website to see what opportunities exist in your area

Committee Members can gain a variety of CPD from organising and running branch events Donrsquot forget if you undertake activities such as presenting this also can be included as well as anything you learn from other speakers The Branch Committee roles are open to all members (except

students) and can prove especially helpful for Fellows or Members interested in applying for Fellowship and those wishing to gain RSP status as it can really help you reach your CPD and volunteering goals

Other ways to helpWe understand that sometimes people are not able to commit the time to the running or supporting of a Branch As a member you can help in a variety of ways

attend your local Branch meetings help publicise the Branch events with

your connections and networks offer a room in your workplace for

meetings to take place in speak at a Branch meeting bring along friends of colleagues

Starting a new BranchIIRSM welcome interest from Members on starting new branches To propose the formation of a new Branch the Member must fill in the Branch Proposal Form found on the lsquoGet involvedrsquo section of the website Head office will then conduct a feasibility study to validate both its requirement and its likely chances of ongoing success

We are currently looking into setting up Branches in areas around Birmingham Edinburgh Newcastle and Reading Please contact branchesiirsmorg to find out more

Above left to right Phillip Pearson Rob Strange John Banks Richard Wilks Siobhan Donnelly Bobby Chakravarthy Clive Johnson and Andy Hawkes Left Richard and Siobhan sign the MoU

ANNUAL CONFERENCE

Speakers inspire at IIRSM eventOn 11 February health and safety professionals from a variety of sectors came together for our annual conference Held at Austin Court in Birminghamrsquos IET the event provided a day of practical insights and solutions for the modern risk professional

The event was a resounding success with excellent feedback and provided delegates with an invaluable CPD and networking opportunity Chaired by Siobhan Donnelly IIRSM president the conference featured a range of topics from health in construction from Balfour Beattyrsquos Heather Bryant to the importance of non-verbal communication in the workplace by Dan Terry

Giving his keynote speech HSE chief executive Richard Judge presented attendees with an overview of his work with the regulator over the past year and allowed time to answer questions from the floor

Other sessions included an animated presentation by Martin Tod CEO of the Menrsquos Health Forum who provided plenty of food for thought and Paul Simpsonrsquos slot on communications and influencing gave an overview on how to take difficult messages to busy executives and obtain their support and action to help organisations reduce risk and progress towards achieving goals Becky Lee of Staffs County Council crunched the numbers and explained to the audience how the council saved pound700000 by paying attention to musculoskeletal disorders

See this monthrsquos Health and Safety at Work magazine for a full review of the conference

Presentations from the session are available now on our website at wwwiirsmorgpast-iirsm-events

North West England 17 March WarringtonTopic Dustvapour explosionRegister iirsmnwbranchskycom

United Arab Emirates6 April Abu DhabiRegister uaebranchiirsmorg

East Midlands 6 April Ashby de la ZouchTopic CDM 2015Register catherinewilkesntlworldcom

South Wales 13 April Cardiff City Stadium Safety Groups Alliance Inaugural Conference Register stevebergiershotmailcouk

Qatar 19 April DohaRegister qatarbranchiirsmorg

Aberdeen 21 AprilRegister hughcanningtalktalknet

United Arab Emirates4 May DubaiRegister uaebranchiirsmorg

UPCOMING BRANCH MEETINGS

Dates for your diary

IIRSM signs agreement with the Association for Project Safety

For more information please visit wwwiirsmorgbranches

This MoU cements our relationship with a reliable partner and is a positive step forward for the instituterdquo

APPOINTMENT

New staff memberThe institute recently welcomed Sophie Williams to the post of director of professional development Sophiersquos role is to develop and implement a new learning and development strategy including a suite of qualifications training interventions and oversee the institutersquos approach to continuous professional development She will also be reviewing our membership structure and criteria Historically IIRSM has focused on the health and safety risks but will now also focus on the broader risks affecting business and people

The new strategy and in particular the qualifications will support the repositioning of IIRSM in achieving its mission of being the international institute of choice for everyone involved in managing risk

Sophie started her career as a trainee advisor at a Citizenrsquos Advice Bureau before joining the Institute of Risk Management (IRM) As business development director she is responsible for product and market development and the last project she worked on was developing the institutersquos professional standards and certification

scheme Prior to this she was responsible for setting up and administering the institutersquos qualifications examinations and student services including the implementation of their membership and education IT systems

Sophie is a member of IRM and the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD) Her biggest personal achievement to date has been climbing Kilimanjaro Welcome to the team Sophie


International News International News

emergency exit which was just one of nine safety violations at the outlet

OSHA inspected the store after an employee alleged that upper managers had ignored repeated requests to remove the hazards OSHA cited the firm for two wilful six serious and one other-than-serious violations Proposed penalties total $163000 Since 2010 the agency has cited Dollar General for more than 100 violations at stores across the US

NEW ZEALAND

Construction co failed to identify asbestos A building firm has been fined NZ$26812 and ordered to pay NZ$7500 in reparations after it failed to identify and manage asbestos at a demolition site Its sole director and shareholder Philip Delaney was convicted and discharged

Hutt Construction 2013 was demolishing a building at Marlborough Street in Silverstream Upper Hutt in January 2015 There was asbestos containing material in the building which was next to a pre-school and a several other properties

Following community complaints WorkSafe New Zealand shut down work on the site The regulatorrsquos investigation found Hutt and Delaney had failed to properly manage the demolition and removal of the asbestos containing material

PAKISTAN

Fatal crane fall at metro line project A worker has died after falling from crane during work on the Orange Line project

The incident happened on 4 February at a site on GT Road within the jurisdiction of Shalamar Town The worker suffered serious injuries and later died in hospital

The Orange Line is being constructed as a new line on the Lahore Metro network According to Labour Watch Pakistan at least six workers have died since the start of the project

IRELAND

euro125k fine for hydraulic arm crush Concrete products manufacturer Kilsaran Concrete has been fined euro125000 after an employee Barry Gargan was fatally injured while working on a wet

cast manufacturing unit The unit was surrounded by a safety cage But Gargan had been instructed to work inside the cage and when it closed the process started and a hydraulic arm pinned him against a vibrating table

ldquoThe area was considered extremely dangerous and the practice at Kilsaran Concrete of allowing workers to bypass the safety controls and work inside the danger zone showed a blatant disregard for the safety and health of workersrdquo said Brian Higgisson assistant chief executive of the Health and Safety Authority

The company pleaded guilty to breaching Section 8(2)(a) of the Safety Health and Welfare at Work Act 2005 contrary to Section 77(9)(a)

Carl Griffin a manager at Kilsaran admitted a charge under Section 14(b) contrary to 77(9) of the Act He was fined euro10000

USA

Upstream industry to lsquostep-up for safetyrsquo The Occupational Safety and Health Administration has launched its 2016 lsquoStep-up for safetyrsquo campaign to raise awareness about hazards in the oil and gas industry

Dr John Howard director of the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) which is a campaign partner said the industry has experienced a fatality rate approximately seven times higher than the rate of the average US industry in the past

20 years More than four in five fatalities in the upstream industry result from four hazards vehicle crashes being struck by equipment fires or explosions and falls

GLOBAL

Air pollution kills 55 million people annuallyMore than 55 million people die prematurely every year due to air pollution caused by power plants industrial manufacturing vehicle exhaust and burning coal and wood

Over half of all these deaths occur in China and India about 16 million people died of air pollution in China and 14 million in India in 2013

In China by far the biggest contributor to poor air quality is coal buring an estimated 366000 deaths in 2013 were due to outdoor pollution from coal alone

According to research presented at the 2016 annual meeting of the American Association for the Advancement of Science despite efforts to limit future emissions the number of premature deaths linked to air pollution will climb over the next two decades unless stricter and more robust targets are set

ldquoAir pollution is the fourth highest risk factor for death globally and by far the leading environmental risk factor for diseaserdquo said Michael Brauer who is a professor at the University of British Columbiarsquos School of Population and Public Health in Canada

HUNGARY

Director cleared over toxic spill A director and 14 employees at an alumina plant involved in a toxic chemical spill in October 2010 have been cleared of a range of charges

Zoltaacuten Bakonyi a former director of the MAL plant in Ajka and the employees were acquitted of charges of negligence waste management violations and damage to the environment

The spill killed 10 people and injured 150 when toxic sludge cascaded into villages after the plantrsquos holding reservoirrsquos walls burst during heavy rain In 2011 the Hungarian authorities imposed a fine on MAL equating to pound330m

AUSTRALIA

Second fatality at hospital site A worker has died after sustaining a head injury during construction of the new Royal Adelaide Hospital The incident involved a scissor lift

Another worker died at the same site in November 2014 when he was crushed between a scissor lift and a concrete slabSafeWork SA executive director Marie Boland said the statersquos regulator was investigating any potential breaches of the Work Health and Safety Act

The hospital is being built by a joint venture Hansen Yuncken Leighton Contractors

BANGLADESH

Garment factories still unsafe say unions A fire at a Dhaka garment producer has prompted unions to warn that unsafe factories are still a reality in Bangladesh

The fire at Matrix Sweaters broke out on 2 February before the 6000 workers had started their shifts Media reports stated that between 10 and 15 people were injured while fighting the blaze

The IndustriALL Global Union said HampM and JC Penney signatories to the Accord on Fire and Building Safety in Bangladesh were among the confirmed buyers from the factory which was inspected by the Accord in October 2015

ldquoIt has been nearly three years since the Rana Plaza collapse and factories

are still unsafe ndash the factory owners and brands are not doing enough to undertake the corrective action neededrdquo said Jyrki Raina general secretary of IndustriALL

CANADA

Ontario introduces new PTSD bill The Ontario government has introduced a bill proposing that post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) claims by first responders be automatically approved by the Workplace Safety and Insurance Board

A ldquopresumptiverdquo amendment to existing legislation includes paramedics and paramedic services communication officers as well as firefighters corrections workers and police officers

ldquoParamedics and other first responders often witness horrific trauma and we must all do what we can to remove the barriers for them to access help and support when they need itrdquo said Fred Hahn president of Ontario CUPE which represents over 5500 paramedic staff

USA

Dollar General cited for blocked exitsThe Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has cited discount retailer Dollar General after a store in Missouri endangered workers by blocking exit routes with rubbish Federal safety inspectors found a 15m high 45m long pile of trash between employees and an

USA

Dept of Labor sues US Steel over accident reporting sanctionsThe Department of Labor has announced it is suing US Steel Corp for retaliating against workers who have reported workplace injuries

In February 2014 two US Steel Corp employees in Pennsylvania reported injuries that may have resulted from worksite incidents a few days earlier At the time of the incidents the employees did not realise they had suffered injuries because symptoms did not develop until later When they reported their injuries US Steel suspended them without pay for violating the companyrsquos immediate reporting policy

In the lawsuit the Department of Labor is seeking to reverse the disciplinary action and amend the companyrsquos immediate reporting policy

The first incident happened on 12 February 2014 when a utility technician at the firmrsquos Clairton Plant found a small splinter lodged in his thumb and extracted it himself Two days later his thumb and hand were swollen and he received medical treatment for an infection

When he reported the incident to his supervisor the company imposed a five-day suspension without pay for violating the companyrsquos policy US Steel later reduced the suspension to two days

Three days later a labourer at the companyrsquos Irvin Plant bumped his head on a low beam He was wearing a hard

hat and didnrsquot feel any pain at the time But several days later he experienced stiffness in his right shoulder and sought medical treatment His representative reported the problem as a possible worksite injury and when the worker met with US Steelrsquos representative to discuss the issue the company suspended him for five days without pay

Both workers filed complaints with the Occupational Safety and Health Administration alleging that US Steel had suspended them in retaliation for reporting workplace injuries

The agency found that in both cases the company violated the Occupational Safety and Health Act But US Steel has since failed to rescind its disciplinary sanctions or to amend its immediate reporting policy to allow for a reasonable period of time for employees to report injuries

The Coking Plant in Clairton Pennsylvania

RUSSIA

Ten dead and 26 missing in Arctic Circle mine blasts Six people five of whom were rescue workers have died in a second explosion at a mine in northern Russia The incident happened three days after initial blasts on 25 February had killed four miners and left 26 missing

Emergencies Minister Vladimir Puchkov said on 28 February that the 26 missing miners were also likely to be dead The explosions happened at the Severnaya mine in the city of Vorkuta within the Arctic Circle

The Vorkutaugol mining company which runs the mine said parts of the mine had collapsed after a sudden leak of methane gas triggered two blasts According to TASS news agency 110

people were in the mine at the time of the accident

President Vladimir Putin has announced he is creating a special commission to investigate the accident In 2010 91 people died after a methane explosion at the Raspadskaya mine in the Siberian region of Kemerovo and in 2007 110 people died at the Ulyanovskaya mine in the same region

Minister Vladimir Puchkov

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Personal protective equipmentPersonal protective equipment

The use and abuse of glovesAre your gloves really protecting you For many the answer will almost certainly be probably not particularly where protection is needed against hazardous chemicals says Chris Packham

In a recent paper published in The Annals of Occupational Hygiene a team of dermatologists investigated

the uptake into the body through the skin of carbon disulphide classified in the latest Classification Labelling and Packaging (CLP) Regulations as capable of causing damage to internal organs from skin exposure as well as being a skin irritant They appeared surprised to find that wearing nitrile or natural rubber latex gloves resulted in an increase What they had not recognised is that this chemical will quickly migrate through the glove materials and then make contact with the skin The barrier properties will have been impaired due to the hyperhydration that results from both sweat and importantly trans-epidermal water loss a generalised continuous loss of water through the skin quite separate from sweat

A complex pictureThe selection and use of gloves for chemical protection is much more complicated than many realise It is incorrect to assume that the data on glove performance published by manufacturers in accordance with the standard (EN374) will actually tell you what your gloves will achieve in practice

Permeation ndash that is the transport at a molecular level ndash is undetectable by the wearer and can vary enormously depending upon the many factors shown in the table In use testing with a glove with a nominal permeation breakthrough time of 36 minutes against xylene showed breakthrough times varying from two hours to five minutes depending upon the nature of the actual task

Mixtures present an even more complex picture A glove that could provide a permeation breakthrough time of more than 240 minutes with toluene and methyl ethyl ketone individually showed when these were mixed in equal proportions a breakthrough time of just nine minutes

Indeed for some common chemicals there is no glove that offers little more than lsquosplash protectionrsquo In other words should the chemical come into contact with the glove it is important that it is immediately removed and if necessary replaced with a fresh glove Since in some cases such as with the carbon disulphide the only glove that offers any real protection may cost upwards of pound25 per pair protection using gloves can become an expensive approach

Wet workAs well as the potential for the glove to fail to protect we need to recognise that all occlusive gloves will actually cause damage to the skin itself We are not referring here to allergic reactions to the gloves but to the accumulation of excessive water in the skin This can lead to what dermatologists have called lsquohydration dermatitisrsquo Indeed wearing chemical protective gloves is equivalent to lsquowet work for example skin contact with water a common cause of irritant contact dermatitis

The belief that this can be controlled by the application of creams that can block sweat is misguided Blocking sweat glands will not stop the production of sweat by the glands This is then forced through the sweat duct into the skin and can cause adverse effects on the cells in the epidermis Nor can the cream prevent the trans-epidermal water loss that is a

major cause of skin hyperhydration due to occlusion Furthermore the active ingredient in these creams usually aluminium chlorohydrate is a recognised skin sensitiser and in the micro-environment that will exist inside the glove could possibly result in sensitisation and allergy In fact the Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) Regulations address this problem

Appendix II paragraph 22 lsquoEnclosing parts of the body to be protectedrsquo states ldquoAs far as possible PPE lsquoenclosingrsquo the parts of the body to be protected must be sufficiently ventilated to limit perspiration resulting from use if this is not the case it must if possible be equipped with devices which absorb perspirationrdquo

To date the only effective way of effectively minimising skin hyperhydration from the wearing of occlusive gloves is to wear separate cotton gloves beneath the chemical protective gloves

A last resortIt should be obvious from this article that the selection and use of gloves to protect against chemical hazards is actually more complex than might at first appear Bear in mind that any failure is fail-to-danger exposing the wearerrsquos potentially damaged skin to the chemical hazard

Perhaps this is why with only limited exception under the Control of Substances Hazardous to Health (COSHH) Regulations and the PPE Regulations the use of protection is considered a last resort to be applied only when all other means of managing exposure have been applied and there is still a residual risk due to skin exposure

Chris Packham is a dermatological engineer at EnviroDerm Services wwwenvirodermcouk

Factors affecting the performance of chemical protective glovesReduce the duration of protection Increase the duration of protection

Degradation High temperature Flexing and stretching Mechanical damage including abrasion Poor maintenance Ageing Mixtures

Intermittent or incomplete contact

Volatility Low temperature Frequent glove washing Mixture strength


Membersrsquo Pages Membersrsquo Pages

If you are looking for advice call the health and safety information helpline with your questions on +44 (0)1296 678 465 or email iirsmhelplinealcumusgroupcom for information on any health and safety related topic Here are just a few of your recent queries

QampAsDRUGS AND ALCOHOL TESTING

I have received an email from a concerned employee who is due to undergo a drugs and alcohol test He has advised that he is taking prescribed medication Mirtazapine and is concerned that due to the sedative properties this may prevent him from passing a Personal Track Safety (PTS) medical Are you able to offer any advice of provide any information with regards to Mirtazapine and how it may affect the outcome of a drugs and alcohol test

While Mirtazapine usually would not show up as a false positive there does appear to be number of people posting in medical forums stating that they have recently been having false positives for amphetamines when they have only been taking this prescribed Mirtazapine While not compulsory it could avoid any issues if your employee takes all medication to the test to be documented which would alert mediators of any potential false positives occurring

In regards to restrictions imposed by rail operators if this medication is restricted by the employing company then other alternatives would be available and could be prescribed by a doctor Issues could arise in regards to the PTS medical due to the side effects that Mirtazapine has been documented to cause these can include

dizziness drowsiness fainting (less common) muscle pain (less common)

A full list of side effects can be found at wwwdrugscomsfxmirtazapine-side-effectshtml

Those listed above could seriously alter the outcome of an employeersquos result in the PTS medical which would then have resonating consequences to their career

Due to the nature of Mirtazapine and the conditions it is usually prescribed for it should be noted that if no other medication can be prescribed and the side effects do affect the PTS medical then the employing group would be expected to try to make reasonable adjustments to the employees work allowing him to continue work in conditions that would have less of an impact on the employees condition

While this advice is given from a health

and safety perspective we would strongly recommend contacting the IIRSM Legal Helpline (0845 676 9498) to discuss legal issues that may arise from any false positives during the drugs test or ramifications that could occur as a result of failing the PTS medical

HAZARDOUS SUBSTANCES

We have just had notification from our supplier that a substance category has been revised and it is now classified as a category I B reproductive toxin We have been using this substance for many years without incident and have now prevented pregnant (or potentially pregnant women) from using this product But going forward should we prevent this being used by women of child bearing age as well as pregnant women Or can we utilise PPE such as vapour masks for women of child bearing age The company has put the onus on us and our COSHH assessment

Regulation 7 of the Control of Substances Hazardous to Health (COSHH) states ldquoEvery employer shall ensure that the exposure of his employees to substances hazardous to health is either prevented or where this is not reasonably practicable adequately controlledrdquo

Paragraph 5 then continues this point with specific relation to carcinogenic and mutagenic materials and how if it is not possible to prevent exposure to these materials then the employer should apply the following measures

totally enclosing the process and handling systems unless this is not reasonable practicable

the prohibition of eating drinking and smoking in areas that may be contaminated

cleaning floors walls and other surfaces at regular intervals and whenever necessary

designating those areas and installation which may be contaminated and using suitable and sufficient warning signs

storing handling and disposing of them safely including using closed and clearly labelled containers

The first thing to consider is whether it is possible to perform the tasks with a safer substitute or if there is a way in which shifts

can be changed which would eliminate the exposure to this product However if you have deemed the products elimination to be impossible then the last resort should be to provide Personal Protective Equipment (PPE)

While you have correctly mentioned that face masks will be a relevant form of PPE which would greatly reduce the exposure you employees experience You will need to perform a COSHH assessment which takes into account

the product being used how much of the product is being used where the product is being used how is the product being used

This will then indicate the relevant routes of exposure which in turn will highlight what PPE will need to be prescribed to maximise the level of protection your employees have in relation to the specific product being used

The findings of these assessments should also be incorporated into a pregnant worker risk assessment which should highlight any risks to pregnant workers and how they are to be controlled

See wwwhsegovukcoshhdetailgoodpracticehtm for further information on pregnant workers and principles of good control practice are at wwwhsegovukmothersfaqshtm

LEGIONELLA

The HSErsquos ACoP L8 The Control of Legionella Bacteria in Water Systems states that dutyholders can appoint a responsible person to ensure that all operational procedures are carried out in a timely and effective manner and implement the control measures and strategies Is there an accreditedrecommended course to ensure this role fulfils his duties confidently and effectively

The responsible person will take day-to-day responsibility for managing the control of any identified risk from legionella bacteria Anyone can be appointed as the responsible person as long as they have sufficient authority competence skills and knowledge about the installation to ensure that all operational procedures are

carried out in a timely and effective manner and implement the control measures and strategies for example they are suitably informed instructed trained and assessed They should be able to ensure that tasks are carried out in a safe technically competent manner

To ensure the responsible person meets this required level of competence skill and knowledge you will need to determine which course is most suitable for your needs It is usually best to discuss these needs with a training course provider Where legionella is concerned there are several different courses you can attend the most popular being

Legionella awareness training Legionella management training Legionella risk assessment training

It may be that you choose a combination of training courses dependant on your needs taking into account factors such as the individuals existing level of knowledge or skill Depending on the provider some courses provide a cross over between the above three topics No specific course is recognised or accredited by legislation or the HSE

OHSAS 18001

I am currently employed as an interim management consultant for a private healthcare company Part of the role involves me overseeing health and safety I need to look at introducing BS OHSAS 18001 ndash please could you advise me how I should proceed where I buy the tools and how I obtain certification

BS OHSAS 18001 is an international standard which sets out the requirements for occupational health and safety management and good practice for any size of organisation It provides guidance to help you design your own health and safety framework ndash allowing you to bring all relevant controls and processes into one management system

You may choose to purchase the standard and implement the system yourself or alternatively there are companies that can help you through the process

BS OHSAS 18001 is due to be replaced by a new international standard ISO 45001in late 2016 however there will be a three-year grace period to move over to the new standard

The changes being made to this standard include

improved alignment with other management standards

context to the organisation requirements for leadership

making documentation more user friendly

Below I have included a few links to providers to this standard that can supply certification and training

httpwwwalcumusgroupcomisoqarstandardsohsas18001

httpwwwbsigroupcomen-GBohsas-18001-occupational-health-and-safetyIntroduction-to-BS-OHSAS-18001

CARBON MONOXIDE DETECTORS IN HOTELS

I am trying to find a definitive answer on the need for carbon monoxide (CO) detectors in public houses with accommodation rooms to let I read that they have been required since October 2015 where there are solid fuel appliances and not for gas boilers

Is there a requirement to fit a detector in every accommodation with an additional detector in any room which has a firelog burner-type affair In which case put the detector in the room with the solid fuel burner And if there is more than one room with a solid fuel burner thatrsquos when additional detectors are required

There does not appear to be any legislation which relates specifically to hotels or such accommodation The regulations relate to private sector landlords as opposed to those in the hospitality sector We do however suggest that a risk assessment is carried out

The Smoke and Carbon Monoxide Alarm (England) Regulations 2015 require private rented sector landlords from 1 October 2015 to have

at least one smoke alarm installed on every storey of their rental property which is used as living accommodation

a carbon monoxide alarm in any room used as living accommodation where solid fuel is used

This information can be obtained at wwwgovukgovernmentnewstenants-safer-under-new-government-measures

Based on the above the requirement for CO monitors is particularly important in the case where a room is considered to be a high risk for example rooms where there is a solid fuel system The requirements under this legislation do not stipulate that a CO monitor is fitted in each room but rather for all premises to have a smoke detector on every floor of the accommodation with CO monitors fitted in high-risk rooms We suggest that a risk assessment is carried out by a competent person which will help to establish which areas are considered to be high risk based on the example given above

See httpwatchouthsenigovukindexmanaging-your-appliancessolid-fuelhtm for information relating to the types of fuels considered to be solid fuels

To answer your question directly if this legislation applied to you we would agree that a CO monitor is needed in all the accommodation rooms where you may have a solid wood burner as these are considered to be high risk- gas appliances belong to a separate category (based on the legislation)

Though the alarms are said to be required in rooms containing a solid fuel burning appliance (such as rooms containing an open fire log burning stove etc) the guidance from these regulations expects and encourages reputable landlords to ensure that working carbon monoxide alarms are installed in rooms containing gas appliances (see httpbitly1VQfzpo)

If you require guidance on how to appropriately place the alarms see httpbitly1Qr52Ny

Opinion pollThe opinion corner is designed to gauge exactly what our members are thinking on current issues in the industry If you have a question you would like us to ask members please email kelliemundelllexisnexiscouk

This month wersquore asking

Does your organisation have a risk management strategy in place to deal with cyber security

Have your say visit wwwlinkedincom and search Groups for IIRSM and request to join

042016 | wwwiirsmorg16

Interview

Derek Moorfield FIIRSMA Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Management and IIRSM Derek has 35 yearsrsquo safety experience in the international oil gas and energy industry including roles from design safety engineering to group safety director of a FTSE 100 company For the past 15 years he has worked for Petrofac a service provider in the oil gas energy sector Previously he was employed by Halliburton Kellogg Brown and Root Granherne John Brown Engineering Aker Engineering and Hawker Siddeley Aviation

How did you become involved in health and safetyI was working in the aircraft industry while studying business management in the evenings at Manchester Polytechnic One night I had a dilemma ndash in addition to an evening lecture there was a football match at Old Trafford (Irsquom a keen Red) It was a last minute decision but I attended the lecture A visiting lecturer from London School of Economics presented a session on the 1973 Lord Robens ldquoSafety and Health at Workrdquo Report and the governmentrsquos Green Paper on the Health and Safety at Work Act That decision and lecture changed my life ndash I was hooked

What do you get out of your jobThe oil and gas industry gives me fantastic travel opportunities I have lived in Norway Australia South Africa and Brazil and with Petrofac I am lucky to spend considerable time travelling between Mexico and Malaysia and many countries in between The standards of safety in these countries as you can imagine varies considerably itrsquos mainly ldquosafety firstrdquo and not much else I enjoy sharing my experience and knowledge in locations where the evolution of safety culture is not as it is in the western world they have a fantastic hunger to know what good practices look like

Whatrsquos the most memorable experience youlsquove had in your careerAfter the Piper Alpha offshore disaster in 1998 I was seconded to Occidental as a senior safety engineer for the design of the replacement Piper Bravo Platform

The project was getting daily transcripts from Lord Cullenrsquos inquiry citing recommendations as they arose though the report was not issued until 12 months after the project design was complete I learned an enormous amount about fire and explosion effects on structures and design mitigation the evaluation of other major hazards and the hard facts of accepting the cost of averting fatalities are sometimes too high a price to pay At the time this was difficult to understand given 167 people died in the disaster

Whatrsquos the biggest challenge facing the health and safety professionCredibility While the media doesnrsquot help our cause we have many safety professionals who are simply not up to it and itrsquos not their fault From my experience the shortfall exists due to their lack of business knowledge and appreciation of the difficulties of management

For a safety professional to provide effective support and make good decisions they need to see the bigger picture and understand both safety and enterprise risk Some employers seem only too happy to appoint safety professionals without these skills If this

really is the case safety examination bodies must place adequate importance on management skills and business knowledge This in my opinion is necessary if safety professional credibility is to be sustainable

Would you like to see any legislative changesNot really The Health and Safety at Work Act is a good enabling piece of legislation and as long as good codes of practice and guidelines are in place to support it we should be fine However I would like the guidelines to provide more emphasis on the need make risk-based decisions I find many instances where the ldquocook bookrdquo approach is too easily adopted ndash this is where we tend lose credibility as a profession

Whatrsquos the most challenging problem yoursquove had to overcome

Using an oil majorrsquos defined cost of a life when performing cost benefit analysis in pursuit of ALARP and having to accept that the costs to avert fatalities is sometimes not good business

Why did you join IIRSM

I was sitting my DipSM back in 1974 (I think it was the first DipSM examination) and Jimmy [James] Tye then chairman of the British Safety Council convinced me and the rest of us taking the exams that this ldquonewrdquo institute was the one to be with

Now almost 42 years later I think the question should be lsquoWhy are you still a member of IIRSMrsquo I think my fellow members will know the answer

Whatrsquos the best piece of advice you were ever given When you find yourself in a hole stop digging

Where do you see yourself in five yearsrsquo timeMentoring guest lecturing on a voluntary basis and giving something back to this profession which has been good to me I will continue learning every day just as I have done all my working life Oh and playing plenty of golf

In 1974 James Tye convinced us all that this lsquonewrsquo institute was the one to be withrdquo


News Prosecutions

Chief executive Phillip PearsonHead of marketing and communicationsClare FlemingManaging editor Louis Wustemann

Editor Kellie Mundellkelliemundelllexisnexiscouk Designer Carrie Love

ADDRESSIIRSM 77 Fulham Palace Road London W6 8JA UK Tel +44 (0)20 8741 9100 Fax +44 (0)20 8741 1349Website wwwiirsmorgEmail infoiirsmorg

Registered in England and WalesCharity No 1107666Company No 5310696

PUBLISHED BY LexisNexis copy Reed Elsevier (UK) Limited 2016Printed by Headley Brothers Ltd Kent

This publication is intended to be a general guide and cannot be a substitute for professional advice Neither the authors nor the publisher accept any responsibility for loss occasioned to any person acting or refraining from acting as a result of material contained in this publication

Reproduction copying or extracting by any means of the whole or part of this publication must not be undertaken without the written permission of the publishers

ISSN 1746-1359

News Prosecutions

WORKPLACE TRANSPORT

Director given suspended sentence over mast crush

Ultimate Traders fined pound2 for its breaches Firm failed to report injury for three months

A scrap metal firm and its director have appeared in court after a worker suffered severe injuries to his left arm when it became stuck in a forklift truck and was trapped for more than two hours

The HSE prosecuted Ultimate Traders and Nasir Rashid after investigators found that the worker had been told to stand on the forks of the truck to help move scrap cars into the back of a shipping container The cars were due to be exported to Pakistan where the metal would be sold

Manchester Crown Court heard that Rashid had been driving the forklift truck at the site in Manchester when the incident happened in November 2013

The worker suffered severe crush injuries when his arm became trapped and it took the combined effort of three fire crews a specialist major rescue unit

two air ambulances a medical team from Manchester Royal Infirmary and three ambulance crews to rescue him He sustained nerve damage to his left arm which makes it difficult for him to grip or lift items and was in hospital for nearly two months He still needs to visit Manchester Royal Infirmary for treatment and has been unable to return to work due to the extent of his injuries

The court was told that the company failed to report the incident to the HSE for nearly three months

Ultimate Traders pleaded guilty to breaches of Section 2(1) of the Health and Safety at Work Act and Regulation 4 (2) of the Reporting of Injuries Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations 2013 The firm was handed a nominal fine of pound2 because of its poor financial position

Rashid was sentenced to six months imprisonment suspended for 18 months and ordered to pay costs of pound750 after pleading guilty to a breach of Section 2(1) of the Health and Safety at Work Act

ldquoWorkers should never be allowed to stand directly on the forks of a forklift truck because of the risk of them falling or being injured by moving parts on the mastrdquo said HSE inspector Sarah Taylor

ldquoThis case should act as a warning to firms that they will find themselves in court if they do not take the safety of workers seriouslyrdquo

REGULATION

New HSE strategy launched

Renewed emphasis on occupational health

The HSE officially launched its new strategy recently at an event at the construction site at Battersea power station in London

The overarching themes of Helping Great Britain work well which was was launched on 29 February remain unchanged since the regulator ran a consultation on it in December (see page 3 of issue 022016 of Insight)

Justin Tomlinson the minister with responsibility for the HSE said that when people are harmed at work it makes Britain less competitive He said ldquoTackling workplace ill health is rightly a key theme Some 23 million working days are lost each year because of it Individuals employers and the state incur an annual cost of around pound9 billion from ill health due to todayrsquos working conditions So reducing workplace ill health is a must for Britainrsquos well-being and prosperityrdquo

HSE chair Judith Hackitt added ldquoToo much complexity and bureaucracy has built up around health and safety We heard many people say that we already have the knowledge to make the themes of the strategy a reality The message that this is about being smarter ndash not simply doing more ndash resonated with our audiences By keeping things as simple and straightforward as possible we can ensure that all businesses see this as enabling them to be successful and productiverdquo

The worker sustained nerve damage to his left arm which makes it difficult for him to grip or lift items

TRAINING

Worker killed by loading shovelrsquos bucket

A waste management company has been ordered to pay more than pound200000 after a worker died when he was crushed by the bucket on a motorised loading shovel

On the 7 June 2013 24-year-old Ashley Morris known as Will was working at Rainbow Waste Managementrsquos site in Swadlincote He sustained fatal injuries to his head and spine when the bucket of the loading shovel that he was operating crushed him

An inquest held in 2014 concluded that Morrisrsquos head had become stuck between the arm that links the cab of the vehicle he was on and the lsquobucketrsquo that scoops up material to load on to a conveyor belt

Workers said at the inquest that the emergency services arrived but nobody had tried to move the vehicle as they were not trained on how to use it and were afraid that they would cause him more physical damage

Derby Crown Court heard that in the 10 days leading up to the incident CCTV cameras at site captured more than 200 examples of unsafe working practices These included dangerous operations with the shovel such as workers being lifted in the bucket and workers having to take evasive action to avoid contact with moving vehicles

On 24 February Derbyshire-based Rainbow Waste Management pleaded guilty to breaching Section 2(1) of the Health and Safety at Work Act and was fined pound136000 plus pound64770 in costs

ldquoRainbow Waste failed to put in place basic legal requirements of training and supervisionrdquo said HSE principal inspector Elizabeth Hornsby after sentencing

OFFSHORE SAFETY

ConocoPhillips fined pound3m for offshore gas leaks

Gas releases happened due to isolation and planning failures

Oil and gas giant ConocoPhillips (UK) has been fined pound3 million after leaks on a gas platform 70 miles off the Lincolnshire coast put workersrsquo lives at risk

Between 30 November and 1 December 2012 there were two uncontrolled and one controlled but unexpected gas release on the Lincolnshire Offshore Gas Gathering System (LOGGS)

The LOGGS complex consists of five interlinked platforms As well as having its own wells the installation collects natural gas from other gas platforms in the southern North Sea and pipes it to the onshore Theddlethorpe gas terminal HSE investigators found the November releases on happened during

maintenance work to replace a gas pressure control valve on one of three gas turbines used to generate electricity for the installation To do this the fuel gas pressure safety valve and a flexible hose had to be removed

The gas releases occurred because of isolation and planning failures which allowed gas to come out of an open ended pipe connected to the high pressure vent system

ConocoPhillips pleaded guilty to one breach of Section 9 of the Offshore Installations (Prevention of Fire and Emergency Response) Regulations and two breaches of Section 19 of the same regulations

InBriefMerlin charged over ride collisionThe HSE has announced it will prosecute Merlin Attractions Operations over a collision in which five people were seriously injured while travelling on the lsquoSmilerrsquo ride at Alton Towers in Staffordshire

Two women had to have their legs amputated and three other people were seriously injured when their carriage collided with a stationary carriage on the same track in June last year

Merlin Attractions will appear at North Staffordshire Justice Centre Newcastle-under-Lyme on 22 April to face a charge under Section 3(1) of the Health and Safety at Work Act

ldquoWe have conducted a very thorough investigation and consider that there is sufficient evidence and that it is in the public interest to bring a prosecutionrdquo said Neil Craig head of operations for the HSE in the Midlands

The bucket on this motorised loading shovel crushed Ashley Morrisrsquo head and spine

Millions of days lost each year due to work ill health

23

Workers should never be allowed to stand on the forks of a forklift truck because of the risk of them being injured by moving partsrdquo

The firm was fined a nominal amount of

pound2

CCTV captured 200 unsafe practices at waste site where worker died

To read an interview with the investigating inspector visit httpbitly21VrpWa

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RISK ASSESSMENT
















RISK ASSESSMENT












CONSTRUCTION












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applications




2 Personnel

3 Commerce

4 Data

5 Matter amp energy

6 Suppliers

8 Contingency

7 Delivery




9 Change

PLAN DO CHECK ACT

MSS1000

ISO31000

ISO26000

ISO14001

ISO9001

ISO18001

ISO27001

ISO27002

ISO45001

ISO22301

ISO28001
















BRANCHES UPDATE















ANNUAL CONFERENCE



















APPOINTMENT










NEW ZEALAND




PAKISTAN




IRELAND






USA




GLOBAL






HUNGARY




AUSTRALIA




BANGLADESH






CANADA




USA


USA











RUSSIA







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a



















































LEGIONELLA







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ANNUAL CONFERENCE



















APPOINTMENT










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GLOBAL






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understanding the threat - iirsm · trapped for more than two hours. the hse prosecuted ultimate...

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