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In Brief
HSE PROPOSING TO REDUCE INSPECTIONS
A letter leaked to the BBC’s Radio 4 ‘File on Four’ programme suggests that the HSE is proposing to reduce unannounced workplace inspections by a third. A letter seen by the BBC from HSE chief executive Geoffrey Podger proposes wide-ranging changes to HSE operations in the light of a 35 percent cut to its government grant. It recommends a departure from face-to-face contact in favour of web-based and other initiatives. Three high hazard sectors including the nuclear, offshore and chemical industries will be ring-fenced from the proposed cuts. It also states that some other industries will still remain subject to unannounced visits, but these are not identified. The letter also outlines two categories where proactive inspections will be entirely withdrawn from future HSE operations. An HSE spokesperson told the BBC: “The emphasis should be on outcomes – the incidence of accidents and ill-health – rather than the number of particular types of inputs by the regulator”. Source: www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-12621073 DIRECTORS ONLINE TOOL A new online tool designed to assist company directors manage health and safety effectively has been launched by the EEF with the backing of the HSE. The scorecard identifies a mix of measures that reflect a company’s performance in the past and how prepared it is to manage risks and comply with legislation in the future. The EEF says straightforward traffic light reporting then enables directors to focus their attention where it is most needed across their business. There is step-by-step guidance, worked examples and benchmark statistics as well as a pro forma report that businesses can download and use. The tool is available at www.eef.org.uk/scorecard GUIDE TO GREY FLEET MANAGEMENT According to UK vehicle management group Leasedrive Velo, the management of so called ‘grey fleets’ (employees driving their own vehicles on company business) is a ‘ticking time bomb’. The company’s commercial director Roddy Graham, says “by properly managing the grey fleet, organisations can meet their duty of care responsibilities and enhance. . .their safety culture. On the way, they can achieve significant savings in travel expenditure”. As a result, the company has launched a free ‘Essential Guide to Grey Fleet Management’ which considers:
PROPOSED CHANGES TO DRIVING RULES The Government is planning to change minimum driver medical standards on eyesight, epilepsy and diabetes. It is consulting on the proposals via a document from the Driver Vehicle and Licensing Agency (DVLA). The measures relate to the implementation of European minimum medical standards for drivers. While UK standards must meet the EU minimum standard, the UK is not required to relax existing national standards that are justifiably higher than EU standards. Road Safety Minister Mike Penning, said: “We must ensure that only those who are safe to drive are allowed on our roads, while at the same time avoiding unnecessary restrictions on people’s independence. We have taken expert advice on the latest evidence on eyesight, epilepsy and diabetes and believe these proposals strike the right balance in allowing as many people as possible to drive, without compromising safety”. The DVLA consultation is at: www.drivingforbetterbusiness.com/pool/proposals-to-amend-driving-licence-standards-1.pdf BUNCEFIELD MANAGEMENT FLAWS Fundamental safety management failings were the root cause of the explosion and five-day fire at the Buncefield Oil Storage Depot in December 2005, according to an HSE report. The report highlights a number of process safety management principles, the importance of which were underlined by the failings at Buncefield:
PROJECT MANAGEMENT STANDARD BS 6079-1:2010 ‘Principles and guidelines for the management of projects’ highlights the management challenges encountered in a range of projects, and presents ways to manage them. Topics covered in BS 6079-1 include:
VEHICLE INSURANCE PENALTIES The registered keeper of a vehicle must now keep it insured unless they have made a SORN (Statutory Off Road Notification). A failure to be insured without a SORN could lead to a penalty. Employers should also be aware that the law in relation to logging endorsements for driving penalties has changed in the UK. The previous system allowed drivers a period of up to one year to submit their licence to the DVLA to have the penalty endorsed, during which time the driver could continue to use their vehicle. However, a change brought in late last year now reduces the time period to 28 days, failing which the driver’s licence will be revoked. Employers should check that their employees who drive as part of their employment are aware of this change to ensure that the 28 day period is not exceeded which would invalidate insurance requirements. More information: www.direct.gov.uk/en/Motoring/OwningAVehicle/Motorinsurance/ FARM ACCIDENT FINE North Devon Magistrates at Barnstaple heard that a farmworker was injured when he fell around 12 feet through a roof he was fixing. The incident happened at Mambury Farm, East Putford, near Holsworthy on 4 September 2009, when Roger Tryner was asked to carry out work on the roof of a barn. Mr Tryner, who was self-employed, was checking for loose corrugated metal sheets on the roof when a wooden roof support broke and he fell through to the floor below, breaking a collarbone. He also suffered concussion and severe cuts and bruising. Mambury Farm Ltd pleaded guilty to breaching reg.6(3) of the Work at Height Regulations 2005 under the HSWA. The company was fined £8,000 and ordered to pay £5,000 in costs. Source: www.hse.gov.uk/press/2011/coi-sw-ww162.htm |
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