Safety

Management
May 2017
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A platform
to speak
Government is reviewing
protections for insecure
workers. But what do
they want? We find out.
— 18 to 21

News Feature Feature Feature

HSE announces Andy Slaughter MP Brexit – knowns Slaves of our times:
priorities under on his year working at and unknowns. looking after your
new Business Plan British Safety Council A legal view supply chain
—8 —24 —28 —30
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 Contents

Viewpoint Explosion without injuries cost MP predicts US trade deal

Essar Oil UK £1.6m – 6 ‘disaster’ for chemicals safety – 8
3 Past, present and future

News

4 Alarm over ‘Henry VIII’ style

powers in Brexit white paper
5 Gig economy contracts under
fire from MPs
9 British Safety Council to
Photograph: HSE Photograph: iStock/andresr
launch brand new website
10 Raising funds for Labour Slaves of our times: looking after your supply chain – 30
Behind the Label

Opinion

11 L
 ouise Ward: design takes
the driver’s seat
12 Richard Bryne: getting the
right insight
14 Letters

Features

16 60th anniversary celebrations:

film, fun & fundraising
18 Desperately seeking security?
A new workforce speaks out
22 Don’t ingnore stress
24 Hammersmith MP recalls his
first job with us
30 Brexit: knowns and unknowns
32 International Safety Awards –
individual & sector nominees Photograph: iStock/Liuser

Regulars A treat for the eye – 27 Corporate manslaughter:

prevention is key – 33
41 Events
4 4 Products and services
46 Questions and Answers
48 Info update

Editor Iris Cepero

E iris.cepero@britsafe.org
Deputy editor Thomas Tevlin
E tom.tevlin@britsafe.org
News & features Belinda Liversedge
E belinda.liversedge@britsafe.org
Photograph: iStock/Yuri_Arcurs Photograph: iStock/lovro77
Graphics & design Dean Papadopoullos
E publications@britsafe.org
Advertisement sales Member Trade
T 0116 3265533 Safety Management ISSN 0951 2624 is published by the British Safety Council
Jas Singh and Nigel Stephens (70 Chancellors Road; London; W6 9RS; United Kingdom)
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MA170

2 Safety Management May 2017


Past, present and future
On 23 March we hosted a
film night at the Regent Street
cinema in London. This venue
was the home of the first films
ever shown in the UK back in
1896 when silent images of
a train pulling into a station,
shot by the Lumiere brothers,
shocked the audience so much
that some, it’s reported, ran
out of the cinema concerned
for their safety! It therefore felt
like a fitting location in which
to host the celebrations for our
60th Anniversary.
Through the medium of film, the
event celebrated the rich history of
our organisation, considered the
complexity of risk from the point
of view of young people today and
explored some of the challenges likely
to arise over the next 60 years. It was
a great event. You can read more
about it on page 16 and view the films
on our YouTube channel.
The British Safety Council is a
remarkable organisation and one
that has a great spirit. It’s a spirit
that has allowed us to make such a
difference over the years, educating
millions of workers, and making
tens of thousands of workplaces
safer in the United Kingdom and
around the world.
But our work is far from complete.
In the UK we need to focus more
on health and wellbeing, given that
for every working day lost due to
accident, six are lost due to health
issues, of which nearly half relate to
mental as opposed to physical health.
When I tell you that if you were a
worker on a UK construction site that
you’d be 10 times more likely to lose
your life through suicide than through
accident, you’ll know why we’re
so proud of our involvement in the
establishment of Mates in Mind, a new
charity aimed at improving the mental
health of the 2.1 million construction
workers in the UK.
Viewpoint
Outside of the United Kingdom the
challenge is immense, and in some
Film about our history based
countries resembles the position the
on archive footage at:
UK was in 60 years ago. Too many
youtube.com/watch?v=QAty9_
people are still being killed, injured
rkRVI
and made ill at work. Globally, every
day, 6,300 people die as a result of
occupational accidents or work-related
Follow the British Safety
diseases – that’s more than 2.3 million
Council on Twitter:
unnecessary deaths every year.
@britsafe
The chosen charity for our
anniversary celebrations is
Labour Behind the Label, an NGO
campaigning to improve the labour
conditions of garment workers
We have been working for safer
worldwide, many of whom make
workplaces for 60 years, but
our clothes and shoes. We saw in
our work is far from complete
2013 how poor conditions can lead
to tragedy when over 1,000 workers
died in the Rana Plaza factory
collapse in Bangladesh. The rights
of workers and the responsibility of
brands are key. Labour Behind the
Label played an important role in
developing the Bangladesh Accord
on Fire and Building Safety and they
are continuing this important work
across the world. We will continue
fundraising for them in 2017 (See p10).
We must never assume that
unsafe work is a thing of the past, or
that health and safety is something
only for technical specialists in the
field. There is a need for that level of
expertise in risk management, but
the starting point must be a general
appreciation of risk by everyone,
from business leaders to the next
generation of workers.
So, as an organisation we have
lots to feel proud of, but there is
still a huge amount to be done.
We have an exciting future
ahead of us and I look forward
to building on the rich legacy
set out for us by our founder,
James Tye and continued
during the past 60 years.
—
Mike Robinson FCA
Chief executive
British Safety Council
May 2017 Safety Management 3
 — header
Page
News
Britain is set to transfer EU laws into the UK statute book to prepare for Brexit.
Photograph: iStock/martinwimmer
Alarm over ‘Henry VIII’
clauses in Brexit white paper
The government has published a
white paper on legislating for the
United Kingdom’s withdrawal from
the European Union.
The Great Repeal Bill white paper
is to ensure that all existing EU laws,
including health and safety, will be
transferred into the UK statute book.
These include rights to paid holidays,
protections from excessive working
hours and equality rights – all laws
that have originated from the EU. The
massive conversion process - there are
around 12,000 EU regulations in force
in the UK – will be done so there is a
‘functioning’ legal system in place for
when Britain actually leaves the EU.
But the TUC has warned that so-
called ‘Henry VIII’ powers provided for
in the bill will allow the government
to repeal or water down protections
without parliamentary scrutiny.
TUC general secretary Frances
O’Grady said: “The Prime Minister
needs to think again. She should carve
out a specific exemption in the Great
4 Safety Management May 2017
The top news from the health,
safety and environmental
management sector.
Repeal Bill to stop holes being punched
in the rights that working people in
Britain currently have.
“There must be a guarantee of
a level playing field with our EU
partners – not a race to the bottom on
workplace rights,” she added.
There should be no power to
change rights and protections
in the future
The paper, published on 30 March,
says that powers to make secondary
legislation – those seized on as being
dangerously antiquated – will be to
‘enable corrections to the laws that
would otherwise no longer operate
appropriately’. They will be used to
correct some technicalities, such
Visit Safety Management online:
sm.britsafe.org
as references to ‘Member States
other than the United Kingdom’, or
references to ‘EU law’ and to speed the
process up.
Secretary of state for Exiting the
EU, David Davis, reassured that: “It is
not a vehicle for policy changes”. He
said the Great Repeal Bill will provide
‘clarity and certainty’ for businesses
and workers on the day of leaving the
European Union. “It will mean that as
we exit the EU and seek a new deep
and special partnership with the EU,
we will be doing so from the position
where we have the same standards
and rules. But it will also ensure that
we deliver on our promise to end the
supremacy of EU law in the UK.”
But shadow Brexit secretary Sir Keir
Starmer said: “We need an assurance
9from Davis) that he will face down
those on his own side who will not be
able to resist the temptation to water
these rights and protections down.”
“When we see the Bill there should
be no power to change rights and
obligations and protections in the
future by delegated legislation.”
O’Grady said: “The Prime Minister
should put a clause in the Bill that
ensures that her government can’t
use antiquated Henry VIII powers to
[reduce] worker protections on the
quiet, without parliamentary scrutiny.”
The government wants the power in
the Great Repeal Bill to come into force
as soon as the Bill gains Royal Assent,
so that the process of correcting the
statute book can begin.
Britain is expected to officially leave
the EU no later than April 2019. Prime
minister Theresa May triggered Article
50 to start the process shortly before
12:30pm on 29 March 2017.
To read the white paper:
ow.ly/W4SZ30aNe6e
Read analysis of possible
changes to health & safety law
after Brexit on p28

MPs are investigating the status of workers in the ‘gig economy’. Photograph: iStock/GibsonPictures
Gig economy contracts
‘unintelligible’ say MPs
A committee of MPs has branded
Uber contracts with its drivers
“almost unintelligible” and
“gibberish” in its enquiry into self-
employment and the gig economy.
The Work and Pensions Committee
highlighted the problems with clauses
of several contracts it had received
from companies including Uber,
Hermes, Deliveroo and Amazon.
Frank Field MP, chair of the
committee, said: “Quite frankly the
Uber contract is gibberish. They are
well aware that many, if not most, of
their drivers speak English as a second
language — they recently lost a court
case trying to escape TfL’s new English
testing rules for private hire drivers – yet
their contract is almost unintelligible.”
The issues were raised on 6 April
following an evidence session held in the
House of Commons. The committee also
voiced concern that three of the firms’
contracts (excepting Hermes) required
people to agree that they are not
workers, and to agree not to challenge
their self-employed status in court.
Field said it was an “egregious” clause
designed to “put people off” challenging
their status, including not going to
court, and trying to obtain employment
rights that may be due to them.
Matthew Taylor, who is leading the
government’s modern employment
review, said companies are ‘very good
at leading self-employed contractors
to think there is a trade-off between
flexibility and employment protection’.
“There is no fundamental reason
why you cannot both have a flexible
form of employment and have worker-
based entitlements, so we should
recognise that,” he told MPs.
Tim Roache, GMB general
secretary commented: “All the forced
self-employment contracts being
brought to us by members are not just
nonsense, they are unlawful.
Contracts required people to
agree that they are not workers,
and not to take a case to court
“These multinational companies make
a fortune, but reward their workers
with job insecurity and denial of the
most basic rights of employment
rights, like the right to the minimum
wage, holiday pay, and sick pay.”
Uber said it is revising its contracts
into plainer English and its contract did
not prevent anyone challenging their
employment status. Deliveroo also told
MPs it was removing the offending
clause in its courier contracts.
What does it feel like to be a
gig worker? Feature: p18
News
Page header
Work linked to heart
attacks in firefighters
Firefighters may be at greater risk of
heart attack and stroke due to their
working conditions, a study suggests.
Researchers at Edinburgh University
put 19 non-smoking, healthy
firefighters through heat simulations
and they found that the workers’ blood
became stickier and was more likely
to form potentially harmful clots after
exposures to very high temperatures.
They say findings may explain why
heart attacks are the leading cause of
death among firefighters.
Professor Nick Mills said: “Our
study has shown a direct link between
the heat and physical activity levels
encountered by firefighters during the
course of their duties and their risk
of suffering a heart attack. However,
we’ve also found that there are simple
measures, such as staying well
hydrated, that firefighters can take to
reduce this risk.”
Dave Green, of the firefighters’ union
FBU, said: “Fire service employers now
need to urgently start to deal with this
issue. Unfortunately, cuts to the fire
and rescue service mean that finding
fresh crews to relieve firefighters who
have already worked too long in heat
isn’t always possible.”
Brexit health warning
The common cold and stress
could increase because of Brexit,
Professor Cary Cooper warned at
the HSE stress summit.
Cooper compared uncertainty over
Brexit to the periods before and during
the last recession, when stress levels
went up and colds and respiratory
problems increased according to his
own research of 39,000 workers.
“Brexit is the next wave. I think
people’s fears and [problems] during
the recession are rearing their ugly
head yet again,” he said on 16 March.
He also warned of techno-stress,
expressing amazement that most
of the audience of health and safety
professionals confessed to checking
smart phones at night or on holiday.
“In a service-based economy we want
to have the technologies so we can work
more flexibly, but we have to control it.”
May 2017 Safety Management 5
News
Page header
Distillation column at Stanlow oil refinery where fires broke out. Photograph: HSE
Essar Oil UK fined £1.65m
after explosion at refinery
The UK oil division of Indian
conglomerate Essar has been fined
£1.65m for breaching health and
safety law following an explosion at
its Stanlow oil refinery in Ellesmere
Port, Cheshire.
Although no one was injured, the
blast in the early hours of 14 November
2013 caused internal structures to
collapse, resulting in damage totalling
more than £20m, Liverpool Crown
Court heard on 3 April.
HSE told the court that problems
began during the start-up of the site’s
main distillation unit, when extremely
flammable hydrocarbons were allowed
to enter an unignited furnace. The heat
from another furnace nearby triggered
the explosion which destroyed the
BAM in dock after
worker electrocuted
BAM Construction Limited has
been fined £260,000 after a worker
was electrocuted by an overhead
power line at a railway operating
centre in Basingstoke. Shoreland
Projects Limited, the groundworks
contractor BAM appointed for the
work, was also fined.
Winchester Crown Court heard
that on 26 January 2015, workers had
been installing lamp posts on the site
entrance road for a project undertaken
6 Safety Management May 2017
furnace, starting a number of fires
which had to be brought under control.
The incident was reported to the
European Union as a major accident
under schedule 7 of the Control of
Major Accident Hazards (COMAH)
Regulations 1999.
HSE’s investigation found Essar Oil
(UK) Ltd had failed to take measures
to prevent a major accident, and there
were three main health and safety
failings. First, a safety critical valve
was ordered and installed incorrectly
and Essar failed to correctly validate
its operation. Second, the company
failed to assess the installation of a
new safety-critical trip by failing to
recognise the system had a by-pass
line which defeated the trip’s operation.
for Network Rail.
Mark Bradley was seriously injured
when the fifth lamp post touched the
11kV overhead power lines as it was
being lifted into position. A colleague
rushed to his aid and managed to use
a piece of timber to push him away
from the lamp column.
Investigating HSE inspector
William Christie said: “This entirely
preventable incident has had a
permanent and very substantial effect
on Mark’s life.
“Overhead power lines pose a
significant threat to the safety of
Third, although Essar’s policy was
to isolate the main fuel lines to the
furnace, the hydrocarbons entered the
furnace via a secondary fuel line which
had not been isolated when shut down.
Essar Oil (UK) Ltd, of the Stanlow
Manufacturing Complex at Ellesmere
Port, pleaded guilty to breaching
regulation 4 of COMAH, paying costs of
£57,644.80, in addition to the fine.
HSE principal inspector Joanne
Eccles commented: “The industry
should take notice of this case, there
were no injuries but mistakes were
made and could have been prevented.”
In a statement, Essar Oil UK said:
“We take this matter very seriously.
Following the incident, measures were
put in place to ensure it could not
happen again. No one at Stanlow was
hurt and there were no effects on the
general public off-site.”
It added that new sentencing
guidelines introduced in February
2016 had “significantly increased” the
penalties the court can impose which
was reflected in the size of its fine.
Essar Oil UK is a subsidiary of Essar
Energy, which operates assets in the
power, oil and gas industries in India
and the UK. It is part of Essar Group,
with annual revenues of over $35bn.
Essar Oil UK owns and operates the
Stanlow oil refinery, which produces
over 16% of the UK’s transport fuels.
Essar Oil UK reported profits of £196m
after tax in 2015/16.
In October 2015 Essar Oil UK was
fined £497,284 following a prosecution
brought by the Environment Agency
over two pollution incidents involving
oil spills and releases; one occurring at
the Stanlow refinery.
workers. Construction work in the
vicinity of live conductors must
be properly planned, managed
and monitored to ensure the risks
are controlled.”
BAM Construction Limited, of
Breakspear Way, Hemel Hempstead,
pleaded guilty to breaching regulation
14 of the Electricity at Work
Regulations 1989 and was ordered to
pay costs of £9,415.13.
Shoreland Projects Limited was
fined £22,000 after pleading guilty to
the same breach and ordered to pay
costs of £8,442.53.
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News
Page header
HSE will prepare for any ‘changes to the chemicals regime’ arising from Brexit.
Photograph: iStock/andresr
HSE announces priorities in
business plan for 2017/18
Brexit, less onerous budget cuts
and plans to take forward action
on stress, MSDs and lung disease
– these are the headlines of HSE’s
2017/18 business plan.
Whereas last year’s business plan
was dominated by cuts, this year the
outlook appeared less painful with
taxpayer-funded income expected to
be £128.4m in 2019/20, £5m more than
budgeted for previously. Elsewhere the
budget is £135.6m in 2017/18, falling to
£128.4m in 2018/19, as expected.
There are four priorities in the
document. Under the priority to provide
an effective regulatory framework,
HSE says it will “contribute to the
government work on the UK’s exit
from the European Union, including
US trade deal would
be ‘disaster’ for
chemicals safety
A UK-US trade deal out of REACH’s
umbrella would be a “health and
safety disaster”, a Labour MP
has warned.
Writing for the Guardian, Geraint
Davies said: “If we leave the EU we
step out of the protective umbrella of
REACH, the EU directive that requires
companies to prove their chemicals
are safe to human health and the
environment before they can be sold.
“The process works on the
“precautionary principle” central to EU
8 Safety Management May 2017
preparing for any necessary changes
to the chemicals regime”. It will carry
out a consultation on a review of health
and safety regulations in chemicals
by the end of the year, it says. HSE
has also singled out ‘blue tape’ –
disproportionate health and safety
burdens businesses place on each
other – as an issue. It will develop the
‘evidence base’ for taking action on this.
Following Helping Great Britain
Work Well (HGBWW), HSE’s strategy
for 2016-2020, which emphasised
collaboration, another priority is ‘leading
and engaging with others’. Under this
heading HSE proposes to create a new
partnership across groups currently
tackling occupational lung disease to
‘coordinate activity’.
regulation: companies have to prove their
products are safe. That basic approach
simply isn’t recognised in the US.”
He said it would be a ‘disaster’ if
we adopt a UK-US trade deal without
REACH because of the ‘toothless
tiger’ of US equivalent rules. The US
Toxic Substances Control Act (TOSCA)
allows asbestos to be sold in the US. It
also allows chemicals to be sold which
have been outlawed by the EU, he said.
Registration, Evaluation,
Authorisation and Restriction of
Chemicals (REACH) is thought to be
one of the most difficult aspects of
environmental regulation to preserve in
UK law once the country leaves the EU
On stress, it plans to ‘customise’
stress management standards in
healthcare, education and prisons
where it is running pilot programmes.
HSE will finalise its plans to reduce
work-related ill health in the 19 sectors
it identified in its draft health and
work strategy using feedback from
its consultation with stakeholders.
The regulator aims to complete
around 20,000 proactive inspections,
the same as in its last two business
plans (it actually delivered just
18,000 proactive inspections last
year). HSE also pledges to ‘sustain
improvements to the timely completion
of investigations’ and aims to complete
80% of fatal investigations within
12 months of assuming primacy. This
compares to 70% achieved in 2016.
In other highlights, HSE is to:
• Develop an accreditation offer to
companies that sign up to HGBWW
allowing ‘significant contributions
to be recognised’
• Develop a strategy for cybersecurity
in the chemicals sector
• Research on how to influence
construction SMEs’ management
of risk and present findings to
the board
• Targeted programme of
inspections at fairground rides
with safety issues
• Legionella - programme of return
visits to poorly performing
dutyholders
• Become a Disability Confident
employer in 2017/18
• Create an enhanced website,
to be more ‘user-focused’.
because it relies on the collaboration
of experts in each of the EU member
states to run it.
An enquiry into REACH’s future after
Brexit is underway in Parliament with
the Environmental Audit Committee.
Davies, a committee member, told
a hearing on 7 March: “To provide
business certainty, wouldn’t it be
sensible simply to say, “We will
adopt REACH”? It is all very well
saying we might have a difference of
opinion on ethanol in alcohol or with
Poland or whatever, but what we are
talking about here are thousands and
thousands of jobs and billions and
billions of pounds of industry.”

A more user friendly and intercative website will help you better make the case for good practice.
Photograph: iStock/shironosov
Safety 2.0: speaking the
language of the modern world
Chris Wales
British Safety Council
British In 1957, British Safety
Safety
Council Council founder James
News
Tye not only had a mission
– to stop the almost half a million
accidents and thousands of fatalities
occurring in the UK – but he knew
exactly how to do it. “Meetings,
lectures, discussions and
displays; films, posters, television
and broadcasting; handbooks,
brochures, pamphlets and the
like,” prescribed the British Safety
Council’s first constitution.
As we celebrate our 60th birthday this
year, the British Safety Council’s resolve
to ensure that ‘no one is injured or made
ill at work’ is as strong as ever, as is our
determination to use whatever methods
help us best turn hearts and minds to
the vital work of protecting workers. To
do that however, we need to speak the
language of the modern world.
This is the era in which Twitter
makes or breaks celebrity careers and
delivers breaking news ahead of news
outlets. Where analysts conclude that
the President of the United States
won office using Facebook; which is
no surprise when almost a third of the
planet’s population log into it. Google
Maps tells people how to get from A
to B using real-time traffic monitoring.
Amazon’s Alexa listens and orders your
shopping, while robots and drones
package and deliver your order. Apple’s
value, if it were a country’s GDP,
would place it number 20 in the world
rankings, just below Saudi Arabia,
above Switzerland.
We know, in short, that if we want
to shape the world’s view on safety,
‘brochures, pamphlets and the like’
probably aren’t going to cut it now and
in future alone.
That’s why over the last year
the British Safety Council has been
investing heavily in the creation of a
new digital department. We’ve been
tasked with research and development
aimed at bringing in a number of
cutting-edge digital tools and services
into the health and safety market.
We know that today people learn
and consume information in different
ways: on mobile phones, interactively,
via social media, as well as traditional
methods. On 5 May we will launch our
brand-new website. Built mobile-first,
we intend this to be the go-to digital
home for everything you need to know
News
Page header
about health and safety, whether you’re
a seasoned professional, or taking
your first steps into this arena. We’ll be
using this new site as one of our main
vehicles to educate, inform and drive
public awareness.
We’ve listened carefully to thousands
of health and safety professionals over
the last year, and we’re planning a new
generation of tools and services we
can offer to help you better make the
case for good practice, and more easily
embed it into your workplace culture.
Keep an eye on our new website over the
rest of 2017 because although we are
launching the new site in May, we’ll be
delivering a steady stream of new and
innovative features offering data insights,
career guidance, online communities,
better management of your health and
safety tools, and an extensive library
of research and knowledge for you to
consult during the rest of 2017, our 60th
anniversary year.
We want to empower our members,
subscribers and the general public with
the very best information, guidance
and support to continue to make the
workplace an ever-safer and healthier
place to be. Finding new interactive
ways to convey our research, putting
quick-access tools and advice into
the mobile phone in your pocket, and
giving health and safety professionals
the support they need to be a success
will be our mission going forward.
The world continues to change at
an ever-greater pace and as well as
empowering us, technology continues
to disrupt – with the likes of Uber,
AirBnB, Facebook, Google, Apple,
Amazon and others continuing to turn
old ways of working on their head.
New frontiers are opening up for us.
What will be the risks in a workplace
of heavy automation? Of robotics?
Of workers staring at mobiles and
computer screens every day for hours?
What are the risks of the stress of
being ‘always connected’?
As we celebrate 60 years of hard work
and progress, I can scarcely imagine
a more interesting or better time for
the British Safety Council to continue
to invest in new ways of spreading
its message. Our new website will be
available from 6 May.
Visit new site at the same url:
 britsafe.org
May 2017 Safety Management 9
News
Many workers in the garment industry are subject to labour exploitation. Photograph: iStock/track5
For the people who make our clothes
Harpreet Hansi
British Safety Council
British 2017 is seeing the British
Safety
Council Safety Council celebrating
News
its 60th Birthday. On 23
March it was celebrated in style
with a film night and fundraiser at
the iconic Regent Street Cinema in
London (see p16).
The British Safety Council took
this opportunity to raise funds in
aid of Labour Behind the Label, a
charity fighting for garment workers’
conditions across the globe. Labour
Behind the Label campaigns to improve
conditions and empower workers in the
global garment industry, to guarantee
that standards are set and maintained
and to ensure that a tragedy like the
collapse of the Rana Plaza building that
caused the death of more than 1,000
people in Bangladesh in 2013 never
happens again.
One of their campaigns, Worker
Safety, focuses on lobbying
governments, brands and retailers
and employers to take steps to make
workplaces safe. They also campaign
to ensure that, when the worst does
happen, workers receive the medical
10 Safety Management May 2017
and financial need it, to raise awareness and build
support they solidarity between consumers and
need to start workers and to continue to work
rebuilding with brands to ensure worker rights
their lives. are respected.
Like the
British Safety
Council vision
that no one should be injured or made
ill at work, Labour Behind the Label
believes that that no worker should have
to risk their health, their safety or their
lives simply by going to work. Over the
years they have helped many victims of
incidents like the Rana Plaza collapse Help us raise
to rebuild their lives. The NGO has money for
made a positive impact by challenging Labour Behind
brands to improve their manufacturing
the Label
and production strategies and provide Text RISK17 £5
satisfactory wages for workers in to 70070
developing countries.
The British Safety Council
appreciates the generous contributions
we received on 23 March for this
fundraising effort, and as part of the
celebrations for our 60th anniversary,
we will keep raising funds until the end
of 2017 to support their work.
The money raised will help Labour
Behind the Label to cover urgent Read more about modern
appeals to support workers when they slavery on p30

Design takes the
driver’s seat
Throughout history,
human beings have sought
opportunities to increase value,
efficiency and productivity
while reducing the requirement
for effort and interaction.
From the development of the
earliest hand tools, through
water power, horse power,
steam, combustion and then
electric engines, to computers,
the internet and robotics, this
objective has driven progress
throughout the world.
Now we are reaching another
key milestone in the evolution of
technology. Machinery and equipment
is becoming fully autonomous,
requiring little or no human interaction
at the point of work.
So, does this render us obsolete?
Is a life of leisure awaiting us all as the
machines get on with the business of
running our world? I think not, but I do
think that the role we play is changing.
Rather than being involved at the point
of work, we will instead be involved
in enabling; writing the algorithms,
setting the objectives, specifying
the output and controlling the end to
end process. This is a fundamental
change, but also offers an important
opportunity to design management
of health and safety into the systems
of the future.
There is already talk of the
complexities of legal liability for
incidents involving autonomous
machines. For example, who should
be held accountable for a road accident
involving an autonomous vehicle?
Not the occupant, they have no control
over the operation. Who then? The
organisation that wrote the control
system? The owner of the equipment?
The answers aren’t yet defined,
but rather than focusing on just the
reactive element, surely the objective
must be to apply the knowledge and
learning gained over the last 100 or
more years to design out the factors
Opinion
that we know can lead to accidents. learning is being directly applied to
Technology is evolving at an continuously improve the safety and
amazing pace, so there is a need to act performance of the system. Nobody is
quickly if we are to reap the benefits of advocating personal sacrifice for the
this unique opportunity to design out sake of progress though! Small scale
risk and design in health and safety. trials allow this learning to develop
For many years we have understood while managing the risk of incidents
that human involvement introduces and allowing people to develop
an element of uncertainty to a system confidence in the system.
or process. People think and act Whatever your views are about
independently, and are therefore the advance of technology, there is
inherently unpredictable. However, no doubt that the man-machine
if the level of human involvement at interface is changing fundamentally.
the point of work is reducing, then I believe that there is an opportunity
there is a real opportunity to address to achieve a real step change in health
this issue by applying intelligence and and safety, if we act quickly to apply
allowing systems to learn and evolve historical data; design out risk; and
to reduce risk. design health and safety into the
We have already seen some systems of the future.
elements of this in the automotive Louise Ward
industry, where systems have been Director of policy, communications
introduced to automatically apply the and standards
brakes on encountering an obstruction; British Safety Council
limit the speed of the vehicle based on
the conditions; automatically switch
on headlights and windscreen wipers
where required; indeed, some cars
now even park themselves! All of
these systems have been designed
to address key causes of accidents,
by reducing the need for a person
to make decisions and take action,
instead using data from monitoring
and sensing equipment to identify
a hazardous situation and apply the
appropriate control measure based on
objective learning from historical data.
The results have been very positive in
terms of incident reduction, and the
systems are now being fitted to an ever
increasing range of vehicles.
There is a need to manage
expectations though. Things will
still go wrong, especially in the early
stages of development. Indeed,
trials of autonomous vehicles have
already been halted several times
following accidents that have attracted Collision and injury criteria
significant media attention. However when working with robots at:
the incidence rate is significantly lower hse.gov.uk/research/rrhtm/
than that for standard vehicles and rr906.htm
May 2017 Safety Management 11
Opinion
Page header
Getting the right insight
Richard
Byrne
Health & safety director
Contract Merchanting &
Plumbing & Heating Divisions
Travis Perkins Plc
Safety culture is one of those
phrases that is banded about by
lots of people in the profession
and industry, but the more I hear
people talk about it the less sure
I am they know what they are
talking about.
One of the main areas of confusion,
it seems, is how you actually measure
it. Back in 2005 my first ever article
for a safety magazine was on this
very subject. As it happened 12 years
ago, I thought it would worth dusting
it off and refreshing a few of the
key points.
The facts
You cannot measure culture. The
phrase ‘safety culture’ means the
collection of people’s attitudes and
beliefs towards how health and safety
is managed in an organisation. It is
widely agreed upon by academics that
it is difficult to measure in absolute
terms. What you can do is take a
snapshot in time. This is often called
the ‘safety climate’.
12 Safety Management May 2017
To work out what your safety climate
is like, you need to build a picture
based on three dimensions.
• Physical safety —how well are
occupational health and safety
risks managed locally across the
organisation. This can be measured
using an audit or a series of them
• Colleague perceptions — what
do your workforce think of how
you manage health and safety.
This is often measured using a
questionnaire or by interviews
• External perceptions — what do
your external stakeholders think of
how you manage safety relative to
your competitors, legal standards,
customer expectations and best in
class. This can be measured via a
range of key business metrics.
Measuring the safety climate
is not as easy as simply doing
an audit and having a chat
with a few people
Building a picture of the physical
safety and external perceptions is
relatively straight forward, however
colleague perceptions isn’t. You have
a number of decisions to make:
• You include a handful of health
and safety-related questions in a
bigger employee attitude survey.
The downside of doing this is that
when you get the results you often
need more insights to identify focus
areas, hence another more detailed
survey; or
• You use an off-the-shelf
questionnaire with all the pros and
cons associated with them; or
• You use a face-to-face interview
approach like appreciative enquiry,
where you ask people to tell you
what’s good or what they like.
What they don’t mention, gives you
the insights you need — again the
pros and cons of this approach are
obvious; or
• You develop your own questionnaire
based around the key ‘what it will
feel like’ measures in your safety
strategy, these are the statements
that any good strategy aiming to
deliver cultural change will have.
Whatever you do, you need to make
sure the questions are valid; in other
words they test what you think they
will test. The results are reliable, so if
you repeat the survey you will get a
similar result. Just as important is to
pay attention to the response rate.
A poor response rate, or low
uptake for the interviews actually
tells you as much as a high response
rate or great uptake on interviews.
Though, ideally, the rate will be
representative of the workforce,
the results are questionable.
The results of a climate survey are
the results, you can’t change them.
All you can do —even if the results
are beyond your wildest dreams—
is to celebrate success where you
can and then focus on a handful of
improvement actions. Those actions
will make a real difference. If you
keep referencing back to the climate
assessment as to why you doing what
you are, it makes colleagues realise
they are being listened too.
Measuring the safety climate is not
as easy as simply doing an audit and
having a chat with a few people while
you are there. It’s multi dimensional
and best considered when you’ve
cracked the obvious stuff and want
to get more insights into what
will give you the next leap in your
organisation’s safety performance.
HSE guide to measuring health
& safety performance at:
hse.gov.uk/opsunit/perfmeas.
pdf
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 — header
Page
Letters
Letter of the month
The human factor
Photograph: iStock/muratsenel
Automation, informatics, robotics,
sensors and mobile devices are
transforming our workplaces and
it’s exciting to consider the potential
these technologies have to improve
our world.
However, we must advance
with care; there are significant
challenges emerging around
human interaction with robots
and robot design, which need our
attention, particularly in terms of
health and safety. It is important
to remember that human skills
will remain essential for many
tasks, necessitating a harmonious
marriage between humans
and machines.
The Chartered Institute of
Ergonomics and Human Factors
(CIEHF) agrees with Members in
the European Parliament (MEPs)
who have recently suggested that
a robust European legal framework
around the development of
Robotics and Artificial Intelligence
is urgently needed (tinyurl.com/
z52gp4h). MEPs are calling for
a European Agency for robotics
and a Code of Ethical Content to
regulate who should be accountable
for the social, environmental and
human health impacts of robotics
and ensure that they operate in
accordance with legal, safety and
14 Safety Management May 2017
Come together
Join the debate:
Process safety performance in
What do you think about
the high hazard industry is being
topical health, safety or
threatened by the interminable
environmental issues?
rise of the silo factor – an inability
E publications@britsafe.org
within process safety management
@britsafe
(PSM) circles to collaborate and be
consistent across all departments
in an organisation.
The silo factor occurs when different
parties think more about optimising their
own area of responsibility and less about
optimising the overall organisation’s PSM
ethical standards.
performance. Effective performance
Historically, human factors
of the PSM system, however, can only
(ergonomics), which provides a
be achieved through integrated and
scientific approach to human-
collaborative thinking and processes
centred design, applying
that encourage a constant focus on
physiological and psychological
major accident hazards (MAHs).
principles to optimise the balance of
This is the principal finding of a
people’s strengths and limitations,
research project carried out by ABB’s
has played an important part in
global engineering and consultancy
the design of human-centred
group. In the study (tinyurl.com/
systems but its contribution has
kk3cp2t), we identified common
often been too limited and too
PSM weaknesses which include
late in the design process to have
factors such as inadequate testing of
a real impact. The CIEHF believes
safeguards and poor understanding of
that now is the time to bring this
hazards. In most cases the weaknesses
approach to the fore. Suggestions
identified were in some way a result of
from MEPs, for example, that
silo approaches to PSM with different
robot designers could include ‘kill’
departments not integrating effectively.
switches so that robots can be
The process safety implications of
turned off in emergencies would be
the weaknesses identified are clear
a step in the right direction.
instances of people performing safety
Humans come in all shapes and
critical tasks without understanding
sizes and, unlike machines, bring
the significance of the tasks and
high levels of unpredictability in
hazards they are protecting against;
their responses and behaviour.
protective systems not designed with
Humans are able to respond to
an adequate understanding of the scale
unusual or unexpected situations,
of consequences they need to protect
and contribute towards the
against; and management systems not
resilience of a system. So, as
identifying and rectifying shortcomings.
workforces become more mobile,
To avoid silo thinking, the process
diverse, and dependent on
industry must address three main areas.
technology, human factors can
Accountability and oversight – who in
ensure inclusive design of robots
the organisation is accountable for the
and intelligent systems to improve
overall management of process safety?
their capability for interpreting
Communication – what needs to be
and responding to human operator
communicated to and by each party?
requirements.
Simplification – how to simplify PSM and
The application of human
pass on the information everyone needs
factors in design activities must
in ways that they can understand?
therefore be prioritised to ensure
PSM can be complex and some
we are creating robots that can
elements of it technically challenging,
effectively and safely work and
but many functions and people within an
interact with people.
organisation need only simple messages.
—
—
Sarah Sharples
Conrad Ellison
Past president
Principal EHS consultant
CIEHF
ABB Consulting
 Organisaonal Culture & Individual Development

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—
Feature – 60th Anniversary
Shanil Kawol, a film
competition finalist
Members of the film competition’s judging panel
Richard Bracewell, Kieron Corless and Iris Cepero
60th celebrations off
with a swing
“The British Safety Council has a
great spirit,” said Mike Robinson,
chief executive, speaking at
the gala film night held on 23
March to celebrate 60 years of
the organisation’s rich history.
“The night’s celebrations clearly
demonstrate that we have a lot
to feel proud of, as well as many
challenges and opportunities to
address as we look forward to
the next 60 years.”
The buzz at the Regents cinema,
London showed how true Mike’s
words were, as young film competition
winners, the evening’s host, film critic
16 Safety Management May 2017
Mark Kermode
Mark Kermode and British Safety
Council members and friends, enjoyed
a splendid evening of history and
thought-provoking debate.
Five films by young people made
to address the British Safety Council
competition brief on ‘Risk’ were
screened. Winners, selected out of
nearly 50 entries, expressed their
delight at the opportunity as well as the
chance to shape discussions around
what health and safety means today.
Kate Haley, student at Trinity College,
Dublin, Ireland, a finalist for her film Risk
told in an ingenious first person style
poetry narrative, said: “I really thought
about what you risk as a female and
Guests enjoyed celebrations
at the Regents Cinema
the choices that you make every day in
order to disregard or counter those risks
which society creates for us. It made
me think of health and safety as a much
broader issue than just following specific
procedures. It’s much more complex,
especially when related to mental health.
Everyone should be aware of their own
health and safety.”
Finalists from around the world
also spoke of the value of exchanging
culturally-formed ideas on the nature of
risk. Nikhil Sudersanan, a finalist for his
film Inertia, set in an Indian marketplace,
said people approached him on the night
to say they had been amazed to see
animals being slaughtered on film. “They
said they hadn’t seen how chickens
are killed. Then I came to know about
the frozen chicken culture in western
countries where meat is available in
supermarkets in its frozen form. I felt we
could exchange something culturally.”

Nikhil Sudersanan and Niranjan
Chirayath, finalists of Inertia
He added: “We truly enjoyed the night,
our first experience of entering an
international competition. Making the
final became news in Kerala, our state
in India and people were eagerly asking
us to show it to them.”
We truly enjoyed the night, our
first experience of entering an
international competition
The presence of a young Indian
filmmaker had a greater relevance
for the night. At the press conference
journalists heard of the British Safety
Council’s aims to open an office in
India. Mike Robinson had expressed
his shock at visiting an Indian company
recently, which locally was regarded
as a health and safety exemplar, but
which this year reported more fatalities
by itself than in the whole of the UK
construction sector. He said: “Outside
the UK the challenge is immense and
in some countries, it resembles the
position the UK was in 60 years ago.
Our work is far from complete.”
The night also included the
premiere of British Safety Council at
60, made by Matthew Holder, head of
campaigns. It explored the history of
the organisation and safety’s changing
times through fascinating archive
material; workmen tiptoeing along the
edge of buildings without hard hats
and fall protection, group activities
for young people to think about safety
and bold campaigning work to raise
safety’s profile, including taking an
elephant to parliament.
The event also looked to the
future. Future Risk: the next 60 years
Feature – 60th Anniversary
Juan Cruz and Elena Alston,
director and actress in
winning film Me MiPhone & I
Kate Haley collecting her
award for her film Risk
with Mark Kermode and
Lynda Armstrong
explored the big issues of the day
in film via interviews with thought
leaders in health and safety. Sir Cary
Cooper, Professor of organisational
psychology and health at Manchester
University provided refreshing views
on topics including the gig economy,
mechanisation and stress. “We don’t
have rest and recuperation away from
technology. We’re on the smart phones
all the time,” he warned as one of the
biggest issues. It took the audience
back to the winning young person’s
film, Me MiPhone and I, which showed
the isolating and corrosive powers of
new technology.
To watch all the films shown
on the night, visit the British
Safety Council’s YouTube
channel here:
www.youtube.com/user/
britishsafetycouncil/videos
May 2017 Safety Management 17
Feature
Insecure work has been linked to increased stress and undermining of dignity in the workplace. Photograph: iStock/Malombra76
A sense of
insecurity
Insecure work is on the rise. We take a
look at what it feels like to be an insecure
worker through a series of interviews.
Gig work is thought to have been
coined in the 1920s by jazz club
musicians. Now, gig working and
other forms of insecure work have
less carefree associations. Anxiety,
exploitation and denial of basic
rights such as holiday and sickness
pay are far from the freedoms of its
linguistic origins.
Insecure work is also a big concern
because it’s on the rise. Today, one
in 10 working people are defined
18 Safety Management May 2017
as insecure workers, an increase of
25% since a decade ago according
to the Trade Union Congress (TUC).
Its December 2016 report, Living on
the Edge, identified three groups of
precarious or insecure workers; those
in low paid self-employment, ‘gig
workers’ (often defined as independent
contractors doing temporary, flexible
jobs) and zero hour-contract workers.
Yet, despite the serious concerns,
it cannot be said that all 3.2 million
insecure workers in the UK are
unhappy, unhealthy or feel worse off
than their employee cohorts. As will
be seen in these testimonies from five
individuals who fall into the category
of insecure worker, many relish the
freedoms of their unstructured working
life. Indeed, an-ex teacher describes
how as an employee he experienced
far more stress in that role than he
does today as a self-employed person.
Equally, there is dissatisfaction.
An Uber driver explains how at first
he loved his job, but feels disillusioned
by issues over his self-employed status,
showing how question marks over
status and rights can eat into identity
and wellbeing.
The TUC and Matthew Taylor, chief
executive of the Royal Society for the
encouragement of Arts, Manufactures
and Commerce are separately
gathering testimonies to better
understand the issues in order to make
proposals for changes in laws over
workers’ rights to government. These
interviews aim to add to that insight.

Mick*, Uber driver
I’ve been a driver with Uber
for two years; before that
I was self-employed as a
painter and decorator.
I feel totally deflated and demoralised.
I feel alienated. It didn’t start that way.
I’ve had lovely feedback from clients
over the years, many have rated me
five stars [on the Uber app] and added
comments like ‘brilliant driver’, good
luck Mick’, ‘really nice guy and great
conversation’, which has felt good.
But slowly my experience of
working has left me feeling drained
of energy. I’ve been told that I’m on a
platform that says I’m self-employed.
But there’s none of the decision making
or self-respect that comes with being
self-employed.
We are controlled by Uber in all
aspects. If we don’t pick up clients, we
get punished for it, if we pick up clients
who are rude to us and we don’t want
to drive them and we say no, we get
disciplined. For example, if you cancel
jobs, you get points – if you accrue a
certain number of these, they switch
you off for up to 20 minutes and you
can’t get a job in that time.
Every aspect of my day is controlled.
Mick says confusion over his self-employed status has left him feeling stressed and powerless. Photograph: iStock/Geber86
Fares are decided for us, so we don’t
have any say. When you are self-
employed, you submit invoices for the
work you have done, you are in control.
As drivers we are at a constant lose,
lose, lose. If I pick up a client going to
the local station and in that short time
they spill something in the car. Okay,
so I’ve only done four miles. But I’ve
earned my wage minus Uber’s fee, then
I have got to find £9 to clean the car as
we’re responsible for maintaining the
vehicle. In the time of cleaning I can’t
work. What have I made from the job?
I’ve lost.
I used to work up to 90 hours a
week as a decorator. It was my choice.
But a driver hasn’t got the option to
work long hours or not, because he
can’t see how long a job will be for until
it’s too late. A while back I picked up
somebody from Dover Street in W1
thinking it was a local job, and then
when they got to the car with their
suitcases I realised they were going
to Southampton.
I drive 100 miles into work every day
and 100 miles back. If I’m working and
driving to Southampton on top of that,
that’s not right and it’s not safe.
I think clients should know when a
driver has driven over a certain number
of hours because of their safety in the
vehicle. There should be safeguards
Feature
in place to prevent such a driver taking
on any long jobs.
The recent ruling over the status
of certain Uber drivers (an Employment
Tribunal ruling in October 2016 found
a group of Uber drivers were not
self-employed but workers, entitled to
workers’ rights) has encouraged me to
put my own case forward. I’m waiting
to find out when it’s going to the next
stage in court.
In the meantime, I feel like I’m in limbo.
When I go online in to complete my tax
self-assessment, I don’t know what to
put myself down for. I have never had
an argument with the tax office, and
if it goes wrong, I am the one with my
back against the wall.
I think Uber have actually designed
the whole platform to suit its needs.
The loser in this is not the client, it’s not
Uber, it’s actually the driver. And it’s
sad because we are the petrol in Uber’s
tank, we keep the company going.
I enjoy working and I’ve enjoyed
driving for Uber but I have been totally
destroyed and battered. I have lost
interest in getting up and going to
work, although I still work because
I have to. I think that if they keep
alienating us, then good drivers won’t
want be willing to work with them.
*Not his real name.
May 2017 Safety Management 19
Feature
Mark Lotsu, 38, self-employed
in fitness and teaching
I went straight into teaching
after university – climbing up
the ladder in education over
15 years, eventually becoming
head of my department at the
relatively young age of 36.
I was a fantastic teacher, I loved
working in schools, and enjoyed the
atmosphere of learning and working
with colleagues, but things changed.
With strict targets, I felt under pressure
to ensure kids performed and to cut
a long story short, as a result of the
intense stress of this, I decided to leave
teaching in April last year.
I spent months in a pit of despair
and depression, trying to figure out
what I was going to do. All I’d ever
known was how to work for someone
else – I was in a tailspin.
With help of family and friends, I
picked myself up. That’s when I found
the world of self-employment – being
my own boss, and running my own
businesses. I do private tutoring, I’m a
massage therapist and I’ve got a health
and wellness business in the network
marketing industry.
Having the relief that I am solely in
Sarah*, part-
time care home
worker, London
I work as a home carer 20 hours
a week in London for a care
company on contractual hours.
It suits me but there are a lot of other
carers I know who are not happy
because they’re on zero hours. One
week they could get 10 hours, the next
week they could get 15 – it fluctuates.
They don’t get paid for travelling or for
sickness benefits.
My borough has signed up to the
Ethical Care Charter so companies are
supposed to offer contractual hours.
But what happens is they say, “We can
offer you a 30-hour contract, but you
have to work every other weekend”.
You could be working 12 days straight
before you’re off for 2 days – I think
that’s why some workers don’t sign up.
20 Safety Management May 2017
Mark is happier self-employed.
I get holiday pay and travel is paid.
But my main problem is time. I’m
responsible for getting elderly patients
up, washed, dressed, medicated and
given breakfast; depending on if you
come across a problem, like if they’ve
fallen, you’ve got to call emergency
services. But one lady I visited was
only getting half an hour of my time
just to give her a bath. What if they
have alzheimer’s or they’re frail? Tasks
can take much longer.
Photograph iStock/Dean Mitchell
charge of my level of success makes me
feel much happier. I’m able to divide up
my time more effectively. When I was
teaching, I was working from 6 am to
sometimes 11 o’clock at night depending
on extra lessons with kids, marking,
preparation – and that was stressful. I
didn’t have any personal time. At the
time, it didn’t faze me because I loved
what I did, but looking back I realised my
life was slowly passing me by.
I think when you are working, there
are people who care but at the end of
the day you are there to do a job. While
there is concern about your mental
health and stress levels, I don’t think
that is given enough kudos in terms of
the results expected from you. When
people want certain results, it can be at
the cost of your own mental health.
Right now I’m not able to pay into
a pension. If I don’t work I don’t get
paid – if I’m sick and can’t tutor for that
hour I don’t get paid. But I’m still so
much happier and calmer knowing I
don’t have to answer to anyone but me.
I think having a plan and a strategy will
help ensure my financial security.
Once my businesses have built up, I’ll
be able to spend more time with friends
and family, and travel, which I haven’t
been able to do. I’d like to give back a lot
too – volunteering. Long term that’s what
working for myself will allow me to do.
They’re just hoping when you’re a carer
you’re going to be kind enough and
work extra for free.
My argument has always been if
it was about services for children,
everybody would be screaming and
shouting, but because it’s happening to
elderly people, because they’re adults,
everybody thinks “oh well, they can
cope”, but they can’t because they’ve
reverted to being children.
*Not her real name.

Lara*, agency worker, education
I’m 28 and I work with an
agency to get teacher supply
work in schools. My ambition is
to get a full time job as a school
counsellor. I love working with
children and the energy and
positivity they exude – I learn
something new every time I’m
given the chance of a full day’s
work. But although I love the
field I’m in, I’m struggling to
secure full time hours.
Since moving from London to Norfolk,
my agency has found me work at a
primary school and a special needs
school, which cover all school ages.
I speak to the agency every few days.
On the very odd occasion I will get a call
in the morning and I will be needed right
there and then. It’s not been easy but
it has allowed me to gain full working
days and some good experience.
My main worry is getting enough
hours to cover the rent and contribute
towards living costs. Otherwise it’s
a real struggle and puts a strain on
my relationship.
I have no family or friends where I live
now, so I rely on work to give me that
social life. Despite having a great partner
Gemma Beal, 28 – self-employed
personal trainer and owner of
Raw Freedom health and fitness
I work part time in a gym, I run
my own business and am a
freelance masseuse.
Previously I worked as an employee in the
health and fitness world. But I realised
I was putting in a lot of energy for little
return – financially and in lack of personal
reward. I thought: no, if I’m going to put
in this much, I want it to be for me.
I’m not financially driven – if I need a
holiday I take it, it just comes at a cost.
You work harder leading up to it and
when you get back. But on the plus,
I take holidays when I want; if I need
a day off or want to go on a course –
I’ve got no one to answer to.
Honestly speaking, I struggle
I feel rather lonely most days. I miss the
interaction of meeting new people.
The agency is great and keep me
posted often, but working in two
schools a week can make it difficult to
feel part of a community. If I’m lucky, I’ll
work with great teachers and we learn
from each other. But, you are treated
differently from full time workers. When
you come into the workplace you are
automatically eyed up because we
wear different ID cards with different
coloured straps. You are not always
expected to go to certain meetings.
When I was younger and starting
out in education as a nursery assistant,
I was paid way below what I should
have been earning. Right now, even
though I’m older, I’m still struggling
– wondering when I’ll ever be able to
afford a mortgage or be able to start a
family makes it even harder. It feels like
I’m nowhere near being able to do that.
I think employers should nurture
young people in their work more.
So many young people suffer from
insecurities, and that first job affects
your confidence in progressing
upwards. Managers want to squeeze
every bit of work out of a young person
and not actually want to know what
Gemma in one of her roles as masseuse.
Feature
motivates them or what their skills are,
and slowly the young person will fade
while confidence and anything that
person once stood for is near extinct.
We start to close off.
I’m getting support though the
Young Women’s Trust, which represents
women like me struggling to live on
low or no pay. I’ve met similar women
like myself and been able to talk about
everything from how I feel to what I’ve
been through. Having people who want
to genuinely help is great and it has
opened my eyes to feeling positive.
*Not her real name.
Photograph iStock/DGLimages
with mental and physical wellbeing
as a person in life generally. A lot of
personal trainers work themselves to
the bone, it’s quite an adrenaline driven
job. Some might get money hungry
and say, “I can squeeze one more client
in…”, but for me I find it comes at a
cost to my health. I’ve made choices so
I don’t overwork. After all, the rewards
of being self-employed are in having
the freedom to manage your own time.
The big one for me is building a career
around your passions and tailoring it
exactly to what you want out of it.
From my perspective, I see a lot
of clients who work full time with
computers and in offices who suffer
from stress. They finish work, head
for the gym and will want to go hell
for leather to get the stress out of
them. Injuries become more common.
I’ll coach them in neck and shoulder
exercises. I also encourage people
to get fresh air – it’s such a stagnant
environment working in an office all day.
May 2017 Safety Management 21
Feature

No excuse for
ignoring stress
Billy O’Brien
Director of customer success
Effective Software
We are all different, and all
respond differently to stressors;
some people thrive on high
workloads, tight deadlines and
a busy work life, while others
will crumble.
However, using that as an excuse to
do nothing about it is like saying that
some people are stronger than others,
or doing nothing about unreasonable
manual handling requirements. That
kind of thinking cost one car engine
part manufacturer £200,000 in fines
and costs in November 2016. Mental
wellbeing needs to be taken seriously.
According to HSE work-related
stress is responsible for 45% of all
working days lost to ill health, while
it is estimated that the number of
deaths from suicide in the construction
industry could be 10 times higher than
those from fatal accidents at work.
The tried and tested approach to
stress recommended by HSE is one that
traditional safety managers will recognise:
identify the hazards and who will be
harmed, assess the risks, and control
the causes of harm. While yoga classes,
counselling phone lines and onsite
massage are nice to have, providing
these as a first step is the equivalent of
providing dust-masks and gardening
gloves without considering the types of
respiratory or handling hazards people
are facing, or whether there is a better
way to control the hazards at source.
While we, of course, are all different
in our response to stressors, HSE
have identified six headings under
which workplace stress hazards can
be grouped. To make this personal,
we have considered this from the
perspective of a health and safety
manager’s own stress levels.

Heading Stress increases Stress managed

Demands You are frequently required to work
longer hours than contracted, and
you are expected to carry out risk
assessments for technical areas
outside your expertise
Your workload is achievable within
agreed hours of work, and you are
given time to develop your skills.
You have the resources to bring in
specialists for areas outside your
current skill set

Control You are not allowed to leave half-
an hour early for a school parents’
evening, but expected to work late
with no advance notice
You can plan your work, and you are
happy to work longer hours when
it is needed, provided you can also
chose which days to leave early to
manage family commitments

Support You are expected to make a report
on accidents to the board, but
department heads ignore your
requests for information and the
IT system keeps crashing. You are
criticised by your line manager for
missing the deadline
You are expected to make a report
on accidents to the board, and the
departments send you their data in
plenty of time. IT provide proactive
support to make sure systems can
cope with the extra workload

Relationships When you request information Aware of the sensitivity of the

about an accident you receive verbal
abuse. When you complain, your line
manager refuses to take any action
because that department has the
highest productivity
accident investigation, your line
manager hosts a discussion
between you and the department
head, defining unacceptable
behaviour in advance

Role As the safety advisor, you are made
responsible for the implementation of
your recommendations, even though
you have no control over the staff
who must implement them
Change You hear rumours of cost cutting,
and assume that safety is likely to
be the first area to suffer. You start
looking at job advert websites in your
lunch hour
A line manager is asked to review the Photograph: iStock/Electra-K-Vasileiadou
actions arising from a risk assessment
and to determine which can be
Excellent and free resources are
implemented and which might need
further consideration or support available to help you carry out your
stress risk assessment, including a
A company-wide meeting is held to
35-item questionnaire that can be
explain forthcoming changes, after
which your line manager invites
distributed to all your staff. If you
you to discuss if you could take on haven’t considered stress at work yet,
additional responsibilities this is a good place to start.

22 Safety Management May 2017

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May 2017 Safety Management 23

Feature — 60 th Anniversary
My first proper
and cool job
Andy Slaughter
Labour MP for Hammersmith
This article comes with a
health and safety warning.
It is recollecting events of 35
years ago and, therefore, much
that should be remembered is
forgotten and much that should
be forgotten is remembered.
But it remains the truth that employment
as the British Safety Council’s press
officer was the first ‘proper’ job I ever
had. Leaving Exeter University in 1982
with an English degree was not perhaps
the best entry into the employment
market, then in the middle of one of
Margaret Thatcher’s (this is hurting you
far more than it is hurting me) recessions.
I was delighted to get a job almost
immediately when most of my
contemporaries were signing on or
working in pubs, and pleased also to
have one that was local (my family not
having moved from the Borough of
Hammersmith & Fulham for a century
or more) but still sounded quite cool,
as we said then.
And when I said I was the press
officer, what I actually mean is that
I was one of about 10 people in the
British Safety Council communications
department. Others included Charlie
Leadbeater and Michael Harrison,
later leading journalists at the FT and
Independent respectively. Mark Wheeler,
who went on to be a senior press person
at the HSE, ran the information ‘hotline’.
There were ex-Fleet Street pros, hustlers,
and the wonderful Colin Fletcher, the
in-house photographer with a view of
life that Raymond Chandler would have
found sardonic.
Why, you may ask, did the British
Safety Council need a comms
department that was larger than many
of its other ‘proper’ functions, including
sales, training and membership. The
answer to this question, and to almost any
other there in the 1980s was: James Tye.
24 Safety Management May 2017
The British Safety Council office is located at
Hammersmith, Andy’s borough.
The founder, guru and dominant
personality in its four decades has
become a legend. Tye created the
organisation and put it on the map. And
crucial to that was his understanding
of what makes people sit up and pay
attention. In a rather staid and formal
world, James Tye, with his bow tie,
Trumpesque management style and
love of the good life, was a revelation.
I will always be grateful to
the British Safety Council for
introducing me to the world
of work and for knocking a little
of the pretentiousness off
I lost count of the times my boss would
say, make sure James doesn’t see
you today, as he wants to sack you.
Traumatic at first, this became routine. I
would disappear with Colin to the bar at
Riverside Studios and wait – sometimes
several hours – until the coast was clear.
The remedy was to get James into
the national press – it didn’t matter
which paper, or even if the story was
good or bad. Coverage is what counted
as success and earned me a reprieve for
another week.
Once, with our brilliant graphic artist –
yes we had one of those too, in fact two I
think– I designed a cartoon strip warning
against the dangers of fireworks. James
suggested we expanded it to make direct
comparison with the Falklands War. It
worked. I think we made page two of
some tabloids, but not in a good way. I
hid in Riverside for a couple of days, but
James was delighted.
I only lasted just over a year at
the British Safety Council, though I
am still in contact with some of my
contemporaries. It was not the polished
and professional organisation it is now.
But it was fun. I hope it still is.
First jobs leave a lasting impression,
and I will always be grateful to the
organisation for introducing me to the
world of work, for knocking a little of
the pretentiousness off and for paying
me the sum of £4,500 a year.
I’m delighted the British Safety
Council has stayed in Hammersmith
and has grown in size and reputation
over the past 30 years. Its creation
marked the sea-change in culture
that led to safety in the workplace
becoming a priority after the 1974 Act.
When I was shadow justice minister,
for six years until last summer, I often
met insurers or policy wonks who tried to
persuade me that we no longer needed
or could afford the legal and institutional
protections against accidents at work or
elsewhere built up in the past 40 years.
I politely disagreed, and did so
with the knowledge I had somehow
absorbed in the sometimes chaotic,
always stimulating environment of
Chancellor’s Road circa 1982.
I wish the British Safety Council a
very happy 60th birthday.
Andy Slaughter MP at the
launch of our manifesto
Working Well in 2012:
w ww.youtube.com/
watch?v=MZy5IFdyMGY
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26 Safety Management May 2017 HT

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A treat for the eyes
Jim Lythgow
Director of strategic alliances
Specsavers Corporate Eyecare
Workplace safety eyecare is
changing. This is partly due
to new policy, partly due to
innovation, and partly due to the
shifting profile of the workforce.
There is an increasing trend towards
100% safety eyewear policies in ‘at
risk’ settings. This is where, if there is a
requirement for safety eyewear in one
area of the working environment, for
one employee or more, all personnel
are expected to comply, whether
or not they themselves carry out an
‘at-risk’ task. This has implications
for the provision of safety eyewear.
Firstly, it means that employers are
likely to be providing safety eyewear
for a greater number of employees,
and secondly, employees are likely
to be wearing safety eyewear more
often and for greater periods of time.
Correspondingly, safety managers will
be looking for cost-effective eyecare,
and employees will require higher
levels of comfort from the eyewear
they are provided.
Our research over many years has
consistently shown that employees are
more likely to remove safety eyewear if
it is not comfortable. There are several
ways to ensure greater comfort from
safety eyewear. Perhaps the most vital
consideration is allowing employees
to actually try on the eyewear prior
to purchase. No one would dream of
buying their everyday glasses without
trying them on, so why would you buy
something as vital as safety eyewear
without trying it first? Equally, when
purchasing everyday eyewear, it is
generally fitted by an expert when
dispensed. The same should of course
happen with prescription safety
eyewear, to ensure it fits properly
around the temples and across the
bridge of the nose.
Photograph: iStock/Yuri_Arcurs
Innovation
To be sure of comfort and fit, it is also
important to look for a provider with a
wide range of styles. One style may be
more comfortable for an individual than
another. We now even have prescription
safety eyewear available in larger sizes,
to fit wider heads.
While style is important for
comfort, the positives of the aesthetics
themselves should not be forgotten.
Research conducted on behalf of
Specsavers Corporate Eyecare has also
shown that employees are more likely
to wear safety eyewear if they like the
way it looks. New and exciting brands
partnering with eyecare providers is a
good way to offer fresh and sought-after
designs. Prescription safety eyewear
can now be obtained in a whole range
of colours and styles, with male, female
and unisex designs.
Age
The workforce itself is another
influencer on workplace eyecare. Our
ageing workforce is well documented.
The Chartered Institute of Personnel
and Development states that over 30%
of people in employment in the UK are
over the age of 50.
This has an impact for safety
eyewear. The age of 40 is a critical point
at which changes in vision commonly
begin to occur and the vast majority
of people will begin to suffer from
Feature
presbyopia to one degree or another.
Presbyopia is difficulty with near-vision
focus, often manifesting itself in the
need for glasses to see close up.
For those who have difficulty with
near-vision, over-goggles were once
the main solution. It is generally agreed
nowadays that this is not an acceptable
solution. This becomes even more
obvious when in conjunction with the
longer wearing-times associated with a
policy of 100% safety eyewear. The two
sets of lenses create a light refraction
that makes this option impractical and
possibly dangerous, quite aside from
the discomfort of wearing two sets of
eyewear. The clear answer here is to
provide prescription safety eyewear.
In a person’s 50s, presbyopia
becomes more progressive. While eye
examinations are often advised to be
every two years, it is at this time that an
optician is more likely to advise annual
checks. Safety managers may also need
to consider offering a wider range of
lens solutions, including bifocal and
varifocal lenses for prescription safety
eyewear. Both are now possible and it is
always best to provide safety eyewear
of the same lens prescription as the
individual wears in everyday life.
While the eyesight of those in their
later-60s did not use to be an issue for
safety managers, this age group is now
expanding in the workplace. At this
stage, employees may find difficulty
seeing in low-light. This is worth taking
into account in the work environment,
particularly in ‘at risk’ areas.
Provision
While safety eyewear requirements are
changing in the workplace, provision of
prescription safety eyewear is changing
too. Eyecare can, for example, now be
purchased, managed, and distributed
online; styles are evolving; comfort is
paramount; ranges are increasing. The
safety manager and employee have
more choice and appropriate options
than ever.
May 2017 Safety Management 27
Feature
Post Brexit there may be some divergence in the laws applicable in the UK and EU, but the UK will be keen to maintain its profile as the standard
bearer for health and safety matters. Photograph: iStock/xavierarnau
Brexit: knowns
and unknowns
Laura Cameron
Partner
Pinsent Masons LLP
By the end of March 2019 the UK will no
longer be part of the European Union, that
much is clear. Beyond that, much remains
little more than speculation.
Unravelling the UK’s membership
of the EU will not be an end to the
matter of course. Perhaps more
significant will be the negotiations
to agree new trading relationships,
customs controls, immigration etc.
What effect, if any, could these
negotiations have on health and
safety law in the UK?
In previous publications we have
pointed to the long tradition of health
28 Safety Management May 2017
and safety regulation in the UK.
The foundation of the current health
and safety regulatory system was
established totally independently of
the EU by the Health and Safety at
Work Act (HSWA) 1974. The legislation
has at its heart a simple but enduring
principle – those who create risks are
best placed to control them.
The system has stood the test
of time and has resulted in the UK
having one of the best combined
health and safety records in Europe
and the world. When the EU’s Health
and Safety Directive was introduced
in 1989, the UK had few alterations to
make to its national laws to bring it in
line. The Corporate Manslaughter and
Corporate Homicide Act 2007, another
cornerstone of our system, is also
wholly derived from the UK.
Since achieving membership of the
EU, a series of individual directives
focusing on specific aspects of safety
and health at work have been issued
at European level and transposed into
UK law. Until repealed or otherwise
amended, such legislation (as with
other legislation emanating from the
UK Parliament) will remain unaffected
after withdrawal. Insofar as laws derive
from directly applicable EU regulations,
the UK government has promised a
Great Repeal Bill designed to ensure
the status quo post exit.
On the whole, the UK is seen as the
‘gold standard’ in health and safety
matters – witness the minimal impact
of the imposition of the Offshore Safety
Directive – with HSE generally agreed
to be an effective regulator, whose
expertise is sought overseas.
As a result, UK workers and their

representatives have come to
expect certain standards and, more
importantly, that these standards will
be maintained and indeed improved.
Over time, of course, certain laws may
well be looked at afresh but wholesale
change is dependent on political will
and is likely to prove unpopular. Nor
is there credible evidence to support
contentions that there is material
over-regulation in this area and
insofar as there can be a reduction,
without a lowering of standards, that
is happening, not only in the UK via its
Red tape challenge, but in the EU too
via the ongoing Regulatory Fitness and
Performance Programme.
While in the future there may be
some divergence in the laws applicable
in the UK and EU, the UK will be keen
to maintain its profile as the standard
bearer for health and safety matters.
In its white paper The United Kingdom’s
exit from, and new partnership with, the
European Union the UK government
has set out its guiding priorities as it
approaches negotiations to exit the EU.
Key among them is the commitment
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to protect workers’ rights. The detail of
this remains to be seen and some, for
example the TUC, have voiced concern
at the UK government’s apparent
reluctance to give more guarantees
on workers’ rights, including those
in relation to health and safety, post
Brexit, citing the fact that the EU’s
Health and Safety Framework Directive
forces employers to assess and act to
reduce workplace risks. As we have
seen, however, many such duties
here emanate not from EU legislation
but from our own HSWA. In so far as
they have their foundations in the EU,
many laws of significance are now so
embedded here as it to be very difficult
to see any real appetite for, or prospect
of, their removal.
Will there be a race to the bottom as
the UK scrambles to form alternative
relationships with trading partners?
While disengagement from the EU may
well involve a process of determining
which primary and secondary health
and safety legislation remains socially
or economically useful to the UK,
potentially leading to changes to some
Feature
regulations and the stripping away
of others, a wholesale lowering of
standards is unlikely. On the contrary,
if we wish to continue to trade with
the EU, the likelihood is that standards
will at the very least require to be
maintained. Outside of the European
trade structures, the UK will be free
to regulate or deregulate as it sees fit;
however, the impact on health and
safety-related legislation is likely to
be limited due to political and social
realities and the UK government’s
white paper states that “this
Government has committed not only
to safeguard the rights of workers
set out in European legislation, but
to enhance them”.
Moreover, businesses appreciate
the value of a robust health and safety
management system. Not only does
it make sense from a reputational
perspective, but it also makes sense
economically – increasingly hefty fines
for breaches of the HSWA look set
to continue and production days lost
through ill health are difficult to recover.
Contact us:
T  +44 (0)20 3510 3510
sm.britsafe.org/level1-construction
/britishsafetycouncil
@britsafe
www.linkedin.com
MQ152
May 2017 Safety Management 29
Feature
There is increasing pressure for businesses to face up to their responsibilities from both a moral and legal perspective. Photograph: iStock/Liuser
Slaves of
our times
Danny Hobson
Ethical and quality improvement manager
Arco
Modern day slavery is surprisingly prevalent
in the supply chain, that is why is crucial to
build a robust approach to ethical supply
and inspire others to make a difference.
Tamil Nadu is the powerhouse of
India’s textile industry and accounts
for 20% of the country’s total
export of ready-made garments.
Housing 58% of India’s textile mills,
the state of Tamil Nadu employs
over 1.02 million workers in the
garment sector, most of whom are
subject to severe labour exploitation
and dangerous conditions. As
the world’s second largest textile
exporter, India’s garments find their
way into supply chains around the
globe, including the UK.
Tamil Nadu, in the southernmost
part of India, is just one example of
the international crime of modern
day slavery. The workforce is
predominantly female and many are
30 Safety Management May 2017
regular victims of bonded labour.
The women millworkers experience
many forms of ill treatment, including
excessive working hours, poor living
conditions in hostels, and illness
caused by exposure to cotton dust.
Withholding wages and paying below
minimum wage is common practice,
while workers have no access to
grievance mechanisms.
The examples and figures make
startling reading but unfortunately
it is still too easy for companies
and consumers to turn a blind eye.
Many consumers are unaware of the
conditions under which the goods
they buy have been produced and
even when businesses have good
intentions, auditing a supply chain with
multiple suppliers can be so complex,
confidently identifying and eliminating
the use of slave labour can present a
serious challenge.
The BBC Panorama programme
aired in October last year which
discovered Syrian refugees working
illegally in Turkey for major brands,
many of whom were proponents of
ethical trading, is a case in point. The
fact that slave labour has been found
so readily within the supply chain of
companies who are proactive in trying
to outlaw this kind of practice shows
just how inherent the problem is and
how much work is there to be done.
Thankfully there is increasing
pressure for businesses to face up to
their responsibilities from both a moral
and legal perspective. The Modern
Slavery Act, which was introduced in
2015 to consolidate laws covering the
issue of slavery in the UK, now also
includes provisions for supply chains.
The Transparency in Supply Chain
Provisions require businesses which
have an annual turnover above £36m
to publish a statement which confirms
the steps taken to mitigate the risk that
slavery and human trafficking are in
their business or supply chain.
21m
victims of forced labour globally
(ILO 2012)
 Feature

A supply chain reaction
At Arco we pride ourselves on our
ethical supply policy and we are
committed to making a difference. As
well as meeting our obligations in line
with these provisions, we promote
ethical trade within the supply of safety
products. In the same way as we drive
improvements in quality standards
across our industry through investment
in product testing and assurance, Arco
is also taking action to raise standards
throughout our supply chain when
it comes to ethical trading; we call it
starting a supply chain reaction.
Arco is a member of the Ethical
Trading Initiative (ETI), a leading
alliance of companies, trade unions
and NGOs that promotes respect for
workers’ rights around the globe. The
ETI’s aim is to improve the lives of
workers by eradicating exploitation
and discrimination. Arco joined the ETI
in 2007 and remains the first and only
safety distributor to be a member.
Supplier ethical compliance
Arco has created a process to ensure
the ethical compliance and capabilities
of all suppliers manufacturing products
which carry an Arco brand. This is in
line with the ETI Base Code, which
is founded on the conventions of the
International Labour Organisation (ILO)
and is an internationally recognised
code of labour practice.
Before any product is made,
suppliers must commit to Arco’s
Ethical Compliance Procedure which
ensures they have the capability and
systems to meet the requirements of the
ETI Base Code. When a supplier wishes
to use subcontractors or outworkers
for Arco production, then this must be
approved in advance by the company.
It is the supplier’s obligation to provide
evidence that any subcontractor
or outworker used conforms to the
standards outlined in the Ethical Guide
for Vendors document.
to resolve breeches of national and
local laws and the ETI Base Code. The
corrective action plans are managed by
the Arco Product Assurance Team, Arco
Xiamen team (based in China) and the
manufacturers themselves.
In the first instance it is always
preferable to try and help a supplier
raise their standards. As well as
improving working conditions for
staff, this can benefit the supplier by
helping them to win more contracts
and compete more effectively for
international business. Examples of
how Arco has helped its suppliers
improve employee wellbeing include
helping them to provide better dining
and hygiene facilities and instigating
training programmes to improve
employee morale and engagement.
Any supplier failing seriously or
consistently to adhere to the standards
detailed in the Ethical Guide for
Vendors document will be removed
from the approved supplier list.
What can you do?
If you are concerned about unethical
practices or slave labour in your supply
chain there are a number of steps you
can take:
• Ask your suppliers about their
supply chain and the factories
providing your goods
• Ask your suppliers about their
ethical assurance measures and
due diligence processes
• If your supplier has a turnover in
the UK greater than £36m and falls
under the Modern Slavery Act,
review their published statement
• Be sure about your own supply
chain by using suppliers that are
members of the Ethical Trading
Initiative or equivalent organisations.
The task of auditing a complex supply
chain with multiple suppliers can be
arduous. By ensuring you only work
with ethical suppliers it is peace of
mind for procurement teams.
ETI Base Code (nine points)
1. Employment is freely chosen
2. Freedom of association and
the right to collective bargaining
are respected
3. Working conditions are
safe and hygienic
4. Child labour shall not be used
5. Living wages are paid
6. Working hours are not excessive
7. No discrimination is practiced
8. Regular employment is provided
9. No harsh or inhumane treatment
is allowed.
Film on modern slavery at:
www.arco.co.uk/startyours
Transparency in supply chains.
Modern Slavery Act at:
tinyurl.com/keaaqgf

Ethical auditing
Manufacturers of Arco own label
products are appraised using a risk
based approach. Factory assessments
are conducted by one of the world
leading social compliance audit
companies or by Arco employees
who have been trained by the ETI in
the application of the ETI Base Code.
Factories are assessed for ethical Asking your providers about their supply chain standards helps to promote ethical trading.
compliance and corrective plans agreed iStock/Photobos

May 2017 Safety Management 31

New approach to
NEBOSH training
Our highly qualified and experienced tutors
deliver NEBOSH training in an interactive and
engaging way, ensuring the learning process
is both enjoyable and informative.

Progress your career with:

• General Certificate in
Occupational Health and Safety
• National Certificate in
Construction Health and Safety
• National Certificate in
Fire Safety and Risk
Management.

Excellent delivery and

knowledge from tutor.
Ability to get the message
across is excellent. Would
highly recommend to
others. Thank you Contact us:
Kathleen Gallagher T +44 (0)20 3510 3510
Sodexo Healthcare E ask@britsafe.org
Imperial College Healthcare www.britsafe.org/nebosh2017
NHS Trust /britishsafetycouncil
@britsafe
/company/british-safety-council
British Safety Council (Company Limited by Guarantee).
Registered in England and Wales No. 4618713 at 70
Chancellors Road, London, W6 9RS. Registered Charity
No. 1097271 and OSCR No. SC037998
MT160

Web-based permit to work systems can improve your management control. Photograph: iStock/lovro77
It’s all about prevention
Simon Olliff
Managing director
Banyard Solutions
A Manchester building contractor
has been sent to jail for eight
months for hiring two workers
who were not qualified to carry
out work at height and failing to
provide fall protection measures
on a roofing job, resulting in the
death of a casual labourer who fell
to his death. In another recent case,
an engineering company in North
East England was fined £150,000
for providing inadequate PPE to its
workers who were severely burned
carrying out cleaning tasks using
corrosive substances.
These convictions have happened
since the introduction of the new
Sentencing Guidelines in February
2016 – with the potential for courts
to levy increased fines and custodial
sentences for serious breaches of
health and safety.
Other high profile cases with
huge fines include Merlin Attractions
Operations: £5m, ConocoPhillips:
£3m, Cristel Pigment: £3m, Tata Steel:
£1.98m, Foodles Production: £1.6m.
Think about it. What could getting it
wrong cost you?
In focus: Corporate Manslaughter Act
One element of these new guidelines
that could affect you includes the
revisions to the 2007 Corporate
Manslaughter Act – a landmark law that
Feature
made organisations accountable for
corporate manslaughter incidents as the
result of a serious management failure.
The sentencing processes takes more
into account than ever before, bringing
in different elements of your business
that you may not have initially realised.
Step 1 takes into account the
seriousness of the incident, including
the possible failure by employers to
respond to near misses or to action
advice from employees. Whether
the offence demonstrates a lack of
adherence to recognised standards,
inadequate training, supervision or
reporting is also considered. Other
questions that help to determine the
offence category of the incident include:
Is it representative of fundamental
May 2017 Safety Management 33
Feature
Under the Corporate Manslaughter Act each incident is treated entirely in its own right.
Photograph: iStock/filmfoto
systematic failings? Was there a death
or serious personal injury? Is there a
high risk of future deaths?
Category A groups incidents where
answers to the questions indicate
a high level of harm or culpability.
Category B is in place when answers to
the questions indicate a lower level of
culpability. The fine eventually imposed
on the organisation is usually dependant
on turnover on the proviso that a
detailed and accurate record of financial
information is provided.
A medium organisation with a
turnover between £10m and £50m with
an Offence Category A can expect a
fine between £1,8m up to £7,5m. For
a small organisation with a turnover
between £2m and £10m also grouped
into Offence Category A, the fine can
range from £540,000 to £2,800,000.
On the occasions where the financial
information provided is not to the
court’s satisfaction, the fine can be
unlimited.
Key cases
This stringent approach has irrevocably
altered the landscape of health and
safety sentencing and the punishment
inflicted on offending organisations.
In the first sentencing under the new
guidelines in July 2016, Monavon
Construction Ltd pleaded guilty to two
counts of corporate manslaughter, after
two men fell into a 3.7 metre lightwell
that only had perimeter edge protection,
rather than metal railings, fixed around
it in October 2013. Both men died at the
scene. The judge fined the company
£250,000 for each of the corporate
34 Safety Management May 2017
manslaughter offences, plus £50,000
for breach of the Health and Safety at
Work Act. This fine was based on the
company being a micro organisation,
taking into account the company’s
fundamentally good safety record, lack
of previous prosecutions and the steps
taken immediately after the incident to
rectify the issue.
You can guarantee the
efficiency and conformity of
your written health and safety
processes, but it is difficult to
be completely sure that they are
being wholly implemented on
site and that your entire supply
chain is fully compliant
Be prepared
Just one year in action, these guidelines
have resulted in more than 19 fines of
more than £1m, compared to three in
2015, and none in 2014.
It is critical to understand the
changes to the Corporate Manslaughter
Act, how this has already seriously
impacted offending organisations in
terms of finances and reputation, and
how you can protect your workforce
and your business from serious failings
and possible prosecution.
Aggravating factors within the
sentencing process that could increase
the fine given include cost cutting at
the expense of health and safety, a
poor health and safety record, and
falsification of documents and licenses.
Factors that could reduce the total
fine include evidence of steps taken to
remedy the issue, a good health and
safety record and relevant procedures
in place.
While you can guarantee the
efficiency and conformity of your written
health and safety processes, you cannot
be completely sure that firstly, these
policies are being wholly implemented
on site and secondly, that your entire
supply chain is fully compliant.
E-permits, the web-based
permit-to work system improves
your management control, reducing
possible risk of injury to people by
ensuring all of the individuals on
your site have genuine, up to date
qualifications meeting your criteria and
standards – alerting you immediately
if the situation changes. It enables you
to have complete visibility of all of the
contractors within your supply chain,
providing an accurate overview to who
is doing what, when, where, why and
how in your buildings, connecting your
internal policies and external legislation
and regulation requirements. Incidents
can be prevented from happening in
the first place but on the rare occasion
something does occur, the e-permits
system enables you to demonstrate
that you have put all reasonably
practicable methods in place.
The revisions to the Corporate
Manslaughter Act highlight that each
incident is treated entirely in its own
right but that the punishments for
offending businesses are stronger
than ever before. The sentencing
process takes a plethora of factors into
account, including an organisation’s
previous record and compliance,
current health and safety systems and
self reporting processes. The message
is clear: you need to be prepared with
effective solutions that provides you
with the transparency, compliance and
assurance you need in case something
goes wrong.
Corporate Manslaughter &
Corporate Homicide Act at:
tinyurl.com/obkhjdh
Sentencing guidelines for
health and safety offenses at:
tinyurl.com/ngoh8wy
Environmental
Policy, Legislation,
Audit and Best
Practice

9.30–12.30, 17 May, London

Join us for a morning policy
and best practice briefing with British Safety Council
expert environmental and members: Free
sustainability professionals. Non-members £49.00
Key topics will include: Book your place at
• Policy and legislation developments www.britsafe.org/
in the context of Brexit events
• Updates on environmental
sentencing guidelines
• Transition requirements for ISO 14001:2015
• How organisations deal with value
chain management and outsourcing
• Improving communication and
employee engagement.

Expert Panel
• Simon Colvin, Partner and National Head
of Environment Team, Weightmans LLP
• Stephanie Taylor, Sustainability
Associate Director, Mace Group
• Tom Shields, Health and Safety
Coach, Mount Anvil
• British Safety Council experts. Find out more:
T +44 (0)20 3510 8355
The event includes a Q&A session E customer.service@britsafe.org
followed by a networking lunch www.britsafe.org/events
/britishsafetycouncil
to share best practice.
@britsafe
/company/british-safety-council

British Safety Council (Company Limited by Guarantee).

Registered in England and Wales No. 4618713 at
70 Chancellors Road, London, W6 9RS.
Registered Charity No. 1097271 and OSCR No. SC037998
MA171
International Safety Awards

Young Health and Safety Champion

Nominees
The British Safety Council recognises those individuals who have been influential exemplars in their
approach to keeping work colleagues and members of the public safe from harm. The following
individuals were shortlisted by the panel of judges, chaired by British Safety Council trustee Graham
Cowan, for the two awards: Young Health and Safety Champion and Health and Safety Champion.
The winners will be announced at the gala dinner on 5 May 2017.

Ben Ealey-Newman Ravi Kumar Sharma Ajay Kumar Behara

Engineering apprentice Transportation infrastructure trainee Operations officer

Cobham Antenna Systems L&T Construction Mangalore Terminal

In his first year with the company, while working
as an engineering apprentice, Ben sustained
injuries to his hand. Following this incident,
Ben took a proactive approach to improving
safety in his work environment and soon was
asked to take a greater role within the SHE
function. Initially he became a SHE champion
for the shop floor in one of the facilities. His
responsibilities included implementing the
HSL Safety Climate tool in the area, as well
as creating and delivering training sessions
on improved workshop practices. Ben has
implemented a behavioural safety programme
across the business and improved the
communication of SHE across all functions.
Ravi has joined the transportation infrastructure
project as a diploma trainee almost two years
ago. Since then he has been very active in EHS
work, leading by example and encouraging his
colleagues to follow. He also initiated various
initiatives in the interest of internal and external
stakeholders. For example, he organised a blood
donation, health check-up and eye check-up
camps for local villagers. He has also initiated
a road safety campaign to create awareness
among the road users. He has also taken
theinitiative to conduct multiple awareness
training programmes for school children’s and
educated them about traffic rules.
Ajay is playing a crucial role in the ocean
tanker discharge and loading operations at
Mangalore Terminal ensuring highest standards
of safety and welfare of employees. He has
implemented the following safety initiatives: no
entry to hazardous areas without safety shoe
and helmet, wearing of a full body harness
while working at height, carrying VHF while
on operational duty, job safety analysis for
non-routine jobs and work permit for all jobs
undertaken at hazardous area. His contribution
to housekeeping of the site made it one of
the best maintained sites in the company,
benefitting the wellbeing of the employees and
resulting in zero near miss incidents in that area.

Sophie Harwood Tom Arkley Venkatesh Kannan

Junior engineer BIM technician Management trainee Engineer

Waldeck consulting
Sophie Harwood is a Junior Engineer BIM
Technician and UAV and Digital Capture
Specialist in the company’s offices in Sleaford.
In 2016, Waldeck introduced a Health and
Safety First initiative and Sophie has been at
the forefront of its development and delivery
becoming the Sleaford Office Health &
Safety First Champion and assisting in the
development and delivery of new H&S policies
and procedures. She also set up a weekly office
safety walk round which is now carried out at
all offices and follows up any issues resulting
from the walk. Sophie has also produced and
delivered a number of Tool Box Talks at Sleaford
which have also been used in other offices.
Willmott Dixon Interiors
Tom has been the driving force behind the
company’s partnership with Construction
Youth Trust in London, helping 13 unemployed
young people gain qualifications in H&S as
part of our management trainee ‘Changing
Lives Programme’. He delivered training to
unemployed young people and organised
site visits for schools, charities and university
students and supported work experience
students in their site placements, H&S
management and Field View training. Tom
has won the company’s ‘Star of the Month’
accolade for his dedication and commitment.
Larsen & Toubro ltd
Venkatesh Kannan initiated new monthly EHS
initiatives in the construction project in which
he is involved. This included implementing 3R
waste reduction initiatives, energy management
plan and the LOTOTO system. Venkatesh is an
initiator of health and safety celebration days in
the company, such as Safety Month and Safety
Week. He also prepared applications for national
and international H&S awards. Conducting
more awareness campaigns and training for
site supervisors and workers in the station
was also his idea. When he witnessed unsafe
practices, he urged employees to stop work and
took immediate action, while reporting these
incidents to top management.

36 Safety Management May 2017


Health and Safety Champion
Nominees
Andrew Kettrick
Senior foreman
Bachy Soletanche
Andrew, who has been employed by the
company for over 20 years, is heavily
involved in the development and mentoring
of new apprentices. Under his guidance new
piling operatives gain experience in hazard
identification and safety operating techniques
of high risk equipment. Andrew is also involved
in the mentoring of new supervisors following
promotion, assisting them in learning their
new responsibilities and planning of their
work. Andrew assists the group SHEQ team in
the development on new guidance notes and
safe system of works and is involved in their
ongoing review. Throughout his career Andrew
has submitted a variety of innovations which
have been implemented in the UK company and
across the parent company worldwide.
Kenny Maddock
Production engineer
BAE Systems Naval Ships
Moving a 1,500 ton ship from a barge into
a dock, the ‘float off’, is a high risk activity.
In 2016, a team headed by Kenny Maddock,
pioneered a new approach that exemplifies
Naval Ships’ commitment to safety. Previously
float offs were planned in a desk exercise, using
drawings. This time, Kenny and the team used
digital technology, creating a representation
of the ship and dock area utilising the
visualisation suites. They were used to brief
the team, immersing them in an interactive
3D model. They assessed the safest places for
each employee to stand and clearances of the
supporting tugs to the ship grillages during
float off, helping mitigate a collision risk.
Colin Nivison
Project engineering management, project leader
GlaxoSmithKline – Irvine
Colin, Project Leader in charge of all projects
and construction activities at Irvine, looks after
250 staff. Using his safety knowledge of the
operation process, he has established a safety
culture with no RIDDOR lost time for the last
ten years. Colin has been leading the quarterly
safety forums and inspired people to talk about
their own health issues, such as stress in the
workplace. Colin led the behavioural safety
review of the construction group, helping to
identify needs and issues for the site that led
to the creation of the PEM 2017 safety plan.
One of its outcomes was the relocation of
the contractor’s village, which will result in a
purpose-built site with safety meeting rooms
for personnel to use as stress-free zones.
Kieren McCafferty
Site supervisor
Walker Construction
Kieren has made an outstanding contribution
to H&S of his colleagues and all stakeholders
around him. He has been working with the
teachers and pupils of the White Cliffs Primary
College to create a positive perception of
the construction industry, using poster
competitions and hands-on site experience.
Aware of the dangers that surround lack
of communication, especially with sub-
contractors, Kieren introduced a weekly site
tour for all sub-contractors. Prior to the tour, he
developed an action board showing potential
hazards and actions needed to be taken to keep
the workplace safe. Kieren’s program is now
fully integrated on all Walker Construction sites.
International Safety Awards
Innes Alexander
Project director of Doha Festival City
Mace International, Qatar
On Qatar’s largest commercial development,
Doha Festival City, with a workforce of over
9,000, H&S was a priority for Innes. He
established a common set of health, safety
and welfare standards and communicated
these to all stakeholders before anyone set
foot on site. One of his biggest challenges
was the different health and safety cultures
and awareness levels on a site of this size
and this region. He led two-way discussions
that forged strong collaborative working
relationships with a shared goal and focus on
wellbeing. Innes conducts regular leadership
tours, safety meetings and workshops that help
him to engage with the team and reward best
performance. Over three years, the project has
had zero lost time or reportable injuries and has
achieved 50 million safe man-hours.
Steve Wilkinson
Head of risk
Addison Lee
Steve has been at the forefront of safety
throughout his career. He designed and
implemented contractor safety programmes
which verified contractors before giving them
access to any site. He has continued this work
in Addison Lee, implementing contractor safety
schemes which led to improved company
profitability and health and safety performance.
Addison Lee was able to demonstrate zero
LTAs over the period during which he has
been working for the company. Steve is
now bringing together leading operators in
the industry to address air pollution within
the workplace. He is acting on the research
findings demonstrating that there is a robust
relationship between daily air pollution levels
and worker productivity.
May 2017 Safety Management 37
International Safety Awards
Sector awards
The International Safety Awards scheme, now in its 59th year, celebrates organisations from
around the world that have demonstrated, to the satisfaction of the scheme’s independent judges,
their commitment to preventing work-related injuries and ill health during the 2016 calendar year.
The shortlisted organisations by sector are:
Sector
Construction and
property services
Financial, IT, legal, scientific,
technical services and media
Hospitality and catering
Local government, defence
and public services
Manufacturing
Oil, gas, mining and quarrying
Power and utilities
Transport, distribution
and storage
Wholesale and retail services
38 Safety Management May 2017
Runners up (in no particular order)
Arabian Construction Company – Al Meena Residential and Commercial Tower
Strabag SpA – Alto Maipo Hydroelectric Project
VolkerRail Ltd – Doncaster
Ductclean (UK) Ltd t/a DCUK FM - Head Office
Bachy Soletanche Ltd – Henderson House
L&T Construction TI IC/Kannur International Airport Limited Site
Connell Brothers Limited – Salford
CLC Group Ltd – Southampton
Amana Group – United Arab Emirates
Ferrovial Agroman – Heathrow
Honeywell Technology Solutions Lab Pvt. Ltd.
Arsenal Football Club
Pontins Brean Sands
Pontins Camber Sands
Pontins Pakefield
Pontins Prestatyn
Pontins Sand Bay
Pontins Southport
Abu Dhabi Occupational Safety & Health Center (OSHAD)
Animal and Plant Health Agency (Weybridge Site)
Dubai Municipality – Health and Safety Department
GardaWorld International Protective Services
Airbus UK Ltd – Broughton
Airbus UK Ltd – Filton
Albert Bartlett & Sons Ltd – Boston Division
Kuwait National Petroleum Company – Local Marketing Department
Kuwait National Petroleum Company – Shuaiba Refinery
Modular Fabrication Facility, L&T Hydrocarbon Engineering Limited, Kattupalli
Scott Safety – Skelmersdale
Bahrain National Gas Company
Cairn India Limited – Raageshwari Gas Field
Tolmann Allied Service Company Limited
Dounreay Site Restoration Ltd
MWH UK Ltd
Larsen & Tourbro Limited, Transportation Infrastructure Independent
Company – Maharastra Border to Sangareddy Road Project
Unipart Aftermarket Logistics – North America
Unipart Logistics
Unipart Rail
Majid Al Futtaim
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May 2017 Safety Management 39

 Attending is one small step
for the organization,
one giant leap
for the safety of employees.
www.hse-eu.com

11th Annual HSE

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23rd - 24th May 2017
Amsterdam, Hotel Novotel
 — header
Page
Events calendar
Event round-up
Free SHE
webinars
planned
for 2017
The British Safety Council is running
a series of free webinars exploring
important recent developments
around safety, health and
environmental (SHE) management
standards, legislation and policies
affecting UK businesses.
The webinars will run for
approximately one hour and will
be presented by the British Safety
Council’s own health, safety and
environmental experts and a guest
environmental lawyer.
SHE auditing services
The first webinar will take place on
Monday 22 May and will provide an
overview of the British Safety Council’s
range of SHE auditing services. It will
explain how a British Safety Council
best practice Five Star audit can
help both to assess the effectiveness
of an organisation’s existing SHE
management systems and identify and
support improvements in overall SHE
performance.
The second webinar will take place
on Tuesday 6 June and will explore
some of the likely requirements of
the forthcoming new international
health and safety management system
standard, ISO 45001. The new standard
will provide a single, internationally
agreed framework for organisations
of all types and sizes who wish to
continually improve their health and
The British Safety Council is
running a series of free webinars
on recent developments to
safety, health and environmental
management standards,
legislation and best practice
techniques.
The webinars will explore various SHE management issues. Photograph: iStock/anyaberkut
safety performance. The webinar will be
presented by David Parr, head of audit
and technical services at the British
Safety Council, who is a member of the
HS1 committee which acts as the forum
for UK consultation on the ISO 45001
standard. David says : “We will look
at the main requirements of the new
standard and outline how organisations
certificated under the existing OHSAS
18001 standard can begin to prepare for
the transition to ISO 45001.”
Environmental policy update
The third webinar, on Wednesday 7 June,
will provide an overview of some key
recent and possible developments to
UK environmental policy and legislation
affecting UK businesses. It will be
delivered by Howard Dawes, senior
environmental consultant at the British
Safety Council, and Simon Colvin, partner
and national head of the environment
team at Weightmans law firm.
Howard says: “We will consider
the potential implications of Brexit
on the UK’s future environmental
laws, provide an update on recent
environmental policy and legislative
developments and give an overview
of the 2014 sentencing guidelines for
environmental offences for England
and Wales.”
The fifth webinar will take place
on Thursday 6 July and will be
presented by Keith Whitehead
and Garry Cornell, environmental
auditors and consultants at the
British Safety Council. It will outline
some of the challenges and solutions
to carrying out an internal audit of
an organisation’s environmental
management system. The webinar
is aimed at anyone responsible for
undertaking internal audits to assess
compliance with the international
environmental management standard
ISO 14001:2015 – for example, prior
to a formal certification visit by an
independent auditor.
Energy management
The final webinar in the schedule will
take place on Wednesday 2 August
and will focus on the benefits of
implementing an energy management
system to either comply with or mirror
the ISO 50001 international energy
management standard.
Howard Dawes will present the
webinar alongside Alistair Walker, an
environmental auditor and consultant
at the British Safety Council.
Howard says: “We will explain the
benefits of an energy management
system and some of the key requirements
for managing energy usage in the context
of a changing regulatory landscape.”
To register go to:
w ww.britsafe.org/webinars
May 2017 Safety Management 41
Events calendar
May-November 3-4 May – free event 17 May & 8 November
SHE audit and
legislative update,
Manchester, Scotland
and Birmingham
A series of morning briefings from
the British Safety Council focusing
on key developments around
best practice safety, health and
environmental (SHE) management
auditing and recent legislative trends.
The briefings will explore some
of the likely requirements of the
forthcoming international health
and safety management systems
standard ISO 45001. They will also
outline some of the key changes
introduced by the 2015 version
of the ISO 14001 environmental
management standard.
Guest speakers will discuss the
impact of the revised sentencing
guidelines for health and safety
offences and HSE’s stress
management standards, and there
will be an overview of the British
Safety Council’s range of SHE
auditing services for businesses.
The briefings will run from 10:00-
12:30. They will take place on 25
May (Manchester), 13 July (London),
24 August (London), 21 September
(Scotland), 12 October (London) and
16 November (Birmingham).
Attendance is free for British
Safety Council members and costs
£49.00 + VAT for non-members.
Book your place at:
w ww.britsafe.org/events/
auditupdate
42 Safety Management May 2017
Scotland Works,
Glasgow
Free exhibition at the SEC Glasgow
featuring a programme of seminars
organised by the British Safety
Council. The presentations include:
• Mock health and safety trial –
Pinsent Masons law firm
• Impact of the health and safety
sentencing guidelines in Scotland
– Malcolm Gunnyeon, partner,
and James McMillan, associate,
Maclay, Murray & Spens law firm
• Building an exemplary culture for
an iconic project – Andy Forbes,
director of health and safety,
Babcock Marine
• How to bullet-proof your
performance, mental health and
resilience – Mark Davies, director,
7Futures
• A toolkit for wellbeing – Tim
Marsh, The Healthy Work
Company.
Our staff will also be present on
stand HS83 to explain the benefits of
our SHE products and services.
For more information see:
w ww.britsafe.org/events
5 May
60th Anniversary
and International
Safety Awards Gala
Dinner, London
A black tie gala dinner celebrating
both the achievements of the
winners of the 2017 International
Safety Awards and the British Safety
Council’s 60th anniversary.
The Gala Dinner will take place
at the Grosvenor House Hotel in
London’s Mayfair and will be hosted
by broadcaster Gabby Logan. The
evening will feature the formal
presentation of the awards, the official
awards presentation photographs, a
fine dining experience and a night of
live entertainment and dancing.
For more information see:
w ww.britsafe.org/galadinner
Environmental policy,
p
legislation, audit
and best practice
update, London and
Manchester
Morning briefings from the British
Safety Council on some recent
and potential key developments to
environmental policies, standards and
practices affecting UK businesses.
The workshops will explore the
potential impact on UK environmental
laws, policies and practices of
developments such as the UK’s
vote to leave the European Union
and international agreements
aimed at tackling climate change.
They will also examine some of the
changes businesses may need to
make to ensure compliance with
the 2015 version of the ISO 14001
environmental management standard.
Speakers will also provide insight
into some best practice approaches
to environmental management.
The workshops will run from
09:30-12:30 and take place on 17
May in London and on 8 November
in Manchester. Attendance is free for
British Safety Council members and
costs £49.00 + VAT for non-members.
Book your place at:
w ww.britsafe.org/events
22 May – free event
Best practice auditing
in health, safety and
environment webinar
Free webinar providing an overview
of the British Safety Council’s range
of safety, health and environmental
auditing services.
The one-hour webinar will explain
how an audit can help to assess the
effectiveness of an organisation’s
SHE management systems and
support improvements which lead to
benefits across the whole business.
To register go to:
w ww.britsafe.org/webinars

6 June – free event 28 June 20 July & 23 November
ISO 45001 update
webinar
Free webinar on some of the likely
requirements of the forthcoming
new international health and safety
management standard, ISO 45001.
It will also focus on how organisations
can begin to prepare for the transition
from the OHSAS 18001 standard.
To register go to:
w ww.britsafe.org/webinars
7 June – free event British Safety Council members and
Environmental policy
and legislation
update webinar
Free webinar highlighting some
important developments to
UK environmental policies and
legislation. The one hour webinar
will be presented by Howard Dawes,
senior environmental consultant
at the British Safety Council, and
Simon Colvin, partner and national
head of the environment team at
Weightmans law firm.
Register at:
w ww.britsafe.org/webinars
20-22 June – free event
Safety & Health
Expo, London
The British Safety Council is
providing some educational sessions
on the first day of this free-to-attend
exhibition at ExCeL London.
Macnaughton McGregor will
run an interactive scenario-based
workshop exploring health and
safety engagement. Tim Marsh
from The Healthy Work Company
will provide guidance on addressing
wellbeing at work and Mark Davies,
director of 7Futures, will discuss the
importance of rest and recovery in
building personal resilience.
For more information see:
 www.britsafe.org/events
ISO 14001 transition
workshop, London
One-day workshop from the
British Safety Council exploring the
revised and enhanced requirements
of the international environmental
management systems standard
ISO 14001:2015.
Accredited by IEMA, the workshop
is aimed at those responsible for
ensuring that an organisation’s
environmental management policies
and systems comply with the 2015
version of the standard. It is also
suitable for those wishing to learn
more about the general concepts,
principles and requirements of
ISO 14001 and aiming to help an
organisation become certified under
the standard for the first time.
The workshop will explain some of
the key and enhanced requirements of
ISO 14001:2015 and how to manage
the transition to the new standard.
The workshop will run from
09:00-16:30 and places cost
£295.00 + VAT.
Book your place at:
 www.britsafe.org/events/iso-
14001-transition-workshop-0
6 July – free event w ww.britsafe.org/webinars
ISO 14001:2015
internal auditing
webinar
Free webinar from the British
Safety Council on the some of
the challenges and solutions to
carrying out internal audits of
an organisation’s environmental
management system in line with
the international management
standard ISO 14001:2015.
The one hour webinar will be
presented by Keith Whitehead
and Garry Cornell, environmental
auditors and consultants at the
British Safety Council.
Register at:
w ww.britsafe.org/webinars
Events calendar
ISO 45001 transition
workshop, London
and Birmingham
One-day workshops from the
British Safety Council on the likely
requirements of the forthcoming new
international safety management
standard, ISO 45001. The workshops
will also explore how organisations
can begin to prepare for the transition
from the OHSAS 18001 standard.
They will be held on 20 July in London
and 23 November in Birmingham,
and places cost £49.00 + VAT for
£99.00 + VAT for non-members.
Book your place at:
w ww.britsafe.org/events
2 August – free event
ISO 50001 energy
management
standard webinar
Free webinar from the British
Safety Council on the benefits
of implementing an energy
management system in line with the
ISO 50001 international standard.
Register at:
10-11 October – free event
Health & Safety
North, Manchester
Free to attend exhibition featuring
seminars organised by the British
Safety Council. Our staff will also
be present on stand K40 .
For more information go to:
 www.britsafe.org/events
Attendance may attract continuing
professional development credits.
Full details of all British Safety
Council events can be found at:
 www.britsafe.org/events
May 2017 Safety Management 43
 —
Products and services
Locked out
Arco has published a guide to its
range of lockout and tagout devices,
padlocks and signs for the safe
isolation of plant and machinery during
activities such as maintenance.
The products include lockout
devices for isolating equipment from
dangerous energy sources; hasps for
attaching multiple padlocks; and signs
warning the equipment must not be
used until the padlocks are removed by
authorised keyholders. The guide also
provides advice on implementing an
effective ‘lockout, tagout’ programme.
arco.co.uk/LOTO
Jacket
required
A range of water-
resistant, high
visibility clothing
for workers in
industries such as
rail, infrastructure,
civil engineering and utilities has been
launched by Pulsar.
The Evolution range features
garments such as storm coats, over
trousers and adjustable and removable
hoods that can be worn over safety
helmets. The garments are available
in high visibility orange or yellow and
feature reflective tape to help ensure
the wearer can be seen more easily by
colleagues, drivers and plant operators.
The Evotech three-layer laminate
fabric is up to 13 times more water-
resistant than required by the relevant
standard and the material is completely
wind-resistant. Some of the garments
include concealed pockets for phones
and radio loops for securing headphone
wires safely.
pulsaruk.com
44 Safety Management May 2017
The latest equipment and
services, including vehicles
fitted with staff welfare facilities
and solutions for safe manual
and mechanical handling.
Noise annoys
Casella is running a one-day course on
monitoring exposure to occupational
noise in Bedford on 23 May.
Run by Casella’s Shaun Knott, who
has 25 years’ experience in delivering
noise monitoring training, the course
will explain how to use personal noise
monitoring devices (dosimeters) and
how to use the resulting readings to
identify the most appropriate form of
hearing protection equipment for staff.
casellasolutions.com
Take a break
Mobile staff welfare vehicles built
upon the base chassis of commercial
vehicles such as vans are available
from Cartwright Conversions.
Customers select their preferred
make and model of commercial vehicle
and Cartwright designs and installs
the welfare facilities. The standard
layout typically includes a toilet cubicle,
hand-washing facilities, canteen area,
fire extinguisher, first aid kit, eye wash
station and secure storage for tools and
other items. The conversion also normally
includes the provision of electrical
services such as power supplies, side
and reverse cameras, exterior lighting,
USB charging points, internal motion-
sensing LED lighting and the application
of customer-specific livery.
The vehicles overcome the need to
provide standalone welfare facilities.
cartwrightconversions.co.uk
Find out more:
E publications@britsafe.org
Now hear this
JSP has expanded its Sonis range of ear
defenders with the launch of helmet-
mounted models compatible with its
safety helmets.
The ear defenders offer various levels
of hearing protection, from SNR 26 for
low level noise; SNR 31 for substantial
industrial noise and a market leading SNR
of 36 for extreme industrial noise.
Colour coded to indicate the level of
noise attenuation offered, the defenders
can be easily attached and removed from
the universal slot of JSP’s safety helmets.
Tests have confirmed the defenders
achieve the correct SNR’s when worn
with JSP’s EVOlite, EVO2, EVO3, Global
Standard EVO5 Olympus and Skyworker
helmets. The defenders can be rotated on
top of the helmet when not in use.
jsp.co.uk
Eye like it
Specsavers has launched a range of JCB-
branded prescription safety eyewear.
The range offers a choice of 20
metal and polycarbonate frames in
a variety of styles, sizes and colour
combinations. The eyewear ranges
from chunky, wraparound-style glasses
to more sleek and minimalist options
and a wide choice of lens materials
are available. The eyewear is available
through Specsavers’ e-voucher system
and can be obtained from any of
Specsavers’ 785 stores across the UK.
s pecsavers.co.uk/corporate/
safety-eyewear/jcb-glasses

Boots made for working
Dr. Martens has launched a steel
toe-capped safety boot based on its
original iconic boot design.
A modern update on the Icon 7B10
work boot, the Hyten S1P features an
internal steel toe-cap that exceeds the
European standard, an anti-penetration
midsole and soft milled leather uppers.
Available in black and in UK sizes 3-13,
the boot offers excellent grip, slip
and puncture resistance. It also has
anti-static properties and features Dr.
Martens’ trademark yellow stitching.
drmartens.com/uk/industrial
Keep on truckin’
Infrastructure support service company
Amey has purchased a range of 3.5
tonne tipper trucks fitted with electric
cranes from Penny Hydraulics.
Mounted to the vehicles’
headboards, the Swinglift MC250
cranes have a lifting capacity of 250kg
for handling highway engineering
equipment, such as whacker plates and
road signs. Powered by the vehicle’s
battery, the cranes feature a built in
overload device to prevent them being
used beyond their safe working load.
The cranes are fully demountable,
meaning they can be transferred to
other vehicles, and weigh just 20kg.
This reduces the impact on the vehicle’s
overall weight, which helps to keep
vehicle emissions to a minimum while
maximising the truck’s capacity for
carrying equipment and materials.
The trucks also feature tipping bodies
from Bevan Specialist Products, which
incorporate guardrails to protect workers
from falling from the vehicle bed.
 ennyhydraulics.com
p
bevangroup.com
Take 5 – manual and mechanical handling
Weigh to go
Logitrans has launched a hand pallet
truck with integrated weighing scale.
The WSP 2200 truck:
• Can transport and weigh loads up
to 2,200kg
• Can weigh items for up to 250
hours on a single battery charge.
logitrans.com
A helping hand
Briggs Equipment has won a contract to
supply and service a variety of materials
handling equipment for the national
brewery and pub chain Marston’s. The
contract includes:
• Providing forklift trucks with special
clamp attachments that can lift up
to 18 beer barrels at a time
• Working with Marston’s and a
specialist to develop a keg deflector
to enhance operator safety in the
event of a keg falling from a clamp.
briggsequipment.co.uk
Pump it up
Michael Smith Engineers has
expanded its range of pumps for
emptying hazardous liquids from
containers by introducing a 134cm
tube length suitable for 1,040 litre
intermediate bulk containers (IBCs).
The Finnish Thomson pumps:
• Are a more practical alternative to
the manual effort of a hand pump
• Can safely transfer acids,
corrosives and chemicals from
containers such as drums
• Include explosion-proof models.
michael-smith-engineers.co.uk
Products and services
Cover up
Trench and manhole access covers
from Fibrelite that can be safely lifted
using an ergonomically designed
aid have been installed at the Port of
Immingham in Lincolnshire. The fibre
reinforced plastic (ERP) covers are:
• Capable of withstanding vehicular
traffic weighing up to 60 tonnes
• Typically a third lighter than
equivalent sized concrete or
metal covers, making them
easier to lift.
fibrelite.com
The big lift
Mobile, hydraulic column lifts
for providing safe access to the
underside of commercial vehicles
such as HGV tractor units, coaches
and vans have been launched by
TOTALKARE. The lifts:
• Can be used in sets of four, six or
eight and have a lifting capability
of 7,500kg per column
• Have adjustable forks to fit wheel
sizes from 700-1,400mm
• Are available in a cable-free
version to help reduce the risk of
slips and trips.
totalkare.co.uk
May 2017 Safety Management 45
 — header
Page
Questions & answers

Our experts answer your

questions on manual Subscribe to the information
handling. and advice package for access
to our adviceline:
T 0870 163 0023
E information@britsafe.org

? What sort of measures should we be taking to reduce the

risks from manual handling ? What should be covered
in a manual handling
training course

risks from manual lifting include:

• Making the load smaller and lighter Employers are required under the
and easier to lift Health and Safety at Work Act and
• Breaking up large consignments into the Management of Health and
more manageable loads Safety at Work Regulations 1999
• Modifying the workstation, storage to provide their employees with
areas and the task to reduce carrying suitable and sufficient information,
distances, twisting movements or the instruction and training to ensure their
lifting of things from floor level or from health and safety at work. If there
above shoulder height is a risk of employees being injured
• Improving the working environment while carrying out manual handling
Photograph: iStock/Thomas_EyeDesign – for example, improvements tasks, they must be provided with
to the lighting, flooring and air appropriate information and training
Manual handling, such as lifting,
temperatures can sometimes make on how to keep themselves safe.
lowering, pushing, pulling and
manual handling easier and safer HSE does not publish prescriptive
carrying loads such as goods,
• Providing employees with suitable guidance on what a ‘good’ manual
materials and people, is one of the
training on issues such as the risk of handling training course should include
most common causes of injury and ill
injury, safe handling techniques and or how long it should last. However, in
health at work.
the use of mechanical handling aids. general courses should be suitable for
As a result, under the Manual
The extent and the detail of a risk the individual, tasks and environment
Handling Operations Regulations 1992,
assessment for manual handling will involved; include relevant examples;
employers have a duty to avoid the
depend on a number of factors, including and last long enough to cover all the
need for employees to carry out manual
the nature and frequency of the tasks, relevant information. Training should
handling tasks that pose a risk of injury,
the need for awkward postures and any therefore generally cover:
so far as is reasonably practicable.
previous or existing musculoskeletal • Manual handling risk factors and
However, if hazardous manual handling
injuries among employees. how injuries can occur
tasks cannot be avoided, employers
To help employers assess the • How to carry out safe manual handling
must assess the risks they pose and take
risks from manual handling, HSE including good handling technique
appropriate steps to reduce them – again,
has produced a variety of guidance • Appropriate systems of work for the
so far as is reasonably practicable.
and tools. These include simple risk individual’s tasks and environment
Employers should first attempt to
filters to distinguish low risk handling • Correct use of mechanical aids,
avoid the need for hazardous manual
tasks from those that require more such as trolleys and pallet trucks
handling tasks – for example, by having
detailed assessment and checklists for • Practical work to allow the trainer to
raw materials delivered directly to their
undertaking full risk assessments. identify and put right anything the
point of use. If manual handling cannot
HSE also stresses the importance of trainee is not doing safely.
be avoided and poses a risk of injury,
involving employees in assessing and Employees or their representatives
employers should remove or reduce
controlling manual handling risks. By should be involved in developing
the risk by automating the task or using
law, employees, or their representatives, and implementing the training and
mechanical handling equipment – for
must be consulted on health and safety monitoring its effectiveness, and
example, conveyors and pallet trucks.
matters, and employees will usually supervisors and managers should
However, if it is not reasonably
understand the risks posed by manual also be made aware of the instruction
practicable to automate the process
handling and may be able to offer and training given to staff so they can
or provide mechanical assistance,
practical solutions for controlling them. ensure it is followed correctly.
employers should consider making
changes to the task, the load and the
working environment. According to HSE, More guidance is at: More advice is at:
some suggested ways of reducing the hse.gov.uk/msd hse.gov.uk/msds

46 Safety Management May 2017

SHE Audit
and Legislative
Updates

Join us at one of our upcoming

workshops and learn the benefits
British Safety Council
of safety and environmental
members: Free
auditing in your organisation.
Non-members £49.00
Manchester Book your place at
Thursday 25 May, 10:00–12:30 www.britsafe.org/
London events
Thursday 13 July, 10:00–12:30
Thursday 24 August, 10:00–12:30
Glasgow
Thursday 21 September, 10:00–12:30

Topics include:
• Business benefits of audit
• Legislative trends
• Internal or external auditing
• Which audit product is right for you?
• ISO 45001 developments.

Find out more:

T +44 (0)20 3510 8355
E customer.service@britsafe.org
www.britsafe.org/events
/britishsafetycouncil
@britsafe
/company/british-safety-council

British Safety Council (Company Limited by Guarantee).

Registered in England and Wales No. 4618713 at
70 Chancellors Road, London, W6 9RS.
Registered Charity No. 1097271 and OSCR No. SC037998
MA160
 — header
Page
Info update
MEWP safety alerts
Photograph: iStock/JasonBatterham
Guidance for the construction and related
industries on when and how to issue
alerts to others about concerns relating
to the design, manufacture, maintenance
and use of mobile elevating work
platforms (MEWPs) has been issued by
the Strategic Forum Plant Safety Group.
The protocol aims to guide the author
in deciding if a formal safety alert is
necessary. It provides a standard format
for the layout and content of alerts and
offers advice for those who receive them.
According to the Plant Safety Group,
the protocol aims to avoid the risk of
incorrect, misleading or poorly written
safety alerts causing unnecessary
confusion among MEWP users,
manufacturers and hire companies.
It can be found at:
cpa.uk.net/sfpsgpublications
Working time rights
A short guide to staff rights under the
Working Time Regulations has been
published by TUC.
The booklet explains the legal limits
on weekly working hours and night
working, and workers’ rights to breaks,
rest periods and paid holiday. There
is also guidance on the working time,
rest break and holiday rights of young
people aged under 18.
Working time, breaks and
holidays can be found at:
tuc.org.uk/know-your-rights
48 Safety Management May 2017
The latest health & safety
advice, information & resources,
including free machinery
webinars and a safety alert
template for users of mobile
elevating work platforms.
Machinery webinars
Free webinars and workshops on
various aspects of machinery safety
are being organised by plant and
machinery automation expert Pilz.
The short webinars are aimed at
anyone responsible for the safe operation
of machinery and will cover topics such
as the requirements of the Provision and
Use of Work Equipment Regulations
1998 and the correct positioning of safety
sensor devices such as light curtains.
The one day workshops are aimed
at those responsible for the design,
operation and maintenance of
interlocked guard systems on machines.
They will cover topics such as how to
ensure interlocks comply with relevant
European standards and ways of
preventing workers from defeating the
devices. They will take place at various
locations in England during 2017.
To register go to:
pilz.com/en-GB/company/
schedules
Roadworks film
A short film reminding drivers of the
danger of speeding though roadworks
has been produced by Dorset-based
charity SafeWise and Wessex Water.
The video reminds viewers of the
presence of road workers and the
consequences of vehicle accidents
to both workers and their families.
It can be viewed at:
tinyurl.com/mnppwwg
HSE publications are
available from:
hse.gov.uk
Trampoline park tips
A Publicly Available Specification setting
out requirements for the safe and correct
design, construction, risk assessment
and operation of indoor trampoline
parks has been published by BSI.
PAS 5000 specifies requirements for
the construction of indoor trampoline
parks made up of interconnected
trampolines used for non-competitive
leisure activities. Aimed at designers,
manufacturers, installers and operators,
it includes requirements such as the
correct height of trampolines.
It can be found at:
tinyurl.com/l8mtumb
Health
Little book of big
ideas about health and safety
& safety
concept
guide
A short guide
designed to
aid people’s
understanding
of the basic ideas and principles
underpinning the discourse about the
management of health and safety risks
has been published by RoSPA.
The booklet explores the meaning
of commonly used but sometimes
misunderstood terms and concepts
such as hazard, risk, probability and
preventability. It examines topics such as
the ongoing debate on the appropriate
extent of risk management and the
benefits of firstly attempting to eliminate
or reduce risks at source rather than
relying on training to aviod accidents.
According to RoSPA, the guide is a
handy reference guide to essential terms
and concepts and a useful resource for
those teaching health and safety.
It can be found at:
tinyurl.com/n7d7t8o
NEBOSH £500 off
if you’ve passed the

National NEBOSH Certificate with

us since January 2015*

Diploma
*For full terms and conditions please visit:
www.britsafe.org/NGC-student-discount-
offer-terms-and-conditions

Get ahead in your career

Valued by employers, this is the ‘must have’
Visit our website or speak
qualification for those seeking a senior
to an account manager
position in health and safety management.
to find out more:
Holders of the Diploma can apply for graduate T +44 (0)20 3510 3510
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Safety and Health (Grad IOSH). Many then progress www.britsafe.org/
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Our pass rates are consistently above average
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Next course British Safety Council (Company Limited by Guarantee).
Registered in England and Wales No. 4618713 at 70
London: 4 September 2017 Chancellors Road, London, W6 9RS. Registered Charity
No. 1097271 and OSCR No. SC037998
MT174
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