Connect Issue 15
5 January 2008
Welcome to the latest issue of Connect
Hello and welcome to the first Connect of the New
Year.
Coming back to work after the Christmas and New Year period is
hard for anyone, but returning months or even years after a
work-related illness or accident is an even greater challenge.
IOSH has produced a free guide to rehabilitating people at work which
has been warmly welcomed by the government. Dr Bill Gunnyeon, Chief
Medical Adviser at the Department for Work and Pensions, said:
“IOSH is to be congratulated on its initiative, which is an
excellent example of taking definitive action to bring about change
and help make a difference to the lives of working age people."
In this issue we talk to Jo
Lewis, chair of the Education Group, about why health and
safety practitioners from local authorities, construction and
education need to get involved in a new government scheme aimed at
improving the learning environment in schools.
Jyoti Patel from Tube Lines takes the 60 Second
Interview hotseat, and on a lighter note, our Seriously Fun
slot features Martin Hooper from the South West Branch who likes
nothing better than riding his trial bike off the beaten track.
Remember, Connect carries all your group and branch
information together with CPD and IPD updates, and the latest jobs
in your area. There’s also information on IOSH 09 as well as news
from across the industry.
I hope you enjoy this issue of Connect. If you have any
comments, or want to be featured in one of our articles, please
drop me a line.
Shaun Gibbons
e-Editor, IOSH
Spotlight: at the ‘chalk face’
A government scheme aimed at improving the
learning environment for students will have a significant impact on
thousands of health and safety practitioners. Connect talks to Jo
Lewis, chair of the Education Group, about why local authority,
construction and education professionals need to get involved – and
why the profession as a whole needs to be aware of the changes.
For decades there’s been a chronic lack of investment in
education, particularly in school buildings, across the UK. Other
European governments are already putting money into making sure the
environment plays a key part in learning. In Denmark, for example,
there’s an emphasis on open plan buildings, ‘sit and learn’ areas
and shopping mall-style corridors which allow in natural light.
In the UK, the government has now recognised that the learning
environment needs to have significant architectural consideration
when schools are refurbished, or re-designed and rebuilt.
And, according to Jo Lewis, health and safety practitioners need
to be at the ‘chalk face’ when it comes to influencing these
decisions. She said:
“We need to be seen as enablers. Health and
safety professionals should understand the needs of people working
in education and help them achieve their goals.
“There have been a lot of changes recently in
the education sector and a lot of new concepts coming through which
will have an impact on health and safety. For example, there’s been
a move away from traditional classrooms to more outdoor learning
and this will have an impact on risk assessment. There have been
new schemes such as the 14–19 Diplomas and changes to the Key Stage
3 curriculum.
“With these new Diplomas, schools are
introducing topics like engineering and developing links with
colleges. From a health and safety point of view, this could be
challenging as pupils may be using engineering tools and machinery
they’re not familiar with, so practitioners in education and local
authorities need to be aware of this.
“It’s essential that as health and safety
professionals we make sure that we're kept on top of current
developments so that we can offer our services in the
decision-making process.”
She added:
“In the past, schools have been scared about
insurance, the risk of litigation and, dare I say, members of the
press who perpetuate the myth that health and safety is there to
trip people up or stop people from doing things.
“It’s vitally important that we understand
the changes happening in schools now.”
Abraham Guest is a ‘pathfinder’ school in Wigan with a £22
million budget to help build a school for the future. It’s also
been selected as one of only six UK schools to develop ‘innovation
in science education’ through Project Faraday. The school wants to
revolutionise science education through the design of its learning
spaces, as well as promoting sustainable living.
Among the building plans under consideration are:
- A rainwater system which will flow into constructed wetlands or
be used for irrigation. Water will be pumped by ‘merry go rounds’
used by the school’s co-located primary school, and by wind
turbines
- An outdoor ‘knowledge garden’ including ponds and a range of
habitats which could support students’ science experiments
- Filtering school waste using a large scale reed bed
system.
Jo said:
“Health and safety practitioners and
consultants from local authorities and the construction industry
need to know how to manage these sustainable buildings. If a
school’s going to introduce glassed areas and green roofs, then
there’s going to be an impact on the health and safety side, and
that’s why I think it’s important to get involved right from the
start, whether it’s being up to date on the CDM Regulations and
asbestos, or on the issues associated with environmental
sustainability.”
The Education Group and the Environmental and Waste Management
Group have organised a joint event on Wednesday 28 January called
‘Building schools for the future’ where environmental
sustainability, asbestos management and CDM will be among the
topics discussed.
“This is a great opportunity for
practitioners to understand sensible risk management. Now is a
really exciting time to be in education. We need to embrace these
changes and get involved. We’ll be missing an opportunity if we
don’t.”
Factfile:
- Jo is a member of the Manchester Branch and works for A & L
Facilities Ltd. She is a Building Schools for the Future consultant
to local authorities
- Building Schools for the Future is the biggest ever school
buildings investment programme, aiming to rebuild or renew nearly
every secondary school in England
- By 2011, every local authority in England should have received
funding to renew schools
Links:
Seriously fun: hitting the dirt track
Health and safety professionals don’t like
risks? We think not. In Connect, we’re running Seriously Fun,
Dangerously Safe, to profile the extreme sports and high risk jobs
our members are involved in.
Have you made any new year’s resolutions to try something new
and daring? IOSH member Martin Hooper could be ahead of you. He's a
keen trail bike rider who often goes off the beaten track in search
of thrills and spills.
Despite having more than 20 years’ experience of motorbikes,
Martin is fairly new to riding unclassified but legal roads –
commonly known as 'green lanes' – in search of fun.
“I’ve always enjoyed motorsport but thought
I’d give myself a new challenge.”
Safety is always in the forefront of Martin’s mind, even when
he's stepped out of his office and into his leathers.
“You could do a dynamic risk assessment to
make sure that you’re riding within your own capabilities,” Martin
adds, “but I never ride alone, I ride with members of my local
group so there are always other people around if there's an
incident or a mechanical problem.”
Whenever the group holds events, Martin is always on hand with
practical health and safety advice for the riders.
“I try to look at all aspects, from the
safety of the bikes to the spectators. There’s always an element of
risk in the back of my mind, but I’m sure that’s natural for a
health and safety professional.”
Not only is dirt biking fun and challenging, but it also
requires a little bit more than just having the ability to ride a
bike.
“Despite only riding at a maximum speed of
25mph, the hobby is extremely physically demanding so it’s a great
way of getting fitness levels up and keeping them maintained.”
Even though the rest of the group aren’t health and safety
professionals, they are all aware of the risks and keep their hobby
as safe as possible.
“Everybody wears protective clothing
including helmets, goggles and body armour to make sure everything
is covered. The route is also extremely important. No-one is ever
expected to go above and beyond their abilities and we continually
assess this to make sure that it doesn’t happen.”
Being new to this type of biking has meant that Martin hasn’t
had experience of an accident yet.
“Falling off is a quite frequent occurrence,
but people are always protected and it usually happens on the types
of surface that couldn’t cause any serious injuries. Light-hearted
banter usually follows anyone’s fall.”
If anyone suggests doing anything that seems unsafe, Martin will
step in to give his views.
“My opinions are listened to and often acted
on, but I think a lot of health and safety is common sense. It
would be unheard of for anyone to turn up without a helmet. My
opinions have never caused any conflict. They've just heightened
people’s awareness.”
Martin is keen to quash the health and safety stereotype.
“It’s all about being sensible and
proportionate, and that applies to whatever you do. We never wrap
people in cotton wool. Although people are often surprised when I
tell them what I do, and comments are made along the lines of ‘be
careful’, it’s all about risks. It’s just how you go about handling
those risks that’s important - then you can enjoy whatever you like
safely.”
Factfile:
- Martin is Web Champion for the South West Branch
- He has been a member of IOSH since 2002
- Martin works as a Quality Assurance Network Officer for Wales
& West Utilities Limited, which transports gas throughout Wales
and south west England
- Trail riding is the term used to describe the use of green
roads by motorbikes
- Trail riders don't use bridleways or footpaths, only other
rights of way such as byways
Links:
60 second interview
Jyoti Patel, Risk Assessment Manager for Tube Lines, talks to
Connect
What’s one of the most memorable experiences you’ve had
in your health and safety career?
I was responsible for getting the safety approvals for Permanent
Current Rail Indicator Devices. The equipment stops the need to
access the London Underground track when the rails may be live.
It’s always nice to be involved in implementing something
innovative.
What do you get out of your job?
It’s really satisfying being a risk assessment manager because
it means that I can be the voice of reason on any health and safety
concerns. Another satisfying part of my job is influencing where
safety measures are best directed to get the maximum benefits.
What issues can you see coming up in your
sector?
With the London 2012 Olympics coming up and the increasing
number of commuters, we need to concentrate heavily on things like
passenger flow and platform safety.
Would you like to see any legislative changes in your
sector?
Not really. Current legislation emphasises the need to implement
safety measures 'so far as is reasonably practicable'. This is a
lot better than the prescriptive standards of old, which didn't
take account of the level of risk.
What approach to your job sets you aside from the
perceived public image of health and safety people being
bureaucratic busybodies?
Barmy decision-making is usually down to poor - or no - suitable
and sufficient risk assessment. My job is all about assessing risk.
We don’t set out to wrap things up in cotton wool, but we want to
increase safety by introducing measures proportional to the level
of risk.
So many different companies now work on the railway.
What health and safety impact has that had on the
industry?
Everyone, including contractors, needs a valid safety induction
certificate for site access. Although contractor turnover can be
high, procedures are well controlled and I don’t feel that safety
is compromised.
Do you want to be considered for a 60 Second Interview?
Contact the e-Editor.
Quote Me
IOSH gets its message across...
Workplace Law
IOSH President Nattasha Freeman went on the attack to
condemn those who use health and safety as an excuse to ban
Christmas activities. She said:
“Health and safety is here to protect
people from significant risks, it’s not about banishing all risks
into oblivion. People have to learn to manage risk. We can't
protect people from everything. People have to take some
responsibility for their own safety.
“It’s time for a major outbreak of
common sense. Health and safety people are not the Scrooges these
stories are making us out to be. The risks to the audience from
flying sweets are minimal, and the danger from homemade mince pies
isn’t exactly at the top of the health and safety professional's
‘most dangerous’ list.”
Press Association
Nattasha also spoke out on the dangers of seasonal
stress and what bosses need to do in spotting the signs. She told
the Press Association:
“The last few weeks before Christmas
are traditionally busy times as people go out to buy last minute
presents. This rush places extra demands on employees who are
already likely to be working at capacity, so employers need to
watch out for signs that their employees are unable to
cope.”
Western Mail
Nattasha appeared in the Western Mail on the topic of
stress, and had some tips for companies. She said:
“Employers should look at what
reasonable adjustments they can make. These could include making
sure staff take proper breaks and have someone to talk to. It might
also mean offering a bit of flexibility in their working hours,
particularly for those with parental
responsibilities.”
BBC Three Counties Radio
Immediate Past President Ray Hurst appeared on BBC Three
Counties Radio to defend claims that the profession was responsible
for banning carol singers at a shopping centre in Hemel Hempstead
and taking down Christmas lights in Bedford. He said:
“Organisations are concerned they
might be sued or simply can’t be bothered to find a sensible
solution. They use health and safety as a believable excuse which
no one will argue against.”
Leicester Mercury
IOSH Chief Executive Rob Strange went to Buckingham
Palace recently to receive his OBE. Rob told the Leicester
Mercury:
“This is a real thrill. I’m
absolutely delighted, but this award is not about me - it’s about
the effort and determination of every single member of staff. More
significantly, it’s about the dedicated work of the 34,000 members
worldwide.
“It was an incredible, magical day
and I was absolutely delighted to meet Her Majesty, really
thrilled. It’s a day I’ll never forget!”