Spotlight: on lockdown
Stepping through the gates of a prison and being
enclosed by electric barbed-wire fences and towering concrete walls
is a daunting experience for many people. Connect went to meet
Kirsty Vertigan, Health and Safety Manager at HMP Wellingborough,
to find out what it’s like working in this sometimes hostile
environment.
“When I first walked into the prison it was
overwhelming,” recalls Kirsty. “You don’t quite expect to see what
you do. Having all those people in one area takes some getting used
to, but you soon realise that the prisoners are far more interested
in keeping their heads down and getting back to their cell or to
their next meal.”
HMP Wellingborough is a Category C prison, which means most
inmates are either on a short sentence or coming to the end of
their term. The prisoners are allowed to work in the workshops so
that they can learn skills before they’re released.
It’s in these workshops where Kirsty sees the lowest number of
accidents.
“Before the prisoners even start work, they
have to take part in a ‘welfare to work’ training session which
includes health and safety and fire safety.
“The accident rate is low because they take
notice of what they should and shouldn’t be doing. Because most of
them want to work, they’re more than willing to sit and listen,
otherwise they won’t work at all – and that means having to sit in
their cells all day.
“We’re fortunate that our accident rate is
low. It averages out at around 75 to 80 accidents a year, which is
good considering there are about 1,000 people here. Our reportable
accidents are just as low. The last major incident we had was when
a man suffered a cut hand after trapping it in the tail lift of a
truck. That’s been the only major one in six years.”
Perhaps surprisingly, slips, trips and falls are the most common
cause of accident at the prison – a reality far removed from the
portrayal of prison life often seen in TV dramas.
Violence is thankfully not a big issue at the Wellingborough
site. Prison officers are more likely to face verbal rather than
physical abuse.
“I could count on one hand the amount of
assaults we’ve had in a year,” said Kirsty. “But if the prisoners
decide to kick up a fuss, then immediate support is available at
the press of a button. The officers have two-way radios, so if they
ever feel uncomfortable they can call for help.
“It shouldn’t be, but to a point the verbal,
and sometimes physical, abuse officers face is tolerated as part of
the job because of the environment they’re in. The prisoners aren’t
going to be happy all the time. All it takes is one bad phone call
from home.”
The prison has a stress policy, and if officers feel they need
to talk to someone, an occupational nurse is always on call. A care
team is also there if there’s an incident.
“They will always take the member of staff to
one side to make sure everything is ok. It would be down to the
care team to decide what the outcome is and if the officer needs
extra support.”
Wellingborough stages ‘wellbeing days’, where officers are given
health advice, from cholesterol levels to quitting smoking. There’s
also the opportunity for them to get a medical check.
“We want to show staff that we aren’t just
looking after the prisoners.”
The prison has an internal audit system and safety performance
is monitored annually.
“Every month I cover a number of different
areas. This gives me six months to check all the areas and the
remaining six months to check everything that was flagged up has
been done.
“I’m constantly aiming to get a higher score
and we can see things are moving on as we make improvements. The
audit covers risk assessments, safety systems, first aid and
fire.”
Fire is a massive issue for the prison.
“We’re still reeling from the introduction of
the Regulatory Reform Order. It was a big thing for us making sure
that we’re compliant. It was a large project because of the age of
most of the prison buildings. Many didn’t meet the new
specifications, so we had to do a lot of work to bring them up to
standard.”
Reflecting on the role she took on more than 18 months ago,
Kirsty said:
“My job is interesting and encompasses a wide
range of things. No one day is the same and one query or accident
can throw the whole day off. It never gets boring and you’re always
learning as more health and safety law and guidance comes in. My
knowledge is increasing all the time and it’s fantastic being able
to do something that has a positive impact.”
Factfile:
- HMP Wellingborough holds 640 prisoners and has 370 officers on
site
- Wellingborough opened as a borstal in 1963 and held young
offenders until 1990
- Kirsty is a Grad IOSH member and belongs to the Midland Branch
and the Public Services Group
Links: