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Connect Issue 25
01 June 2009

 

Welcome to the latest issue of Connect

Hello and welcome to the first anniversary issue of Connect.

Since its launch 12 months ago, Connect has become an important tool in keeping you up to date with what’s happening in your local branch and group, as well as industry news and the latest from your professional body.

More than 11,000 people regularly read Connect and in a recent survey members rated it as more used than SHP magazine and the second most valued of all our services. Connect also scooped a ‘Highly commended’ award at this year’s MemCom Awards in London, beating off stiff competition from other professional membership bodies.

Gerard Hand, Chair of the GMC, told me at IOSH 09 in Liverpool that he knows more about what’s happening in his branch and group since the launch of Connect than he ever did before. And judging by the comments we’ve had from members, it seems many of you share Gerard’s thoughts.

Despite this success, though, IOSH has had to work hard to keep you up to speed with changes in how we communicate – and we’ve not always done this as well as perhaps we should. That's why, earlier this year, we introduced Connect Diary, a fortnightly events supplement, so that we can now let you know about network events every week. We also continue on work to make sure that as many members as possible get Connect safely delivered to their inbox.

I’d like to thank everyone who’s been involved in the launch and development of Connect, and to those of you who’ve sent us messages of support.

In this issue, in the wake of the HSE report claiming that Britain now has the highest death rate from mesothelioma in the world, we have some practical tips on how to manage asbestos in buildings, including what to consider when developing a management system and advice on bringing in licensed contractors.

Food and drink is the UK’s biggest manufacturing sector. In the final Spotlight feature focusing on the industry, Connect talks to Sharon Rackley, Sainsbury's Safety, Policy and Systems Specialist, who tells us how the company recently achieved a 13 per cent reduction in its accident rates.

For our new feature called On the record, we catch up with Lawrence Waterman at last month’s InterConstruct conference in Edinburgh. He talks about how multiculturalism has had a positive impact on the construction industry and how the Olympic Delivery Authority is giving the long term unemployed a route back into work.

As well as features, we have the latest from the industry including why criminal proceedings have been launched against the owners of Sellafield nuclear power plant and news that Plymouth City Council has been fined for failing to carry out gas safety inspections at local schools.

I hope you find this issue of Connect useful. If you have any comments, or want to be featured in one of our articles, then please drop me a line.

Shaun Gibbons
e-Editor, IOSH


Good practice: managing asbestos

The UK now has the highest death rate from mesothelioma in the world. This shocking statistic was revealed in a recent HSE report showing that mesothelioma killed 1,740 men and 316 women in the UK in 2006. In this feature, Connect reminds readers what they need to do if they’re involved in managing buildings.

What is asbestos?

The three most common types of asbestos usually found in buildings are chrysotile (white), amosite (brown) and crocidolite (blue). Asbestos can easily break into tiny fibres which float in the air and, when inhaled, can cause serious health problems. All types are dangerous, although crocidolite is considered to be the most dangerous. Asbestos-related diseases people suffer from include asbestosis, lung cancer and mesothelioma.

Asbestos in buildings

Many thousands of tons of asbestos have been used in the construction of buildings for generations – and much of it is still in place. Around half a million commercial buildings and a million domestic buildings in the UK are thought to contain asbestos. Asbestos was finally prohibited (other than for very specialist uses) in the UK in November 1999 so buildings constructed (or materials installed in older buildings) since 2000 can be presumed to be free from asbestos. Asbestos is likely to be present if:

  • the building was constructed or refurbished between 1950 and 1980
  • the building has a metal frame
  • the building has boilers with thermal insulation

Its most common uses were as:

  • a coating on concrete walls and ceilings for both fire protection and insulation
  • lagging on pipework
  • insulation boards used as partition walls and ceiling tiles
  • asbestos cement products such as roof and wall sheeting, tiles, cold water tanks, gutters and pipes

Managing asbestos exposure

Anyone who manages the maintenance of non-domestic buildings that contain, or may contain, asbestos must consider the risk of exposure to workers and others and must have a management system in place to identify, assess and manage any asbestos materials on the premises. The system should include:

  • a survey of all building materials
  • an assessment of the risks from any identified asbestos materials
  • a record of all materials identified as containing asbestos, or suspected of containing it
  • appropriate procedures to prevent or control exposure
  • monitoring procedures
  • emergency procedures if the materials are accidentally disturbed
  • training
  • regular review

Asbestos Record or Register

A register must be created containing information on the materials used and whether they contain asbestos. It’s impossible to identify materials that contain asbestos just by looking at them – laboratory analysis is the only way of being certain.

Survey

There are three levels of survey:

  • a presumptive survey - all materials are presumed to contain asbestos unless there's strong evidence that they don't
  • a standard sampling survey - samples of materials will be taken and analysed
  • a full access or intrusive survey - material samples are taken that are not readily accessible. This may mean making holes in brickwork or concrete to get to the parts of a building that may contain asbestos. This type of survey is necessary if there are plans to demolish a building or carry out major renovations

The survey must be carried out by a 'competent person' - someone who:

  • has appropriate training and experience
  • is able to demonstrate independence, impartiality and integrity
  • has an adequate quality assurance procedure

There's no legal requirement to use a survey company accredited by UKAS to ISO/IEC 17020 for asbestos surveys, but there are benefits in doing so.  It is a legal requirement for laboratories carrying out bulk sampling and analysis of materials to identify asbestos to be accredited by UKAS to ISO 17025.

The surveyor should:

  • hold a preliminary site meeting with the client
  • carry out a study of any existing drawings, floor plans and specifications and investigate the different construction phases as well as any history of major renovation work
  • prepare the survey plan
  • carry out a risk assessment for doing the survey
  • specify how the survey data are to be recorded and presented

Assessment of asbestos-related materials

If asbestos-containing materials are found, then an assessment will need to be carried out which will consist of a 'Material assessment' and a 'Priority assessment'.

Material assessment

The survey team will rate the material for likelihood of fibres being released based on factors such as product type (asbestos cement, asbestos insulating board and friable materials such as sprayed coatings), damage or deterioration, surface treatment and asbestos type.

Priority assessment

The occupier of the building should consider the likelihood of the materials being disturbed. Factors such as general activity, exposure potential and maintenance activity need to be considered.

Corrective measures

If any material containing asbestos is in good condition, is not likely to be damaged, worked on or disturbed, then it's safest to leave it in place and introduce a management system. It may be decided that to reduce risk further, certain corrective measures should be carried out. These measures could include minor repairs, enclosure (involving the construction of airtight walls and ceilings around asbestos-containing materials) or encapsulation to control the release of asbestos fibres in the air. Any corrective measures must not expose the workers carrying them out, or anyone else, to risk from the asbestos.

Employers must make sure that all work which may disturb materials containing asbestos is carried out in accordance with the Control of Asbestos Regulations 2006.

The work must be carried out by workers whose employer has a licence issued by the HSE unless they are minor works with a very low risk of exposure. Regulation 3(2) of the Asbestos Regulations has details of the exemption.

Removal

If the decision is made to remove any of the materials, then the work will usually be carried out by a licensed asbestos removal contractor. The issue of a licence by the HSE doesn’t, in itself, confirm competence, so the following should be considered:

  • the actual licence issued by the HSE must be produced – not a photocopy
  • what period does the licence cover? A licence issued only for 12 months suggests that the contractor is either new to the work or the HSE has some concerns
  • detailed training records of managers and employees
  • examples of method statements prepared for previous jobs
  • references from other clients

The contractor must produce a plan of work or method statement detailing how they will carry out the work. The document should be agreed before work starts and must be available near the working area – this is covered under Regulation 7 of the Asbestos Regulations.

Maintenance

The purpose of an asbestos management system is to make sure that the right measures are taken by maintenance workers and outside contractors whenever work is done which could disturb asbestos-related materials. The system should include:

  • an assessment of any work which may disturb the fabric of the building to be certain that materials containing asbestos won't be affected
  • notice to those working in the building that they must not disturb the fabric of the building without permission
  • informing maintenance teams and outside contractors where asbestos-containing materials are located
  • warning signs or labels on materials containing asbestos

Asbestos-related training

Training courses are required for members of the property management group and maintenance supervisors and staff. Training should be given on:

  • potential hazards associated with exposure
  • location of asbestos-containing materials
  • personal protection
  • proper handling of asbestos-containing materials
  • asbestos waste disposal
  • maintenance records

Surveillance

Periodic assessment should be performed on all asbestos-containing materials which remain in the building. How frequent the surveillance is will depend on factors such as the condition of the materials, accessibility and level of activity in the area.

Our thanks to Terry ap Hywel who contributed to this article.

Links

HSE

UKAS

IOSH Occupational Health Toolkit

Asbestos: the hidden killer – IOSH professional development course Monday 21 September

Asbestos victims to be represented

Stark home asbestos message for global memorial day

Spotlight: taste the difference

Food and drink is the UK’s biggest manufacturing sector. In the final of our Spotlight features focusing on the industry, Connect talks to Sainsbury's

Sainsbury’s is the third largest chain of supermarkets in the UK with nearly 800 stores nationwide. Health and safety is taken very seriously with regular training and updates given to the 150,000 staff who work there – and this is reflected in a recent cut of nearly 6 per cent in overall accidents. Connect talked to Sharon Rackley, Sainsbury’s Safety, Policy and Systems Specialist, to find out how they keep their accident rates so low…

“Every year our aim is to cut the accidents we report under RIDDOR by 10 per cent. Last year we achieved a 12.7 per cent reduction which is great.

“I’m always keeping up with what’s going on in the stores so I’m aware of the type of things they deal with on a daily basis. To make sure we keep our accident rates low I look at the rates for individual stores and work hard on ones that are slightly higher. It’s all about raising awareness.”

Sharon adds:

“All stores have their own accident prevention strategy and campaigns such as the Health and Safety Executive’s ‘Shattered lives’ are brought into training so everyone is aware of workplace risks.

“Gone are the days of just putting employees in front of videos informing them of health and safety issues. We introduced an induction programme called ‘New beginnings’ last year to make our sessions far more interactive.

“Staff still watch a film, but after they’ve seen it we ask them questions. They’ll also go onto the shop floor and look at people at work. Each person will be told to watch someone for 15 minutes so they can see how they work and deal with issues like manual handling.”

If Sharon needs to change a policy or procedure then she has to think about how it’s going to impact the store workers.

“At the moment I’m working to simplify safety procedures. I regularly visit the stores and talk to people on the shop floor, at all levels, to let them know what I’m working on and find out if we can make it easier for them.

“We also encourage feedback – for example we use a survey tool called ‘Talk back’ to allow people to raise any issues they have. We can find out if they think health and safety is taken seriously in their store and it allows us to get a real insight into what’s going on. Our results are very favourable at the moment.”

In the ‘Talk back’ survey, Sainsbury’s asks ‘Is health and safety taken seriously in your workplace?’. Eighty-four per cent of colleagues responded ‘yes’.

“The company that runs the survey for us operates the same survey across 20 or so other retailers and their independent analysis puts us 12 points higher than anyone else – the top scoring retailer.”

There are currently seven safety advisers who regularly visit the stores, and a central team of seven people based at Sainsbury’s Store Support Centre. Any updates or issues that need to be raised can be done through these zone advisers. They also have colleague council meetings in every store where safety is always on the agenda. Newsletters keep staff up to date on current issues and remind them to follow the right procedures.

“Doughnut fryer fires have been a common issue for us recently but we couldn’t work out why. Not all the fryers had an easy lock off system which caused problems in some stores, but we felt there had to be more to it than that. There has been a procedure in place since 2002, but we’re now revising it to try and make it easier to follow and understand. When there’s no obvious explanation, it’s worth exploring avenues like this.”

A couple of years ago a staff member who was working in the delivery area of a store was crushed between a lorry and a gate. Fortunately, it didn’t result in a fatality but Sainsbury’s learnt something from the accident.

“We reviewed all our procedures for accepting deliveries in the service yard and we now have a safety yard focus in every store. Every year, each store will retrain its staff on service yard procedures. They also make sure there is a marked safe place to stand - or encourage people to just open the gate and go back inside while the lorry manoeuvres.”

In 1994, Sharon wrote a set of generic risk assessments for the retail sites and has been involved with them ever since. It’s up to the department and store managers to review the generic assessments and see how they fit their site. This allows them to identify issues and introduce controls that are relevant to the individual store – from a Sainsbury’s Local to a larger scale main store.

“I’ve been with Sainsbury’s since 1984 and a lot has come on since then. But there has always been a feeling of ‘We’re in this together’ and we know the way forward and share the same vision and goal of wanting to go to work safely. From the highest levels of management to the colleagues on the shop floor, the health and safety culture is very strong and that’s a great thing to be part of.”

Factfile:

  • Sharon has been a member of IOSH for 13 years and belongs to the Thames Valley Branch and Retail and Distribution Group
  • Sainsbury’s is currently celebrating its 140th anniversary
  • Chef Jamie Oliver has been the face of Sainsbury’s since 2000

Links:

Sainsbury's

Quote me

IOSH gets its message across...

The Guardian – health and safety special supplement

IOSH featured prominently in a special supplement on health and safety published by The Guardian last month. IOSH President Nattasha Freeman said:

“Good health and safety is good for business. It’s about doing what’s needed to protect workers from serious harm, not about generating unnecessary paperwork. And it should lead to significant financial savings in the long run, even if it may appear costly at the time. When done properly, health and safety is an enabler that encourages enterprise and supports business.”

Ray Hurst, IOSH Immediate Past President, also featured in the supplement, adding:

“When people like Richard Littlejohn talk about the Health and Safety Nazis or Taliban, it gives the wrong impression about people who work in this field.”

The Daily Mirror

As a Royal British Legion member and leading health and safety professional, IOSH Immediate Past President Ray Hurst was dismayed to see that ex-servicemen and women in Bourne, Lincolnshire, were being denied the chance to fly the union flag on Armed Forces Day because of ‘health and safety’. In a letter to The Daily Mirror, Ray said:

“South Kesteven District Council refusing to fly the Union flag on Armed Forces Day had nothing to do with health and safety and everything to do with the council’s inability to rise to the occasion by getting a new flagpole.”

Health and Safety Times

Norita Robinson, IOSH's Development Manager for Ireland, was the subject of a four-page profile in the Irish Health and Safety Times. She said:

“I look forward to working with IOSH members in Ireland. By enhancing IOSH’s presence in Ireland, I hope we’ll be able to play a key role in reducing the level of death and injury in the workplace.”

Online Recruitment

The Safety Schemes in Procurement Competence Forum (SSIP) was launched this month to help small to medium sized construction companies save time, effort and money when pitching for new work. Speaking at the InterConstruct conference in Edinburgh, John Lacey, Chairman of the Construction Group, gave the scheme his backing. He said:

“I very much welcome this new initiative to help small and medium sized businesses in construction. It will help those businesses demonstrate they are competent in health and safety and represents a positive step forward for supply chain management in construction.”

Workplace Law Network

The online version of Workplace Law Network reported on the findings from a YouGov survey, commissioned by IOSH, and the IOSH manifesto ‘Creating a healthier UK plc’, which were both launched at the Honorary Vice-Presidents’ House of Lords luncheon recently. IOSH President Nattasha Freeman said:

“We need to create better managed and more flexible workplaces that will allow people to make valuable contributions to the world of work. With our population getting older, employers will have to be encouraged to make these changes happen. Not doing so risks severely damaging our future prospects for prosperity.”

Commenting on IOSH’s manifesto, Rob Strange, IOSH Chief Executive, said:

“The IOSH manifesto is both a clear statement of intent and a call to action. It presents what we believe needs to happen to make the UK a healthy and safe place to work. Last year we saw 229 workers killed in Britain’s workplaces, 299,000 more were injured and in excess of two million had an illness they put down to their work. To make consistent improvements on these figures we call on the government and others to really get behind the initiatives set out in the manifesto.”

North West Evening Mail

President Nattasha Freeman spoke about the YouGov survey in the North West Evening Mail. She said:

“We know that ‘good work’ is good for health and I believe health and safety professionals can play a key role in working with others to try and keep people in work and the workplace to promote good health and wellbeing. This can be achieved by working in close partnership with occupational health experts, doctors and other professionals.”

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