Hampshire County Council annual health and safety report for 2003 – 2004
Introduction
Risks
Performance
for 2003/ 04
Table of reported accidents, incidents and dangerous
occurrences
Introduction
This is the annual health and safety report produced by Hampshire County Council covering the financial year 2003/4. The report aims to provide the public in Hampshire and those interested in health and safety with information on what the County Council is doing to protect its employees, volunteers, contractors, clients and service users, pupils and members of the public.
Health and safety in the County Council is part of the overall Risk Management Strategy, which aims to identify and manage risks to the Council and its services. Health and safety focuses on the risks of injury and ill health that can arise from the wide range of work activities necessary to deliver the services to the people of Hampshire.
Hampshire County Council’s Health and Safety Policy Statement and Corporate Health and Safety Strategy are available by following the links.
Risks
The types of health and safety risks are involved are varied and can include:
Lone working
Violence and aggression
Transport and road risk
Manual handling injuries
Slips and falls
Work related ill health, including stress
An organisation with such a broad range of work activities as the County Council has a wide variety of potential work risks to manage and the above list represents only some of the risks common across the organisation. To ensure that all risks are identified and managed, the Council has extensive risk assessment processes.
Our services are often delivered via partnership arrangements. These can include a wide range of external organisations such as the NHS, charities, contractors and volunteers. By focussing on co-operation, communication and co-ordination with our partners we aim to ensure that these operations are also managed as safely as is reasonably practicable.
To support management, the County Council employs a number of specialists including Health and Safety Advisers, Occupational Health medical staff, trained professionals who provide a counselling and support service for employees, Occupational Hygienists, and a Fire Safety Adviser. In the workplace, a large number of health and safety representatives, both trade union and non-trade union, help monitor health and safety and represent employees during consultation.
Performance for 2003/ 04
During the year 2003/4 programmes were implemented to improve health and safety including:
The introduction over two years (to be completed by February 2005) of new premises safety arrangements, including additional training for responsible managers.
A three-year programme to review all primary and special schools. Over 220 schools were visited and reports supplied to the school.
Departments having a senior manager who leads on Health and Safety matters, representing their department on the policy making steering group. One development workshop has been held and a further is planned to assist managers with their role.
A top-level audit process is now in place which evaluates the effectiveness of the safety management systems in departments. Three departments have been audited and further audits are planned.
The Corporate Health and Safety Policy was reviewed and reissued and a new Corporate Health and Safety Strategy for 2004 to 2010 was agreed and published.
Table of reported accidents, incidents and dangerous occurrences
There has been a decrease in the number of reportable incidents compared to previous years, including the number of incidents resulting in over three-day absence. In particular, the number of major Injuries has dropped significantly this year. This hopefully reflects the significant work undertaken across the Council to improve safety and work to maintain this low level will continue.
A full review of the health and safety arrangements has been started, led by two chief officers, aiming to ensure that the structure and arrangements for health and safety are the most appropriate for the Council and ensuring further reductions in injury rates.
2001/2 |
2002/3 |
2003/4 |
|
|---|---|---|---|
|
Total number of incidents reported to the Health & Safety Executive |
147 |
174 |
104 |
|
Number of injuries causing over 3 day absences from work |
51 |
50 |
26 |
|
Number of major injuries (as defined in RIDDOR) |
10 |
7 |
1 |
|
Fatalities |
0 |
0 |
0 |
|
Reportable dangerous occurrences |
3 |
4 |
5 |
|
Reportable work related illnesses |
1 |
1 |
0 |
|
Days lost due to work related stress days |
Not available |
Not available |
8875 days (3.3%) |
|
Days lost due to work related injury and ill health |
Not available |
Not available |
1845 days (0.7%) |
|
Total days lost due to work related injury and ill health |
Not available |
Not available |
10720 days (4%) |
|
Number of Improvement Notices served |
2 |
0 |
0 |
|
Number of Prohibition Notices served |
0 |
0 |
0 |
|
Incidence Rate for over 3 day injuries |
244.04 |
207.82 |
129.91 |
|
Incidence Rate for major injuries |
47.85 |
29.10 |
24.36 |
|
Number of attendees at health and safety training courses (internal) |
3,725 |
3,933 |
3,583 |
Definitions
RIDDOR
The Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations 1995.
Major Injury
This includes:
Any fracture other than to fingers, thumbs or toes.
Dislocation of shoulder, hip, knee or spine.
Any other injury requiring admittance to hospital for more than 24 hours.
Dangerous occurrence
The collapse of, the overturning of, or the failure of any load-bearing part of equipment such as a crane, hoist or fork-lift truck
Reportable work-related illness
This includes:
Cramp of the hand or forearm due to repetitive movements.
Plans for 2004/5
To complete the introduction of facilities management arrangements across the Council’s premises.
Agreement on a set of Corporate and departmental health and safety performance indicators.
Work related sickness absence performance indicators agreed.
Work to review and improve arrangements to reduce work related stress levels.
Confirmation of effective health and safety committee arrangements in all departments.
Completion of the auditing of departmental health and safety management arrangements.
Closer links between Risk Management Assessments and health and safety audit activities.