Minutes of 166th Edinburgh Branch Meeting
Craighouse Campus, Napier University, Edinburgh – Thursday 10 November 2005 - 130pm
Sederunt: G Dick A Curran I Campbell M Sott-Smith H Gardner A Baily
S Heesom J Fell D McAra A Finnie B Hammond D Richardson P Gallacher
C Pender G McGeorge A Petrie A Thomson L Young R Innes
V Stewart JR Brownlie J Hamilton T Graveson B Morris C Lawson
T Elliot R Lovering D Penman J Robertson B Anderson I Sinclair
N Kelly S Groat S Keddie M Galloway R Walker A White
M Bancroft A Sharman S Campbell A Diment K Lloyd K Darling
L Dickson C Shiels S Hunter L Polson T Mellon A Pittendreigh
S Daly A Green A James S Stanfield R Thomson K Green
Apologies: Tom Neilson, Marion Johnson, Scott Page, Graeme Lyall, Bob Bertram, David Sinclair, Derek Cawkwell, Alan Dick, Steve Boucher
1. Chair: Andy Sharman took the Chair and outlined the fire safety arrangements
2. Minutes of previous meeting: October 2005
• Accuracy: Agreed a true record: proposed by Brian Morris; seconded by Simon Heesom
• Matters arising not on the Agenda - none from the Executive nor from the floor.
3. Correspondence
3.1 Events
• 14 November: Free half day HSE Safety Awareness Event: Perth: aimed at reducing the number of accidents involving ladders. Moira.Gilfillan@hse.gsi.gov.uk
• 15th November: 10am-3.30pm: Falkirk Wheel, Falkirk: Preventing Workplace Transport Accidents: HSE Workshop: NEL has been asked by HSE to host a number of discussion groups so that you can comment on issues which HSE knows to be important in relation to workplace transport. Your input is essential to make sure that the guidance produced is sensible and workable. Free and transport costs refunded for medium sized companies. E jdods@tuvnel.com
• 17 Nov: Scottish Hazards Conference: 10.00-4.30: Falkirk Football stadium fee £35 wide range health and safety work shops: ltucrc@tiscali.co.uk
• 26th November: Rehabilitation and Accurate Diagnosis: The way forward.: Lothian RSI Group. A seminar for RSI sufferers and Occupational Health & Safety Professionals/Reps. 10am—3pm. Hilton Grosvenor Hotel, Edinburgh. 0131 556 7318
• 7th December: TELECOMS SG: Networking meeting in Scotland. Details on their website.
• 6-7th Dec 2005: Hu-Tech: DSE workstation assessment (IOSH Recognised) Edinburgh, (£475), 9 - 10th May 2006 (£490). : http://www.hu-tech.co.uk/training-workstation_assessors.html
• HU-TECH: Ergonomics Essentials (BOHS Syllabus) Edinburgh, 6-10th March 2006 (£925). Further details are at: http://www.hu-tech.co.uk/training-ergonomics_essentials.html
• 30/31 March 2006: Wales & Chester Circuit: major medico-legal conference: industrial disease litigation: Cardiff.
3.2 From HQ
• Variety of press releases and other information to do with launching Chartered status. Thanks to all those in the Branch who responded to the Secretary’s email request for details of voluntary work. The range of activities and the commitment shown was heart-warming.
3.3 Job Spot
• Gas Call Services Ltd:
Health & Safety Manager to develop and co-ordinate an ongoing risk prevention and reduction strategy. mike@gascall.co.uk
3.4 Others
• Scottish Chamber of Safety – minutes
• Scottish Borders Safety Forum – next meeting – 30 Nov
4. Group Reports
• Branch Education Development Officer – Liz Young. Liz said she would update on Chartered status at a future meeting.
• Specialist Groups
– PUBLIC SERVICES – Marion Johnstone: nothing to report
– CONSTRUCTION – Allan Dick: Allan will make a presentation at the December meeting on IOSH’s reponse to the CDM consultation.
– FIRE RISK MANAGEMENT – Dave Sinclair: next networking meeting – 15 Dec IOSH HQ
– HEALTHCARE – Martin Scott-Smith. Martin mentioned a recent IOSH course on key areas of Health and Safety in the Health Service for non-managers. Feedback was awaited.
– ENVIRONMENT – Julian Davies nothing to report
– OFFSHORE – Tam Boyd. nothing to report
– CONSULTANCY – Derek Cawkwell: nothing to report
– SAFETY SCIENCES – Steve Boucher nothing to report
– TELECOMMUNICATIONS – Graeme Lyall: note the SG networking meeting on 7 December would be addressed by Cathy Jamieson, Deputy Justice Minister and attendance was not restricted to SG members.
– EDUCATION - Chris Lawson: nothing to report
• Forth & Tay District Report: Meeting - 3rd November
Karen McDonnell, District Chair had submitted the following:
Topic: CDM Present Status: Relevant Changes
– Speaker Steve Boucher, Director Camerons Ltd, Member of Branch Executive
– Excellent turnout - 32
– Steve linked his experience and personal insights to the proposed changes to the Regulations.
– Lively discussion, handout material provided.
• Andy Stark who is a member of the District Executive has been elected as a trustee to the IOSH Board of Management
• Minutes will be available as usual from the Secretary Dick Mann lizdik@globalnet.co.uk
5. Members Items
• Certificate Presentations:
– Fellowship – Harry Gardner
– Corporate Membership: Kenny Breen, Anne Diment, Andrew Finnie, Craig Pender, Lawrence Dickson, Stewart Keddie
Fro left to right: Kenny Breen, Craig Pender, Andrew Finnie, Stewart Keddie, Ann Diment, Branch Vice-Chair Andy Sharman, Lawrence Dickson, Harry Gardner (Fellow)
• Member wants to tour a recycling /civic amenity, waste management site as part of his NEBOSH Diploma studies. If you are involved with such a facility and can help, contact th Secretary.
• From the floor
Russell Bownlie highlighted the current RoSPA initiative to identify leaders in H&S - Scottish High Performers Challenge.
6. Guest Speaker
Stewart Campbell: Director HSE Scotland: Topical Health and Safety Issues: an HSE Perspective
Andy Sharman introduced the speaker to the assembled body as an individual who has spent most of his career in the HSE and the last 4 years as the HSE Director of Scotland with possibly some further 2 ½ years to serve. His working life started as a mechanical engineer in the “Black Country” and when his employer attempted to install an LPG tank in the car park in readiness to counteract the potential shortage of petrol due to international unrest he observed the local Factory Inspector come in and stop the work and thought that perhaps that was a better career for him to follow, so he moved back to Scotland and followed that course of personal development.
Introduction
Stewart started his presentation by offering his congratulations to those already expressed to the Fellow and six Corporate Members who had been awarded their certificates just prior to his “slot”. He said he knew what was involved in the studies to get where they have got and felt for those who may also be aware of SHORE discs, he said it was possibly equivalent to viewing some 27 such discs during one day.
His presentation was to look at health & safety both today and in the future and he indicated that if anyone had been present during his presentation at the recent RoSPA congress they may have heard some elements previously, and for those who had not heard any of it previously he referred them to the HSE web site at – www.hse.gov.uk/scotland as this would be where the bulk of the information could be read and printed off.
HSC Strategy & Strategic themes
The HSC strategy (briefly) is quoted as –
‘A strategy for workplace health and safety in Great Britain to 2010 and beyond’;
Whilst the four strategic themes are quoted as –
• Developing closer partnerships;
• Helping people to benefit from effective health and safety management;
• Focusing on our core business and the right interventions; (there is a new HSE Guidance on Intervention Strategies)
• Communicating the vision – which the speaker indicated he would return to later in the presentation.
Developing closer partnerships
• Working with and through others; - this was to include IOSH local groups and others as they are seen of prime importance
• HSE and LAs working together; (but he did not intend to cover this very much today)
• Rising to the challenge of occupational health. – this was to be a major part of the presentation
To do any of this it was important to consider what was meant by partnership needs. This not supposed to be just – the HSE persuading you on what they want you to do – it is supposed to be two-way and not just one way.
The speaker felt it was often the case that HSE have commented on certain text and that it is often the case that we don’t understand it. There has long been a disparity between the views of the HSE and Las which they are attempting to remove. The Las often consider for instance Public Risk as being of High importance, whereas in the past HSE have often placed the level of risk presented by Public Issues as much lower in the scale of things – this needs to change.
HSE Targets & PSA Targets (Public Service Agreement Targets)
Reduce ill-health injury & days lost. By 2008 (from 2004)
3% reduction in fatal & major injury
6% reduction in ill health
9% reduction in days lost
Control Major hazards. By 2008 (from 2001)
5% reduction in nuclear precursors
45% reduction release of hydrocarbons
15% reduction in on-shore dangerous occurrences
Programmes of Work
Fit3
|
Targets |
3% Injury reduction |
9% Days lost reduction |
6% Ill-health reduction |
|
Strategic delivery programmes |
Fit for work, fit for life, fit for tomorrow (Fit3) Dir – Jane Willis |
||
|
Projects or sub-groups |
Slips & trips Falls from height Construction Workplace transport Sector – Stakeholder Engagement |
Public services
Absence Management
Rehabilitation |
Stress MSD Disease reduction Noise & HAV Workplace Health Direct |
The speaker felt that the members were probably all well aware of the injury reduction strategy with respect to –Slips & trips; Falls from height; Construction & Workplace transport.
The major concentration of effort aimed at reducing the days lost it was felt there was a necessity to concentrate on the Public Sector.
Workplace Health Direct (now renamed – Workplace Health Connect) is being trialed by 5 pilot scheme – all in England & Wales, mainly because Scotland have their “Safe & Healthy Working” initiative.
Health & Safety Statistics: Scotland
• The latest data:
– employment profile;
– workplace injuries;
– work-related ill health;
• Information sources:
– Current;
– being developed.
– More on the web at: http://www.hse.gov.uk/statistics/regions/scotland.pdf
(Yesterday saw issue of the latest issue of the statistics has been issued in a much smaller booklet than in previous years which was seen as being one way of emphasizing the reduction in the stats)
Rate of fatal injury to employees in Scotland, Wales and Great Britain to 2004/05p
Scotland’s results dropped in 03/04 to 9 fatal accidents in the year and then rose in 04/05 due to the 9 who died in the explosion in Merryhill which took the figures higher than England & Wales, but please do NOT think that it is more hazardous in Scotland as there are a lot of anomalies due to differences in the make up of the industry here as opposed to England and Wales. For example a study over the past two years at the construction industry has shown there is a greater tendancy in England for a lot more persons employed in “administration” style employment in construction.
Non-fatal injury rates (RIDDOR)
 |
Prevalence rates of self-reported work-related illness (per 100 000 ever employed)
Great Britain in the order of 5,200
England in the order of 5,300
Wales in the order of 6,200
Scotland in the order of 4,500 this is significantly below the England figure but we have no real knowledge of why this is so
Prevalence rates of self-reported work-related musculoskeletal disorders, 2001/02
Great Britain in the order of 2,600
England in the order of 2,600
Wales in the order of 2,800
Scotland in the order of 2,200 again significantly lower
Prevalence rates of self-reported work-related stress, depression or anxiety, 2001/02
Great Britain in the order of 1,300
England in the order of 1,250
Wales in the order of 1,400
Scotland in the order of 1,000
Employment profile by Industry Sectors (LFS, 2003/04)
Role of NHS Health Scotland
• Enhancing understanding of Scotland’s Health and how to improve it;
• Ensuring high quality inputs to policy;
• Ensuring dissemination of evidence, learning and good practice;
• Ensuring delivery of health improvement programmes.
Over the past year or two HSE have been trying to align with the NHS and they are now convinced of the need to work closer with their public health colleagues. In the past Public health & Occupational health were close (often being one and the same thing) in very much the same way as builders and architects, but they have both drifted apart, and like the drawing together of the builders and architects by CDM, we need some mechanism to get the Public and Occupational health areas back in synchronization and harmony.
20th century trends in male & female life expectancy in Scotland and 16 other Western European countries
Male
|
Male |
You will notice that Scotland has fallen way behind
