To consider the Council’s health and safety report.

25.1           The report of the Head of Community Services, circulated at Pages No. 33-50, set out a summary of the activities carried out to secure health and safety compliance in the financial year 2017/18. Members were asked to consider the Council’s health and safety report.   

25.2           The Committee was advised that the health and safety report was presented on an annual basis. The Council’s health and safety management system included the key elements of the Health and Safety Executive’s guidance document HSG65; a review of the checklist, which scored against the management system, was completed twice a year and the overall score in 2017 was 81% whereas, for this year, the score had increased to 90% and through the action plan it was anticipated that the Council could improve even further. Referring to Page No. 46, a Member noted that 40 accidents/incidents had been reported and she questioned whether this was considered to be a high number. In response, the Environmental Safety Officer explained that the number had reduced each quarter and the Environmental Health Manager confirmed that the reporting of incidents and near misses was vastly improving which meant issues that arose could be acted upon and rectified to stop them reoccurring. This was also reflected in Ubico’s accident/incident statistics whereby the reporting had improved and the number of actual incidents had declined.

25.3           A Member referred to incidents involving refuse lorries and questioned whether there was a need for the widening of roads to be discussed with Planning colleagues. In response, the Environmental Health Manager explained that there was always a need for Environmental Health to input to the planning process but this was across the service rather than just refuse collection i.e. depot, grounds maintenance and street cleansing. He also offered reassurance that each near miss was recorded and, as a result, an action was generated to prompt the reassessment of rounds etc. Another Member questioned whether near misses by contractors were also reported and acted upon by the Council. In response, the Environmental Health Manager advised that, in respect of the Joint Waste Partnership, the Joint Waste Team monitored the day to day operational business but the Council maintained a responsibility to ensure all issues were picked up and acted upon. Members expressed concern about the number of near misses and accidents/incidents which were being recorded and the Environmental Safety Officer sought to offer reassurance that that this was due to improved monitoring and the extensive amount of work Officers had done with Ubico to get to that position. The whole purpose of reporting was to understand what near misses were being experienced and allow analysis so that action could be taken to prevent accidents. In addition, the Head of Corporate Services confirmed that there were a number of days in the Internal Audit Plan to assess Ubico’s health and safety arrangements so Members could be assured that Internal Audit would be looking at it and a report would be submitted to the Committee in due course. A Member asked whether it would be possible to receive data from quarter one and quarter two to show how the incidents were reducing. In response, the Environmental Safety Officer confirmed that this would be possible.

25.4           Accordingly, it was

                  RESOLVED          That the Annual Health and Safety Report be NOTED.