Health and Safety
| Safety challenges and the industry response |
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| Written by Jill Joyce, Senior Policy and Technical Adviser to the OSH, 2008 | |
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Facilities managers are in a unique position to influence the toll of injury and ill health at work, as they play a key role in establishing safe and healthy working environments for their organisations, says Jill Joyce.
In 2006/07, 241 workers were killed in the UK; more than 140,000 people suffered serious injury at work; and 2.2 million people were suffering from an illness they believe was caused by work. 36 million working days were lost, 30 million due to work-related ill health and 6 million due to workplace injury. Corporate Manslaughter and Corporate Homicide Act 2007This Act became law on the 6 April 2008. The Institution of Occupational Safety and Health (IOSH) believes it will not only act as a deterrent to the minority of organisations that would otherwise disregard health and safety, but will also act as a general stimulus to health and safety improvement by increasing corporate accountability. Prior to the arrival of this Act, it was difficult to prosecute large organisations for corporate manslaughter, because, in order to prove a charge, it was necessary to identify a 'controlling mind' in the company (e.g. a company director) and demonstrate that this person had failed in their duty of care towards the person who was killed. This meant that a chain of events had to be established that led directly from the death to the 'controlling mind', which was hard in situations where there were many layers of decision-making and complex management structures. That is why only directors of small companies were successfully prosecuted. Prosecutions of large companies, e.g. after rail disasters, were unsuccessful because it was not possible to establish one individual who fitted the criteria of a 'controlling mind' and link them directly with the accident. The introduction of this legislation means that there is no longer a need to apply the 'identification principle', that is, to show that the 'controlling mind' was also personally guilty of manslaughter. It will be sufficient to prove that the organisation had a duty of care towards the deceased person and that it was in 'gross breach' of this duty of care because of senior management failures in the way activities were managed or organised and that these caused the death. A positive safety culture is your best protectionPenalties under the new Act will include unlimited fines, the need for companies to take remedial action and damage to reputation caused by a publicity order advertising how the organisation has failed. These should act as a prompt for everyone in the organisation to follow health and safety guidance and not to tolerate poor practice within the company. Directors need to ensure they provide leadership. Free guidance is available, issued by the Institute of Directors and the Health and Safety Commission[1]. The aim is to have a positive health and safety culture with a focus on continuous improvement, and this is where individuals can make a difference. Facilities managers and directors need to ensure they are complying with relevant health and safety legislation, and they need to review their health and safety policies. It is important to ensure that accidents and near-misses are recorded, investigated appropriately and that risk assessments are reviewed, so that lessons can be learnt and procedures and systems improved as necessary. Check your contractorsMost worker fatalities occur in the construction industry. In 2006/07, over 3,700[2] people had major injuries, a slight increase on the previous year. The most common kind of accident is a slip or trip, and falls from height also account for a high number of major injuries. Research carried out at Loughborough University in 2003[3] found that workers' behaviour and communication were factors influencing accidents and that these in turn were affected by individual skills, level of supervision and fatigue. When facilities managers are tendering for building work, it is important to engage contractors who have an adequately skilled and trained workforce, with good supervision, particularly of less experienced workers and apprentices, and work schedules that avoid excessive fatigue. It is good practice to use a variety of methods when choosing a contractor, not just relying on recommendation. Make sure they are members of a relevant trade association and use a questionnaire to check details of the company, which of their employees will be involved in the project and whether they have had relevant safety training. Check whether the company has experience of the type of work to be carried out and obtain copies of risk assessments and method statements relevant to the project, as well as details of the contractor's arrangements for dealing with accidents and emergencies. It is also worth checking on the HSE website to see whether any enforcement action has been taken against a contractor[4]. You should also provide contractors with information about any hazards or risks that are specific to your workplace. Fire safetyOne of the most important tasks for facilities managers is to ensure that there are robust fire precautions and emergency evacuation procedures in place to safeguard employees in the event of fire in your building(s).Although there are different pieces of legislation in place[5], the responsibilities in England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland regarding general fire safety are largely the same. All organisations need to carry out a fire risk assessment[6] identifying any possible hazards and risks, such as sources of fuels and ignition. The aim is to remove or reduce the fire risks as far as possible and then deal with any residual risk by taking general fire precautions. There should be an evacuation plan in place, which should be regularly tested. The risk assessment should be recorded and reviewed at least once a year, or if there is any incident or change in circumstances. An emergency plan should also be in place. Slips and tripsLast year over 11,000 workers suffered serious injury as a result of slips and trips. This is an area where facilities managers can really make a difference. Focus risk assessments on previous accidents or near-misses to help identify problem areas. Plan the cleaning programme to reduce the likelihood of people entering areas that might be slippery. Use barriers rather than cones or warning notices to prevent staff walking on wet floors. Encourage the whole workforce to clean up their own accidental spillages and to keep their work area tidy. Check the floor area regularly for trailing wires, loose or worn carpet tiles and poor housekeeping. Appropriate footwear is also important. For more information visit the HSE's website[7]. Keep your building and staff secureThe ongoing terrorist threat highlights the need for planning not only to deter attacks on your buildings but also to minimise their impact if the worst happens. Facilities managers also have a major role to play in disaster recovery plans. The Centre for the Protection of National Infrastructure[8] is the government authority that provides protective security advice to organisations. They have issued the following ten tips:
When you are thinking about what needs to be protected, remember to prioritise as follows:
The security of lone workers is also important. These are people who may work at home or go on visits, or whose work means they are isolated from other staff. They may also work outside normal hours. A risk assessment should be carried out taking into account the environment and how vulnerable the worker would be if there was a problem. A suitable method of communication should be established, which does not depend on the lone worker always initiating the contact in case they are unable to use their phone. These could include a supervisor or security officer visiting the workplace to check the worker is safe, or automatic warning devices that raise the alarm if there is no prearranged signal from the lone worker. Further advice can be obtained from the HSE and the Suzy Lamplugh Trust[9]. Promoting the health agendaFacilities managers also have a role in ensuring workplace health. The Workplace (Health, Safety and Welfare) Regulations 1992[10] detail the requirements for provision of a safe and healthy workplace environment for employees, covering such issues as the provision of a clean workplace, maintenance of a minimum temperature of 16°C, the need for a minimum supply of clean outdoor air and protection against draughts. The regulations also require the maintenance of a relative humidity of between 40-60 per cent, a supply of drinking water, sufficient lighting and space for working, adequate toilets, washing facilities, and rest and eating facilities. Making sure Display Screen Equipment (DSE) assessments are up-to-date helps to combat musculoskeletal disorders. These affect about one million people a year and include problems such as back and joint pain and repetitive strain injuries. The DSE risk assessment should cover the:
Once these risks have been analysed, the employer is required to reduce the risks to an acceptable level or remove risks altogether. Employees should also pay for eyesight tests for DSE users, if requested, and the cost of glasses if they are required only for use with the computer. An occupational health team or specialist ergonomists can help with the more complex assessments that may need to be carried out, particularly if someone has an existing musculoskeletal condition. Further information is available from the HSE[11]. Get a healthy and safe mindsetThese examples illustrate the wide range of tasks that FM teams have to cope with and how their work impacts on all aspects of the organisation. Good health and safety, however, is really about a mindset that enables employees to carry out their work efficiently without unnecessary bureaucracy. Organisations can only really deliver health and safety when there is clear and exemplary leadership from the top and engagement from the whole workforce as well. Perhaps the greatest safety challenge for facilities managers, therefore, is communicating good practice to others in the organisation and obtaining their co-operation. References
Jill Joyce BA Hons MSc CMIOSH MBIFM is Senior Policy and Technical Adviser to the Institution of Occupational Safety and Health (IOSH). Please visit www.iosh.co.uk |
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