Agenda item

The HR Committee is asked to approve the Health and Safety Statement of Intent for Somerset Council and the following Health and Safety policies:

Safety Action Notices, Confined Spaces, New and Expectant Parents, Working Safely at Height, Biological Agent (Infection Control and Blood-borne Viruses), Water Assets, and Working Outside in the Sun and Extremes of Heat and Cold.

The Committee, having considered and discussed the reports, agreed to:

Approve the Somerset Council Health and Safety Statement of Intent Policy.

Approve the Somerset Council Safety Action Notices Policy.

Approve the Somerset Council Confined Spaces Policy.

Approve the Somerset Council New and Expectant Parents Policy.

Approve the Somerset Council Working Safely at Height Policy.

Approve the Somerset Council Biological Agent (Infection Control and Blood-borne Viruses) policy.

Approve the Somerset Council Water Assets and Working Outside in the Sun and Extremes of Heat and Cold.

Give delegated authority to the Corporate Health and Safety Unit to publish and update guidance documents when necessary.

The Chair, invited the Service Manager – Corporate Health and Safety to introduce the report and he provided a presentation of a range of Health and Safety policies for Somerset Council for the Committee’s approval.

·    The Committee was shown how to access the Intranet Site and a background was provided of Health and Safety processes that had been undertaken to prepare  the policies contained in the report.

·     It was explained that a Health, Safety and Wellbeing Steering Group had been established and was chaired by the Health and Safety Champion. The Group’s function would be to monitor the Council’s Health and Safety policies, debate significant Health and Safety issues to ensure that the Council provided a workplace conducive for staff wellbeing. The Group would oversee 5 Boards that had been set up to ensure that Health and Safety risks were managed effectively across the directorates.

·      A diagram was displayed of the Health and Safety and Well-being management framework.

·      It was noted that the Somerset Council policies had been adopted from the former  County Council and four District Councils (Mendip, Sedgemoor, Somerset West & Taunton, and South Somerset) and work had been undertaken to review and update those to a single set of Health and Safety policies.

·      The Statement of Intent was outlined and Members noted that it committed Somerset Council to ensuring the provision of a workplace where employees felt safe, supported, and free to raise concerns and feel included regardless of race, religion, gender, political beliefs, or abilities. As the most senior individuals in the Council, the Chief Executive and Leader of the Council have signed the Statement of Intent.

·      The Statement of Intent also outlined the Council’s commitment to undertake its business operations in a way that prevents injury or illness to employees, visitors, contractors, and the public who may be impacted by Council operations and activities.

·      The Working Safely at Height Policy outlined the Council’s commitment to ensuring compliance with the Working at Height Regulations 2005. In doing so, the policy clearly defined responsibilities placed on employees across all levels of the organisation.

·      The Safety Action Notice Policy set out the approach for how the Council would administer and take action to address identified or reported noncompliance, hazards, or serious risks to Health and Safety.

·      The New and Expectant Parents Policy set clear responsibilities to manage and reduce risk and help enable new and expectant parents at work.

·      The Confined Spaces Policy was a new policy as during the Local Government Reorganisation process, the Health and Safety Service identified a need for this  policy owing to activities undertaken by operational teams transferring from predecessor district organisations.

·      The Working Outside in the Sun and Extremes of Heat and Cold Policy would replace the Sun Protection Policy.

·     The Water Assets Policy is a new policy as during the Local Government Reorganisation process it had been noted a water assets policy would ensure the Council had clearly defined procedures for their management and the management of employees who may work near the Council’s water assets.

·     The Biological Agent (Infection Control and Blood-Borne Virus) Policy was an update of the current Blood-borne virus policy.

There was a discussion and the following points were raised: how the Committee makes amendments to the policies before approving; the use of word of ensure throughout the policies; the statement of intent not being presented to the last meeting; the responsibilities of employers and employees around health and safety; the processes of third party contractors; the policies that were linked together to enable processes to take place; expectant parents liaising with employers about pregnancies; breastfeeding to be acceptable anywhere in the organisation; the importance of having a policy for working in confined spaces and ensuring qualified people were carried out such jobs; relevant policies had been reviewed by colleagues in public health.

The Service Manager of Corporate Health and Safety explained to Members the link between policies and the approach that would be taken; explained the process if the Committee made an amendment to policies; the work undertaken between the former Councils and amending those policies in a transparent and robust way for Somerset Council. 

The Director of Strategy, Workforce and Localities advised the Committee that he would work with the Service Manager - Corporate Health and Safety to review some of the wording  contained in some policies, such as the word ‘ensure’. The Service Manager – Corporate Health and Safety undertook to consider that appropriate assessments and checks of contractors were reviewed as part of the procurement exercises.

The Committee, having considered and discussed the reports, agreed to:

Approve the Somerset Council Health and Safety Statement of Intent Policy;

Approve the Somerset Council Safety Action Notices Policy;

Approve the Somerset Council Confined Spaces Policy;

Approve the Somerset Council New and Expectant Parents Policy;

Approve the Somerset Council Working Safely at Height Policy;

Approve the Somerset Council Biological Agent (Infection Control and Blood-borne Viruses) policy;

Approve the Somerset Council Water Assets and Working Outside in the Sun and Extremes of Heat and Cold;

Give delegated authority to the Corporate Health and Safety Unit to publish and update guidance documents when necessary.