Issue - meetings

Report of the Director – Neighbourhoods

The Strategic HR Manager presented the annual Health and Safety Report which provided a summary of the Council’s occupational health and safety performance for the period 1 April 2024 to the end of March 2025.

The Strategic HR Manager highlighted the current safety risk profile, the appointment of the new Health and Safety Advisor, and a summary of the Health & Safety Executive (HSE) visit.

In addition, the Group was advised of the Health and Safety objectives for 2025/26 as follows:

·       Prioritise the review and update of policies that are over 3 years old

·       Continue to improve the induction programme for high-risk work areas

·       Health and safety compliance audits of medium to low-risk areas across the authority

·       Risk assessment and training audit continuation

·       Continue to deliver appropriate workplace health initiatives in line with employees’ needs

·       Review duty to manage Asbestos to ensure all RBC occupied buildings are compliant

·       of lone worker procedures and controls.

With regards to the HSE visit on the 30 January 2025, the Strategic HR Manager advised the Group this was a targeted visit in relation to a notification of an employee diagnosed with vibration white finger and under the Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations (RIDDOR), the Council is required by law to notify HSE about certain occupational incidents. The Strategic HR Manager reassured the Group there were no material breaches found by HSE during their visit and it is believed the exposure to vibration in this incident was from a previous employer.

The Group were advised thar HSE are required to carry out a full inspection on site when they have completed a visit in relation to RIDDOR and the HSE inspector returned to the Streetwise Depot on 12 February 2025 and concluded no material breaches were noted, only a few verbal recommendations which have been addressed.

The Strategic HR Manager advised the Group of some of the key activities including policy reviews, health and safety audits and visits and observations at Rushcliffe Country Park, Streetwise and R2Go Eastcroft Depot and reviewing health and safety training needs across the Council.

The Strategic HR Manager advised of a change to the delivery of service and the recruitment of a new Health and Safety Officer increasing the hours previously set from 18.5 to 26 hours per week.

Councillor Simms asked a specific question around the recent employee diagnosis of Hand Arm Vibration and what occupational health pre-checks were in place to of prevented this escalating to a HSE visit. Councillor Simms also stated that he was surprised that the HSE had not insisted on the Health and Safety officer role being full time and felt 26 hours were not enough to cover an authority of this size. The Strategic HR Manager explained that a pre-employment questionnaire had been completed by the employee which asks the individual to declare any pre-conditions, which in this particular case the condition had not yet been diagnosed and the condition can build up over time and therefore it was reported that  ...  view the full minutes text for item 11