Agenda item

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 the injury was unlikely due to working conditions at Rushcliffe.

Councillor Gaunt referred to tables 7.8 and 7.6 in the report and asked a specific question relating to injuries and days off and should the Council be concerned about the number of days lost due to employee absence. The Strategic HR Manager explained that when accidents and injuries occur at work it can be difficult to get employees back in to work because of the nature of the manual work they do. She added that fluctuations will occur in the number of accidents which do remain quite low in comparison to previous years. With regards to one individual employee who had been absent for some time, the Group noted this had escalated to a mental health issue and HR were providing support for the employee in an attempt to get them back to work.

Councillor Plant also commented on the Health and Safety officer’s hours and asked what had prompted the increase. The Strategic HR Manager explained that the Health and Safety Officer role had always been a part time position which she had done herself for a number of years. When promoted to the position of Strategic HR Manager (retaining responsibility for Health and Safety Officer) the Council had adopted a hybrid model, with Bolsover District Council providing a good range of Health and Safety advice. In 2024, when Streetwise came back in house there was an increased need for health and safety support and a part time Health and Safety Officer position was created to cover the extra work. The Strategic HR Manager explained that this Health and Safety Officer left earlier this year, and the Council recruited a part time Health and Safety position solely for Streetwise and recently recruited a Health and Safety Officer on 26 hours to cover other areas of the authority.

Councillor Plant asked questions around providing an evacuation test for Councillors, the role of the Workplace Health Champions and whether employees are provided with concessions at the Council’s Leisure Centres. The Strategic HR Manager noted the comment about a Councillor evacuation test and would look into providing this. With regards to the Workplace Health Champions, the Group were informed that the Champions meet quarterly and cover areas specifically aimed at health and wellbeing awareness days and events such as smoking, alcohol, cancer and mental health awareness. The Group noted that Council employees do benefit from concessions at all of Rushcliffe’s leisure centres.

Councillor Simms raised his concerns about the arrangements for health and safety across the Council in the event of a red light incident or injury and asked that the Council consider a professional body to audit its health and safety arrangements as he felt the current process lacked competency. The Strategic HR Manager advised the Group that she, herself was a chartered member of the Institution of Occupational Safety and Health (IOSH) and oversees the Council’s two Health and Safety officers. The Strategic HR Manager added that the Council has had very little interaction with the HSE and, in this particular incident, no material breaches had been found and the diagnosis of the illness was not related to the work at Rushcliffe. In addition, the Strategic HR Manager informed the Group that risk assessments are in place, there is an internal audit of the Council’s health and safety arrangements expected in quarter four of the internal audit process and that we also have a position on the Nottingham wide health and safety quarterly meetings and that we are comparable with other authorities.

Councillor Combellack encouraged the Group to trust in officers who are clearly qualified to do the job.

Councillor Simms remained concerned about the nature of self-regulation and the lack of surveillance in regard to civil claims against the authority. He wanted to see evidence of detailed risk assessments, training risks and how targets were met.

After some discussion of this request and a potential fifth recommendation, the Group agreed to keep a watching brief on Health and Safety allowing for new staff to become settled in their roles, the impact of increased hours to take effect, and the quarter four internal audit to be carried out. They accepted that Health and Safety would be scrutinised as standard in 12 months.

It was RESOLED that the Corporate Overview Group:

a)    Considered the detailed information co0ntained within the Annual Health and Safety Report

b)    Noted that a new permanent Health and /safety Advisor had been appointed

c)    Noted the significant progress made against the health and safety goals and objectives previously agreed by Corporate Overview Group for the financial year 2025/25

d)    Endorsed the proposed health and safety objectives for 2025/26 as set out in the report.