Welfare

Health & Safety: Business as usual

The public sector is being pulled in two directions; maintaining safety whilst reducing regulation. Richard Evens, commercial training director at St John Ambulance, explores the issues.

Without a doubt the public sector is experiencing some of the toughest operating conditions in history. Budget cuts combined with a need to increase efficiency and prove the value of services mean the sector is under intense pressure.

Unsurprisingly, in such a challenging work environment, it can be easy to overlook the importance of basic, everyday processes and functions and health & safety and first aid could fall off the agenda.

Furthermore, recent reviews of legislation such as the Löfstedt report and David Cameron’s blasting of the “excessive health and safety culture” could leave some organisations confused about their current responsibilities and until finalised, we are in a period of uncertainty. The public sector in particular is in a difficult place. It’s being pulled in two directions; having to deal with Government proposals for new regulation, while maintaining a duty of care to society and employees.

So in these taxing times, with change afoot, how can we help executives in the public sector safeguard the wellbeing of employees and service users?

A first element is to clarify the legal requirements for health and safety and to stress that, despite the review in progress, the law currently remains unchanged. It is important not to fall into a trap of interpreting the review as a reason to lose focus on workplace safety. All employers, regardless of size, have a legal obligation under The Health and Safety (First- Aid) Regulations 1981 to protect their employees and anyone on their premises. The message therefore is business as usual.

First aid training

Indeed, an oversight on the health and safety front could potentially have severe consequences. During 2010-2011 the number of recorded workplace deaths increased to 171, and there were over 200,000 reportable injuries.1 In fact the UK currently has one of the lowest levels of first aid training in Europe.2 This responsibility is even greater in the public sector. Constantly in the media spotlight, any incident could severely damage reputation and put an organisation’s future into question.

It is also essential to remember why regulation exists. Rather than being a box-ticking exercise, health and safety regulation and particularly first aid training is designed to protect employees, employers and the public from harm. A good example is the London Fire Brigade, an entrant in our First Aid Awards held last year. Following the 7/7 bombing, the brigade undertook a four year project to fit all fire engines with advanced first aid equipment and provide advanced training to nearly all of its 5,000 firefighters. By going this extra mile, firefighters can now provide a higher level of care at the scene of a fire, giving victims a better chance of survival.

There are also other changes on the horizon. From April 2012, under the Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations (RIDDOR), employers will no longer have to report over three-day employee injuries to the authorities. The Health & Safety Executive (HSE) has recommended an extension to over seven days. However, this doesn’t mean accidents causing people to be off work for less than seven days are not serious. Any employee absence caused by injury at work should be taken seriously; especially given more than four million working days were lost in 2010/2011 due to injury.3

Prevention is better than cure

In summary, while we welcome recommendations to simplify legislation and reduce red tape, it is also vital that we work with the public sector to help them understand their continued responsibility. Reducing focus on health and safety or relaxing policies could be counterproductive. Expressly, first aid is one of the most important aspects of keeping staff safe and we need to work in partnership with organisations to ensure more people have the range of skills and confidence to make the difference between a life saved and life lost, as demonstrated by the London Fire Brigade.

Getting good advice is crucial and to help companies understand these requirements and learn how to address them, St John Ambulance provides a range of courses which include advice on risk assessments, first aid and health and safety equipment: www.sja.org.uk/training or call 0844 324 5535. The HSE and British Safety Council also provide information on how businesses can maintain their level of workplace safety, including advice on courses and those regulations applicable to your workplace.

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