Issue - items at meetings - Health and Safety Annual Service Plan

53.1 The Head of Regulatory Services presented the health and safety annual report. A rigorous consultation process was being undertaken, including with businesses and trades unions.

53.2 He summarised recent nationally commissioned studies indicating a move away from interventions, regulations and inspections  to a lighter touch approach of advice support and assistance; for example Lord Young’s report Common Sense, Common Safety; Good Health and Safety, Good for Everyone and Reclaiming Health and Safety for All.

53.3 There was also a shift towards closer involvement in partnerships such as with the police in registering and inspecting scrap metal businesses.  There was more partnership working with NHS organisations for example with hotels and swimming pools, and on firework displays.

53.4 In the year there had been only one prosecution, relating to an accidental release of disinfectant gas at a leisure centre.

53.5 Currently there are some 9,000 businesses subject to Council health and safety regulation resulting in reduced inspections annually; this figure would now reduce as only the Category A, high risk areas would be focussed on although service would also focus on sector and industry wide initiatives, working with those at risk, education and awareness and reactive interventions to incidents and complaints.

53.6 Nurses had now joined the Environmental Health Service, to carry out health checks for certain manual workers, and to give advice on lifestyle, obesity, blood pressure and diabetes.

53.7 Regarding the City’s 101 cosmetic piercing premises, Members discussed the changing picture of cosmetic piercings and treatments and the close links with medical practices such as botox and laser treatments, scarification and acupuncture.

53.8 Answering a question on workplace violence at BME takeaways, the Head of Regulatory Services referred to the team’s database that enabled self-reported racially motivated incidents to be surveyed. Jointly with the Police, an inspection and advice programme on community safety had been developed to help premises take extra precautions against violence.

53.9 Members discussed the reputation of Health and Safety as a discipline, that had been set up in the 19^th century to limit children’s working hours, and since the 1974 Health and Safety at Work Act, had led to a declining fatality rate. There had been phases of regulation followed by deregulation and it was acknowledged that health and safety could sometimes be used as a ‘scapegoat’ for other reasons (eg financial). Local information including from Councillors and officers was key, to help prioritise inspections and advice.

53.10 The Chair thanked the officers and commented it was important to monitor the changed approach to the service, to ensure that preventable accidents did not happen. This would be a continuing role for scrutiny.

53.11 RESOLVED; that the report be welcomed and scrutiny continue to monitor local health and safety.