A verbal update will be given at the meeting
Minutes:
P O’Day updated the Committee on the Health & Safety issues facing the Council. He said that work was continuing in the following 12 work streams:
Lone working
P O’Day said that devices had been issued, and Suzy Lampugh and Reliance training delivered. Top-up personal safety training was being delivered throughout October and November
APG
P O’Day said work was continuing on repairing the structures, replacing rotten timber and putting in extra bracing where needed.
Vehicle Repair Workshop (VRS)
P O’Day said there had been a large clear out of redundant equipment. He said Simon J Smith has drafted new Transport Health & Safety Policy and risk assessments. This service has been neglected of late with staff working overtime and using contract staff on-loan from Luton.
Noise
P O’Day told the Committee that the new ‘noise at work’ policy had been drafted and approved by H&S Committee which will now go to the CMT on 7 November.
He said more observations were needed on waste operatives as the results of the initial survey seem to contradict working practices.
He said that the Hearing Action zone was to be declared in the waste transfer station; signage was being erected, and hearing protection was to be issued to all that enter the area.
P O’Day said most of CSG equipment has been assessed, some (mostly the newer items) need to be assessed to see effectiveness of the hearing protection. Equipment noise (xdB) less the hearing protection (ydB) plus real life factor (4dB) should provide a result of less than 80dB. If between 80dB (lower action level) and 85dB (upper action level) then the time the equipment is used will need to be restricted.
He confirmed that OTH sound absorbing foam panels were to be installed in the technicians booth.
Whole Body Vibration
P O’Day said that the new ‘whole body vibration’ policy drafted and approved by H&S Committee which also go to the CMT on 7 November.
Cemeteries
P O’Day confirmed that provided the equipment is used as observed (including a 20% margin of error) then the action levels will not be exceeded.
CSG
P O’Day said that on occasions, the Ransomes and Kubota (ride-on mowers) could exceed the lower action levels but the tracking devices at the moment only inform when the machines are used (it did not distinguish between idle and being operated). Because of this, Simon Coultas is in the process of sourcing more sophisticated software so that DBC could effectively monitor the vibration.
Contractor Safety
P O’Day told the Committee that work was progressing on this especially with regard to CDM projects. David Barrett (GM Housing), is now having H&S audits of projects under his remit.
Training: (P O’Day said that the following was taking place at Cupids Green and The Forum in October and November)
Awareness of Health & Safety Risk Assessments
Introduction to Manual Handling
Sharps Training
Legionella Awareness Training
P O’Day said that in addition to this, as part of European Safety Week, there will be the following Awareness drop in sessions held at the Forum throughout October.
Display Screen Equipment
Accident reporting/Raising Health & Safety concerns
Manual Handling
Display Screen Equipment
Cllr Taylor asked P O’Day if the recent changes to the Construction Design Management (CDM) meant that DBC were now responsible for the faults in the building. Having explained the background of the CDM, P O’Day confirmed that this was correct. He said that the 2015 CDM Regulations placed the duty on the client who commissioned the building, rather than the constructor. He said that although the client could delegate out the task by employing a Principal Designer who was tasked with engineering out the hazards, the client must still check that the Principal Designer has done this and that the Principal Contractor had complied.
Cllr Taylor also wished to add that Emma Walker had recently given an excellent Health & Safety training presentation at the Member Development Group. Cllr Taylor wanted to put on record the exceptional feedback given by the group. P O’Day thanked Cllr Taylor and said that he would pass this on.
Councillor Chapman thanked P O’Day for the update. P O’Day also said that he would be leaving DBC on 1 December, and therefore this would be his last meeting. The Committee thanked him for all his work.