Driving for Work – Review of Joint HSE / DfT Guidance

For the majority of people, driving will be the most hazardous activity they do. It is estimated that one third of all road traffic collisions (RTCs) in Britain involve someone driving as part of their job and numerous other RTCs involving people travelling to or from their place of work. 

 

Although the risks associated with driving cannot be totally controlled, an employer has a responsibility to take all reasonable steps to manage these risks and do everything reasonably practicable to protect people from harm in the same way as they would in the workplace.

 

HSE and Department for Transport produced joint a guidance in 2014, INDG382: Driving at Work, to help duty holders manage work-related road risk. 

 

However, in recent years there have been significant developments in driving technologies and practices that have brought into question the currency of this guidance.

 

HSE are interested to hear from people who drive for work or employ those who do, across all industries including construction, to help identify how INDG382 can be improved in terms of relevance, currency, and accessibility.

Please help by providing your feedback via this short survey,

Please note this survey will close on the 31st January 2021.

 

 

 

 

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St Andrews Day – One Million Words of Kindness

Scottish Government share plans for St Andrew’s Day on Monday 30th November which this year very appropriately revolves around kindness.  To find out more about the range of online events and activities planned  please visit www.onescotland.org/st-andrew-day

St Andrew’s Day is a powerful opportunity for us to show that kindness is part of what makes us who we are as a country. We may not be able to get together physically on our national day but that doesn’t mean we can’t continue to look out for each other. We know a lot of our partner organisations are already planning activities to help others this St Andrew’s Day proving that kindness, fairness and inclusivity aren’t just values we talk about – it’s who we are and how we live our lives.

The Scottish Government  are  hoping to generate one million words of kindness from now until Monday, 30th November, and they need your help to do it.

View the St Andrews Day Film Here

Campaign Assets

Our stakeholder toolkit contains the following:

  • Information on our partner activities
  • Shared narrative information on activities
  • Campaign materials to share across your activities and channels
  • Hero film and social assets
  • Postcard artwork in all formats

Download All St Andrew’s Day Campaign Assets via We Transfer Here 

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RMAS – Scottish Government Strategic Framework Update

The First Minister has announced the results of the latest review of COVID-19 protection levels in Scotland.

The majority of local authorities will remain at their current level and you can check which level applies by using the Scottish Government postcode checker.

Two local authorities, East Lothian and Midlothian will move from level 3 to level 2 from next Tuesday 24 November.

Eleven council areas will move into level 4 restrictions from 6pm on Friday 20 November through to 11 December.  These are:  The City of Glasgow, Renfrewshire, East Renfrewshire, East Dunbartonshire, West Dunbartonshire, North Lanarkshire, South Lanarkshire, East Ayrshire, South Ayrshire, Stirling, and West Lothian.

Details of the restrictions in level 4 areas are available at https://www.gov.scot/binaries/content/documents/govscot/publications/strategy-plan/2020/10/covid-19-scotlands-strategic-framework/documents/level-4-measures/level-4-measures/govscot%3Adocument/level-4-measures.pdf

Travel restrictions will be put into law to prevent people who live in a Level 3 or Level 4 local authority area from travelling outside their local authority except for an essential purpose – such as work or caring responsibilities.  The regulations will also prevent non-essential travel into a Level 3 or 4 local authority area, except for the same reasons.

Business Support

In addition to the UK furlough scheme, all businesses that require to close, at any level, are eligible for a four-weekly grant of £2,000 or £3,000, depending on rateable value. Grants of £1,400 or £2,100 are available to businesses that are open, but subject to trading restrictions.

There is further information at https://findbusinesssupport.gov.scot/service/funding/strategic-framework-business-fund

In addition, we are establishing a £30 million discretionary fund to enable local authorities to provide additional support for businesses where they consider that necessary or justified – for example, for businesses in supply chains, or to taxi drivers suffering a severe but indirect effect.

£15 million is also being made available for newly self-employed people who have not been able to access other forms of support and £15 million will be available to local authorities to help with the community and social impact of a move to level 4.

More details of these funds will be made available shortly.

Further Information

Link to today’s news release  https://news.gov.scot/news/updates-to-covid-19-protection-levels

Link to First Minister’s statement https://www.gov.scot/publications/coronavirus-covid-19-update-first-ministers-statement-tuesday-17-november-2020/

Protection levels that will apply in each local authority area with evidence and analysis informing these decisions.  https://www.gov.scot/publications/coronavirus-covid-19-allocation-of-levels-to-local-authorities-17-november-2020/

 

 

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ScORSA Webinar – Fatigue & Driving for Work – 26th November 2020

This year ScORSA have decided to change the format of our their annual St Andrew’s seminar.

The event will be split into a series of three webinars with Part One taking place on Thursday 26th November, Part 2 in January and Part 3 in February.  Each part will cover a separate topic and will begin this month by discussing the issue of Fatigue and Driving for Work.

The programme for the workshop session will be:

10am – 11.30am

  • 15 min intro from Chair , Dr Karen McDonnell, RoSPA Policy Adviser and Head of Road Scotland
  • 20 min break-out rooms facilitated by
    • Michelle Little, Road Safety Framework, Transport Scotland;
    • Michael McDonnell, Director,  Road Safety Scotland;
    • Blair Boyd, ScORSA Member and #DrivingTiredKills case study and
    • Dr Karen McDonnell, ScORSA/RoSPA
  • 10 min feedback
  • 15 min conclusion from Chair

Although unable to meet face-to-face this year, ScORSA hope that the break-out rooms format will allow for some thought-provoking discussion and valuable sharing of experience.

Please join ScORSA for this interesting new format on a very important topic.

To reserve a place, please email: info@scorsa.org.uk

 

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HSE Local Exhaust Ventilation

Effective LEV or dust/fume extraction can carry away airborne contaminants before they can be breathed in.

This website provides practical advice for employers and employees on buying and using LEV and what to do to comply with the law. It will help designers, installers and examiners work with their customers to control airborne contaminants effectively.

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Health & Safety Statistics For Great Britain Realeased

HSE releases annual injury and ill-health statistics for Great Britain

The Statistics released at the beginning of November demonstrate that Great Britain is still one of the safest places in the world to work with the lowest number of deaths on record.

The statistics, compiled from the Labour Force Survey (LFS) and other sources, illustrate that in Great Britain in the 2019/2020 period there were;

  • 111 fatal injuries at work
  • 1.6 million working people suffering from a work-related illness
  • 38.8 million working days lost due to work-related illness and workplace injury
  • 325 cases were prosecuted and resulted in a conviction. Fines from convictions totalled £35.8 million

 

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Musculoskeletal Disorders Awards

HSE’s annual musculoskeletal disorders ‘risk-reduction through design’ award needs your nominations!

The award highlights the important contribution that design changes can make to reduce risks of musculoskeletal disorders. Building on the success of last year’s award, they want businesses to nominate design changes that have made a real impact.

HSE are looking for approaches that have worked from across all sectors, anywhere in the United Kingdom. There are no restrictions on the size of business that can enter; both large and small employers are encouraged – small scale/low cost solutions are just as welcome as large scale/high cost designs.

The emphasis is on design solutions that have or can reduce the risk of musculoskeletal disorders for workers, but they are also interested in novel, innovative or niche solutions that tackle difficult-to-solve problems. Involving the workforce in developing the solution is essential and cross-sector application, that might inspire others to think more actively about design-based solutions, will also be part of the judging criteria.

Entries should be submitted on no more than two sides of A4 paper. Please include:

  • the problem, the design solution and its potential for MSD risk reduction
  • how your workforce was involved in developing the solution and their feedback on the changes
  • a description of the musculoskeletal and any wider benefits
  • your contact details

Please submit your nominations to msdpp@hse.gov.uk by 31 January 2021. Full application details are available on the HSE website.

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Battery Fire Risk Hits the Headlines – By Euan Munro

The explosive problem of “Zombie Batteries”

Euan Munro from SLR Consulting writes article on the risk of Lithium-Ion battery fires.

 

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Health & Safety Statistics for Scotland 2020 Published

HSE publish workplace health and safety statistics for Scotland, 2020.

The report provides a summary of workplace health and safety in Scotland.

Key statistics include:

  • 99,000 Workers suffering from work-related ill health each year
  • 10 Fatal injuries to workers
  • 45,00 Non-fatal injuries to workers each year
  • £1.2 billion cost of workplace injury and ill health
  • 829 Enforcements notices served
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SEPA Consultation – Revised Guidance WDT-G-002

The Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA) proposing to change the existing guidance document, WST-G-002 Provision and assessment of technically competent management at licensed waste management facilities meaning SEPA will now assess technical competence on the basis of any known previous compliance history as well as on approved qualifications held or bespoke assessment undertaken, rather than focusing only on the latter as was the case previously.

For further information and enter the consultation please click here.

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