HSE Prevention Summit 20th November 2024

As Chair of SWITCH Forum, I was delighted to be able to represent SWITCH at the recent HSE Prevention Summit in London. The Summit is part of a wider three-year programme of work to target and reduce work-related ill-health.

As part of their strategy HSE have identified health as a priority area and one that they want to engage with industry sectors and stakeholders across the country.

It was a packed agenda with keynote speeches and presentations from Sir Cary Cooper CBE (an American-born Psychologist and 50th Anniversary Professor of Organisational Psychology and Health at the Manchester Business School, University of Manchester) and Dame Carol Black GBE FRCP (a British physician, academic, specialising in rheumatology. She was President of the Royal College of Physicians from 2002 to 2006, advised the British Government on the relationship between work and health from 2006 to 2016, and was Principal of Newnham College, Cambridge, from 2012 to 2019), very much setting the scene sharing their knowledge and the extensive work they have carried out around work-related ill-health.

The delegates were very sensibly organised at tables with other people from their industry. Therefore, I was alongside representatives of WISH, ESA as well as Tim Small (HSE Principal Inspector of Health & Safety), who engages regularly with the resource sector and Sue Thomson also from HSE.

Most of the morning was then taken up with detailed roundtable discussions on identifying what the health priorities were within the resource industry, followed by an intense afternoon session on how to manage and reduce those health risks identified.

There was general consensus within the group that the 3 key health priorities for the industry were –

  • Musculoskeletal disorders
  • Respiratory illnesses (bioaerosols and airborne particle related)
  • Stress and mental health (including violence and aggression towards resource industry staff

In the afternoon sessions it was widely agreed that there was a lack of data across the industry to measure health risks and what data there was, was held in different places either by individual companies or industry groups. It was agreed therefore, that the firsts steps required would be to carry share the available data and to map and scope the issues and identify gaps needing further work.

It was agreed that the initial steps would be to set up a group with representatives from WISH/ESA/SWITCH and that Chris Jones would reach out to APSE and NALDO in order that we can map out the Local Authority sector also.

It was clear that the HSE are looking for this to be industry led. However, the consensus was that HSE had to participate and lend weight to the process as this would be essential to the success of the ongoing piece of work.

HSE accepted that this would be important and that they would be supportive of this approach.

In terms of timelines, it was thought that the suggested group would gather in the first quarter of the new year to establish where we are and what needs to be done.

HSE will seek regular updates as to progress and of any actions that have been agreed.

Overall, this was a very good Summit, and it was encouraging to see such enthusiasm across the day for what is an extremely important subject matter and one that our industry is aware needs to be tackled.

Jim

Jim Brown

Chair – SWITCH Forum

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SWITCH AGM & WINTER SEMINAR 2024

The SWITCH Forum AGM and seminar took place at yesterday at Sibbald Training, Blackridge, West Lothian. The family run and owned training company kindly hosted the event at their purpose-built training facility for which SWITCH is very grateful as without this type of support, we would not be able to put on events like this. “Sibbald Training is a family run business, and it has been delivering training for over 45 years. They offer Over 200+ training courses, assessments & vocational qualifications are offered by a team of experienced instructor. They hold accreditations from the leading award bodies allowing Sibbald Training to support a wide range of sectors including construction, utilities & civils, engineering, logistics & distribution, and manufacturing. They have been an active member of SWITCH for the last couple of years.”

Charlie Devine of Dundee City Council, and former SWITCH Forum chair,  welcomed everyone to the event and thanked our sponsors. He introduced Jim Brown of Optimum Eco, the SWITCH Forum chair, who gave the audience an update on SWITCH Forum activities across 2024. The forum volunteers hosted monthly webinars on subjects as diverse as Vapes and the dangers of batteries, the ESA annual Heath and safety survey and statistics, robotics, mitigating driving hazards, promoting awareness of mental health and well being issues, and many more interesting and relevant topics. The group also relaunched their promotional materials on violence and aggression against front line staff, updated the competency framework, liaised and collaborated with WISH Forum and posted many articles and links through social media to up to date and relevant topics for practitioners in the sector. The audience received updates from the H&S working group and the ET&C working groups on their activities on subjects machinery maintenance and safety checks,  traffic management and the groups continued work University West of Scotland who run a course specifically designed to provide an understanding of the statutory framework for health, safety and environmental, while developing a range of personal and professional skills required to succeed in the ever-changing waste and resource industry. 

Both updates highlighted key issues which still face our sector. Firstly, we have made significant progress on health and safety, but we still need to do more. Secondly, we have an aging workforce and problems recruiting and tracking young people to our sector. Finally, new products and new legislation create new challenges and a need for greater understanding of the risks materials like lithium-ion batteries, ensuring the sector remains aware of risks their workers face each day and how to mitigate and remove those risks where we can. Also making sure we plan and develop routes for young people to become aware of the opportunities in the sector and how to access them. Some of the guest speakers tackled these issues head on.

Sibbald Training

Neil Ritchie, Commercial Director at Sibbald, presented with Nicky Carroll, Programme Manager for Developing the Young Workforce Glasgow on the work they have done recently with school leavers in the Glasgow area to improve the knowledge of school career advisors, designing and developing a way to allow pupils to get a real life experience of what opportunities are available in building and construction and to provide them with a real life understanding of what would be expected of them and the skills, knowledge and experience they would gain on the way.

Most school leavers would likely imagine that the main jobs in construction are brickies, chippies, sparkies and plumbers. Many may think that the only opportunities for these jobs lie with sole traders and micro businesses. To an extent this is true, but they are not aware of the challenges the larger construction companies face encouraging young people to enter their work forces and also being aware of the career opportunities that these companies can offer.

The Work Aware program reacted to this disconnect between lack of awareness in pupils and career advisors and industry need.  Work Aware is a joint initiative with Developing the Young Workforce Glasgow, FARE and Glasgow City Council and funded by Inspiring Scotland which seeks to inspire and inform school pupils who may be at risk of disengaging from school or who have no idea what type of career they wish to pursue after secondary school by using Glasgow as a classroom to really bring their curriculum and learning to life through multiple practical on-site visits with employers and specific ‘meta-skill’ employability workshops.

Through these interventions, young people will travel to organisations and areas of the city that they might otherwise not usually be aware of or have contact with and have keyworker support to help them identify the skills required and how they relate to their current subject choices in order to support them to progress into a meaningful post-school destination which best suits their interests with a wide variety of employers.  This programme allows for those organisations who seek to engage young people to inform them of the huge variety of roles and opportunities available within their sector, how to access them and how to progress within them so as to identify talent, fill skills gaps and to really provide meaningful and sustainable progression routes for our young workforce.

Working with industry Work Aware has managed to:

  • Provided a series of work experience visits for young people to help them observe and understand the real world of work
  • Enabled travel to new areas of the city and wider city region, breaking down geographical barriers
  • Provide access to role models and people in work who have similar experiences and background
  • Enabled participation in interactive demonstrations and tasks
  • Increase awareness of careers and jobs that are available to them
  • Provide bespoke SCQF Level 3 employability award for pupils who took part in the program

The parallels between the construction sector and the resources and waste sector are obvious – aging workforce, need to attract new and younger people to the sector and a general lack of awareness as to the diverse job roles and careers paths available to individuals who decide to enter the sector.

There is a lot which could be learnt from this successful program and SWITCH hopes to learn from this program and use it to develop something similar for the resources and waste sector.

Barry Wilkes, HSE

Barry Wilkes of the HSE presented on a review of their year’s activities and gave insights into factors which still require addressing. He once again highlighted that good progress had been made but several dangers and failings still exist.  The most common reasons for NOC (Notice of contravention):

  • Machinery guarding
  • Poor traffic management systems
  • The maintenance of lifting equipment (chains, pulleys, and lifting equipment in general)
  • Management of dangerous materials and chemicals (mainly gas cylinder storage)
  • Working at heights
  • Poor welfare facilities

And in term of prohibition notices, the following areas are of concern:

  • Machinery guarding (especially conveyors but also balers and trommel screens)
  • Poor transport plans and management
  • Dangerous lifting gear and equipment

Lack of adequate welfare facilities is a shame on our sector. This is a basic human right and a disgrace that there are still sites which do not cater for staff welfare adequately. The mixing of humans and heavy plant and equipment creates huge risks and not having adequate transport and vehicle/ pedestrian segregation plans in place is asking for a death or life changing injury to occur. Finally, there is a need to ensure that we give health as much as an emphasis as safety. Maintaining a healthy and mentally strong workforce is good for everyone. HSE will be paying close attention to health issues such as muscular skeletal disorders, skin and respiratory disorders, depressions, stress and anxiety and hearing impairment.

Barry also gave an update on their ongoing work with WISH and equipment/ vehicle manufacturers into bin lifting equipment. Lifting gear manufacturers have worked productively with the HSE and others to design and develop new systems and retrofits to ensure that the lifting equipment can differentiate between a bin and a human being to avoid the potential for operatives to be lifted by either the bin or the lifting clamps and dragged into the back of collection vehicles. HSE hope to report to all local authority CEOs in the next few weeks on this update and requirement and to engage with the sector to make them fully aware of the changes required.

Finally, Barry updated the group on the HSE research into POPs WUDS. The environment agencies have provided regulations to tackle the issue of POPs WUDS from an environmental protection point of views and management point of view, but HSE are concerned with the danger to human health. HSE carried out an extensive literature review and carried out field analysis. This is difficult as there are no UK or global standards for limits of POPs.

The outcomes are interesting as it suggests the sector should be paying closer attention to bioaerosols in general. Firstly it is hard to find a laboratory able to do the testing. Secondly, the results themselves showed:

  • At all sites exposures to inhalable dust were below the 10 mg/m³ value at which any dust is defined as hazardous to health in the COSHH Regulations.
  • At all sites exposures to PBDEs were significantly below non-binding exposure standards identified.
  • At 4 sites exposures to endotoxin were significantly above the Dutch recommended health based occupational exposure limit.
  • At 4 sites exposures to inhalable bacteria (including actinomycetes) were considered to be low to medium level, in comparison with WISH criteria with high levels observed at one site.
  • At all sites worker exposures to inhalable fungi (including Aspergillus fumigatus) were considered to be low to medium level in comparison with WISH criteria

The next steps will be to analyse more bulk samples, write a scientific paper and then:

  • Drafted position statement on processing of WUDS
  • Need to speak to EA/SEPA/NRW
  • WISH/SWITCH meeting to determine most suitable mechanism for cascading guidance to industry

Graham Martin

Graham Martin of Albion Environmental gave a great insight into the chemistry and dangers of battery fires as well as some thoughts on construction responsibilities and competency. His experience had come from the tunnelling and the use of electric vehicles for construction and maintenance. The dangers of electric battery cells are pretty well known but the stages the battery failure go through are not so well understood. A battery can fail through penetration or crushing, overheating, short circuit or simply aging as well as internal or external exposure to heat.

When the battery fails it discharges large volumes of hydrogen and methane which are flammable but also quantities of carbon dioxide, carbon monoxide and sulphides -all of which are asphyxiants. The battery internal cells then fire one after the other creating a runaway fire and large amounts of toxic smoke.

Key things people should consider are:

  • Where do you charge your Electric Vehicles?
  • Will they set others off?
  • Is your Fire Risk Assessment still valid?
  • Is your Emergency Evacuation Plan still valid?
  • Will they take down your facility

Finally referring to the Construction (Design & Management) Regulations 2015, Graham highlightedcompany responsibilities. Under the Act, Regulations 2 defines “construction work” means the carrying out of any building, civil engineering or engineering construction work and…… likely includes a lot of work carried out in our sector.

This is especially so when you consider the definition of structure. The example given was leggolat concrete blocks used for storage bays and sectioning off work areas. They are commonplace in our sector. Above two blocks high mean they should be designed by a competent person for the materials to be stored within them and for the operations the structure will be used for.

After lunch delegates were able to take a tour of the Sibbald facilities and to continue to network.

The feedback on the day was that it was a very worthwhile event, and delegates will take back learning and greatly enjoyed the talks which they found very useful. Everyone thank ed Sibbald for their generous support and for being such wonderful hosts. It also highlighted the relevance of the SWITCH Forum wortk, the benefits the organisation has brought to the sector and also the challenges and opportunities the sector faces when consider health and safety as well as education, training and competency. The forum looks forward to another busy year in 2025, meeting SWITCH Forum members and working with others to ensure that everyone in our sector comes into work safe and healthy and goes home safe and healthy and is supported to enjoy a rewarding and beneficial career.  

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HSE AGM 30th July 2024 – Jim Brown

HSE AGM 30th July 2024 by Jim Brown, Chair SWITCH Forum

I was delighted as Chair of SWITCH Forum to be able to represent SWITCH at the HSE AGM at their offices at Redgrave Court, Bootle in Merseyside on 20th July.

The day commenced with coffee and time for networking with the HSE Board and Executive Team. This was a great opportunity for informal discussions, and it was clear that the HSE senior team were trying to engage as much as possible. It was good to be able to raise awareness of SWITCH Forum and the work we engage in in the waste and recycling sector in Scotland.

Thereafter there followed roundtable discussions where the attendees broke into smaller groups, having selected the workshop they wished to attend at time of registering to attend the AGM.

I had selected to attend the Net Zero roundtable and found myself in a small group including the CEO of the Health & Safety Executive, some HSE Directors and people representing other organisations e.g. Make UK, GMB Union and others. A great discussion then ensued covering net zero and how fast developing new technologies impact on net zero and how HSE can inform government and policy makers. Again, it was good to be able to speak from a waste sector perspective and how products being made today are still being put on the market without any thought into making them easy to take apart for reuse or recycling, having an impact on health and safety for waste operatives both in collection and reprocessing.

Following lunch, the AGM commenced both in person and for on-line attendees. Everyone was welcomed by the HSE Chair, Sarah Newton and there followed an overview of the Annual Report and Accounts from David Murray, Director of Finance and Corporate Services.

We then heard from Sarah Albon, HSE Chief Executive Officer with an outline of HSE’s programme and strategic priorities for the coming year.

The five objectives that the HSE are focused on until 2032 are:

  • Reduce work-related ill health, with a specific focus on mental health and stress.
  • Increase and maintain trust to ensure people feel safe where they live, where they work and in their environment.
  • Enable industry to innovate safely to prevent major incidents, supporting the move towards net zero.
  • Maintain the UK’s record as one of the safest countries to work in.
  • Ensure HSE is a great place to work, and we attract and retain exceptional people.

Sitting under these strategic objectives are six strategic themes which will guide their regulatory activities from 2022-2032:

  • A relevant HSE
  • A fair and just HSE
  • A people-focused HSE
  • A collaborative HSE
  • A financially viable HSE
  • An accessible HSE

There followed an at times robust Q&A session with Directors and senior management fielding questions as appropriate from members of the audience and from those watching remotely.

Overall it was a very well put together day and it was encouraging that the HSE were keen to engage and hear from as many people from a wide cross section of business sectors and it was great that we had the chance to tell people about SWITCH Forum and how we are striving to raise standards in health and safety and encourage people to have a career in the resource sector by providing pathways for education and training and increasing competence levels in the industry.

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Scottish Occupational Road Safety Alliance (ScORSA)

Why do ScORSA Exist

Operating a vehicle ranks among the riskiest work tasks. Annual data indicates that approximately 20% of accidents involve individuals driving as part of their job duties.

In Scotland, 67% of workers use cars for their daily commute, while professions such as delivery drivers involve driving as a core aspect of their employment. Legally, employers must regard commuting as they would any other workplace hazard, conducting thorough risk assessments and implementing feasible measures to mitigate these dangers.

Who they are

ScORSA has been created to assist and support small and medium sized businesses in handling occupational road risks created through normal business activity.

This is free of charge with an array of information, advice, guidance and resources to help employers understand and manage occupational road risks, and create a safe environment for their staff.

Sign up for FREE today

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Updates to RIDDOR Guidance

While there are no alterations to legal obligations, the revised guidance aims to enhance your comprehension of when and how to submit reports under the Reporting of Injuries, Diseases, and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations (RIDDOR).

Key revisions to the guidance include:

  • Direct links to specific types of reportable incidents, facilitating quicker determination of whether reporting is necessary.
  • Enhanced clarity regarding who should and shouldn’t report incidents under RIDDOR.
  • Improved explanation of what constitutes a ‘work-related’ accident.
  • Clarification on instances when an occupational disease is not deemed reportable.
  • Increased transparency regarding the reporting requirements for absences exceeding 7-days

Significant updates to the reporting forms comprise:

  • Prioritisation of questions concerning the severity of injuries, expediting the determination of reportability.
  • Integration of pop-up messages to guide users if an incident does not warrant reporting.
  • Enhanced usability of the forms through improved guidance.
  • Expanded options for individuals to specify gender when completing the relevant fields.

Find the updated guidance on RIDDOR

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WISH Info 26 – Managing Health & Safety at Household Waste Recycling Centre (HWRC) Civic Amenity (CA) Sites

The Waste Industry Health and Safety (WISH) Forum has crafted this guidance to mitigate safety and health risks inherent in the waste and recycling sector, specifically focusing on the operation of household waste recycling centres (HWRCs). This updated version now includes managing Health and Safety at Household Waste Recycling Centre (HWRC) Civic Amenity (CA) Sites

HWRC/CA sites have long been integral to waste and recycling management in GB. Originally conceived as facilities for the public, and sometimes trade clients, to dispose of materials not typically collected at kerbsides or excess household waste, their scope has evolved. Initially accommodating bulky items, garden waste, rubble, and domestic appliances, these centres now handle a broader array of materials, including certain hazardous wastes like waste oil, automotive batteries, and gas cylinders. Moreover, HWRCs stand out as they are accessible to the general public, a characteristic uncommon in most waste management facilities.

More information on this guidance can be found here

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Violence & Aggression in the Workplace

Violence and aggression in the workplace can significantly affect the physical and mental well-being of your employees. HSE’s guidance on violence at work is designed to assist you in safeguarding your workers.

This guidance will aid you in:

  • Assessing the risks
  • Implementing appropriate controls to protect workers
  • Reporting and learning from incidents

Additionally, I encourage you to explore the SWITCH Forum Bin Hero film & Videos, developed as part of an awareness campaign, shedding light on the violence and aggression encountered by staff working in waste management roles on a daily basis. These videos feature interviews with staff members from various roles in the recycling industry, offering firsthand insights into real-life events and demonstrating the lasting impact of such behaviour.

It’s crucial to acknowledge the invaluable contributions of our resource and waste sector workers and to stand together against unacceptable behaviour. Let’s work collaboratively to eradicate this behaviour and create a safer work environment for everyone.

These videos are freely available for use by local authorities and private companies within the sector to raise awareness and support our campaign against workplace violence and aggression.

Additionally, you can explore other resources on our website, such as the H&S Situational Awareness campaign. This programme, part of the ESA member-led Health and Safety initiative, aims to enhance awareness of common risks in the sector, including workplace violence and aggression, reckless driving, and other safety concerns.

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Amendment Regulations for Packaging Waste Data Reporting (Scotland) 2024

These Regulations introduce amendments to the Packaging Waste (Data Reporting) (Scotland) Regulations 2023. They mandate producers of goods to collect and/or report data concerning the quantity and nature of packaging they introduce to the market, in alignment with Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) for packaging. Under these new regulations, producers with an annual turnover exceeding £2 million and handling more than 50 tonnes of packaging annually must report data on their packaging supply.

Effective from April 1, 2024, these Regulations are set to come into effect.

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Skills Delivery Review

A recent independent review of the skills has been published which makes a series of recommendations and suggested major structural reforms to the current way skills are delivered to prepare for economic transformation and enable Scotland to prosper with a skilled workforce as outlined in the National Strategy for Economic Transformation (NSET).

James Withers’ Independent Review of the Skills Delivery Landscape  recommendations include:

  • Scottish Government should take full responsibility for national skills planning in-house
  • Create a new single funding and delivery body, bringing together key skills functions from Skills Development Scotland (SDS), the Scottish Funding Council (SFC) and perhaps the Student Awards Agency Scotland (SAAS)
  • An integral part of business development and planning by the various enterprise agencies should involve workforce planning
  • SQA, and the new qualifications body which will replace it, to oversee the development and accreditation of all publicly funded post-school qualifications with a parity of esteem for academic and vocational qualifications
  • Skills Development Scotland to be reformed to create a new body specifically for careers advice and education

Some of the issues raised in the report are helpful for SMEs, particularly those in the resource management sector, including:

  • We need skills solutions and services that respond to the needs of all businesses, including SMEs and start-ups
  • Clear, coherent and recognisable learning and training pathways and qualifications that are appropriate to the sector, occupation or profession that they serve with clear, consistent and relevant naming structures which state the level and type of learning.
  • Qualifications and awards that more deeply embed work-integrated learning or employability-related skills development in recognition that the destination for most people undertaking learning and training will be the workplace.
  • Clear consistent opportunities for employer engagement and leadership that enable all types of businesses and industries to play a central role in shaping and guiding the provision and services in the system at every step – from standards and qualifications development to careers advice and guidance. Solutions and services that respond to the needs of all businesses, including SMEs and start-ups.

Minister for Further and Higher Education Graeme Dey said:

“This review is comprehensive and the direction of travel it points us towards is very helpful” he also indicated that it, “…. sets out a clear case for extensive change so that we have a lifelong education and skills system in place which serves the needs of learners, employers and our future economy.”

The next stage is for Scottish Government to take some time to fully consider Withers’ recommendations, which they are generally supportive of, and their practical implications.

SWITCH is actively working on how we can create Pathways to Progression to help employers, learners and colleagues navigate careers in the industry to and welcomes this report. Its general sense of direction will help the industry to recruit the right staff to enable it to grow. We will keep you posted on developments in the skills landscape as they arise.

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CIWM Jobs and Skills Research Workshop – Survey Results

A survey was conducted in Autumn 2022 to gain insight from CIWM members and non members on their experiences of sector job and skill requirements.

Survey results will be used to contribute to a wider research project which will provide insight to support government decision making, as well as providing valuable data to employers across the sector as they prepare for the human resource implications of theNet Zero transition.

Please follow the links below for the research survey results and recordings of the meeting:

Survey Results 

Recordings of Meeting

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