Health and Safety Executive South West Occupational Health Group 2012 Janet Hensey HM Specialist Inspector Occupational Health.

Health and Safety Executive

South West Occupational

Health Group 2012

Janet Hensey

HM Specialist Inspector Occupational Health

Diseases

• Hand Arm Vibration Syndrome on the increase across various industries-

• Construction

• Heavy Engineering

• Forestry/Horticulture

• Local authorities – highways and parks divisions

• Newer jobs e.g. cavity wall insulation

Occupational Asthma

Isocyanates & Flour dusts - all types

Wood dust

Chemicals

Latex???

More cases of work related asthma cases e.g. exposure to Actichlor

Inhalation exposure to respiratory sensitisers in the food industry …

Occupational Asthma

Latex???

More cases of work related asthma cases e.g. exposure to Actichlor

Dermatitis

Hand dermatitis accounts for 75% of all reported dermatitis

Painful and debilitating disease

Dermatitis

• Wet work

• Exposure to chemicals

• Glove use

Lead

Lead suspensions

Acute Lead Poisoning – resulting in chelation therapy

Increasing in construction – refurbishments

Also in manufacture

Waste and Recycling

Art

Dermatitis

• NHS Dermatitis Inspection Project

• Hairdressing

• Cleaners

• Catering

• All projects which were part of the disease reduction project now discontinued.

Findings

• Lack of suitable and sufficient risk assessments

• Insufficient control measures to prevent exposure

• Inappropriate use of PPE

• Lack of good hand care programmes

• No skin health surveillance programmes

• Inadequate referral / reporting systems in place

Musculoskeletal

• Musculoskeletal issues continue to be high in RIDDOR reports but may not fall into the selection criteria to result in mandatory investigation.

• MSD in Construction now completed

HSE Update

• Lord Young Review

• Lofstedt’s Review of Legislation

• Impact on HSE Operations

HSE Update

• 2010 Lord Young’s Review

• 2010 Review the H&S compensation culture

• Common Sense, Common Safety

• Commissioned a review of legislation

HSE Update

• Autumn 2011 - Lofstedt’s Legislation Review

• Do you know any of the changes?

HSE Update

• Hard Hats Regulations / PAT

• De-Regulation of First Aid at Work Training Courses

• RIDDOR > 3 day absences

• Production of Competent Persons Register

• Review and simplify HSE guidance

HSE Update

• 35% in head count by 2015

• Redundancies

• Closure of Infoline

• Development of a CAT based in HQ

• Change of Divisions – SANE / Midlands, Wales & SW / East and South East

Impact on HSE Intervention

• General Inspection

• Accident Investigation

• RIDDOR Disease Investigation

• Complaints

HSE Update

• Sectors which present high risk and proactive inspections remain necessary

• High risk but proactive inspection not considered a useful component of future intervention

• Sectors where proactive inspections are not justified

HSE Update

HSE to work closer with industry bodies to manage and control H&S risks and industry to take the lead

Increase Reactive Inspection

Selection criteria to follow up complaints remains unchanged

HSE Update

• Cost Recovery – Fee For Intervention

• Cost of enforcement of legislation should be on the law breakers not the tax payers

• FFI – once established a material breach

Summary

Fee for Intervention

>7 day absence RIDDOR

Revised guidance

Reduction in proactive inspections - targeted sectors only

Summary

• Redundancies

• Not targeted

• Loss of experienced inspectors

• Advising minimal legal requirement as opposed to best practice

HSE Update

Any Questions?