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?