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?
