MPS Health And Safety Policy Implementation

Report: 6
Date: 23 September 2004
By: Commissioner

Summary

This report updates the Metropolitan Police Authority with respect to the MPS’s progress on the implementation of the joint MPS/MPA Health and Safety Policy.

A. Recommendation

That members note the contents of this report.

B. Supporting information

Health And Safety Policy implementation

1. The Commissioner signed and launched the Health and Safety Policy on 14 January 2004. Since the MPA has important legal responsibilities with respect to health and safety, it was felt important that the Policy should be a joint one. Therefore, the MPA, while it consented to the launch of a joint Policy, wanted more time to consider and comment on the Policy, with a view to it being re-launched later in 2004.

2. Consequently, at the MPA Health and Safety Sub-Committee on 16 February 2004, the Sub-Committee resolved that members:

• endorse the new joint MPS/MPA Health and Safety Policy;
• note that the new Policy specifically includes the health and safety management of police staff and police buildings, including private finance initiative buildings;
• the Sub-Committee monitor the implementation of the Health and Safety Policy and review it periodically.

3. The MPA have been invited to make comment, revisions and if necessary, re-issue the joint Policy. It would be very helpful to receive the MPA’s comments by 28 October, so that the Policy can then be re-launched.

4. In accordance with the requirements of the Health and Safety Policy, all Directorates, Departments and (B)OCUs have now produced new local policies.

The system for auditing the MPS Health and Safety Policy

5. The MPS Health and Safety Branch plans systematically to audit the implementation of the Policy and the performance against it, using a new health and safety audit question-set with guidance. This new audit system has been developed using a software tool that will facilitate analysis of the results and tracking of recommendations. The Branch intends to pilot the audit system in the last quarter of 2004/05. The Chair of the MPA HR Committee attended a presentation on the audit system at the MPS Strategic Health and Safety Committee in May 2004.

C. Equality and diversity implications

The Health and Safety Policy applies to all MPS police officers and members of staff. An impact assessment has been conducted and concluded that there are no direct implications on equalities and diversity arising from this report. The Branch will, however, keep the Policy under review to determine whether there is any differential impact.

D. Financial implications

There may be limited impact on local budgets, including training budgets, in order to comply with the Policy.

E. Background papers

None

F. Contact details

Report author: Louis Backwell, Head of Health and Safety

For information contact:

MPA general: 020 7202 0202
Media enquiries: 020 7202 0217/18

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