MPS Health And Safety Performance

Report: 7
Date: 23 September 2004
By: Commissioner

Summary

This report updates the Metropolitan Police Authority in respect of the MPS’s performance with regard to health and safety matters.

A. Recommendation

That members note the contents of this report.

B. Supporting information

MPS Health and Safety performance monitoring

1. In accordance with the MPS/MPA Health and Safety Policy, performance is monitored by:

• obtaining and analysing relevant information on all health and safety pro-active and reactive indicators, including accidents, near misses and injuries resulting in more than three days absence. MetAIR accident data is reviewed on a monthly basis for the Management Board and on a bi-monthly basis for the Strategic Health and Safety Committee. Near miss data is also reviewed and presented to the Strategic Health and Safety Committee. The Health and Safety Branch monitors all trends and intervenes where necessary. The Branch also disseminates lessons learned from near misses. A summary report of accident data reported over the period April 2003 to July 2004 can be found at Appendix 2.
• the Strategic Health and Safety Committee. The Committee, on which the MPA is represented, reviews performance on an ongoing basis, by analysing the relevant statistical data and by providing a forum for items of concern to be raised and resolved by subsequent management action.
• the Health and Safety Branch. The Branch is structured to provide strategic health and safety advice to all Business Groups. The Branch will audit the MPS to verify compliance with health and safety legislation and MPS Policy. The results from audits will be used to benchmark the performance of Business Groups, BOCUs and Departments against key performance indicators (KPIs).

MPS Health and Safety key performance targets and actual performance

2. The Health and Safety Branch has sponsored a number of performance objectives for 2004/05. They are set out in Appendix 1, along with progress against them.

Health and Safety issues of concern

3. The Branch’s analysis indicates that assaults by suspects account for a significant number of reportable incidents. The number of traffic-related accidents is also high. Initiatives to reduce the incidents in these two categories include:

• enhanced Office Safety Training for police officers;
• the introduction of a pass mark for Police Community Support Officer safety training;
• the launch of the Safe Driver 2 Campaign.

Improvement notices served

4. No improvement or prohibition notices have been served on the MPS by the Health and Safety Executive during 2004/05.

C. Equality and diversity implications

There is no indication that there is a differential impact on any minority group with respect to accidents, near misses or any other relevant health and safety statistic. The Branch keeps matters under review and will take action where necessary.

D. Financial implications

Where revisions to training programmes have been recommended, the revisions will be met from local budgets. Otherwise, there are no direct financial implications arising from this report.

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

Appendix 1

Health And Safety Branch Sponsored Performance Objectives For 2004/05

1. Implement the MPS/MPA new Health and Safety Policy.

• Target - 100% implementation of new Policy in the MPS by the end of June 2004.
• Performance - All local policies have been produced. The Health and Safety Branch will verify implementation of the local policies by sample audit.

2. Reduction of accidents to Police Officers and Police Staff

• Target – to reduce major accidents by 5% over the period April 2004 to March 2005 compared to 2003/04.
• Performance – Attached at Appendix 2 is a summary of accidents reported over the period April 2003 – July 2004. In summary:
  • Analysis of the first year of data (January 2003- December 2004) from the MetAIR system indicates that the seasonal trends observed in the total number of accident notifications are similar in the MPS to other industries.
  • The total number of reports and reportable injuries has remained fairly constant overall. There is a downward trend in major and reportable injuries (i.e., accidents reportable to the HSE under the Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations) over the past few months.
  • Monthly fluctuations at individual BOCU level are usually the result of single events involving multiple injuries, often following assault by suspects and traffic related accidents.

3. Communication strategy.

• Target – Promote an effective internal and external health and safety communication strategy
• Performance:
  • External: Liaison, consultation and attendance at meetings with:
  • HSE, including high-level liaison meetings, thematic inspection planning, accident and incident reporting, proposed regulation consultation;
  • other regulatory bodies, including HMIC and the Environment Agency;
  • government departments, including the Home Office;
  • other UK and international Police Forces;
  • local Authorities;
  • Association of Chief Police Officers;
  • Association of Police Health and Safety Advisers.
  • Internal: Management Board, Strategic Health and Safety Committee, Operation GUARDIAN, Clothing Appointment Board, Death in Custody Group, Transport and Drivers Forum, Property Services Directorate (PSD) Estates Policy Group, Diamond Risk Management Group, Corporate Risk Management Group, Fire Arms Policy Group, Less Lethal Options Working Group, PSD Technical Standards Working Group, Headwear and Carriage of Equipment Working Group, Business Group specific technical committees and all (B)OCU SMTs.
  • Six monthly H&S forum with the Police Federation, Trade Unions, Superintendents Association, Occupational Health and the Property Services Department.

4. Health and Safety Training

• Target – Co-ordinate and deliver HR-sponsored health and safety training. Provide a future H&S training strategy.
• Performance:
  • The Branch is continuing to deliver HR-sponsored training courses for FY 04/05 by a contract service provider.
  • The Branch is leading a review of the current provision and requirement for all MPS health and safety training.

5. H&S Guidance Manual

• Target – Produce and distribute a health and safety manual.
• Performance – The Branch will publish the new manual in the last quarter of 2004.

6. Corporate Risk Assessments

• Target –
  • Corporate risk assessment AWARE intranet site to be fully populated with all current MPS corporate risk assessments.
  • The Branch will co-ordinate an annual review of corporate risk assessments on a quarterly rolling programme.
• Performance – AWARE intranet site fully operational.

9. Monitor lost time accidents (days lost after the day of the accident)

• Target - Monitor lost time accidents over the period Apr 04 - Mar 05.
• Performance – Ongoing.

10. Monitor near miss data.

• Target - Re-launch near miss system to raise awareness and encourage reporting.
• Performance – complete.

12. Monitor compliance first aid at work.

• Target – evaluate compliance with the First Aid at Work Regulations.
• Performance – ongoing.

12. H&S audit.

• Target – develop audit tool, questions, guidance verify AWARE compatibility by April 2004.
• Performance – The Branch plans systematically to audit the implementation of and performance against the policy, 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 action tracking of recommendations. The system is compatible with AWARE and fully operational on the MPS intranet. The Branch intends to pilot the audit tool the last quarter of 2004.

13. Audit the health and safety management system performance

• Target - Audit health and safety performance with the new audit tool.
• Performance - Sample audit Business Groups, BOCUs and Departments in the last quarter of 2004.

Appendix 2

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