Update on MPS health and safety performance

Report: 4
Date: 15 June 2007
By: Commissioner by the Director of Human Resources

Summary

A revised draft MPS/MPA Corporate Health and Safety Policy has received endorsement by the MPS Strategic Health and Safety Committee. The Corporate Governance Committee is requested to endorse the revised policy.

Overall, the MPS has seen a reduction in the number of injuries reported for Financial Year (FY) 2006/07 when compared to FY 2005/06.

A. Recommendation

That the Corporate Governance Committee endorse the draft MPA/MPS Corporate Health and Safety Policy; subject to Equality Impact Assessment (EIA) and MPS Management Board approval.

B. Supporting information

Summary analysis of injuries reported on MetAIR

1. At the March 2007 Corporate Governance Committee the Committee requested additional trend analysis of MetAir data. To meet this request a summary analysis of the injuries reported on MetAIR between April 2005 and March 2007 has been made (due to the technical limitations of the MetAir system this has been achieved through labour intensive analysis). In summary the rate of total injuries per thousand staff went down by just over 3% over the two years which is a decrease of 130 actual injuries, a positive trend which could still be improved on over the coming year. Further analysis by category is as follows:

Figure 1 - Major injuries (see supporting material)

Figure 1 - Major injuries

2. The rate for major accidents per thousand staff rose by 15.7% over the two year reporting period. This represents an increase of 27 major injuries from 132 in 2005/06 to 159 in 2006/07. Although this number is relatively small when looking at total staff numbers and a total number of just under 9000 reported accidents per year it is still a trend that causes concern. There are no obvious casual factors emerging at present and this trend will be closely monitored in the coming months.

Figure 2 - Over three day injuries (see supporting material)

Figure 2 - Over three day injuries

3. The rate for over-three day injuries per thousand staff has decreased by nearly 6%, representing a decrease of 62 injuries in real terms. SHRMT are also currently investigating why the peak in March 07 has occurred although there is no immediate obvious cause.

Figure 3 - Physical assaults on Police officers (see supporting material)

Figure 3 - Physical assaults on Police officers

4. The rate per thousand officers has decreased over the two-year reporting period by 9%. This is a continuing downward trend, which it is hoped will continue. The two-year trend graph shows that peaks are still being experienced around the September/October period. These results and assault injury data are communicated to the Officer Safety Training (OST) Unit at Hendon so they are able to review and improve their training as appropriate.

Figure 4 - Physical assaults on PCSOs (see supporting material)

Figure 4 - Physical assaults on PCSOs

5. The overall rate of assaults on PCSOs per thousand rose by 30% over the course of the two years. This may be partially explained by an increase in newly recruited PSCOs deployed on operational duties. This represents an actual increase from 63 to 93 assaults arising in injury (an increase of 28 injuries). However the past 12 months has seen the rate of assaults on PCSOs steadily decline as it has with police officers. The same trend as Police Officer assaults can be seen from the graph relating to peaks around September and October. Again, these figures are fed through to OST unit for their information.

Figure 5 - Slips, trips and falls (see supporting material)

Figure 5 - Slips, trips and falls

6. This category of accident has seen a reduction of 5.5% per thousand staff over the two years. This could be evidence of a successful and high profile Slips, Trips and Falls campaign run during the autumn of 2006. The trend over the two years shows that the peaks usually occur in the winter months (particularly January) although this year there has not been particularly inclement weather to account for this. It is reassuring, however, that the peak rate for 06/07 was significantly lower than the peak for the previous year, which could be due to the mild weather, or a result of the preceding campaign.

Figure 6 - Hit by a moving vehicle (see supporting material)

Figure 6 - Hit by a moving vehicle

7. The rate per thousand staff increased by 1%, which is an increase of one injury over the two years. It is intended that this figure is compared to the Police Collisions (POLCOL) database to analyse whether there is a similar trend. The trend shows that the peaks and troughs of these kinds of accidents mirror each other over the two-year period.

Near miss reporting

8. At the March 2007 MPS Corporate Governance Committee the Committee requested clarification as to the term near miss, MPS reporting procedure and example summary report.

• An MPS special notice describes the procedure for the reporting of near miss incidents that occur to officers on duty and staff at work or to members of the public affected by MPS activities. A near miss is defined as:
• A near miss is an undesired event or series of linked events that under slightly different circumstances could have resulted in harm or other loss but where no such harm or loss actually occurred.
• Near misses do not result in physical injury, property damage or any other form of loss. For example, a near miss could be a slate falling from a roof just missing a passer-by. Near misses are just that; situations where in slightly different circumstances there would be a loss of some kind. They are not simply dangerous situations or violations of safety procedures (also defined in the special notice).
• How the system operates:
  • Near misses are investigated by the most appropriate manager to prevent any future loss or injury. This person could be any manager from a local supervisor to a head of department but he or she must be the person able to learn the lessons of the incident and be able to bring the necessary resolution to the matter if there are any changes to be made as a result.
  • The investigation is commensurate with the potential seriousness of the issue. MPS Form 370 is to be used for reporting and it is accessible within corporate forms on the Intranet. The form may be printed for completion by hand or completed electronically and submitted by email. In either case, the form must be sent or given to the most appropriate senior manager who can stimulate action to address the issue.
  • The critical aspect of the system is that the near miss is reported. To counter the fear that through reporting the matter some blame may be attached to the member of staff reporting the incident, the report can be made anonymously.
  • On receipt of the form, the manager will be responsible for taking appropriate action. Where action has been taken, this should be verified as to its sufficiency and investigated further as necessary. It will be the responsibility of the manager to decide on the next course of action. Where this is a local issue relating to a system fault, physical condition or equipment failure, then action might be confined locally. In cases where the near miss could affect the MPS on a wider scale, then consultation with the SHRMT and all other relevant departments must take place. Federation safety representatives and/or Trade Union representatives must be made aware of the issue either verbally or in writing as soon as practicable.
  • A flow chart for managing near miss and the MPS Form 370 is attached at Appendix 1.
  • Once the matter has been resolved, the manager responsible will ensure that the person raising the matter (where named) and safety representatives are made aware of the outcome.
  • To encourage reporting and demonstrate management support for the system, the action taken to resolve the matter should be communicated throughout the borough or department. For example the local (B)OCU or department Health and Safety Committees. Where required, recurring issues are also fed back by safety advisors.

9. A summary report of near miss incidents is presented to the MPS Strategic Health and Safety Committee. The format for this report is attached at Appendix 2. The committee have recognised that there is significant under reporting and are about to embark on a poster and awareness campaign.

Health and Safety Executive

10. The MPS has had no Improvement or Prohibition Notices served in this reporting period.

11. A productive strategic oversight meeting was held by the Director of Human Resources with the HSE on the 25 April 2007. A further meeting is scheduled for later in the year. The HSE were given an overview presentation of the lessons learnt post Operation Theseus and Whimbrel including the concept of a Joint Safety and Health Advisory Cell. (JSHAC). The HSE raised a number of concerns that had been raised anonymously including the clarification regarding control measures for dealing with 'Cannabis Factories/Cultivation'. SCD 3 Drugs Policy Directorate is reviewing in consultation with the Senior Safety Advisor SCD.

Safety and Health Risk Management Team (SHRMT) deployment

12. Since the last Corporate Governance Committee report members of the SHRMT were deployed as follows:

• Supporting SO13 officers on a joint military and multi-agency exercise May 2007; providing technical advice and acting as safety advisor to Silver.
• Hanover Command and CT exercises in February and May 2007.

ACPO Approved Health & Safety Strategy and Standards

13. ACPO Cabinet recently approved the following Health and Safety Strategy and Standards:

The Strategy for a Healthy Police Service 2006-2010

• The strategy in this paper is based on targets, which have ministerial endorsement set by the Health and Safety Commission (HSC) for reducing sickness absence, work related injury, ill health, and fatalities by 2010. The MPS have already been working towards the national work related injury and ill health reduction targets over the past few years and have achieved significant progress e.g. reduction of police office sickness absence. In overall terms, the strategy makes clear business sense.

Health and Safety benchmarking standards

• This standards document was the outcome of a joint project between ACPO and the Home Office. The purpose of which was to establish a management benchmarking standard, which will enable forces to fulfil their obligations under Health and Safety legislation.
• The Benchmarking Standard has been subject of a full consultation process between national stakeholders including the Association of ACPO Joint Advisory Group, Home Office Health and Safety Standing Committee, HMIC, HSE, Association of Police Authorities, the Staff Associations, UNISON and other healthcare and safety professionals.
• The MPS already meets the general thrust and direction of these standards.

Local (B)OCU and department health and safety plans

14. In December 2006 Management Board and the Corporate Governance Committee were advised of the results of the first nine health and safety audits. A range of shortfalls was highlighted in the summary report including the need for (B)OCUs and departments to produce their own health and safety plans. In April 2007, Management Board endorsed the requirement for all (B)OCUs and departments to produce their own health and safety plans. This important step will provide a framework against which (B)OCUs and Department will set their own health and safety priorities and targets. The task is not considered onerous as the Safety and Health Risk Management Team (SHRMT) are producing a model template for (B)OCU and Department SMTs to follow and supporting advice will be given by safety advisors.

Smoking special notice

15. A Special Notice incorporating the new Smoking Regulations, due to come into force on 1 July, has been subject to staff consultation and will be published in June. In summary, the MPS will be fully compliant with the legislation when it takes effect in July.

Health and Safety Policy

16. The redrafted and redesigned MPA and Commissioner’s Health and Safety Policy has reached the final stages of its consultation period, and has now been endorsed by the Strategic Health and Safety Committee. The draft policy is attached at Appendix 3. This final draft is now subject to an Equality Impact Assessment (EIA). The Corporate Governance Committee is requested to endorse this draft policy, subject to the EIA approval. It is proposed that the policy should then be recommended for signature to the Commissioner, his Management Board and Chair of the MPA.

Meeting with National Police Improvement Agency (NPIA)

17. The Head of SHRMT will be meeting the NPIA to discuss the MPS approach to health and safety and to discuss the strategic direction in which the NPIA hopes to take the safety-related issues for police forces in England and Wales. The Management Board and the Corporate Governance Committee will be briefed on the outcome of this meeting.

C. Race and equality impact

1. There are no immediate implications on equality and diversity arising from this report. The team will monitor all health and safety matters, including MetAir statistics, to determine whether there is any disproportionate impact on any particular group, and, where there is, take appropriate action.

D. Financial implications

There are no immediate financial implications from this report.

E. Background papers

None

F. Contact details

Report author: Nick Kettle, Head of Safety and Health Risk Management, MPS.

For information contact:

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

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