Health and safety performance report

Report: 19
Date: 14 June 2010
By: Director of Human Resources and Director of Resources on behalf of the Commissioner

Summary

This report provides an overview of Health & Safety Performance.

A. Recommendation

That members note the contents of this report.

B. Supporting information

General health and safety performance update

Summary of Injuries Reported on the Metropolitan Police Accident and Incident Reporting System (MetAIR)

1. A comparison of injuries reported on the Metropolitan Police Accident and Incident Reporting System (MetAIR) between April 2008 - March 2009 and April 2009 - March 2010 is shown at Appendix 1. In summary comparing these two reference periods indicates that the:

• total accident rate fell by 20%;
• major accident rate fell by 14%;
• over three day accident rate fell by 26%;
• injuries to police officers following assault rate fell by 14%;
• injuries to PCSOs following assault rate rose by 7%;
• slip, trip and fall accident rate fell by 8%;
• moving vehicle accident rate fell by 19%.

2. The total number of injuries reported on MetAIR shows a falling trend. The last three months have seen the following total number of injuries recorded on MetAIR - January 662, February 489 and March 581. These figures are lower than the corresponding three months of 2009 (January 698, February 582 and March 581). No accidents to members of the public were reported in this quarter.

Major and over three day injuries

3. A summary of major injuries reported on MetAIR between April 2008 - March 2009 and April 2009 - March 2010 is shown at Appendix 2.

4. The period January to March 2010 shows a rise when compared to the corresponding period January to March 2009 (37 major accidents in 2009 compared to 55 major accidents in 2010). Part of this increase is associated with the increase of slip, trip and falls associated with the exceptionally bad weather conditions which occurred in January.

• Major accident total January 2010 – March 2010: 55
  • January 2010: 19
  • February 2010: 19
  • March 2010: 17

5. Of the 55 major accidents recorded on MetAIR between January and March 2010:

• 42% slipped tripped or fell (inc from height);
• 23% were classified as ‘another kind of accident’;
• 20% were physically assaulted;
• 11% hit something fixed or stationary;
• 2% were injured while handling lifting or carrying;
• 2% were hit by a moving object.

6. Training accidents accounted for 29% of the major injuries during this quarter. In summary a breakdown of these accidents against training activity is as follows:

• 37% Officer Safety Training (OST);
• 19% armed response training;
• 13% horse riding;
• 31% had a wide range of causations with no obvious trends.

7. A summary of the over three day injuries reported on MetAIR between April 2008 - March 2009 and April 2009 - March 2010 is shown at Appendix 3.

8. There was a decrease in the number of reported over three day injuries from 83 in January 2010 to 74 in March 2010, as demonstrated in the table below. The annual rolling average for the year is still decreasing significantly and the figures represent a decrease on the same period last year (January 2009 – 84 injuries; February 2009 – 88 injuries March 2009 - 77 injuries).

• Over 3 day accident total January 2010 – March 2010: 216
  • January 2010: 83
  • February 2010: 59
  • March 2010: 74
• Of the 216 over 3 day injuries recorded:
  • 26% were as a result of what is classed as ‘another kind of accident’;
  • 21% were as a result of being hit by a moving vehicle;
  • 20% were as a result of slips, trips and falls;
  • 15% from being physically assaulted.
• The remainder of 18% had a wide range of causations with no obvious trends.

Injury Following Physical Assaults on Police Officers and PCSOs

9. A summary of the injuries following assault reported on MetAIR between April 2008 - March 2009 and April 2009 - March 2010 is shown at Appendices 4 and 5.

10. There were 545 injuries following assaults recorded on MetAIR between January 2010 and March 2010, of which:

• 509 were to police officers;
• 36 were to PCSOs.

A monthly breakdown for January - March 2010 is shown in the tables below:

• Injury to Police officers following assault total January 2010 to March 2010: 509
  • January 2010: 176
  • February 2010: 153
  • March 2010: 180
• Injury to PCSOs following assaults total January 2010 to March 2010: 36
  • January 2010: 16
  • February 2010: 7
  • March 2010: 13

11. The total number of injuries following assault on police officers for January - March 2010 (509) shows a rise of 25 injuries when compared to the same three-month period last year (484); this increase will be closely monitored to validate any change in overall trend. The breakdown of the assaults on police officers for the reporting period January to March 2010 is as follows:

• 2% major injuries;
• 6% over 3 day injuries;
• 92% minor injuries.

12. The number of PCSOs who reported injuries as a result of being assaulted (36) is slightly less than the same period in 2009 (41). The breakdown of the assaults on PCSOs for the reporting period January to March 2010 is as follows:

• 2% Major Injuries;
• 6% over 3 days injuries;
• 92% minor injuries.

13. The slight increase seen injuries to PCSOs following assault rate between April 2008 - March 2009 and April 2009 - March 2010 will be closely monitored to validate any change in overall trend.

Slips, trips and falls (including falls from height)

14. A summary of the injuries following slip, trip and falls reported on MetAIR between April 2008 - March 2009 and April 2009 - March 2010, is shown at Appendix 6.

15. There were 343 injuries as a result of slips, trips and falls between January and February 2010. This number is higher than the same period in 2009 (317); this increase will be closely monitored to validate any change in overall trend.

• Slips, trips and falls total January 2010 – March 2010: 343
  • January 2010: 176
  • February 2010: 74
  • March 2010: 93

16. Of the 343 slip, trips and falls:

• 7% were major injuries;
• 12% were over 3 day injuries;
• 81% were minor injuries.

17. This reporting period reflects exceptionally bad weather conditions which occurred in January, leading to a high number of slips, trips and falls.

Hit by a Moving Vehicle (including injury from RTAs)

18. A summary of the injuries following staff being hit by moving vehicles (including RTAs) reported on MetAIR between April 2008 - March 2009 and April 2009 - March 2010, is shown at Appendix 7.

19. There was an insignificant rise in the number of injuries following being hit by a moving vehicle from 45 in January 2010 to 46 in March 2010. In the same period in 2009 there was an increase (41 to 55). The annual rolling average for this type of accident is stable.

• Hit by moving vehicle total January 2010 - March 2010: 133
  • January 2010: 45
  • February 2010: 42
  • March 2010: 46

20. Of 133 injuries:

• 47 were as a result of Road Traffic Accidents (RTAs) whilst traveling to and from work;
• the remaining 86 injuries were as a result of injuries sustained during working hours.

Replacement of the MetAIR System Under Transforming HR

21. The replacement MetAIR system under the THR project is integral to the THR IT solution. Therefore the delay in THR go-live directly affects the delivery of the MetAIR replacement. The indicative THR launch date is scheduled for the second half of 2010. It is anticipated that the new MetAIR system will go live during this period.

Contact with the HSE

22. The SHRMT continue to liaise with the HSE regarding a complaint about a workplace and DSE assessment at Harrow. A summary report has been sent to the HSE.

23. The SHRMT and Commander Olympics met with the HSE on 22 March 2010 to discuss strategic and operational planning work regarding the policing security arrangements for the Olympic Games. It was agreed that the MPS and HSE will meet quarterly and Police Gold London will also be invited to attend.

24. The SHRMT and SO14 met a delegation from the HSE on 24 March 2010 to discuss and seek guidance the on interpretation of the Working Time Regulations in relation to protection officers duty shift patterns. The HSE provided guidance and have agreed to meet the MPS again with a specialist from the Health and Safety Laboratory to provide further advice on the impact of work patterns and fatigue.

25. SHRMT with colleagues from CO19 met with the HSE at Rose Court on 03 November. The meeting was to discuss firearms instructor training following the prosecution against Thames Valley Police (TVP) and PC David Micklethwaite TVP after PC Micklethwaite shot a student during firearms awareness training. The MPS originally trained PC Micklethwaite as a firearms instructor. Following the meeting in November the HSE agreed to consult with the NPIA and respond back to the MPS with their findings. The HSE have now formally responded in a letter to the Commissioner with their findings. No further MPS action is required following the HSE investigation.

Police Officer Vehicle Related Accidents to and from work

26. An interim review was undertaken following recent fatal road traffic incidents involving officers travelling to and from work. These road traffic accidents predominantly involve motorcycles, mopeds, scooters etc. The following summarises the initial finding of this review, ongoing initiatives to reduce and understand this accident category:

• Accident summary conclusion
  • There is an apparent increasing trend of fatal accidents associated with road traffic accidents and motorcycles etc. since 2009;
  • Overall non fatal bike accidents resulting in injury on motorcycles etc. to and from work fell by approximately 20% in 2009 when compared to 2008;
  • National road accident data indicates that motorcycles etc. users account for 2% of the total number of road users yet this cohort account for approximately 20% of the number of road users either killed or seriously injured. It is not possible at this stage to compare this limited MPS data against this national trend although work is ongoing in an attempt to determine whether there is a similar trend.
• Ongoing accident research
  • Further work is ongoing to collect additional data in relation to the recent fatal injuries in an attempt to identify any obvious similar causal factors;
  • The HR Organisational Development Unit in conjunction with SHRMT and CO15 has commenced a study to look at vehicle accidents to/from work. This is based on data reported on MetAir. This study is questionnaire based and will hopefully gather data from police officers that have previously had accidents recorded on MetAir in order to get an understanding of accident causation (vehicle type, work pattern, distance travelled, time of accident, occupation, accident location, age, gender etc).
• Accident reduction initiative
  • Bike Safe is a national initiative. Within the London Metropolitan Area this national initiative is run in partnership by the MPS and Transport for London (TFL). Bike Safe is a one day course open to all members of the public and presents an opportunity for bikers to improve their general bike, observational and riding skills. The course includes briefings and two observational rides. The course is delivered by MPS traffic officers. The course is free to all members of the MPS and members of the public are charged a nominal fee. During 2009 Bike Safe trained 1405 people which included 122 members of the MPS. A recent intranet notice publicised this initiative and encouraged more MPS staff to participate. SHRMT continue to liaise with CO15 on this campaign and potential future promotion initiatives.

MPS Strategic Health and Safety Committee

27. The Director of HR recently assumed chairmanship of the MPS Strategic Health and Safety Committee under new revised Terms of Reference. The Committee aims to take an enhanced proactive and lead safety role within the MPS. In keeping this new approach, a broad range of initiatives and guidance documents were approved at the April meeting.

SHRMT Health and Safety Audits.

28. The SHRMT has audited six (B)OCUs in the second half of Financial Year (FY) 2009/10. All audits were against 101 performance standard questions arranged to mirror the 5 elements of HSG(65): policy; organisation; arrangements; monitoring; audit and review. The scores ranged from 76% to 88% (average 81%). This is a significant improvement on the average scores for FY 2006/07 (55%) and FY 2007/08 (59%).

Property Services health and safety performance update

Summary of building related accidents and incidents reported to Property Services

29. Between January 2010 and March 2010 there were 3 HSE reportable major accidents and 46 minor property related accidents involving MPA/MPS staff reported on MetAir.

30. Between January and March 2010 there were 8 HSE reportable accidents (major and over 3 day lost time) and 21 minor reported accidents involving employees of Property Services contractors. In the same period Property Services contractors reported 68 near miss incidents. The increase in the number of Near-Miss / Hazardous Situations reported represents and can be attributed to the contractors Changing Attitudes Towards Safety (CATS) reporting system which encourages employees to report any unsafe acts which could have resulted in accidents if the situation had been left uncontrolled. The data is analysed for trends and to determine where further health and safety training / procedures are required.

31. No property accidents or incidents involving members of the public have been report during this period.

Halon Replacement

32. The Home Office Scientific Branch continues to project manage Halon replacement for all UK police forces. The MPS are awaiting feed back from the Home Office following their discussions with DEFRA and the EU Commission relating to granting an extended exemption to continue the use of halon as a fire extinguishing medium.

Senior Designated Officer and Nominated Officer Training Process

33. Property Services Compliance Team in conjunction with the SHRMT have obtained approval from the MPS Strategic Health and Safety Committee to arrange pilot SDO workshop training courses with a view to finalising the course content.

Access by Authorised Personnel – to high-risk areas

34. The Property Services Compliance Team is currently liaising with DoI to evaluate and confirm the technical compatibility of the nominated electronic controlled access system. It is a statutory requirement that only authorised personnel can gain access to restricted areas of the MPS estate e.g. confined spaces, plant rooms, boiler/electrical distribution rooms and roof areas.

Letters of Assurance

35. The Director of Resources has received Statements of Health and Safety Assurance prepared by the Director of Property Services and each of the Directors within the Directorate of Resources (DoR) for their individual departments. The Director of Resources has issued a letter of Health and Safety Assurance to the Commissioner.

36. The Director of Resources has established arrangements to monitor the resulting action plans arising from the assurance process to ensure that shortfalls and areas of concern are effectively resolved.

Notifications to HSE and Enforcing Authorities

37. The MPA/MPS has been in contact with the HSE/Enforcing Authorities regarding the following specific incidents:

• HSE have advised that they wish to inspect the gantry access work to the NSY Cooling Tower and they will advise when this inspection is to take place.
• The London Fire and Emergency Planning Authority (LFEPA) have issued two contravention notices in respect of the Dangerous Substances and Explosive Atmospheres Regulations 2002/Petrolum (Consolidation) Act 1928 for fuel sites at Alperton Garage and Hendon. Facilities Maintenance (FM) is arranging to obtain the necessary certification and LFEPA have advised that they will re-inspect the premises after the 1st July 2010.

Compliance with Asbestos Regulations

38. It was reported to the MPA Corporate Governance Committee in March 2010 that due to a problem with the award of the original asbestos monitoring contract, the MPS asbestos survey programme was temporarily suspended. This matter has now been resolved and a contract has been awarded to a specialist asbestos contractor. An Asbestos survey programme has been formulated and will commence during May 2010.

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

1. To date trails for halon replacement extinguishers have indicated that there will be additional costs and changes to operational procedures. The exact costs are unknown at this time.

2. The cost implications for the provision of the approved mandatory training for SDOs and Nominated Persons are currently being assessed. Once determined consideration will be given on how best to accommodate these costs within the overall resources available to the Service.

3. A reserve of £200k has been set up for the installation of an access control system to high-risk areas within the MPS estate. This reserve is part of the £800k “Property - Statutory Energy Performance” allocation which was approved as part of the 2007/08 year-end reserve process. Following confirmation that this functionality cannot quickly be incorporated in the DOI ‘IAMS’ project, the original bespoke alternative will be progressed from this fund.

4. The costs associated with the activities set out in this report are covered by budgets held in PSD and across the MPS.

E. Legal implications

The information in this report assists the Authority in the performance of its duties under Health and Safety legislation and of its strategic oversight role as set out in the joint MPA/MPS Corporate Health and Safety Policy.

F. Background papers

• None

G. Contact details

Report author: Nick Kettle, Head of Safety and Health Risk Management and Peter Brown, Assistant Director – Head of Compliance, Property Services

For information contact:

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

Abbreviations, acronyms and definitions

MetAIR

Metropolitan Police Accident and Incident Reporting System
(The MetAIR system provides a means for reporting and collecting MPS accident data including that required to be reported to the Health and Safety Executive)

HSE

Health and Safety Executive

SHRMT

Safety and Health Risk Management Team

PTW

Powered Two Wheelers

TFL

Transport for London

FY

Financial Year

DoR

Directorate of Resources Business Group

OCU

Operational Command Unit

DEFRA

Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

CATS

Changing Attitudes Towards Safety

IAMS

Integrated Access Management System

RIDDOR

Reporting of Injuries, Diseases, Dangerous Occurrences Regulations 1995

SDO

Senior Designated Officer

LFEPA

London Fire and Emergency Planning Authority

FM

Facilities Maintenance

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