Health & Safety Best Practice Exchange

Participants at the Exchange held in January 2007 described their experience as follows:

“An excellent way to gain contacts and identify new ideas for the workplace.”
Brian Davies, Safety and Training Advisor, Zotefoams plc

“A very effective day for exchanging visions and practises about various HSE topics. It is good and refreshing to learn how others pick-up the HSE challenges.”
Christian Raaijmakers, HSE Contractor Management - NAM Shell Exploration & Production Europe

“The Health & Safety Best Practice Exchange format, of formal and informal sessions, is an excellent way to meet with ones peers and discuss common issues. The facilitator led round table discussions are always beneficial, as each participant has an equal opportunity to contribute.”
Raymond Jackson, Company Health & Safety Manager, Katsouris Fresh Foods Limited

“A very enjoyable day, I came away with some fantastic ideas that I can use to improve the procedures and practices at all of my clients. I was good to exchange ideas with people from a wide range of industry sectors.”
Simon Robson, Senior Consultant, Mallett Quality Management Ltd

“An excellent day! A very useful investment of my time, it was a great opportunity to gain new ideas and learn from other industries.”
Joanne Doak, Compliance Manager, Diageo Global Supply, Belfast

“I would urge colleagues in the Public Sector to attend this event, very worthwhile and gives an opportunity to demonstrate good practice and develop solutions to challenging topics of the day.”
Alan Gardner, Health and Safety Manager, Oxleas NHS Foundation Trust

“A very enjoyable and useful day where the view points of other health and safety professionals could be listened to and learnt from.”
John Winter, ES&H Manager, Rail Link Engineering

“A well managed opportunity to discuss how other people handle safety issues and take proven practical ideas back to your own workplace.”
Patricia Metters, Health & Safety Adviser, Southampton City College

“I went hoping that this was a worthwhile use of my time. It was more than that, it was the most valuable day I have spent in a long time.”
Steve Tupper, UK Health & Safety Manager, LogicaCMG

“The Health and Safety Best Practice Exchange is a great way of meeting other professionals and to gain insight into common problems and solutions!!”
Peter Lavin, Senior Health and Safety Officer, Eric Wright Civil Engineering

“A great place to learn and share H&S issues.”
Jason Casey, Facilities Co-ordinator Wolters, Kluwer Health

“By discussing topics with people from other industries give a broader view of the areas covered and leads to a better understanding.”
Tony Gray, Health, Safety & Environmental Manager, Procare Building Services Ltd

“Informative, refreshing and great to listen and talk to people who understand.”
Jonathan Young, H&S Officer, Lee Filters

“A good event, well organised and I made some excellent contacts.”
Allan Waters, Group Health & Safety Officer, I.M.G.

“Overall a ‘day well spent’ enabled me to identify some our strengths and weaknesses and gave the opportunity to discuss directly with others how they are tackling similar issues.”
Kev Stevenson, SHE Manager, Kettleby Foods

“A useful, well organised day for keeping up to date on H&S issues.”
Kerry Gwyther, Partner, Head of Regulatory, TLT Solicitors

“Interaction with like-minded people that enable you to come away with ideas for your own workplace.”
Colin Child, Health & Safety Manager Seaflame Company Limited

“A useful tool to help share and promote best practice, no matter what field you work in.”
Barry Grigg, Health and Safety Manager, Empire World Trade Ltd

“A useful day for receiving and exchanging ideas and best practices.”
John Turner, EHS Manager, Colorcon Ltd

“The BPE allows me gain great ideas on implementing safety best practice by proven experience not just interpreting legislation.”
Nigel Bramble, Safety & Services Manager, Langmead Farms Ltd

“A good use of a busy Facilities Manager's time - you're not alone out there!!”
Jackie Turner, Facilities Manager, Government Car and Dispatch Agency

“I would recommend this event to all health and safety professionals, it provides opportunity to meet and discuss relevant issues with other members of the profession and gain insight into what other direct assistance can be provided by BSC and others.”
Michael Cullern, Health, Safety and Environmental Manager, KPA Building and Maintenance Specialists Ltd.

“Sex, drugs and rock and roll, this event had it all, (Sex in slips, substance abuse and the better backs rock group). We need more of these type of innovative approaches in H&S.”
Rosemarie De Val, Head of Safety, The British Library

“This meeting helped me to share my expertise and to pick-up new ideas and working methods.”
Jan Verdam, Corporate Safety & Security Manager, Lamb Weston / Meijer

“An excellent advert for sharing best practice.”
Gerry O'Brien, Supply Chain and Services Manager, Ingram Micro UK Ltd

The programme was as follows:

09:30 – 10:05 Opening Plenary

Welcome and Keynote Address
David Ballard, Chief Executive, British Safety Council
Keynote speaker: Stephen Taylor, Principal Specialist Inspector, Construction Division Technology Unit, Health & Safety Executive

10:10 – 11:00 Choice of Sessions

Discussion Group: Implementing a Workforce Involvement Initiative
Facilitator: John Sewell, Health & Safety Officer, Formula One Management Ltd
* Ways to empower employees in health and safety
* Make-up of health & safety committees
* Ideas to improve employee co-operation
* How to involve staff in: communications, training, risk assessment, monitoring, audit and improvement ideas

Discussion Group: Integrating Safety and Risk Management
Facilitator: Colin Beall, Deputy Chief Safety and Environment Officer, Royal Air Force
* Is there a universal process for risk management?
* Jointly identifying the risks and hazards from business functions, activities, services/products
* Controlling risks in a unified manner to maximise success and workplace quality
* Ways to improve communication between those responsible for safety and risk management
* Enhance safety awareness by promoting a risk-informed safety culture

Discussion Group: Minimising Occupational Road Risk
Facilitator: Barry Grigg, Health and Safety Manager, Empire World Trade Limited
* Developing a risk management approach
* Risk assessment
* Practical control measures

Discussion Group: Learning from accidents and incidents
Facilitator: Alan Grinyer, Personnel and Safety Manager, St. Regis Paper Company
* Creating a culture committed to reporting and learning
* Open, team-based approaches to investigation
* Issues of training, guidance and support
* Procedures for gathering incident data
* Communicating, embedding and sharing lessons learned

Workshop: Are you ready for the workplace smoking ban?
Frankie Tierney, Partner, Herrington & Carmichael
* Premises used as a place of work and open to the public must be smoke free all the time.
* A breach could lead to a criminal conviction
* My employees know they cannot smoke on the premises but what do I do about the public?
* What do I as an employer have to do to make sure I comply with the legislation?
* My best customers are all smokers and I don't want to upset them - can I work around the rules?

Workshop: Environmental Auditing Management Systems
Howard Dawes, Training Manager, British Safety Council

Workshop: Where to begin with your legal duties in relation to H&S
Adrian Vale, Development Manager, British Safety Council

11:10 – 11:30 Refreshments & Networking

11:30 – 12:10 Choice of Sessions

Discussion Group: The Role of Occupational Health in Absence Management
Facilitator: Christopher Sawyer Health and Safety Co-ordinator, BMI Three Shires Hospital
* Legal issues relating to absence management
* Common causes of absenteeism
* Lessons learned from taking a preventative approach
* Tried and tested policies and procedures

Discussion Group: Learning from Accidents and Incidents
Facilitator: Jonathan Young, Health & Safety Officer, Lee Filters
* Creating a culture committed to reporting and learning
* Open, team-based approaches to investigation
* Issues of training, guidance and support
* Procedures for gathering incident data
* Communicating, embedding and sharing lessons learned

Discussion Group: Management of contractors
Facilitator: Alan Grinyer, Personnel and Safety Manager, St. Regis Paper Company
* Assessing the risks
* Determining what information, instruction and training is needed
* Co-operation and co-ordination between all parties
* Establishing the level of management and supervision required

Presentation: The Suite of Nationally Recognised Qualifications from British Safety Council Awards
Adam Skeens, British Safety Council
* Level 1 Certificate in Health and Safety at Work
* Level 2 Certificates in Supervising Staff Safely, Risk Assessment, COSHH Risk Assessment, DSE Risk Assessment, Fire Risk Assessment and Manual Handling Risk Assessment
* Level 3 Certificate in Occupational Safety and Health
* Level 6 Diploma in Occupational Safety and Health

Level 2 Taster Course: Manual Handling Risk Assessment
Adrian Vale, Development Manager, British Safety Council
* Manual handling theory
* Legal requirements
* Classroom experience including exercises
* Assessment process

Workshop: Requirements of the new Fire Regulations
Avril Bairstow, British Safety Council
12.20 – 13.10 Choice of Sessions

Discussion Group: Dealing with Drug, Alcohol and Other Substance Misuse
Facilitator: Nicola Strachan, H & S Environment Manager, First Group Plc
* Heightening awareness of substance misuse in the workplace
* Drafting a workable and watertight policy
* Conducting a risk assessment
* Employment law and contractual issues
* Involving outside organisations

Discussion Group: Helping Staff Minimise and Deal with Stress
* Recognising stress in the workplace
* What is good practice in managing stress in the workplace
* What can be done about the causes of stress in your organisation
* Solutions think-tank

Workshop: Introduction to Radio Frequency Identification [RFID] and its Applications Within Health & Safety
Roger Brentnall, Horizon Scanning Team, Health & Safety Laboratory
* Identifying new & emerging issues which could impact on Health & Safety
* A brief introduction to RFID technology
* An overview of current applications of RFID
* Potential applications of RFID in the Health & Safety field
* Possible implications of RFID for workplace Health & Safety

Workshop: Avoiding costly slip ups - practical solutions to slips and trips
Stephen Taylor, Principal Specialist Inspector, Construction Division Technology Unit, Health & Safety Executive
*Surface roughness and contamination
*Common flooring materials and their slip resistance
*How to test for slip resistance
*HSE/HSL Slip Assessment Tool in theory and in practice

Level 2 Taster Courses: Fire Risk Assessment followed by COSHH Risk Assessment
Adrian Vale, Development Manager, British Safety Council
Fire Risk Assessment
* Fire prevention and protection principles
* Legal requirements
* Classroom experience including exercises
* Assessment process

COSHH Risk Assessment
* Hazardous substance theory
* Legal requirements
* Classroom experience including exercises
* Assessment process

Workshop: short presentation on the Better Backs campaign followed by interactive discussion
Emmie Galilee, Stakeholder Liaison, MSD Priority Programme
The campaign aims to reduce the incidence of back pain caused or made worse by work, its impact and the number of working days lost due to back pain via a holistic approach to back pain management in the workplace.
A holistic approach involves sensible workplace precautions that reduce the risk of back pain, encouraging employers and employees/workers to work together to help people return to normal activities including work and emphasising the positive benefits of staying active with back pain.
Discussion topics can include:
* Overcoming barriers, finding solutions and implementing them
* Encouraging early reporting of symptoms
* Effective managing sickness absence and return to work schemes
* Delivering and promoting messages on self management of back pain to employees

13:10 – 14:00 Lunch & Networking

14:00 – 14:30 Choice of Sessions

Case-study presentation: Behaviour Management and Attitudes in the Workplace: Changing the Safety Management Culture in Atkins Water & Environment
David Nancarrow, Health & Safety Director, Atkins Environment
David explains how analysing strengths and weaknesses of safety management in Atkins led to a move away from a largely compliance-based approach to one in which safety leadership, culture and behaviours have become much more important. He will discuss some of the approaches used in achieving this change, including self-assessment, reflection, more enjoyable newsletters - and asking all staff what they think of H&S performance each year.

Level 2 Taster Course: General Risk Assessment
Adrian Vale, Development Manager, British Safety Council
* Principles of risk assessment
* Legal requirements
* Classroom experience including exercises
* Assessment process

Case-study presentation: 'Sights on culture, target on zero'
Neil Maycock, Director of Safety & Sustainability, Carrillion plc
A session on how Carrillion plc are using a cultural assessment and improvement model (AC2E - Awareness, Competence, Compliance and Excellence) to not only drive down accident frequency rates (0.42 at the launch of Target Zero in Oct 04 and now 0.18 - RIDDORs/100000 hours worked) but also embed a more sustainable culture.

14.40 – 15.30 Choice of Sessions

Discussion Group: Behaviour Management and Attitudes in the Workplace
Facilitator: Neil Arthur, Site Manager, Henkel Loctite
* What is the Health & Safety Culture of the staff in your workplace?
* Do staff see H&S rules as a help or a hindrance?
* Do staff wear protective equipment because they know it makes sense, or because management say that they have to?
* Is there peer pressure that discourages H&S rules being followed?
* Does the H&S Manager really have the authority to make sure H&S rules are followed?
* Are there financial incentives that might discourage the reporting of accidents?
* If staff in your workplace were asked whether they agreed with the following statements, how do you think they would answer:
- I am able to report unsafe acts
- Communication on safety is good
- I agree with Site management priorities on Safety
- I work in a safe working environment
- Site projects are managed with safety in mind
- I am asked for my input on safety issues
- Everybody on site takes Health & Safety seriously

Discussion Group: Communicating Health and Safety Issues
Facilitator: Chris Bratt, Health and Safety Manager, Teva UK
* Using all internal communications channels
* Opportunities for staff dialogue
* Promoting the benefits of health & safety management
* Catching people doing things right!
* Support and training line managers to become 'advocates'
* Creating a Health & Safety culture

Workshop: Is your business as environmentally sustainable as it could be?
Howard Dawes, Training Manager, British Safety Council

Workshop: Transport safety and manslaughter
Andrew Sanderson, Solicitor Advocate, and Chris Green, Partner, Weightmans Solicitors
* Transport Management in the workplace on the road
* Practical risk assessments
* Effective Management
* Corporate Manslaughter
* Incident response

Level 2 Taster Course: DSE Risk Assessment
Adrian Vale, Development Manager, British Safety Council
* Workstation theory
* Legal requirements
* Classroom experience including exercises
* Assessment process

15.30 – 15.45 Refreshments & Networking

15:45 – 16:30 Closing Plenary: Health & Safety, Wellness and Stress Management
Chaired by: David Ballard, Chief Executive, British Safety Council
Speakers: John Hamilton, Director of Health & Safety, Bradford & Bingley
Dr Su Wang, Group Head of Health, Royal Mail Group

16:30 Event Closes