Canterbury City Council
Health & Safety Service Plan 2014 – 16
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CONTENTS
Service aims and objectives
3
Council objectives and plans
3
Roles and responsibilities
4
Risk-based approach
4
Proportionality
4
Consistency
4
Transparency
5
Accountability
5
Training and competence
5
Quality assurance
5
List of activities/sectors for proactive inspections by LA’s
6
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SERVICE AIMS AND OBJECTIVES
Aim of the Service
To protect the health, welfare and safety of workers, persons living in and/or visiting the
area by working with employers to achieve compliance with the Health & Safety at Work etc
Act 1974 and Regulations made thereunder.
Objectives
To provide a health and safety regulatory service that supports local business and embraces
targeted interventions, proportionality, consistency, transparency and accountability.
To deliver the health and safety service in full compliance with the ‘National Local Authority
Enforcement Code’.
To investigate major injuries, fatalities and dangerous occurrences in accordance with our
accident investigation procedure.
To respond to workplace health and safety complaints and requests for service (based on
the degree of risk).
We will strive to work in partnership with other regulators e.g. officers from other Kent
authorities and the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) to enhance the service we can offer
and take advantage of any efficiency that can be made. In addition we will work with other
internal providers such as Building Control, Licensing and Planning to seek to improve the
overall health and safety standards within the district.
COUNCIL OBJECTIVES AND PLANS
The Council’s Priorities are detailed in the Corporate Plan 2011-16. The delivery of the
Health & Safety service in Canterbury contributes mostly to the following two Pledges
Pledge 1 - We will support the growth of our economy and the number of people in work
To support this pledge the section will
 Work with businesses to ensure that they understand and meet their statutory
responsibilities
 Provide information for the public and businesses on the council website
 Support Primary Authority agreements with business to help reduce the regulatory
burden
Pledge 2 - We will strive to keep our district a safe place to live and visit
To support this pledge the section will:
 Investigate complaints regarding health and safety issues
 Respond to accident notifications
 Take appropriate action in response to breaches in health and safety law
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ROLES AND RESPONSIBILITIES
The service is a statutory regulatory service enforcing the provisions of the Health and
Safety at Work etc Act 1974 (HASWA) and the associated regulations. While the duty to
comply with the legislation rests with the employer, the Council has the role of regulator.
The health and safety officers provide a regulatory service to support, encourage, advise
and where necessary hold to account businesses to ensure they effectively manage the
occupational health and safety risks they create.
Enforcement activity is confined to the ‘commercial’ sector as the HSE enforces the law
where the principal activity of the business is manufacturing or production, transport,
construction or agriculture. The Executive is also the enforcing authority for Council owned
premises.
The Council uses a variety of means to ensure that individuals and organisations meet their
responsibilities, including education, negotiation, advice, guidance, warning letters, formal
notices and prosecutions.
RISK-BASED APPROACH TO REGULATION
The Council’s risk based intervention plan is based on tackling specific risks, which have
been identified by the HSE at national level, or at local level from research, intelligence,
complaints or accident investigations.
We will use our full range of intervention strategies to target these specific risks, using
information from primary authorities, where appropriate.
Unannounced proactive inspections will be reserved for activities and sectors published by
the HSE (see Annex 1) or where intelligence suggests risks are not effectively managed.
PROPORTIONALITY
This will be achieved by ensuring:
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Officers are properly trained and competent
Decisions will be made in accordance with the HSE Enforcement Policy Statement,
the council’s enforcement policy and the Enforcement Management Model
Complaint selection criteria are used to determine which complaints require
investigation
Accident selection criteria are used to determine which accidents require
investigation
Formal enforcement action will be published to maintain a strong deterrent effect
CONSISTENCY
Nationally published guidelines will be applied appropriately to address both local and
national priorities.
Officers will take full account of primary Authority partnerships as required.
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The council will support the training and development of officers to ensure their
competence and will maintain the internal appraisal scheme, RDNA assessments (Regulators
Development Needs Assessment) and CPD accreditation requirements.
TRANSPARENCY
Enforcement decisions will be made in line with the corporate enforcement policy.
The Council will use and direct others to use the national guidance and restricting proactive
inspection to only those specific activities/risks specified by HSE or where intelligence
suggests risks are not being effectively managed
We will provide easily accessible information on the services we provide and advice
available to business via our website and the HSE website.
Employees, their representatives and victims or their families will be kept informed of our
actions as appropriate.
Health and Safety inspection data will be published annually on the council’s website.
ACCOUNTABILITY
Service plans, interventions, enforcement and prosecution data will be published annually
on the council’s website.
Complaints by anyone dissatisfied with the service provided will be investigated in line with
the Council’s complaints investigation procedure which is published on the website.
If still not satisfied, recourse can be made to the HSE through their ‘Independent Regulatory
Challenge Panel’ which is accessible via the internet.
We will benchmark our performance against other local authorities via data returns to the
HSE and through peer reviews.
TRAINING AND COMPETENCE
Authority to appoint inspectors under the Health and Safety at Work etc Act 1974 is
delegated to the Head of Neighbourhood Services by the Council’s constitution.
Competency is maintained by ensuring officers attend appropriate technical and legal
update training and is assessed at staff appraisals.
QUALITY ASSURANCE
Health and safety data on interventions, complaints, enforcement and prosecution activity
is recorded on the councils’ ACOLAID software system. Annual statistics are sent to the HSE
via the LAE1 return. This information is published annually by the HSE on their website.
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Annex 1
List of activities/sectors for proactive inspection by LAs – only these activities falling
within these sectors or types of organisation should be subject to proactive inspection
No
1
Hazards
Legionella infection
High Risk Sectors
Premises with cooling
towers/evaporative condensers
2
Explosion caused by leaking LPG
Premises (including caravan
parks) with buried metal LPG
pipework
3
e.coli/cryptosporidium infection esp.
in children
Open Farms/Animal Visitor
Attractions
4
Fatalities/injuries resulting from
being struck by vehicles
5
Fatalities/injuries resulting from falls
from height/ amputation and
crushing injuries
Tyre fitters/ Motor Vehicle
Repairs (as part of Car Sales)
High volume
Warehousing/Distribution
Industrial retail/wholesale
premises e.g. steel stockholders,
builders/timber merchants
6
Industrial diseases (occupational
asthma/deafness)
7
Falls from height
8
Crowd control & injuries/fatalities to
the public
9
Carbon monoxide poisoning
10
Violence at work
MVR (as part of Car Sales)
Industrial retail/wholesale
premises e.g. steel stockholders,
builders/timber merchants
High volume
Warehousing/Distribution
Large scale public
events/sports/leisure facilities
e.g. motorised leisure pursuits
including off road vehicles and
track days
Commercial catering premises
using solid fuel cooking
equipment
Premises with vulnerable working
conditions (lone/night
working/cash handling e.g.
betting shops/off‐licences/care
settings) and where intelligence
indicates that risks are not being
effectively managed
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High Risk Activities
Lack of suitable
legionella control
measures
Buried metal LPG pipe
work
(For caravan parks to
communal/amenity
blocks only)
Lack of suitable micro‐
organism control
measures
Use of two‐post vehicle
lifts
Workplace transport
Workplace
transport/work at
height/cutting
machinery /lifting
equipment
Use of Isocyanate
paints
Noise and dust
Work at height
Inadequate
consideration of public
safety e.g. poor
organisation and/or
supervision of high
speed or off‐road
vehicle movements
Lack of suitable
ventilation and/or
unsafe appliances
Lack of suitable security
measures/procedures