Agenda item

The report was accepted and the Cabinet’s satisfaction with the report was stated.

The report was submitted by Cllr Menna Trenholme.

DECISION

The report was accepted and the Cabinet's satisfaction with the report was stated.

DISCUSSION

It was reported that the impacts of Covid-19 were still seen within this field as the normal, day-to-day work had accumulated over the pandemic period. It was detailed that service officers had been focusing on government guidance during the Covid period, as well as supporting managers when adapting to the new normal with their teams.

It was elaborated that several Council employees continued to work from home and the Council had a duty of care to ensure that they did this safely. It was reported that 2063 questionnaires had been circulated to the workforce to assess their workstations. It was confirmed that 73% of the workforce had responded to the questionnaires leading to 239 further assessments by the service.

It was reminded that there was a legal requirement to report accidents that met RIDDOR regulations (Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations 2013) to the Health and Safety Executive (HSE).

It was confirmed that there was no need to report on Covid cases and it was noted that the numbers reported under the RIDDOR system had reduced slightly lower than what had been seen in 2019.

It was stated that the levels of accidents were similar to pre-pandemic levels. It was noted that trends in terms of pattern remained internally within the Council and on a national level as manual handling and slipping and tripping were the two main causes of accidents. It was detailed that other cases of accidents varied from specific health conditions caused by the work, attacks and vehicle accidents.

It was reported that HSE had undertaken inspection visits with the Council during the past year. It was noted that they had visited two schools in the county for asbestos control as well as a visit to the Coed Ffridd Arw site in Dolgellau on waste management matters. It was confirmed that the result of these visits meant that inspectors were satisfied but the Council received a follow-up letter on minor issues which had involved an intervention fee of approximately £600. It was assured that HSE recommendations had been shared with the Property service to ensure that other schools in the county complied and to prevent similar fees.

It was explained that a number of training courses had been held by the service. It was noted that these included a Safe Leadership course for the Senior Management Team to aim towards integrating the health, safety and well-being industry into all aspects of the Council. It was detailed that Health, Safety and Well-being training had been held as well as IAct courses to assist managers to deal with mental health matters. It was explained that 93 managers had taken advantage of this training so far and that the department had received positive feedback about its content. It was mentioned that the department gathered data to see how many managers were yet to complete the training.

It was confirmed that a Health Surveillance programme within occupational health services had restarted, in accordance with statutory requirements.

Attention was drawn to the number of referrals that had reached the service over the past five years. It was reported that the number of referrals had increased in November 2022 and March 2023. It was confirmed that mental health and musculo-skeletal issues continued to be the main causes of sickness absences within the Council workforce. It was considered that these were the main causes due to public awareness of the issues and what the Council had available for its staff to deal with these issues, if they dealt with them. It was also noted that the fact the Health Board was currently dealing with problems that there was a possibility for staff to refer to the Council for support as it was quicker. It was confirmed that this created challenges within the service and that intense intervention was required.