Cyflwynwyd gan:Cllr. Menna Trenholme
Decision:
The report was accepted and the Cabinet’s satisfaction with the report was
stated.
Minutes:
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.
Awdur:Ian Jones: Head of Corporate Support Department
Supporting documents: