Agenda item

The Authority considered the Safety, Health and Environment Annual Review Report for Lancashire Fire & Rescue Service covering the period 1 April 2017 to 31 March 2018.

As the body with ultimate responsibility for staff health, safety and environmental compliance it was important that all CFA Members were aware of performance in this respect. The report therefore provided a summary of key actions, overall progress and outturn performance in respect of accidents and near misses and carbon emissions, together with a look forward.

The report summarised the arrangements in place to deliver the Service's Health and Safety Policy and provided a summary of health, safety and environment performance data.  It included the reporting on occupational safety, health and environmental issues that had arisen during the period 1 April 2017 to 31 March 2018.

The Director of People and Development was pleased to report that the Service had again seen a very positive year in terms of overall safety, health and environment performance.  During 2011/12 the Service was successful in gaining certification to International Health and Safety (OHSAS 18001:2007) and Environmental (ISO 14001:2004) standards and the Service had been recertified without any non-conformance.  Complimentary comments had been received from the auditor with one opportunity for improvement in relation to documentation identified.  Page 65 of the document pack identified examples of improvements actions carried out during 2017/18 of which the Director of People and Development highlighted:

·        The Service continued to embed improvements in fitness with further development of the mandatory fitness testing for operational staff and provision of fitness equipment on stations;

·        An application for iPads to assist fire crews in capturing key information to further embed the Operational Assurance Framework to learn from incidents and operational activity was developed;

·        Distress Management and Self-care training had been delivered to all staff;

·        Improved PPE was provided for attending incidents;

·        A training programme had commenced using the nearly built multi-compartment firefighting prop;

·        A programme had commenced to implement National Operational Guidance;

·        The role of the Retained Support Officer was being embedded through the Strengthening and Improving of our RDS programme; and

·        Improved arrangements for staff who carried out lone working.

During 2017/18 there were 79 accidents, 98 near misses and 14 RIDOR events.  A comparison against previous performance showed the continued reduction of accidents and positive increase in near miss reporting.

A Carbon Management Plan agreed by the Resources Committee in March 2009 included a visionary target of 40% carbon emission reduction by March 2020.  The Service had achieved an overall reduction of 20% by March 2018 which equated to 878 tonnes of CO₂; this delivered savings to date of £644k.  Work would continue to improve this area.

The Director of People and Development advised that a lot of work had been done to improve the health and wellbeing of the workforce to ensure that those who worked for the Service were: engaged, motivated, healthy, resilient and returned to work quickly following absence.  A Health and Wellbeing at Work Improvement Plan had been developed and during 2017/18 a number of activities had been achieved which included training for key staff in Mental Health First Aid and a programme of selection and training for volunteers who supported their peers using structured support such as Trauma Risk Management or as Bluelight Champions through the MIND Bluelight Programme.

The report also detailed key safety, health and environmental priorities for 2018/19 which included: the implementation of revised National Guidance, the maintenance of certification standards, reducing energy and waste and the continued review of Health and Wellbeing arrangements.

RESOLVED: - That the Authority noted and endorsed the report and associated safety, health and environment performance outcomes.