SEC. Specialist Engineering Contractors Group HEALTH AND SAFETY STRATEGY GROUP.

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1 Specialist Engineering Contractors Group HEALTH AND SAFETY

2 Message from the Group Chairman The Specialist Engineering Contractors Group ( Group) is the focal point for the sector s efforts to improve health and safety in the construction industry. Specialist engineering contractors are in a unique position to influence and improve the industry s health and safety performance. This arises from their involvement in all aspects of the construction process, from design to installation/construction and from testing and commissioning to maintenance. Group continues to lead and co-ordinate a number of strategic initiatives across five main action areas on behalf of its member trade associations. 1. Changing attitudes 2. Co-ordination 3. Involving the workforce 4. Measuring improvements 5. Company qualification and individual certification In addition, a sixth action area, on improving occupational health will be set up in Health and safety is not a bolt-on to our activities. The Group s health and safety strategy is integral to its overall strategy for enhancing the performance of the specialist engineering sector. That strategy is aimed at reducing the level of accidents and fatalities on construction sites and improving occupational health. It includes a sector wide health and safety performance initiative and, specifically, active promotion of corporate qualification schemes and the use of established integrated teams and supply chains. Group is committed to reporting to the Government and the Health and Safety Executive on the measures being taken within our sector to improve health and safety performance. TREVOR HURSTHOUSE Group Chairman 2

3 ACTION PLAN 1 Changing Attitudes Changing Attitudes The overall strategy is to facilitate greater teamworking between all players in the sector and to promote a change of attitude towards health and safety in all employees, beginning with the Chief Executive Officer (CEO). This includes: Reminding senior management of the aims and objectives of the construction health and safety summits and continue to support these aims. Encouraging senior management to raise the profile of health and safety so that it is considered as part of the firm s drive to improve overall quality. Providing or procuring the necessary support network that will help firms meet the challenge of working with other players in the sector (such as consultants and manufacturers) to better mange health and safety risks. Group, operating through its trade associations, will encourage CEOs to commit their companies to making health and safety a part of their quality agenda. CEOs will be encouraged to: Introduce a proactive health and safety culture with proper lines of communication. Communicate throughout the company that effective health and safety management is an integral part of running a successful business since it contributes to the achievement of quality. Review their health and safety policy so that it is relevant to the needs and priorities of the business. Introduce an effective health and safety management system that is subject to regular review. Set standards that go beyond legislation (goal setting) and involve their employees in the preparation and implementation of risk assessments and safe methods of working. What Group is doing: Through its trade associations and their members Group is introducing goals for the reduction of RIDDOR - reportable accidents. Developing guidance and providing or procuring training in the adoption of integrated team and supply chain arrangements. 3

4 ACTION PLAN 2 Co-ordination Co-ordination To address the fragmented approach to health and safety in the specialist engineering sector and in the wider construction industry: The Group s Health and Safety Task Group is developing strategies and coordinating action plans to drive forward improvements in the sector. An initiative will be rolled out across Group trade associations to drive performance improvement, focus on key risks in each sector, set targets and communicate good practice in the target areas. Performance improvements will be measured using core accident statistics from each sector. Group will collaborate with other sectors of the construction industry on panindustry activities and campaigns aimed at improving the management of health and safety risks throughout the industry. The Group Health and Safety Task Group will monitor and measure the delivery of the objectives. Together with other industry bodies representing consultants, contractors and manufacturers, Group will work closely with the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) to improve health and safety performance. Group s performance improvement initiative represents a coordinated drive to raise health and safety performance across the sector and, by example, across the industry. The initiative will require participating Group trade associations to: Agree overall targets for sector-wide improvements in liaison with other Group associations. Underline the need for member company commitment in order to achieve effective health and safety management. Aim for a core accident statistics response that covers at least 75% of employees 1 and to measure progress towards the target 2. Identify at least two key risk areas for the sector (at least one for safety and one for health). Embark on a programme of communicating good practice in these risk areas to support performance improvements in the sector. Exchange good and best practice information between Group trade associations (the trade associations will actively share good practice information which they make available free to their own members). Provide advice and recommendations to their member companies via newsletters, bulletins and websites 3. Disseminate lessons learnt from incidents. 1 For firms having 30 or more employees. 2 The Health and Safety Task Force has developed and introduced standard criteria for Group trade associations to enable the collection of data on accidents and illhealth at work. 3 Communication by the Group and individual trade associations will utilise existing channels, particularly the joint employer/union health and safety bodies, web pages, regular newsletters to employers and the trade press, seminars and courses and links to HSE/ Working Well Together Websites. 4

5 ACTION PLAN 3 Involving the Workforce Involving the Workforce The workforce has a crucial role to play in safeguarding their health and safety - and that of others - on site. Through its member associations Group will: Help the workforce understand that the achievement of quality in performance goes hand in hand with good health and safety performance. Discuss with trade unions, through joint industry bodies, ways of encouraging employee involvement in health and safety matters. Actively encourage the appointment of safety representatives from the workforce. This will be an ongoing process throughout the period of the HSE s Revitalising Health and Safety in Construction initiative. Group, through its trade associations and their member firms, will promote consultation with employees, help stimulate continual improvement and promote good health and safety practice. Group member trade associations and member firms will work with trade unions to improve the involvement and training of all employees in good health and safety practice. How member firms can engage with their employees: Opportunities for actively involving employees include: Site Induction Site/Protection meetings Task Safety Analysis Method Statements Consultation/Briefings Nomination of Safety Representatives Introduction of Site Safety Committees Toolbox talks/safety briefings pertinent to the task to be undertaken should be a key feature in day-to-day work instruction. Firms will be encouraged to ensure that all employees and agency employees are properly inducted; are adequately trained; and are provided with the necessary health and safety information, equipment and training. Firms should involve employee representatives in the investigation of incidents and will encourage the reporting of near miss occurrences to enable a lessons learnt culture to develop. Communication should be through established links with the trade unions and via association newsletters and employer communications with their own workforces and, additionally, through trade association and trade union newsletters and websites. 5

6 ACTION PLAN 4 Promoting Improvements Promoting Improvements Group will develop a specific initiative already introduced by one of its member associations to improve the management of health and safety risks on site. This will: Provide a more systematic and structured approach to reducing possible on-site risks. Help firms be more insistent that on-site risks are addressed before their workforces arrive on site. Measuring Improvements To overcome the lack of reliable statistical information on the level and causes of accidents and occupational ill-health Group will: Review trade associations existing accident surveys to encourage greater take-up of the collection of data that is useful to the Group. Work with the HSE and others to develop and improve Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) for use in the sector. Give priority to identifying and improving performance related to key risk areas in each sector. In conjunction with HSE and other industry bodies Group will take forward for the whole sector an initiative that has already been developed by the British Constructional Steelwork Association. The initiative is aimed at improving the management of health and safety risks on site. Organisations responsible for managing construction sites will be invited to certify that the site is safe for the specialist engineering contractor prior to its arrival on site. A certificate of safety will be signed off by both the organisation managing the site and the specialist engineering firm against a checklist that include items such as access, lighting, provision of hard standing and accommodation for site personnel. Group will develop a generic checklist for the sector that also accommodates risks relevant to the specific trades. Measuring Improvement Using standard criteria for reporting accidents, Group will develop the existing accident surveys used by its member trade associations to report on health and safety performance. It will also provide information for targeted improvement plans. Each trade association will provide annual information on its members performance with a comment on statistical reliability. Group trade associations will work to increase the number of member companies responding to accident surveys (objective, 75% of employees covered in those companies with 30 or over staff) and gauge improvements (measured against KPIs). Statistics will be published through the Group and through trade association websites. The aim is to: Cut deaths and major injuries by 40% over the next four years and by two-thirds by the end of the decade. Cut cases of work-related ill health and injury and three day plus lost time incidents by 20% over the next four years and by half by the end of the decade. Accident data will be collected over the period of the Revitalising initiative. 6

7 ACTION PLAN 5 Company Qualification & Individual Certification Company Qualification & Individual Certification Firms in the sector should be able to provide reliable evidence of their health and safety capabilities (including the extent of health and safety knowledge in their workforce) by demonstrating membership of a company qualification scheme that satisfies certain core health and safety criteria for prequalification purposes. Group will develop core prequalification health and safety criteria for company qualification schemes using existing good practice as a guideline. Group member trade associations will continue to support the Construction Skills Certification Scheme (CSCS) by promoting affiliated schemes. Our aim is to: Provide common health and safety criteria for all company qualification schemes in the sector that are acceptable to procurers in the public and private sector. Achieve the stringent targets set by the Client s Charter for certificated competence in health and safety for the workforce employed on sites. Company pre-qualification The core criteria will be communicated to other stakeholders with a view to achieving wider adoption by clients, major contractors and by other construction-linked sectors. The criteria will be put forward as an efficient and cost-effective alternative to the proliferation of health and safety vetting procedures. Group will encourage clients to provide adequate time at tender stage and at the contract award stage for evaluation of project needs relevant to health and safety. Individual competence Using existing trade association channels of communication and directly through employers to their workforce, the trade press, links with kindred bodies and through websites, Group trade associations will: encourage member firms to assess and certify the competence of their workforces and to support the use of CSCS cards and other affiliated or recognised schemes that require evidence of site safety training and competence ensure that managers and supervisors have knowledge and experience in health and safety to a standard sufficient to enable them to discharge their duties competently where specialist safety equipment is provided, ask firms to ensure that correct training in its use is given and that up-to-date records of the training are maintained invite member firms to undertake an annual review of health and safety training needs and achievements to ensure the maintenance and continuing improvement of standards. 7

8 For further information on all aspects of Group and its activities, contact: John Nelson, Executive Secretary Specialist Engineering Contractors Group Esca House, 34 Palace Court, London W2 4JG Tel: Fax: Website: The members of the Group are: Association of Plumbing and Heating Contractors British Constructional Steelwork Association Electrical Contractors Association Heating and Ventilating Contractors Association Lift and Escalator Industry Association SELECT ( Electrical Contractors Association of Scotland) These organisations represent a sector comprising over 60,000 companies and a workforce of more than 300,000. The scope of specialist engineering includes: telecommunications, electrical power and lighting, heating and ventilation, air movement and refrigeration, acoustics, ductwork, plumbing, lifts and escalators, constructional steelwork, service and maintenance, commissioning and testing, information technology, data transmission, security, automation and control systems and facilities management. The Voice of the Specialist Engineering Contractor