"Challenging year" for Health and Safety Inspectors

Wednesday 27 August 2014

Staff issues and an increase in complaints made 2013 a tough year for the Health and Safety team, according to director Colin Myers.

Staff changes and demands from investigations into serious incidents "had an impact on the Inspectorate's ability to carry out proactive work", according to the annual report, which has just been published. However overall numbers of those seeking Social Security benefit as a result of work related injuries and illness fell in 2013, although complaints about working conditions rose.

During 2013 the Inspectorate undertook 88 investigations into serious accidents and incidents. 29 of these were construction related with 13 being linked to the disturbance of asbestos. This compares to 102 investigations in 2012.

The number of complaints about working conditions continued to rise. In 2011 they received 128 complaints, in 2012 this rose to 139 and last year the Inspectorate received 149 complaints.

Construction workers remain those most at risk, but the report says that construction companies are still failing to put in place 'proper planning and consideration' to the way the work is carried out safely. New legislation is therefore being planned , and it's hoped an Approved Code of Practice for Managing Health and Safety in Construction can be developed this year to go before the States in 2015.

During 2013 the Inspectorate targeted scaffold workers to ensure operatives had been trained to a nationally accredited standard. The move was prompted by a number of small contractors commencing trading. As a result 15 out of the 16 scaffold contractors in the island, were served with Improvement Notices.

Asbestos remains a major concern of the Inspectorate. In 2013 an appeal by Solent Environment Services (Asbestos) limited was heard but refused. The Inspectorate removed its approval to work in Jersey under its UK asbestos removal licence. The infringement resulted from a change in working practices which the Inspectorate believed increased operative risk, after the company was awarded a contract to remove asbestos in a block of flats. This wasn't the first time the company had been investigated.

Three companies were prosecuted in the Royal Court for health and safety offences during 2013: Cosgrove Limited, Alfa Groundworks and FDJ Construction. Jersey Gas Company Limited also appeared in court as a result of the fire in Tunnell Street on 4th July, 2012. The company is due to be sentenced on 5th September.

Social Security paid out  £451,738 in Short Term Incapacity Allowances for ill health and work related accidents, which compares to £526,453 in 2012.

49% of those who claimed social security benefits for 'ill health' blamed stress, and 45% put it down to musculo-skeletal disorders, which are injuries or disorders of the joints in the upper and lower limbs or back.

The Inspectorate said it met its key performance indicators, but the number of proactive inspections fell from 185 in 2012 to 115 last year.

Due to its small size, Jersey's Health and Safety Inspectorate receives support from the UK Health and Safety Executive. It comes under the political remit of the Social Security department and Senator Francis Le Gresley.