Agenda item

To present the report of the Head of Regulation and Economic Development.

The report of the Head of Regulation and Economic Development incorporating the Council’s Annual Health and Safety Report for 2023/24 was presented for the committee’s consideration. The report provided an overview of health and safety activity at the Council during the period including an analysis of accidents and incidents together with key achievements. Also included was an action plan for the following year.

The report was presented by the Principal Corporate Health and Safety Advisor who referred to two major issues as having required significant actions during the year the one being the presence of reinforced autoclave aerated concrete (RAAC) in two of the Authority’s schools and the other the outbreak of bird flu and he explained how these were dealt with. He confirmed that the number of accidents/incidents reported to the Council over the reporting period had risen and that the number of incidents of violence and aggression towards the Council’s staff and within schools where pupil behaviour is a developing issue particularly in the primary sector, had also increased. He outlined some of the factors that have contributed to these outcomes including changes in attitudes and behaviour post Covid and how these matters are being addressed. A strategic action plan to support continuous improvement in   the management of health and safety was set out which the committee was asked to approve.

The Chief Public Protection Officer confirmed the Principal Corporate Health and Safety Advisor’s analysis regarding the pressures on public facing staff including Public Protection as a front line service and the increase in incidents of aggression towards staff in the period since the pandemic.

The following were points of discussion by the committee –

• The approach towards tackling poor pupil behaviour in primary schools
• Whether the rise in incidents of aggression and abuse towards the Council’s staff needs to be escalated to a significant risk and recognised as such.
• Whether the increase in the number of slip, trip and fall accidents has cost implications for the Council

The committee was further advised that reported incidents of challenging pupil behaviour in schools are referred to the Learning Service and may result in support from the Early Intervention Team. The Council has in place policies to deal with violent incidents and abuse against staff including a Risk of Violence Marker system which identifies individuals who may pose a risk to staff; where the abuse is verbal over the phone the Managing Contact – Unacceptable Actions by Customer Policy allows staff to inform the client that their behaviour is unacceptable and to terminate the phone call. Where incidents are in a public building the perpetrator may be excluded from entry.

The Director of Function (Resources)/Section 15 Officer advised that the Council is insured for public liability and that in claiming for compensation, a claimant has to show that the Council has been negligent in not ensuring the safety of a public area/building for which it is responsible for example. The Council and its insurers routinely deal with slips, trips, and falls and there has been no notable increase in the number of such incidents. The cost of dealing with the impact of a slip or fall is difficult to quantify because if a Council employee is absent from work due to a slip or fall then depending on the type of work involved e.g. care work, it may require the engagement of temporary labour. There are therefore varying costs for different services.

It was resolved that the Governance and Audit Committee –

• Confirms that it is satisfied that the Council’s activities regarding Corporate Health and Safety adequately address the risks and priorities of the Council
• Takes assurance that reasonable measures are in place to manage health and safety risks to an acceptable level.
• Supports the implementation of the Corporate Health and Safety Action Plan.