SPDO Health and Safety Inspection and Workplace Risk Assessment Programme by Royal Mail Property Division Update

SPDO Health and Safety Inspection and Workplace Risk Assessment Programme by Royal Mail Property Division Update:
To: All Branches
Dear Colleagues,
Further to the e-mail communication to ASRs on 4 April and LTB 305/16 dated 17 May, this is an update for Area Health and Safety Representatives and Branches on the progress of the nationwide programme of SPDOs (Scale Payment Delivery Office) Health and Safety Inspections and Workplace Risk Assessments being carried under the direction of Royal Mail Property Division’s Risk & Compliance Team by two appointed Buildings Surveyors and Safety Compliance Consultant Companies, AECOMM and ARK.
The national inspections have been designed to focus on the safety arrangements of the operational working facilities for Royal Mail’s employees; including compliance areas such as Fire Safety and Alarms, work equipment, access arrangements, Electrical/Gas/Oil installations, Emergency Lighting, Water Management and Legionella control, Asbestos Surveys, Lift equipment (such as passenger and goods lifts), General Risk assessment (including Fire Risk Assessment) and welfare facilities etc.
As you are aware, RM Property has been rolling out an SPDO Programme of health and safety inspections across circa 650 SPDO sites nationally. The programme commenced in early April and is scheduled to complete by mid/late June with the exception of the extreme northern locations.
As previously reported, Royal Mail Group Property and the Union fully share concerns regarding the conditions of some SPDO Units and the need to deal with any sub-standard working conditions and poor working environments in order to achieve and maintain statutory health and safety compliance.
Attached for your information is a copy of the summary programme of SPDO Inspections which have been completed across each of the three RM Regions and schedule of those to be completed over the forthcoming month of June. Some units still have dates for inspections to be confirmed. 
RM Property has issued instructions that the detailed information should also be shared locally with the SHE team, PiC’s/Unit Managers, CWU ASRs and Unite CMA ASRs.
So far around 50% of the circa 650 SPDO sites have had a health and safety inspection by the appointed Consultants and the rest are due to be completed by mid/end of June.
Royal Mail Property Division, Risk & Compliance Team hold a weekly conference call with the Buildings Safety Consultants and the SHE team leads from all three regions (listed below) to provide updates on SPDO Programme and to deal with queries.
Summary of SPDO site H&S Inspections completed and Outstanding:-
Region
Completed
Outstanding
Total
East
178
54
232
West
59
62
121
North
95
173
268
 
If ASRs require any information regarding the SPDO Inspection Programme, dates and times for their postcode areas, please contact the following Buildings Safety consultants companies via Email:-
AECOM
North Region (Inc. Northern Ireland): – alaistair.tolson@aecom.com (Contact is Alaistair Tolson)
ARK
East & West Regions:- projectsupport@arkworkplacerisk.com (Contact is Yaz Ozcan)
 
The RMG Safety Health and Environment (SHE) Team have appointed three Regional leads and ‘one-stop’ Contact and Liaison Points, should ASRs have any questions, enquiries, input or issues they wish to ensure are addressed during the programme, as follows:-
Jayne Callaghan-Jarvis (East)
Email: jayne.f.callaghan-jarvis@royalmail.com
Tel: 07553377561
Matthew Chappell (West)
Email: matthew.chappell@royalmail.com
Tel: 07553383433
Freddie Warnock (North)
Email: freddie.warnock@royalmail.com
Tel: 07841076475
 
The RM Group Property Contact in case of Inspection/Buildings Risk Assessment Programme queries is:- 
Richard Bennion
Email: Richard.bennion@royalmail.com
Tel: 07776994419
The Royal Mail Property Division, Risk & Compliance Team have stated clearly that;
• The SPDO Programme of Inspections Schedule are fixed dates to ensure an efficient programme of completion. 

• A communication and ‘Briefing Pack’ was sent out to all SPDO’s Managers, Ops Managers and SHE Team. Managers were requested to ensure all employees who work in the SPDO’s and CWU ASR’s are fully briefed and aware of the programme. 

• RM Property has no issues with Cluster Managers/DOM’s/PiCs/Unit Managers, SHE team or CWU ASRs being present on the date of the Health and Safety inspections, attending as per the consultant’s schedule.

• Any reports produced from the inspections will be shared with Post Office Limited as part of the ‘Mailwork’ specification in order to discuss and arrange remedial action involving their agents/local Postmasters, property owners/leaseholders.

• All SPDO Inspection Programme schedules and communications have been shared with Ops, SHE, GP, POL, CWU & CMA. 

• Any queries or comments around the programme dates and times should be directed to the consultants via the email addresses above. 

• ASRs should check the dates of the proposed inspections on the programme and confirm their attendance with Ark/AECOM if they want to be present on the date of the visit. The Regional SHE Team Leads and the RM Property Risk & Compliance Team are not directly involved in the visits being scheduled or completed. The date of the visits are pre-agreed with the sub-postmaster and completed on the dates on the schedule. 
Attachment:

SPDO Inspection Programme_Scheduling Royal Mail 270516
Yours sincerely

  

Dave Joyce

National Health, Safety & Environment Officer
Email Attachments – Click to download
Attachment 1 – 16LTB352 SPDO Health and Safety Inspection and Workplace Risk Assessment Programme.docx

Attachment 2 – Copy of SPDO Inspection Programme_Scheduling Royal Mail 270516 (2).xlsx