ELECTION OF NATIONAL REPRESENTATIVE POSITIONS – 2016 
CWU Youth Committee

Further to LTB 551/16 dated 16th September 2016, please find below ballot results for the above named Delegations.
CWU YOUTH COMMITTEE – POSTAL CONSTITUENCY 
EASTERN REGION
Matthew Bellamy
Eastern No 5
20,811
 
Laura Snell  
Eastern No 4  
61,551
*Elected
SOUTH WEST REGION
Michael Goozee
Wessex South Central
42,617
*Elected
William Hunt  
Gloucestershire Amal
35,994
 

CWU YOUTH COMMITTEE – TELECOM & FINANCIAL SERVICES CONSTITUENCY
MIDLAND REGION
Daniel Coles
East Midlands
31,456
*Elected
Jaime Monsma
Midland No 1  
4,261
 
LONDON REGION
Christopher Gadeke
Capital
33,457
*Elected
William Murray
Greater London Combined
9,530
 
The branch analysis for the above ballot results are attached to this LTB.
Any enquiries regarding this Letter to Branches should be addressed to the Senior Deputy General Secretary’s Department on telephone number 020 8971 7237, or email address sdgs@cwu.org.
Yours sincerely,
 
TONY KEARNS
SENIOR DEPUTY GENERAL SECRETARY
Email Attachments – Click to download
LTB 579/16 – Election of National Representative Positions 2016 – CWU Youth Committee

Branch Analysis Spreadsheet

The Allan St. John Holt Memorial Health & Safety Lecture – Tuesday 18th October, 4pm, at Phoenix Centre, Royal Mail Mount Pleasant, Phoenix Place, London WC1X 0DG:
To: All Branches
Dear Colleagues,
As many CWU Area Safety Reps will know, the late Allan St. John Holt, was the former Royal Mail Group Head of Safety who died in service on 3 May 2007. He was a popular man, well respected by all who knew him and he devoted his life to improving the safety and health of people at work. He made a massive contribution to the subject and was the author the NEBOSH training course book, ‘Principles of health and safety at work’ – an obligatory text for many students which helped thousands of Safety Professionals, Managers and Safety Reps alike whilst studying for NEBOSH qualifications. Allan was awarded the OBE and RoSPA’s Distinguished Service Award in 2007. Allan was strongly supportive of the principle of Employers working with Trade Unions and their Safety Representatives to improve standards in the workplace and he gave great encouragement to all involved in safety and health.
As a fitting way of commemorating his life and work, Royal Mail Group together with RoSPA host an annual memorial lecture to provide a platform for challenge and debate and to stimulate fresh thinking about how to further reduce work related accidents and ill health.

This year’s Allan St John Holt OBE Memorial Lecture will be held on Tuesday 18 October 2016 at 4pm at the Phoenix Centre, Royal Mail Mount Pleasant, Phoenix Place, London WC1X 0DG. The event is free of charge to attend.
The 2016 Lecture will be given by Paul Farmer CBE – Chief Executive Officer of Mind, the leading mental health charity working in England and Wales since May 2006. Paul is Chair of the Association of Chief Executives of Voluntary Organisations (ACEVO), the leading voice of the UK’s charity and social enterprise sector. Paul is also a trustee at Lloyds Bank Foundation which invests in charities supporting people to break out of disadvantage at critical points in their lives. Paul is Chair of the NHS England Mental Health Taskforce – bringing together health and care leaders and experts in the field, including people using services, to lead a programme of work to create a mental health Five Year Forward View for the NHS in England. Paul has an Honorary Doctorate of Science from the University of East London, is an Honorary Fellow of St. Peter’s College Oxford and The Royal College of Psychiatrists, and was awarded a CBE in the New Year’s Honours 2016.
The lecture entitled “Taking care of Business” will ask the question. ‘How can good practice be embedded? Where does mental health sit in relation to Health and Safety, diversity and equality and boardroom leadership? What does good practice look like and what role should employers play in the future?’
Past Lectures
• 2015 – Geoffrey Podger CB – “Health and safety: is Britain going backwards?” 

• 2014 – Dr Clifford Mann – “The need for joined up working across Government to promote accident prevention in order to reduce pressure on the NHS”

• 2013 – Professor Richard Parish – “Building safe communities: enhancing the business contribution” Improving the Public’s Health

• 2012 – Professor Ragnar Löfstedt – “Towards a risk intelligent society.” Reclaiming health and safety for all: an independent review of health and safety legislation.

• 2011 – Rear Admiral Paul Thomas – “Engineering A Safer Future”

• 2010 – Sir Bill Callaghan –”Risk, Regulation and Rationality”

• 2009 – Lawrence Waterman –”Motes, beams and sensible safety: taking personal responsibility for professional advice?”

• 2008 – John Rimington CB –”Health and Safety – Past, Present and Future”
Those wishing to attend the Allan St John Holt 2016 Memorial lecture should contact Nick Burns Tel: 07801091380 Email: nicholas.burns@royalmail.com

Yours sincerely
Dave Joyce

National Health, Safety & Environment Officer
Email Attachments – Click to download
Attachment 1 – LTB578/16 The Allan St. John Holt Memorial H&S Lecture

 
AGREEMENT BETWEEN PARCELFORCE WORLDWIDE AND THE CWU IN REGARD TO THE USE OF THE BACKTRACK DEVICE
Dear Colleagues
Branches are informed that in 2014 the department agreed a Terms of Reference with Parcelforce Worldwide which enabled trial activity to take place in relation to a sensing device called ‘Backtrack’.
The ‘Backtrack’ system is in effect a posture monitoring device that has been developed to help reduce and prevent manual handling injuries and to assist with the rehabilitation of individuals that are suffering as a result of such occurrences. 
The ‘Backtrack’ device is a small postural monitoring data collection device which is worn on the user’s hip, i.e. fitted to a belt around the waist that records the persons’ movements during the working day. The device has a “vibration” function which alerts the user when their handling technique is poor, i.e. incorrect lifting of items or jumping down to exit a vehicle and any such alerts are recorded by the device.
The recorded data in relation to the “vibration” activations is downloaded at the end of each shift by connecting to a laptop and provides an overview of how often undue stress is being put on the persons back, which provides them with the opportunity to carry out remedial action at an early stage.
Feedback received from the trial activity at the time confirmed that the device could be of benefit to our members in regard to the above and that additionally the device could also be utilised for new inductees as a training aid in the correct manual handling techniques to be used.
Parcelforce Worldwide have now acquired 200 devices which they would like to deploy in order to realise the benefits that could be achieved for the business and their employees/our members. 
Discussions have therefore been taking place in relation to a final agreement to enable the deployment activity to commence, which have resulted in the attached agreement being concluded.
Branches and representatives will note that:
Where the availability of devices permit, the use of devices will be mandatory for new starters during their induction training.

‘Backtrack’ devices should be used on a voluntary basis as part of the medical rehabilitation process following a manual handling related accident/injury.

Backtrack’ devices should be used on a voluntary basis as part of the on-going process to identify opportunities for improvement and maintaining safe posture during handling activities.

Any individual data gathered from the device will remain personal to the individual and only used in line with the agreement for the reduction of risk of injury and to improve/ensure handling competency.

This device is not being introduced as, or will be used as, a disciplinary or attendance tool. It will not be used to entrap people or for day to day performance management processes. Equally, it will not be used to enhance the ability of managers, or the evidence available, to take disciplinary action.

The approach is intended to be as supportive as possible for Parcelforce employees. There is absolutely no intention by PFW to use this project or the remedial action in any punitive way and it will be delivered in a ‘Blame-Free’ culture.

The initiative is designed to help prevent and avoid accidents and injuries; it is not in any way about identifying liability.

Both parties agree that the whole approach to this activity should be a positive experience for the individual. Support and the opportunity to identify development areas will be provided through positive help, coaching and encouragement via local Managers, CWU Representatives and Depot Trainers.

All relevant Health & Safety consultation in relation to the ‘Backtrack’ device has been concluded.
Any enquiries in relation to this LTB should be addressed to Davie Robertson, Assistant Secretary, email: dwyatt@cwu.org or shayman@cwu.org quoting reference number: 014.10
 
Yours sincerely
 
Davie Robertson

Assistant Secretary
Email Attachments – Click to download
LTB 574/16 – AGREEMENT BETWEEN PARCELFORCE WORLDWIDE AND THE CWU IN REGARD TO THE USE OF THE BACKTRACK DEVICE

Attachment 1 – Agreement between Parcelforce Worldwide and the CWU in Regard to the Use of the Backtrack Device

CWU BLACK WORKERS CONFERENCE – FUNDRAISING EVENT MONDAY 10TH OCTOBER 2016 
We have been contacted by the Chair of the CWU Race Advisory Committee to seek support from branches for the Fundraising event prior to the CWU Black Workers Conference due to be held at the Mercure Hotel, Granby Street, Leicester, LE1 6ES on Tuesday 11th October 2016.
You will see from Amarjite Singh’s letter that the focus of the social evening will be to raise money for a number of causes including CWUHA, Last Drop and Show Racism the Red Card.
It is hoped that, as in previous years, branches can make a contribution to this. Those branches wishing to do so, should contact Linda Roy by email lroy@cwu.org or directly on 0208 971 7238.
The details of the Black Workers Fundraising Social event is as follows:-
Date: Monday 10th October 2016

Venue: The Barley Mow

Address: 149, Granby Street, Leicester, LE1 6FE

Time: 8.00pm onwards

If you have any enquiries in relation to this LTB, these should be addressed to the Equal Opportunities Department by emailing eotemp@cwu.org
Yours sincerely,
 
Dave Ward

General Secretary
Email Attachments – Click to download
Attachment 1 : LTB 577/16 – CWU Black Workers Fundraising Event

Attachment 2: Letter from RAC Chair

Re: National Joint RMG/Unions – “Safety, Health & Environment (SHE) Community Event” (Formerly Fixed Focus & Grow and Drains-Up Events) – Tues 18 October 2016 at the Phoenix Centre, Mount Pleasant, London – 10am – 3.15pm:
To: All Postal Branches

All RMG based Area Health and Safety Reps 

All Regional Health and Safety Forums
Dear colleagues,
This is to confirm the date for the National Joint RMG/Unions “SHE Community Event” For Area Safety Representatives (ASRs) (Formerly known as ‘Fixed Focus & Grow’ and before that ‘Drains-Up’ Events) which was finalised by the Royal Mail Group SHE Team this week.
The event will take place on Tuesday 18 October 2016 at the Phoenix Centre, Mount Pleasant, London. The final Agenda is attached.
The event usually takes place during European Health and Safety Week but it was not possible to secure the venue and European Health and Safety Week 2016 falls a week later than previous years and is Monday 24 – Sunday 30 October 2016 – and the theme is “Healthy Workplaces For All Ages!”
This national joint event involves both the Royal Mail Group Safety Health and Environment Team members and both CWU and Unite/CMA Area Health and Safety Reps attending where various updates and presentations will be given and there will be an opportunity during the event for ASRs to raise any issues, complaints or questions they wish raise with the RMG SHE ‘top team’ or to put forward suggestions or ideas on a “nothing ruled out” open basis.
The arrangements and Agenda have been finalised today with RMG Organisers along with details of the annual Allan St. John Holt Memorial Health and Safety Lecture which will again follow the National Joint RMG SHE/Unions ASRs Fixed Health & Safety Event.
The Allan St. John Holt Memorial Lecture will commence at 4pm and the guest speaker this year is Paul Farmer CBE the Chief Executive Officer of ‘MIND’ the Mental Health Charity. Those wishing to attend the lecture should apply directly by contacting Nick Burns Tel: 07801091380 Email: nicholas.burns@royalmail.com
Applications to attend will, as in past years, be submitted en-bloc by the CWU Regional Health and Safety Forum Secretaries (or alternatively the Chair or Assistant Secretary on his/her behalf) by completing the attached form and returning it to the Health, Safety & Environment Department by Monday 10th October 2016 at the latest in order that places can be allocated. There will be a limit on places available due to the Venue capacity but as in past years, efforts will be made to accommodate all ASRs applying to attend, so please return the form as soon as possible.
Completed application forms should be returned to: Louise Pietrzykowska (lpietrzykowska@cwu.org) or Laura Hance (lhance@cwu.org) in the Health, Safety & Environment Department.
Yours sincerely
Dave Joyce

National Health, Safety & Environment Officer
 
Email Attachments – Click to download
Attachment 1 – LTB576/16

Attachment 2 – SHE Agenda

Attachment 3 – ASR Application Form

MR TIM O’REILLY – CAPITAL BRANCH OFFICER
I am sorry to have to advise branches that Mr Tim O’Reilly a long-standing Branch Officer in the CWU Capital Branch has recently passed away.
Tim O’Reilly joined the CWU in 1987 and was a branch officer for almost 25 years before his retirement in October 2015. Throughout his career with the NCU and CWU he was an Assistant Secretary in the West End Branch and then following a merger with other branches in London became an officer of the new Capital Branch. During the 1990’s he was a delegate and representative on the London-wide Building Services Co-ordinating Committee.
Tim became more involved in representing members personally on case work – a job he very much enjoyed. During this time he also completed a CWU sponsored degree in Employment Law and the Branch and London benefitted very much from the wide knowledge he obtained during his studies.
He also became the Branch Education officer and ULR lead. He successfully established a branch and union sponsored training centre in central London where members could benefit from externally run education courses.
The Capital Branch has advised us of the funeral details as follows:-
DATE: Tuesday 4th October 2016

TIME: 1.45pm

LOCATION: Streatham Vale Cemetery

ADDRESS: Rowan Road, Streatham Vale, London, SW16 5JG

(Closest stations are: Streatham Common, then 60 or 118 bus – Mitcham Eastfields, then either buses 152 or 463)
Tim O’Reilly showed great dedication to his members over many years and we know that he will be missed by many friends and colleagues in the union. At this very sad time, our thoughts are with his close family and his dear partner Evelyn. I will on behalf of the CWU convey our deepest sympathy and condolences to them.
If you have any enquiries in relation to this LTB, these should be addressed to the General Secretary’s Office at gsoffice@cwu.org quoting the reference GS1.1/LTB 575/16.
 
Yours sincerely
 
Dave Ward

General Secretary
Email Attachments – Click to download
LTB 575/16 – MR TIM O’REILLY – CAPITAL BRANCH OFFICER

CWU and TUC Condemns Tory Government Announcement of Health and Safety Executive (HSE) Board Appointments – Ideological Anti-Trade Union Attacks Openly Continue as Government ‘Lackey’ Board Members are Appointed to Replace Trade Unionists and Diminish Trade Union Influence on UK Health & Safety Regulation and Social Partnership:

This is to update Branches, Regional Health and Safety Forums and Health and Safety Reps on the Government (DWP) announcement this month on a number of new appointments to the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) Board. The TUC, CWU, all UK Unions and the Hazards Campaign have collectively condemned the appointments which has caused outrage across the Trade Union and Labour movement.
The Lord Robens Committee report of June 1972, made recommendations to the UK Government of the day which were endorsed and enacted in the Health and Safety at Work, etc. Act 1974, and established the Health and Safety Executive enforcement body and its controlling board. Under the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974 Section 10(2), Schedule 2, entitled ‘Establishment of the Executive’, it states that the board (initially the Commission) should be a “Tripartite” body consisting of a Chairman, 3 members from employers, 3 members from trade unions and up to 4 others from organisations such as local authorities and professional bodies. Parliamentary debates of the day back in 1972/74 recorded that in the first place there will be consultation with the C.B.I., the T.U.C., local authorities and others concerned about how best to achieve the Robens objectives and that the role of the trade unions and consultation was to be greatly strengthened. All of these appointments however are qualified in the Act as follows “as he (the Minister) considers appropriate. (My emphasis/definition in brackets).
For 40 Years the process of appointing the Trade Union HSE board members was carried out in consultation with the TUC who would put forward nominees. That principle was left untouched even through the 18 years of anti-trade union Thatcher Tory government period but it was ended by the current Tory Government and previous Tory led coalition in 2014, when they undermined the independence of the UK’s safety system when Ministers refused, for the first time in history, to appoint a TUC-nominated candidate to the HSE board. TUC nominated Matt Wrack, the general secretary of the Fire Brigades Union (FBU) was rejected and instead the Department for Work Pensions (DWP) choose Jonathan Baume, the retired general secretary of the First Division Association (FDA), which represents the interests of senior civil service managers. Baume who was ‘hand-picked by the Tory government wasn’t supported or nominated by a single trade union, including the his own former Union the FDA who confirmed that it did not support Baume’s application to the HSE Board – they supported the TUC nomination! Baume who has connections within the Tory Party and several other paid government jobs is hardly a ‘Workers Representative of choice’ these days. The tripartite system which had survived almost intact for 40 years under Labour and Tory governments alike, created by Lord Robens report recommendations being adopted by Government, to ensure no decision could be made without the support of both employers and employee representatives had been ‘broken’ and was now blatantly under attack by the Tories .
As a result of the appointment of Baum in 2014, the three TUC candidates on the TUC Board were reduced to two! 
Earlier this Month, September 2016 witnessed a further outrageous blow struck against Trade Union influence in UK Health and Safety when all three of the ‘Employee’ seats came up for appointment. It wasn’t a surprise when Jonathan Baum who’s first period of office had come to an end was reappointed. However the holders of the other two Trade Union seats Sarah Veal of the TUC and former GMB General Secretary Paul Kenny were both retiring. Kevin Rowan of the TUC was appointed to replace Sarah Veal ok but Paul Kenny’s seat wasn’t even advertised and neither was the TUC consulted as they should have been! Instead the government appointed a former employer and business leader to a seat on the board of the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) that is reserved for a representative of workers’ interests. The Health and Safety at Work Act which requires the Secretary of State to appoint three employee members of the HSE after consulting organisations representing employees, and three employers’ members after consulting employers’ representatives was totally ignored. The DWP announced the new HSE Board Member replacing Paul Kenny was Susan Johnson OBE who retired last year as Chief Executive of the Durham and Darlington Fire and Rescue Service. She is also the former Chief Executive of Northern Business Forum, and Executive Director of Business Development for the Yorkshire Regional Development Agency. She was a director of Greggs plc, Legacy Trust UK and Network Rail. She is currently a Commissioner with the Equality and Human Rights Commission; a Director with the Planning Inspectorate, a Director of the Sports Ground Safety Authority and Local Partnerships; a Trustee of Durham University; and an Independent Director on the Risk and Audit Committee of Gentoo Group. It was news that shocked the TUC as Johnson is not from any trade union, she is not a health and safety activist or a safety representative, she was not nominated by any union body.
The UK’s ‘tripartite’ health and safety system is in tatters. Firstly, the Tory Government rejected TUC nomination to the HSE Board Mat Wrack, FBU General Secretary and TUC General Council member two years ago, and instead appointed ‘lackey’ Jonathon Baum to one of the three Trade Union HSE Board seats and now in 2016 with two Trade Union HSE Board Seats up for appointment they replace outgoing GMB General Secretary Paul Kenny, who retires this month, with another Government ‘lackey’ by firstly not advertising the seat, secondly not consulting the TUC and finally by putting a ‘Boss’ Susan Johnson in a vacant Trade Union Board Seat. Johnson has excellent qualifications for an employer’s representative on the HSE but there isn’t anything in her past that remotely qualifies her to speak for workers and Trade Unions! Yet here she is sitting on the HSE board representing employee interests. How on earth can that be allowed to happen, it’s a true outrage?
As a result of the appointment of Johnson and re-appointment of Baum in 2016, the three TUC candidates on the TUC Board were reduced to one!
In the UK the only organisation that is normally recognised as representing employees is the TUC and the Government has always accepted that. However no consultation with the TUC took place and they weren’t even allowed to put in a nomination because the seat wasn’t advertised – another first for this corrupt government.
The decisions not to appoint Matt Wrack and not to advertise Paul Kenny’s seat and not to replace Paul Kenny with a TUC nomination shows exactly what this terrible Tory government wants, which is a compliant board, there to administer the organisation and make sure it delivers what the government wants. It wants to suffocate any independence, any workers’ voice and any challenge to their jaundiced view. All the other so-called independent members of the HSE Board are either retired or semi-retired consultants!
The Tory government’s approach is to create a ‘complaint’ HSE board that will not challenge them on their deregulatory and cuts agenda and who will help them manage the 45 per cent cut in government funding over ten years. The board is not only getting less representative, it is becoming near invisible, with most board decisions now taken behind closed doors. In 2010, the year after the Conservative’s ousted the Labour government, ten HSE board meetings were public. But then HSE’s openness started to evaporate. By 2014, HSE was holding just eight board meetings in public. In 2015, it fell to 6. In 2016, just two HSE board meetings will be open.
The move is the latest in a series of government actions to silence the voices of working people on health and safety at work. Many of the joint industry groups that gave advice to the HSE have also been disbanded. And the right of trade unions to nominate members to the board of the Gangmaster’s Licensing Authority was recently abolished.
The government cannot appoint an employer to represent workers. It’s a blatant abuse of rules that are there to ensure a fair balance between workers and bosses. The HSE works best when employers and unions work together as equal partners, as intended by the Health and Safety at Work Act. By rejecting the consensus approach, the government is sending out a dangerous signal to bad bosses who put staff at risk by cutting corners. Along with the Trade Union Act, it’s a further attack on the ability of trade unions to protect the health and safety of working people.
This is an appalling decision which has outraged every Trade Union. The TUC is objecting in the strongest possible terms, raising the matter with the Secretary of State and the new Chair of the HSE Martin Temple.
The matter was discussed fully at last week’s TUC Union Health and Safety Specialists Committee (The Committee of Trade Union National Health and Safety Officers) subsequently the CWU Health, Safety & Environment Officer has written to both the Government and HSE protesting at Johnson’s appointment. Some Unions are currently considering legal action via a Judicial Review.
This latest move has to be seen in the context of the wider ideological attack on trade unions, including in the field of health and safety, where the Government is doing all they can to undermine and silence Unions and their Safety Reps. They already attempted this through the Trade Union Act, to reduce the time given to health and safety representatives in the public sector, even though this is a legal right and despite the irrefutable evidence that trade union health and safety representatives make workplaces much safer. However, regardless of these attacks on workers and their representatives, trade unions will continue to work and campaign for the welfare and safety of their members and unions will continue to fight to ensure that workers can go home safely at the end of the day. The best way for people to stay safe and well at work is to join a trade union so that there is a trained health and safety representative on hand when they need them.
The HSE board was set up under the Health and Safety at Work Act and has always had three employee seats and three employer seats – NOT ANY MORE.
TUC Congress Emergency Motion E6.
Following the adoption of Emergency Motion E6 at this month’s TUC Congress (supported by the CWU Delegation), on the appointment of an employer to represent workers on the board of the HSE, the TUC will be undertaking a range of political activities over the coming months aimed at getting the Government to commit to tripartism and reverse the decision.
In addition to the TUC General Secretary meeting with the Secretary of State, the TUC will be:-
seeking a meeting with the chair and other members of the DWP select committee;

briefing the opposition DWP front bench;

asking MPs to ask DWP oral Parliamentary Questions;

drafting an Early Day Motion;

preparing briefs for MPs and Peers (including the All-Party Parliamentary Group on occupational safety and health); and

requesting that MPs ask for a Westminster Hall short adjournment debate on the issue.

Parliament is currently in recess until 10th October, but preparations for these are already underway. Further details will be sent to both yourselves, and political officers, once they are finalised.
TUC Congress 2016 – Emergency motion – E6 HSE board appointment
Congress notes with deep concern and is appalled by the announcement by the government on 2 September that Susan Johnson, former Chief Executive of Durham and Darlington Fire and Rescue Service, who does not appear to have any history of worker representation, had been appointed to the executive board of the Health and Safety Executive as a representative of employees.
Congress further notes that the minister has seen fit to disregard both a convention that extends back to 1974, and the spirit and intention of the Health and Safety at Work Act, by failing to consult the TUC in making this appointment.Congress is appalled by this attack on tripartism and urgently resolves to:
i press for reassurance from the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions and the Chair of the Health and Safety Executive that the ideal of tripartism has not been abandoned and will be respected by both DWP and HSE
ii ensure that all future appointments for worker representatives will be consulted upon with the TUC before any appointments are made
iii seek to negotiate with government that the tripartite balance of the HSE executive board is restored through the appointment of two further worker representatives who actually have relevant current experience of representing workers, with those two worker seats not held by TUC nominees becoming independent board members 
iv seek the removal of Susan Johnson from the HSE board as she is not an appropriate representative of employees.
Congress demands parity on the HSE board between employers and trade unions, to ensure that workers’ health, safety and welfare interests are fully represented.
Mover: GMB

Seconder: Fire Brigades Union

Supporter: Prospect

14 September, 2016
The Hypocrisy of this Government cannot be better summed up in this instance than in the words of George Orwell who said:
All are equal, but some are more equal than others”.
Yours sincerely
Dave Joyce

National Health, Safety & Environment Officer
 
Email Attachments – Click to download
Attachment 1 – LTB571/16 CWU and TUC Condemns Tory Government Announcement of Health and Safety Executive (HSE) Board Appointments

Attachment 2 – HSE Board Member Appointments Announcement

Attachment 3 – Emergency Motion E6 HSE Board Appointment

Royal Mail Group – Safety, Health & Environment (SHE) Deployment Plan 2016/17 – (New/Revitalised SHE Standards planed, Engagement Campaigns & SHE Activities):

At a recent RMG/CWU National Health and Safety Strategic Involvement Meeting, the
RMG SHE Team provided an updated copy of their 2016/17 Deployment Plan. A copy is attached for the information of CWU ASRs and WSRs based in Royal Mail Group.
The key months to review will be September, October and November. The Deployment
Plan sets the SHE Initiatives and Communications programmed over the quarters 1 to 4 as well as items and topics planned to be built into the SHE Management Standards.
Yours sincerely
Dave Joyce

National Health, Safety & Environment Officer
Email Attachments – Click to download
Attachment 1 – LTB570/16 Royal Mail Group – Safety, Health & Environment (SHE) Deployment Plan 2016/17

Attachment 2 – SHE Deployment Plan 2016-17

Royal Mail Group – Health and Safety (First Aid) Regulations 1981 – Non-Compliant Priority Sites – Joint RMG/CWU Appeal For More First Aider Volunteers:
 

In the event of injury or sudden illness, failure to provide first aid could result in a casualty’s death. The employer should ensure that an employee who is injured or taken ill at work receives immediate attention.
 
First Aid Legal Requirements for Employers
The Health and Safety (First Aid) Regulations 1981 state that employers should provide adequate and appropriate equipment and enough trained first aiders to help injured or ill staff. The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) guidance leaflet ‘First Aid at Work Your Questions Answered (INDG214) is attached as a pdf file for your information. Employers are legally required to arrange for the immediate care of any staff who have an accident or become ill while they are at work. These Regulations apply to all workplaces including those with less than five employees and to the self-employed.
Employers must:
Assess first aid needs based on the hazards and risks involved in the workplace(s)

Provide appropriate equipment and enough trained first aiders to help injured or ill staff.First Aid Law Employers must assess the first aid needs based on the hazards and risks in the workplace or workplaces, to help determine how many first aiders are needed and what training they should have.

Things that must be considered are:

Completing a First Aid Risk (needs) Assessment

The Full First Aid at Work Regulations and Health and Safety Executive (HSE) Guidance on first aid at work regulations is available on the HSE Website at:- http://www.hse.gov.uk/firstaid/legislation.htm

The self-employed should make appropriate first aid arrangements for their working environment (even if they work from home). If they work on a site with other self-employed people, they are each responsible for making your own first aid arrangements but may choose to make joint arrangements, subject to written agreement.

The Health and Safety (First Aid) Regulations 1981 state that employers should provide adequate and appropriate equipment and enough trained first aiders to help injured or ill staff. The regulations only cover first aid arrangements for employees and do not place a legal duty on employers to make first-aid provision for non-employees such as the public or children in schools [2][3]. However, HSE strongly recommends that businesses that deal with members of the public (such as shops, retail outlets, visitors, callers offices) should also consider this in their assessment of first-aid needs and that provision is made for them.

The size of the organisation – how many first aiders are needed?

The nature of the work – are the staff at risk of specific accidents or injuries?

If there are multiple sites – do they have different hazards, and how quickly can a first aider move between them (or are first aiders needed in each site or area of a site)?

If there are any staff who:

have medical conditions – is specific training needed for these?

travel, work alone or remotely – do they need a mobile phone and first aid box in case of emergency?

work in shifts or out-of-hours – what arrangements are needed for each shift?For example large, busy Construction sites, Factories, Warehouses, Logistics Depots, Processing Plants, Delivery Units would be high risk and a small Offices with no plant, equipment, machinery, workplace transport etc, would be low risk.Role of the Health and Safety Executive and Enforcement  

HSE will prosecute in cases where there is a significant risk, a disregard for established standards or persistent poor compliance with the law.

The HSE is not required to approve first aid training and qualifications, so employers are free to choose their own first aid training provider but are responsible for ensuring the quality of training provider. The HSE provides a syllabus for appropriate content on a first aid at work course, in order to maintain high standards of first aid training. The HSE also provides a ‘due diligence checklist’ to help employers select and evaluate a first aid training provider.

Royal Mail Group – Non-Compliant Priority Sites – Appeal For First Aider Volunteers:
Discussions have been taking place between the CWU, Royal Mail Group SHJE Team, HR, Learning Services and PoFAS (Postal First Aid Association) regarding the considerable shortage of First Aiders and a joint initiative to seek more volunteers and increase the provision of Training Courses and Refresher Courses.
 
Royal Mail Group’s First Aid Risk Assessment (FARA) Tool has been overhauled and updated and an exercise completed to assess all sites. This has been a considerable exercise, chasing up sites to complete the assessments and audit results.
 
The completion of the new FARA at all sites has identified a significant legal compliance gap of First Aiders and Royal Mail Group have now shared the list of priority sites in order that the CWU via Area Health and Safety Representatives (ASR’s) and Workplace Health and Safety Representatives (WSR), CWU Branch Reps and CWU Regional Health and Safety Forums can support a joint ongoing, rolling campaign to increase the number of First Aiders and so close the compliance gap.
 
Attached is a priority site list which the RMG SHE Team are focussing attention upon. There are 650 Offices listed as non-compliant and this excludes SPDOs as the campaign at this stage is concentrating on the larger units to start with DOs, MPUs, MC, LD, RDCs etc. At the start of this campaign around 300 Offices have no First Aiders at all and its estimated that RMG needs 1000 more first aiders nationally across all businesses and all Units!
 
There are three key activities that we are jointly asking CWU Representatives to give support to:
Encourage individuals to become First Aiders at these sites.

Encourage those existing First Aiders who have recently not re-qualified to do so.

Help with understanding the barriers to individuals volunteering to become First Aiders and feedback – This will then be discussed at the National RMG/CWU/Unite.CMA Joint First Aid Steering Group.For your information, in addition to the combined activity of encouraging new / existing First aiders, there will be an ‘audit’ of the FARA returns by the RMG SHE Advisors to ensure that the assessments have been completed accurately as per the SHE Standard by Office Managers and PiCs. The identified Managers have received communications directly instructing them on the need for compliance. The SHE is support the operation in achieving compliance.  

All Royal Mail Management Enquiries should be directed to James Cannon RMG SHE Policy Manager Mobile: 07587880744 Email: james.cannon@royalmail.com

RMG will provide updated lists on a regular basis to monitor progress and I thank you in advance for your support.

The priority for now is to ensure we have the minimum required First Aid presence at sites. Managers are being required to submit requests for training to:- hrsctrainingdeliveryfirstaid@royalmail.com.

Yours sincerely
 
Dave Joyce

National Health, Safety & Environment Officer
Email Attachments – Click to download
LTB 572/16 Royal Mail Group – Health and Safety (First Aid) Regulations 1981 – Non-Compliant Priority Sites – Joint RMG/CWU Appeal For More First Aider Volunteers:

First Aid Priority Sites

First Aid at Work Your Questions