HSE Publish Refreshed Asbestos Guidance:

The HSE has this week published refreshed, updated, Asbestos guidance.

Asbestos is the greatest cause of work-related deaths in the UK. Around 5,000 people die every year from asbestos-related diseases which typically take decades to develop and cannot be cured.

The GB Health and Safety Executive (HSE) has refreshed its website pages on ‘Guidance on Asbestos’ to help ensure legal compliance and avoidance of exposure risks, aimed at companies protecting themselves, the public and their workers.

The HSE, in launching their updated website stated that asbestos guidance has been updated in order to:

• Simplify the navigation to help people easily find the information they need.
• Remove outdated content and replace it with up-to-date, refreshed guidance.

The updated web pages include the following improvements:

1. Introduction to asbestos safety – A step guide explaining: 

• The dangers of asbestos, where you can find it and identifying if it is present
• How to comply with the law, depending on your job role
• How employers should carry out a risk assessment
• Training and information for work involving asbestos

It also summarises how to decide if a licensed asbestos contractor must do any work.

View Introduction to Asbestos safety here: 

https://www.hse.gov.uk/asbestos/introduction/index.htm

2. Duty to manage asbestos in buildings:

Guidance for the person who has a legal duty to manage asbestos in a building – the ‘dutyholder’. They must protect people from the risks of exposure to asbestos. This includes people who:

• Work in their buildings
• Use them in other ways

The step guide includes guidance on:

• What the legal duty is
• Training for ‘duty to manage’
• Who the dutyholder is, depending on the type of building etc.
• What the dutyholder must do
• Selecting a competent asbestos surveyor and checking the accuracy of the survey report
• Examples of how asbestos can be managed
• New templates and examples of an asbestos register, a site plan and an asbestos management plan

View duty to manage asbestos in buildings: 

https://www.hse.gov.uk/asbestos/duty/index.htm

3. A workers’ guide to asbestos safety

Guidance which explains what workers and their employers must do to protect themselves and others from asbestos.

The workers guide includes:

• What workers should do if they think they have found asbestos
• Workers most likely to come across asbestos

View The Workers guide to asbestos safety: 

https://www.hse.gov.uk/asbestos/workers.htm

This includes videos summarising the guidance for Workers – view here: 

https://www.hse.gov.uk/asbestos/workers.htm#video

4. Locations of asbestos and taking the right action:

This webpage includes an image gallery that can help you identify asbestos in typical locations and take the right action to minimise exposure.

For each asbestos product type, the page explains:

• Where they are found
• What they look like
• Who can work on them

View Locations of asbestos and taking the right action:

https://www.hse.gov.uk/asbestos/location-materials.htm

5. Asbestos essentials task sheets

Over 50 Asbestos Method Sheets and Task sheets for trades on how to safely carry out non-licensed work involving asbestos are located on this webpage.

6. Licensable work with asbestos

This section covers situations when work is licensable and advice for licensed contractors with the contents in four sections:

• Work with asbestos that needs a licensed contractor
• Examples of licensable work
• Information for licensed contractors
• Non-licensable work

View Licensable work with asbestos: 

https://www.hse.gov.uk/asbestos/licensing/licensed-contractor.htm

HSE ‘Guidance on Asbestos’ Website Home Page is at this link: 

https://www.hse.gov.uk/asbestos/index.htm?

HSE(NI), Health and Safety Executive Northern Ireland Website page on Asbestos is at this link: https://www.hseni.gov.uk/asbestos

Yours sincerely

Dave Joyce
National Health, Safety & Environment Officer

23LTB334 HSE Publish Refreshed Asbestos Guidance

View Online

CWU 2024 Diary

Branches who have ordered diaries should now be in receipt of them.  If you have not received your diaries or would like to place an order please email me directly.

The pocket diary is priced at £2.00 and the A5 desk diary is priced at £4.00.

We continue to offer branches bulk discount on pocket diaries only on orders of 1,000 or more for £1.50 per diary.

All completed order forms and enquiries on this LTB should be sent to me by email to mmurray@cwu.org

Kind regards,

Marcia Murray
Communications Department Team Co-ordinator

23LTB331 CWU 2024 Diary

DIARY ORDER FORM

View Online

ELECTION OF CWU DEPUTY GENERAL SECRETARY (POSTAL) – 2023

Please find attached a copy of the detailed branch analysis for the above elections.

This is being sent to the branches in electronic format only.  If any branch requires a paper copy of the branch breakdown, then this can be obtained from the Senior Deputy General Secretary’s Department.

Any enquiries regarding this LTB should be directed to the Senior Deputy General Secretary’s Department for the attention of Peter Metcalfe:

Telephone:  0208 971 7368

Email:  pmetcalfe@cwu.org

Yours sincerely,

Tony Kearns
Senior Deputy General Secretary

23LTB333

U0032_1 301123 CWU DGS(P) Branch Analysis

Electric Scooters (e-scooters) Use And The Law – Warning:

Introduction:

Further to LTB 325/23 a number of enquiries have been received in relation to the ‘legality’ of the use by members of privately owned e-scooters to commute to and from Royal Mail Group workplaces and this LTB is to provide guidance to Branches, Reps and members.

E-Scooter Safety And Accidents: 

Last year there were 1,402 reported collisions involving e-scooters, with 356 scooter riders being seriously injured, 782 being slightly injured and 12 people being killed.

The E-Scooter Law In 2023:

Rental electric scooters (e-scooters) are the only way to legally ride an e-scooter on public roads or in other public places within Government designated trial cities and areas – and even this is limited to specific boroughs. The bottom line is that it is still illegal to use privately-owned e-scooters or other powered transporters on public roads.

In short – the rules for privately owned e-scooters have not changed. It is against the law to use a privately owned e-scooter. If a person uses an e-scooter illegally:

• They could be prosecuted and face a fine
• They will receive penalty points on their drivers license
• The e-scooter can be confiscated and destroyed

CWU Advice: 

Prosecution, driver’s license penalties and driving bans can obviously affect members’ jobs if prosecuted and a driving ban results. Our advice therefore is to comply with the law of the land and not to use e-scooters on public roads, footpaths, cycle routes, pavements etc., either for social, domestic, pleasure or commuting to/from work and members who own e-scooters most certainly must not under any circumstances use them for work purposes e.g., on delivery which could result in serious conduct code action and penalties by the employer. 

Trial Areas

Department for Transport Government sanctioned e-scooter trials are taking place in these areas:

• Bournemouth and Poole
• Buckinghamshire (Aylesbury, High Wycombe and Princes Risborough)
• Cambridge
• Cheshire West and Chester (Chester)
• Derby
• Essex (Basildon, Braintree, Chelmsford and Colchester)
• Gloucestershire (Cheltenham and Gloucester)
• Great Yarmouth
• Liverpool
• London (participating boroughs)
• Milton Keynes
• Newcastle
• North and West Northamptonshire (Northampton, Kettering, Corby and Wellingborough)
• North Devon
• Norwich
• Nottingham
• Oxfordshire (Oxford)
• Salford
• Solent (Isle of Wight, Portsmouth and Southampton)
• Somerset (Taunton, Minehead and Yeovil)
• Tees Valley (Hartlepool and Middlesbrough)
• West Midlands (Birmingham)
• West of England Combined Authority (Bristol and Bath)
• York

A New Form Of Transport

The Government wants to explore new, environmentally-friendly, greener forms of transport that can be used to reduce road congestion and pollution – but need to make sure that any alternatives are safe for both users and non-users alike.

The current rental e-scooter trial is designed to help test the best ways to protect the public.

Rental e-scooters have specific safety features installed. For example, they are limited to a speed of 12.5mph and have lights that are always on throughout any rental.

The second phase of the rental trial launched on 25 September 2023 is being operated by Dott, Lime and Voi. This is in line with Department for Transport national guidance that allows e-scooter trials across the UK to run until 31 May 2024.

Use Electric Scooters Legally

The e-scooter rental scheme is the only sanctioned public road use scheme approved by the Department for Transport (DfT).

Privately-Owned E-Scooters Are Not Legal To Use On Public Roads

Currently e-scooters may be used on private land with permission from the landowner or occupier but several laws make it illegal and/or spell out the penalties if a person is caught riding one on public roads:

• Driving a motor vehicle with no insurance – the rider could be liable for a fixed penalty of £300 and six points on their driving license.
• Driving vehicles on pavements is generally an offence – this applies at all times to all types of e-scooters and powered transporters.

Some of the laws do not apply to mobility scooters or e-bikes (electrically-assisted pedal cycles) which are not treated as motor vehicles. The Gov.uk website has details of the law on powered transporters.

Scooters On Public Transport

People are not allowed to carry e-scooters or e-unicycles on TfL services or in stations or other premises on the public transport network, even when folded. This safety step comes after defective lithium-ion batteries in privately-owned e-scooters and e-unicycles caused fires on the greater London network.

E-scooter owners risk a fine of up to £1,000 if they don’t comply.

E-scooters hired under the rental e-scooters trial have always been banned from TfL services because they cannot be folded.

The E-Scooter Rental Trials

Since June 2021 electric scooters (e-scooters) have been available to rent in trial areas.

The rental e-scooters are currently provided by three different rental operators:

• Dott
• Lime
• Voi

The operators were chosen after an open and competitive process to assess their ability to meet strict safety requirements and high operating standards. (For example, the scooter batteries can be monitored to ensure they meet fire safety regulations).

Making Safety A Priority

The trial will also help better understand how e-scooters can be used safely – and how policy should be developed in the future. Trial area local authorities are charged with taking steps to ensure that anyone using a rental e-scooter rides safely and follows the rules of the road as well as guidance from the rental operator.

The safety features include:

• Riders must be 18 or over and hold at least a provisional driving license.
• The speed limit of trial e-scooters is capped at 12.5mph – they will automatically reduce speed to 8mph in ‘go slow’ areas. The trial e-scooters also come to a safe stop in ‘no-go’ zones to ensure they can be ridden safely.
• All first time riders must to do mandatory education on how to ride safely.
• The trial e-scooters are maintained to a high level and have large wheels to help navigate road surfaces more easily.
• Lights at the front and rear of the vehicles are always on throughout any rental.

Major Electric Scooter (e-scooter) Law Changes from 5 December 2023:

From December 5, 2023, all new and existing members of electric scooter trials must provide their name and drivinglicense number. In addition to this, they must submit a photograph of the front of their driving license under new minimum standards of verification.

Operators of the 30 plus e-scooter trials schemes must ensure they have robust systems in place for capturing license information, as well as storing it securely.

This is being done to ensure data can be given to the Police if it has been requested, either via a third-party provider or through the operators themselves.

Further new requirements are being introduced to ensure that license checking software, or customer service team checks, are used to check the validity of driving licenses.

Riders of electric scooters will also see changes to their experience when using apps, with the vital information now being included.

This will include the relevant age limit for the trial and the rule that the person riding the e-scooter must hold a valid driving license.

Lawyers welcome the changes with a leading spokesperson stating that the new regulations could improve safety for riders and other road users, adding that too often we see the devastating impact road collisions can have and how clients are often left needing specialist support and rehabilitation. The new legislation coming into force on December 5 is a positive step in the right direction in order to protect the safety of e-scooter users and other road users. However, the vulnerability of e-scooter users remains a concern. Calls for e-scooter training and education have arisen from various sources in order to further encourage safe e-scooter usage and protect the safety of all road users.

In 2022, there were 1,402 reported collisions involving e-scooters, with 356 users being seriously injured, 782 being slightly injured and 12 people being killed.

There is optimism from road safety experts, that the new rules will cut down on the number of younger, and potentially more unsafe riders and boost road safety for all.

• The Government has warned people about the risks they face if they use an e-scooter illegally including a fine, penalty points and the e-scooter could be confiscated, impounded and destroyed.
• Privately owned e-scooters cannot be used in public, being illegal to use without a number of legal requirements like number plates, insurance and lights.

The Planned New Transport Bill and Electric Scooter Laws:

The planned Transport Bill that would contain regulations to fully legalise electric scooters in the UK has been delayed until at least late next year – with a Government minister saying it is still studying the evidence from the ongoing rental trials.

A letter has been sent to the Prime Minister signed by more than 50 organisations urgently calling on the Government to legalise e-scooters. This includes environmental charities and campaigners, local authorities, disabled people’s organisations, micromobility operators and retailers. They are warning that the UK is at risk of falling behind the rest of Europe. They state that the current lack of certainty combined with the fact an estimated 750,000 privately owned and unregulated e-scooters are on UK roads illicitly, underscores the importance of e-scooter legislation being introduced.

Further updates will be published in due course when further law changes are announced.

Yours sincerely

Dave Joyce
National Health, Safety & Environment Officer

23LTB332 Electric Scooters (e-scooters) Use And The Law – Warning

View Online

NEW MEMBERSHIP RECORD SYSTEM PROJECT – GO-LIVE STRATEGY

Phase 1 of the new membership system project is nearly complete and we will shortly be going live. This will mean there is a new Microsoft Dynamics membership system to replace Integra and a new member portal to replace OLS.

We will need to freeze Integra and migrate all member data across to Microsoft Dynamics. This will take around five days to complete.  This is a complex body of work which is why we haven’t been able to be more specific on timings or give longer notice. However, if all goes to plan, Integra will be switched off from 5pm this Thursday 7^thDecember before Dynamics and the new member portal go-live from 5pm next Tuesday 12^thDecember.

This means there will be around five days where CWU Headquarters will not be able to update records in Integra and Branches will only be able to view records in OLS. Any changes made during the migration period will not be saved in the new system.

We understand that this is late notice of this change, however, projects such as these are extremely complex and timings are fluid. Accordingly we have to make the change as soon as we are confident that we can, hence the timelines notified in this communication.

Members will still be able to join during this time via online join but there will be a delay before their membership is confirmed.

To prepare for this outage and the switch over, we recommend the following to branches:

1. Please be aware that the new members portal is only accessible via an email sign in. As such, please go onto OLS and ensure that you have an email address associated with your personal membership record.
2. Instructions will be emailed to those with existing branch admin OLS access once we go live with the new system for you to sign up to the new member portal where you can administer your branch members.
3. During the migration period, please save member detail changes for when the new members portal is live. 
4. Keep an eye out for an email to access the new members portal. This will be sent to the email that you have on your personal member record file as detailed in point 1.

I am sure Branches familiar with OLS can appreciate the sheer amount of data that we are migrating and the complexities that this will have meant in building a brand new membership system from the ground up.  Once we go live there will be bugs to fix and ongoing improvements to be made so we appreciate your patience and feedback as we implement and improve the new system in 2024 and beyond.

I also want to take this time to thank Branch Secretaries and Administrators who took part in the user testing for the new members portal.  There will be some changes to the way that we manage and share member data and your continued feedback will shape any changes we make to the new system. Please email apps@cwu.org if you would like to get in touch about the new system.

Thank you for your patience and support during the transition to the new system. We apologise for any inconvenience this will cause.

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

23LTB330

View Online

Safety, Health and Wellbeing Live – North Event and Conference 2024 – Manchester Central Events Venue, 23/24 January 2024

The Health, Safety and Environment Department has received details of the 2024 Safety, Health and Wellbeing (SHW) Live, North Event which takes place in Manchester in January at the Manchester Central Events Venue, Windmill Street, Manchester M2 3GX on 23 January 2023 – 9:30am – 4pm and 24 January 2023 – 9:30am – 3:30pm. This is a free to attend, live event, specifically designed for Occupational Safety and Health professionals across the north of England.

The event comprises of a Health and Safety Exhibition with over 90 trade key suppliers from across the health, safety and wellbeing industry, including manufacturers, research and developers, suppliers of health and safety plant, and equipment and technical expertise exhibitors etc., providing an opportunity to stay up-to-date with all the latest developments across the health, safety and wellbeing industry.

The Conference entails two days of high-quality curated CPD-accredited content seminars and presentations on various health and safety subject matter delivered by various high profile speakers and industry leading figures, across four theatres – the Keynote Theatre, the HSM Knowledge Hub, the Wellbeing Hub and the Fire Safety Hub. These sessions are supported by key organisations including The British Safety Council, HSE, IOSH, NEBOSH and many more. Details of all available seminar sessions are listed on the website, with the following list of session topics:

• Work Stress
• Menopause In The Workplace
• Driver Safety
• Fire Safety And Evacuations Or Stay Put
• PPE
• H&S Training
• Home Office on Fire Safety
• ISO45003 – Psychological Health and Safety at Work-Guidelines For Managing Psychosocial Risks
• Enhancing Work Safety
• Falls From Height
• Achieving A Positive Safety Culture
• Strategic Approach To Workplace Wellbeing
• OSH Stakeholders Alliance
• National Integration Of Fire Policy
• Health And Safety Sentencing – Is It Working?
• Managing Psychosocial Risks In The Workplace
• Respiratory Protection
• Identifying The Responsible Person
• Fire Safety Risk Assessments
• Hazardous Substances
• Health And Safety Legislation Update
• Wellbeing In The Workplace
• Managing Mental Health In The Workplace
• Women In Health And Safety

If you are not able to attend the event or to join the seminars in person, or want to catch up, the event organisers are pleased to share a number of recordings from the free conference presentation sessions from SHW Live North 2023. To access the conference sessions go to the following link: https://www.safetyhealthwellbeing.live/sessions-manchester#/seminars/

The Manchester Central Events, Conference and Exhibitions Centre is a world-class events venue in the heart of the city. There is onsite parking at the venue and it’s easily accessible from all across the North.

There is a free networking reception party at the end of day one, open to all attendees.

The entire event and conference is free to attend subject to pre-registering for a free pass here: Click here to register now: https://linkprotect.cudasvc.com/url?a=https%3a%2f%2fsafety-health-wellbeing-live-north-2024.reg.buzz%2fwbmemail&c=E,1,UZrR7e9wuYb6MaDELxLCjZZAq8lpqXcH-8bYvORVkn8pbLhI-sR5t5VD-jwJaLTaTet431m0HP_wJbqGmwnGwzbuCNml8XSwFev7zyhP&typo=1

FOOTNOTE:

The SHP Live South Event takes place 2-3 October 2024 at the Farnborough International Centre.

Yours sincerely

Dave Joyce
National Health, Safety & Environment Officer

23LTB329 Safety, Health and Wellbeing Live – North Event and Conference 23 & 24 January 2024

View Online

CWU Young Workers Conference 2024 – Online Registration

As detailed in LTB 297/23 the CWU Young Workers Conference will be held on Wednesday 31^st January at The Mechanics Institute, 103 Princess Street, Manchester, M1 6DD.

The online registration system for registering delegates and observers to the above conference is now open.   The link to access the webpage is as follows or can be copied into the search browser:   https://conference.cwu.org

We will be using the online registration that has previously been used for conferences.   We ask that only Branch Secretaries register their delegates to the above conference.   If you experience any problems please contact conferences@cwu.org

Attached is a list of branches with numbers of young workers in the branch.  The delegation entitlement to the conference as agreed by the NEC is as follows:Number of Young MembersDelegate

entitlement1-2491250-4992500 and above3

Any enquiries regarding this LTB should be addressed to Angela Niven by email to conferences@cwu.org

Yours sincerely,

A P Kearns
Senior Deputy General Secretary

23LTB328 – CWU Young Workers Conference 2024 – Online Registration

Copy of Under 30 Count

View Online

RMG/CWU Joint Statement On Xmas Outhouses Health & Safety:

This LTB is being issued further to LTB 321/23.

Royal Mail Group Operations (in Royal Mail, Parcelforce Worldwide and Royal Mail International) have again this year set up a dedicated network of temporary outhouses, overflow, relief sites, some on temporary sites and some on in-house sites as part of the 2023 Christmas operations, to deal with and handle the increased Christmas traffic volumes.

Our apologies for the late issue of this LTB due to the late return and response of Royal Mail. We have been informed that SHE Team members including the Director of Health and Safety are all working in the operation, in Delivery Offices, instead of on health and safety!

Discussions have taken place with Royal Mail Group in relation to Health and Safety at the Temporary Outhouse Christmas Sort Centres and Satellite Offices to ensure the full access and involvement of CWU ASRs in order that they are fully engaged to undertake Health and Safety inspections, pre-start and to continue with ongoing safety inspections and spot-checks now that the Outhouses are operational.

This will enable ASRs to be fully involved, working with the RMG SHE Team, Property Team and Operational Management, to deal with any health, safety, welfare and working environment issues during occupation.

Operational Management supported by the RMG SHE Team will take responsibility for health and safety procedures in temporary outhouses, working with CWU Area Safety Representatives.

An ASR’s guide covering all the basics that ASRs need to be inspecting and checking has been issued under cover of the previous LTB 321/23.

See attached ‘Joint Statement’ which has been signed by the Royal Mail Group Director of Health and Safety (who reports directly to the new RMG CEO). This confirms commitments to; staff safety training and information including site induction training, statutory Health and Safety Notices are in place, manual handling training, new/temp employees and visitors, safe systems of work, environmental controls, adequate heating and lighting safe place of work, risk assessment, housekeeping, safe machines, plant and equipment, fault reporting, noise and dust control, fire safety and evacuation plan, first aid, ensuring all accidents and near misses are reported and investigated, emergency procedures, joint workplace safety inspections and monitoring, workplace transport and yard risk controls, continued effective vehicle and pedestrian segregation on site, PPE, emergency procedures and workplace monitoring.

RMG safety documentation has been issued with the previous LTB 321/23.

Site access and involvement of CWU Area Safety Representatives is important with these temporary outhouse sites during Xmas peak operations.

This set of clear arrangements will help overcome problems experienced in the past with Christmas ‘Outhouses’, ensuring better health and safety standards, joint working and problem solving.

The full list of Christmas Outhouses and additional in-house, on-site temporary buildings and Marquee Accommodation being used for the Christmas period are contained in LTB 321/23.

Yours sincerely

Dave Joyce
National Health, Safety & Environment Officer

23LTB327 RMG CWU Joint Statement On Xmas Outhouses Health & Safety

RM Xmas Operation Temp Outhouses Health and Safety

View Online

Royal Mail Area Representative & Royal Mail Area Representative Substitute Elections – 2023

Branches will be aware that the Senior Deputy General Secretary is required to publish a standard election timetable for the RM Area Rep/Substitute positions. The timetable applies to positions that cover more than one branch area, i.e. those RM Area Rep elections, which are currently organised by the Regional Secretary.  Accordingly, the timetable for the 2023 RM Area Rep elections is as follows: 

Nominations Open:        6^th December 2023

Nominations Close:        8^th January 2024  

In line with the above policy, I have asked Regional Secretaries to co-ordinate these elections and to contact branches and advise them of the arrangements for the positions which are subject to election within their respective areas.

Branches are reminded that candidates must have received the nomination of their own branch and if ballots are required, we will advise the respective branches of the ballot timetable in due course.

Branches should also note that any ballots will be conducted on an individual member basis of those members eligible to vote and that the costs incurred for the ballots would have to be met from the relevant Branch(s) funds. The Regional Secretary will discuss the detail of this with the Branches.

Also, please note that it has been agreed that any candidates taking part in a ballot will be entitled to submit the following biographical and election information:

1. Biographical Details up to a maximum of 100 words.
2. An Election Statement of no more than 300 words.

Please note that the biographical details and election address will need to be provided to the respective Regional Secretary by the close of nominations on 2^nd January 2024.   Any information received after this date will not be included with the ballot information. 

In addition, any elections will be conducted in line with the attached Guidelines and I would also take this opportunity to remind branches and candidates that they have a responsibility to treat fellow candidates with respect and they must ensure that no election material is published that could be deemed as either offensive or abusive.

Please note that elections for Area Representatives that fall wholly within one Branch boundary are the responsibility of the Branch, however if required, assistance can be sought from the Regional Secretary regarding these elections.

Any enquiries regarding this LTB 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

23LTB326

RM Area Reps Guidelines 2023

View Online

Royal Mail Group (SHE) Safety Flash FY23 017 – ‘E-Bikes and E-Scooters – Storage and Charging on Royal Mail/Parcelforce Premises’:

Introduction: 

Royal Mail Group’s Safety Team have issued ‘RMG SHE Safety Flash FY23 017’ which in effect does two things:

• Bans the parking/storage of private, personal e-cycles and e-scooters indoors on all Royal Mail sites due to the risk of fire.
• Bans the charging of private, personal e-cycle and e-scooter batteries on all Royal Mail sites due to the risk of fire.

Background: 

Electric bicycles and electric scooters, or e-bikes and e-scooters, are now more popular than ever. Over the past few years the UK’s cycle retailers have seen a huge growth in sales and ownership. These devices give riders a low-cost and environmentally friendly way of getting around. But, unknown to many users, the batteries that power e-bikes and e-scooters have also been known to catch on fire and cause explosions, hence the reason behind the issuing of this Safety Flash.

Electric bike sales have continued to be on the rise with around 50,000 – 60,000 sold each year in the UK compared to overall UK bike sales of over 3 million, and the evidence points towards serious growth over the next 30 years.

Electric Scooter sales have likewise continued to rapidly rise. Sales of these ‘illicit’ micromobility devices are also booming. An estimated 1 million private e-scooters are now in use on the UK’s roads, zipping along bike lanes, weaving in and out of traffic and sometimes terrorising pedestrians on the pavement despite them being illegal on UK public roads.

Media coverage and reports from the Fire Service and Police have raised awareness of the fire risk when charging lithium batteries for these electric cycles and scooters. Powered by ‘Lithium-ion’ batteries, if not used correctly, damaged or defective, over-charged, charged with faulty or the wrong charging equipment etc., these batteries can overheat, catch fire or explode. The fires give off toxic gases and burn extremely hot. Whether e-bikes or e-scooters are used as a way of commuting, getting around or just for fun, there are important safety tips to keep in mind when charging or storing these devices.

Description – The Fire Risk Danger:

The London Fire Brigade (LFB) report that fires involving lithium batteries do happen with some regularity and are the fastest growing fire risk in London. So far in 2023 the LFB have been called to, on average, an e-bike or e-scooter fire once every two days. In 2022, they attended 87 e-bike and 29 e-scooter fires, a total of 116 fires. These lithium batteries can start incredibly ferocious fires which can spread quickly and get out of control within minutes, causing a large fire. The fires have led to deaths and many injuries.

In 2021, Transport for London (TfL) banned e-scooters from London’s transport network. This is due to a number of fires on the network involving these scooters. This means people are unable to take their electric personal scooters/bikes on any TfL service; buses, trains, trams, light railway etc.

Impact/Injuries: 

Lithium battery fires have led to deaths and many injuries.

Police Action – E-Scooter Prosecutions:

Man Pays Hefty £836 Fine And Costs For Illegally Riding An Electric Scooter In Cardiff Last Year

A Cardiff Magistrates Court found Kasim Abdul Gehlan, guilty of contravening the Road Traffic Act by taking an e-scooter ride on Penlan Road last year. It is only legal to ride an e-scooter in the UK either on private land or as part of a share/rental scheme approved by the local authority. Mr. Gehlan broke the law and was driving without insurance. He was also found guilty of riding the vehicle without due care and attention and failing to stop when a police constable asked him to do so. Mr. Gehlan has been fined £660 plus £176 costs and surcharges. He also received eight points on his driving license and the e-scooter was confiscated and destroyed.

Man Gets £1,000 Fine And Six Points On His License After Borrowing Son’s E-Scooter Because He Was Running Late

James Bladen was stopped by Police after borrowing his teenage son’s e-scooter to get to a doctor’s appointment and said he had “no idea” it was illegal to ride an e-scooter anywhere but on private land. After appearing in court he was given a £1,000 fine, £56 surcharge as well as six points on his driving licence. His son’s £400 e-scooter was confiscated and destroyed.

Man Who Drove £500 Electric Scooter Without Insurance Fined By Magistrates

George Seed admitted using an e-scooter on a road without third-party insurance when he appeared at Worcester Magistrates Court.  Magistrates heard from the prosecution that Seed committed the offence in Pershore, on the B4084 River Bridge, and was stopped by an officer who spotted him.  Seed pleaded guilty and was fined £467 including costs and six penalty points were added to his licence. George Seed’s £500 e-scooter was crushed by the Police because it wasn’t road legal.

Key Messages:

Cycling to work is a healthy and environmentally friendly mode of transport but the message from Royal Mail Group is that e-bikes must be stored outside in a designated cycle storage area and not charged on Royal Mail Group (Royal Mail, Parcelforce, RMSS, RMP&FS etc.,) sites in order to reduce the risk of fires. This also applies to e-scooters. Royal Mail Group are also reminding employees that it is illegal to ride personal e-scooters on public roads, pavements, or cycle lanes.

Actions:

PiCs/Managers must ensure that e-bikes or e-scooters are stored outside in a designated storage area which has been risk-assessed.

PiCs/Managers will inform the workforce that the charging of e-bike or e-scooter batteries on Royal Mail premises is prohibited.

CWU ASR/WSR Action:

• ASRs/WSRs please ensure that this Safety Flash is communicated and brought to the attention of all appropriate delivery members in Royal Mail and Parcelforce and all parts of RMG.
• ASRs/WSRs to spot-check that the SHE Flash actions are deployed by PiCs/Managers.
• ASRs to check compliance with this matter during Workplace Safety Inspections and ensure delivery members are briefed.

Attachments: 

• Royal Mail Group (SHE) Safety Flash FY23 017 – ‘E-Bikes and E-Scooters – Storage and Charging on Royal Mail/Parcelforce Premises’.
• Electric Scooters and the Law – Fact Sheet.
• Electric Bikes: Licensing, Tax and Insurance – Fact Sheet.

Yours sincerely

Dave Joyce
National Health, Safety & Environment Officer

23LTB325 RMG (SHE) Safety Flash FY23 017 – ‘E-Bikes and E-Scooters – Storage and Charging on Royal Mail and Parcelforce Premises’

SHE Flash FY23 017- E-bike,Scooter Storage-,Charging

Electric Scooters and The Law! (Fact Sheet)

Electric bikes – licensing, tax and insurance Fact Sheet (GovUK)

View Online