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Royal Mail Group – Night Workers Health Assessment 2022

As part of employers’ legal requirements under the UK Working Time Regulations 1998 (as amended in 2003, 2007 and 2009), every adult worker assigned to night shift work must be afforded the opportunity to have a periodic free health assessment. The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) enforces the night worker health assessment requirement detailed in the Working Time Regulations.

Royal Mail Group complies with this legal requirement by ensuring that all night worker employees are offered a health assessment on an annual basis. This is done through a screening questionnaire that has been compiled with guidance from Royal Mail’s occupational health provider (Optima Health).

Under the Working Time Regulations 1998, a ‘night worker’ is an employee whose regular work hours includes at least three ‘night time’ hours between 11pm to 6am unless otherwise agreed.

Night workers can be at a higher risk of physical or mental ill health than day workers, which is why this assessment is offered. The assessments are designed to support night workers’ health and wellbeing as some health conditions might need to be taken into consideration when doing night work.

While working at night doesn’t necessarily pose any significant health risks, it may worsen some existing health conditions including epilepsy, depression, anxiety and diabetes.

The health assessment helps employers to identify where night shifts are causing workers health risks. After completion, it also helps to decide how best to make reasonable adjustments. Very few health problems prevent people working nights and the assessment will help identify where any specific advice or adjustments may be needed for individual workers and/ or their manager to take account of.

A night worker health assessment will identify any risk factors associated with health condition(s) and allows advice to be obtained on how to manage them effectively. It does not necessarily mean anyone with these conditions is unsuitable for night work.

The Royal Mail health and wellbeing team are this month (August 2022) writing to all night workers about the offer of the free health assessment and inviting them to complete an on-line health questionnaire. Each completed questionnaire will then be professionally reviewed by Royal Mail’s occupational health providers (Optima Health). Those workers who are unable to use the online version of the questionnaire can ask for a paper version which they can complete and send by post. The closing date for returns is 18 September 2022.

Depending on the information individual night workers provide, if a follow-up conversation with an occupational health professional is required, the individual will be contacted to arrange a health assessment appointment which are usually held over the telephone, but can be face to face.  Individuals will be advised if further action is required. The employees’ manager will receive a report which will confirm fitness for night work and if necessary, it will contain further advice in respect of ensuring appropriate adjustments and action are taken to help and assist the employee to manage their health.

Should an assessment not be necessary, following completion of the questionnaire, there will be no further action taken and those individuals will not receive any further correspondence until the next annual night worker health assessment is due, unless a personal requirement is identified sooner.

Note: This is a ‘voluntary assessment’and workers are not obliged to complete it. All returns will be treated in the ‘strictest confidence’ and with the individual’s consent, information may be shared with Royal Mail, which could result in the worker’s line manager being informed about certain aspects i.e. if reasonable workplace adjustments are required to accommodate a health condition or disability. Employers must make reasonable adjustments to make sure workers with disabilities, or physical or mental health conditions, aren’t substantially disadvantaged when doing their jobs. This applies to all workers, including trainees, apprentices, contract workers and business partners.

The benefit of the night workers’ health assessment is that it helps identify risk factors associated with health and medical conditions which may require treatment or need advice on how to manage them effectively and where issues are identified, Royal Mail Group can take some proactive action to support the individual workers in order that they can continue to undertake their work effectively and efficiently without added difficulties and stress. Additionally, the assessments data helps Royal Mail understand any emerging health trends amongst the workforce.

Health Advice for Shift Workers:

As part of the exercise, the Royal Mail Group Occupational Health Service is distributing health advice to night workers which also contains advice on physical activity, diet, social interaction and the steps workers can take to help maintain and improve their health and minimise any adverse effects. A copy is attached.

Managers Actions:

Managers’ Actions are to deliver the attached WTLL brief during August/September and provide the attached ‘Health Advice for Shift Workers’ information sheet/hand-out to all night workers.

Support available: 

The Royal Mail Group ‘Feeling First Class’ portal has helpful support content on both mental and physical health. Visit www.rmgfirstclasssupport.co.uk or download the ‘Lifeworks’ app. New users are required to sign up using a unique invitation code, which is ‘RMG-payroll number’, for example RMG-12345678. More information is available at www.myroyalmail.com/support. You can also call First Class Support in confidence on 0345 266 5060 for health and wellbeing support.  This is available 24/7.

ASRs Actions:

Would ASRs ensure that:

• Managers have delivered the WTLL
• Night workers are fully aware of the annual health assessment,
• Night Workers have received the health and wellbeing advice and
• Night Workers are aware of the support services available to them should they require it for any reason.

IMPORTANT:

The CWU Health, Safety & Environment Department fully supports the exercise and wishes to encourage all CWU Night Workers to participate and take part.Would all CWU Health and Safety Reps remind Night Worker Members about the Health assessment and encourage them to participate and complete the questionnaires as it’s in their best health and wellbeing interests. 

The letter to all night workers, approximately 16,500 workers will be dispatched on 12 August and the deadline for completing the health assessment questionnaire is 18 September. Every CWU Member Night Shift Worker is encouraged to complete the on-line questionnaire as soon as possible before the closing date. 

Yours sincerely,

Dave Joyce
National Health, Safety & Environment Officer

22LTB330

RMG Letter to Night Workers

Questionnaire Night Worker Screening

RMG Night Workers Health Assessment WTLL 2022

Health Advice for Night Workers 2022

RMG Night Workers Health RMG Intranet Article 2022

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Royal Mail Group Fire Safety Week 8 – 14 August 2022

This week has been designated by Royal Mail Group as 2022 Fire Safety Week, beginning today on Monday 8 August.

Fire safety is of the highest importance in any building, to ensure safety of the workforce and the protection of the building and contents. Fire protection systems and procedures are a legal requirement and need to be put in place in buildings to make employees aware in the event of a fire. Employers are responsible for taking the appropriate steps to prevent fires and guarantee the workplace meets all required health and safety standards. Premises are required to provide a minimum fire safety standard, with employers having the responsibility to carry out fire risk assessments to identify, manage and reduce the risk of fire.

SHE Huddle FY22 045 – ‘Fire Safety Week’ (Copy Attached)

SHE Huddle FY22 045 entitled Fire Safety Week has been issued today informing managers that they all have a part to play to ensure that the workforce and buildings are safe from the risk of fire, stressing that it’s important that fire safety plans are reviewed and updated and that issues with fire safety are documented and recorded. Having an awareness of the common fire safety risks in RMG building is key to knowing how to prevent fires and reducing the chance of fires and the harm they cause.

Message and Managers Actions Required

The risk of fire is present in any business and Royal Mail is no different, whether it be directly at a Royal Mail Group site, at a neighbouring property or at an address being delivered too.

Fires present a serious risk to health and safety but can dramatically impact on RMG operation and ability to process and deliver mail.

The risk of fire and being injured in a fire can be dramatically reduced by having good housekeeping practices, trained staff, effective fire safety plans and testing those plans through fire drills.

Detailed below are some basic measures that managers can deploy to help to keep the workforce and buildings safe:

• Ensure that all staff are aware of the location of fire exits from the building.
• Remind all staff of the fire evacuation plan from the building, what to do if they discover a fire, what to do if they hear the alarm and where the assembly point is.
• Remind all staff of the PEEP (Personal Emergency Evacuation Plan) process and to speak with their manager if they have any questions.
• Remind front line staff to immediately leave any building they may be delivering to if they hear an alarm activate or see smoke or flames and to alert the emergency services on 999 if needed.
• Remind staff never to block fire exits with York Containers, trolleys or waste material or any other items, not even for a short period of time.
• Ensure that waste is disposed of promptly, only stored in designated areas and not allowed to accumulate in fire exits, plant rooms, under stairs, in boiler rooms or other areas that pose a risk.
• Remind staff that they should report any fire safety concerns to their manager.

Work Time Listening and Learning Brief (WTLL) SFTY 22/23 001 ‘Fire Safety Week’ (Copy Attached)

WTLL Brief SFTY 22/23 001 entitled Fire Safety Week has been issued today re-emphasising the message to managers of the importance of fire safety and focusing on SHE Calendar requirement to complete Fire Safety training by the end of August 2022 for all staff, ensuring everyone is aware of fire safety within the workplace and familiar with the actions to take in the event of discovering a fire or on hearing an alarm and that everyone is aware of the emergency evacuation plan.

WTLL Summary

• It is a SHE Calendar requirement to complete Fire Safety training by the end of August 2022.
• After training, everyone should be aware of fire safety within the workplace.
• By using the fire evacuation plan all staff should be familiar with the premises, actions in the event of an alarm, actions in the event of discovering a fire and of any specific requirements on them to act as a buddy or a fire warden.
• This year the requirement is for the training to be delivered to all staff.
• If there are any fire wardens or PiCs who have not undertaken the required online training, then they should ensure that it is completed via success factors.
• The training can also be delivered during a WTLL session.
• Fire training for all staff is available via Content on Demand – in the Health and Safety section – and takes only around 10 minutes to complete.

Message and Managers and Important Actions Required

• The safety of the workforce and customers is of critical importance to the business.
• Ensure all employees are aware of all the fire exits from the building, where the assembly points are, who the fire wardens are and what is expected of them in the event of an emergency evacuation.
• Fire safety training can save lives.
• PiCs/Managers to deliver and take part in the WTLL discussion making it as interactive as possible with the staff taking part to answer questions.
• The Fire Safety ‘Content on Demand’ Video is to be shown to all staff.

Supporting Information

• Fire safety information can be found in RMG SHE Management Standard 2 ‘Fire Risk Management’.
• Local documentation is held on the ‘Compliance Records Database’.
• Fire Safety Training is available on ‘Success Factors’ and ‘Content on Demand’.
• Any queries about fire safety should be raised with the RMG SHE Safety Advisor or you can email safety@royalmail.com

RMTV and Unit Plasma Screens (Copies Attached)

The attached three Fire Safety ‘Screenshots’ messages will be circulating on our Unit plasma screens to raise awareness and remind staff of key fire safety messages – ‘If you discover a fire’ – ‘If you hear the fire alarm’ – Actions for all Colleagues. 

Fire Safety SHE Calendar Tasks for July and August

All Unit Managers/PiCs were set RMG SHE (Safety Health and Environment) calendar task to complete as follows:

Q: Have you reviewed your Premises Fire Evacuation Plan (including PEEPs), checked people’s understanding of the evacuation procedures by carrying out a fire drill and briefed staff using the brief provided?  

Help text: You must test the effectiveness of your Premises Fire Evacuation Plan (PFEP) on each shift and where required Personal Emergency Evacuation – Plan (PEEP) and review the contents in line with the annual review.  Each annual evacuation test should be recorded in Section 3 of the Site Log Book.  Template forms can be found on the Compliance Records Database at:

https://intranet.royalmailgroup.com/BPL/BPL%20%20Group%20Safety%20%20MAIN/Forms/RMFire.aspx

Q: Have you completed and submitted the Operational Fire Risk Assessment ensuring that any subsequent actions are being progressed?  See guidance text for additional requirement relating to shared sites with residential accommodation in the building.

Help text:

https://intranet.royalmailgroup.com/BPL/BPL%20%20Group%20Safety%20%20MAIN/Forms/RMFire.aspx

If you are in a shared building and there is residential accommodation elsewhere in the property please send an email to fire.safety@royalmail.com with just a brief description of the accommodation.

Q: Have you carried out your bi-monthly inspection of the workplace?(also available on Power App)

As part of fire safety week, remember to check fire doors aren’t wedged open and fire exits are clear and unobstructed.

Help text: Remember to focus on fire safety as part of your inspection: carry out visual check of building to ensure that fire doors are not wedged open, check that all the fire exit routes are clear, are openable and are unobstructed outside.

You can complete your inspection across the month rather than in one complete tour of the unit if you find this easier.  Now available as a form on Power App.

When you carry out your workplace inspection:

• Carry out an inspection for the site as a whole to identify any unsafe conditions and record their findings.
• Carry out the inspection in conjunction with the CWU Safety Representative.
• Identify Unsafe Conditions against the defined list as detailed in the Unit & Work Area Inspection Guidance document, however do not ignore unsafe conditions that do not appear on the list.
• Produce an action plan of countermeasures to remove or reduce the identified risks.
• Ensure suitable controls are implemented where possible within the month.

Link: –

https://intranet.royalmailgroup.com/BPL/BPL%20%20Group%20Safety%20%20MAIN/Forms/AIMProperty.aspx

ASR Actions during Fire Safety Week:

Would all ASRs carry out spot check Safety Inspections of Units to ensure;

• The SHE Calendar tasks have been completed.
• The WTLL and Huddle have been delivered.
• The Staff Training has been completed.
• The Premises Fire Evacuation Plan (PFEP) has been tested and staff are fully aware of it.
• The Unit Fire Risk Assessment is up to date.

Any shortcomings and non-compliance should be formally recorded and submitted asap on a Safety Inspection Form and escalated to the SHE Advisor, SHE BP, COM and OPL and placed on the agenda of the appropriate Joint Health and Safety Committee.

Yours sincerely,

Dave Joyce
National Health, Safety and Environment Officer

22LTB329

SHE Huddle FY22 045 Fire Safety Week

080822 WTLL SFTY 22 23 001 Fire Safety

716219_03_RM_Fire_Safety_Week_TVscreen 1

716219_03_RM_Fire_Safety_Week_TVscreen 2

716219_03_RM_Fire_Safety_Week_TVscreen 3

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Post these clips on your social media channels and in every whatsapp group to help get the vote out.

🚨 DGSP Terry Pullinger lays it on the line. We are facing an unprecedented attack on us as workers and the demise of this great public serve. This is the fight of our lives.

It’s time for the whole country to stand up for us and we will be taking the message out there.

Vote YES – this is the most important ballot of your working lives.

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Vital session for Parcelforce members with Davie Robertson. Please share as widely as possible.

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YouTube https://youtu.be/c-GlbVz-PEs

Twitter https://twitter.com/cwunews/status/1555147158860341249?s=21&t=GjJfh9rAmk3X097iPEeHTg

A vital session on deliveries with Mark Baulch. Covering the talks, executive action and why every member needs to vote yes in the ballot.

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