From April 2006 HSE initiated new arrangements for the planned inspection of the Police Service. A national team of HSE Inspectors has been formed to lead the inspections of forces across England and Wales. This coincides with the development of new working arrangements between HSE and HMIC that will lead to improved inspection of Police Services on Health, Safety and Welfare including sickness absence.
The change in approach is to improve consistency in an open manner, working closer with HMIC to reduce regulatory burden and to assist the Police Service to identify, share, build upon and implement good practice.
There are 7 inspections scheduled during 2006 –2007. The selected forces represent a cross section of the Police Service and inclusion does not indicate poor performance.
The purpose is to assess the overall robustness of the force’s health and safety management systems. This is achieved by targeting specific issues and combination of interview, site inspection and document review.
The focus is not on specific operational police activities but the supporting systems and procedures to ensure the safe delivery of those activities.
An evaluation of the approach and a summary of the key findings will be produced.
The National approach only relates to scheduled inspections. Accidents and complaints will continue to be investigated by HSE local offices in accordance with HSE selection criteria.
An UK wide Police working group is reviewing the application of the Control of Noise at Work Regulations 2005 to the Police Service. The exemption granted under the 1989 Regulations for police firearms has expired and will not be automatically reissued. Under the new Regulations, the range of police activities requiring a review to comply with the legislation is extended and includes, firearms, traffic, motorcyclists, dogs, marine, covert and public order units.
The review’s aims are to establish for each of the identified policing activities, a national code of practice or guidance which can be agreed as a means to secure compliance with the legislation without jeopardising the overall health and safety of the officers and staff involved, or limiting the Police Service’s operational capability.
Oto Acoustic Testing was a requirement of an exemption under the previous Noise Regulations which have now expired. It is too early in the review process to state whether the inclusion of Oto Acoustic Testing will be part of the management systems identified as part of the current review process. As it is not a requirement under the regulations there is no current requirement for it to be carried out, however the results of the full review process may alter this.
In 2005 HSE received a complaint from a solicitor working in the South West. This was initially dealt with as an isolated incident. Since then the Law Society and the Criminal Law Solicitors Associations (CLSA) have widely consulted their members to qualify the scale of the problem and the depth of their members concerns. HSE has also received supporting information directly from solicitors and is satisfied that this is a widespread issue across the country.
The concerns centre on three main risk areas:
These potentially expose solicitors to an unacceptable risk of personal violence.
This issue has been discussed with the Home Office, the Law Society and the Criminal Law Solicitors Associations (CLSA). It has been agreed that the HO will draft a Protocol to be agreed with the Solicitors, ACPO and HSE. This protocol will address the issues above and set the basic standards of communication and cooperation between all interested parties and recommendation for some of the estates issues. The implementation of the Protocol will be monitored.