FARS_EHI Annual Health and Safety Plan 2024-25_Year End Update
Renfrewshire Council · 12 June 2025
Back to Finance, Resources and Customer Services Policy Board — 12 June 2025 and its agenda
Text extracted from the council's PDF. Layout and reading order may differ from the original.
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________________________________________________________________ To: Finance, Resources and Customer Services Policy Board On: 12 June 2025 ___________________________________________________________________ Report by: Director of Environment, Housing and Infrastructure ___________________________________________________________________ Heading: Environment, Housing and Infrastructure Annual Health and Safety Plan 2024/25 – Year End Update ___________________________________________________________________ 1. Summary 1.1 The Council’s Health and Wellbeing Plan, a key priority within the Council’s People Strategy 2021 – 2026, promotes a positive Health and Safety culture to ensure compliance with relevant Health and Safety legislation and supports the Council Plan in Working together to achieve a thriving and connected Renfrewshire, creating opportunities for all. 1.2 This report provides an update on the work undertaken by the Department of Environment, Housing and Infrastructure to implement the actions contained in the Annual Health and Safety Plan 2024/25 which was approved by the Communities and Housing Policy Board on 21st May 2024. 1.3 Appendix 1 to this report sets out an update on the Environment, Housing and Infrastructure Health and Safety Plan 2024/25 and Appendix 2 provides a brief update for actions contained in this Plan for the areas within the remit of the Finance, Resources & Customer Services Policy Board. 1.4 It should be noted that a similar Report (Appendix 1) and Action Update (Appendix 2) will be considered by the Communities and Housing Policy Board on 13th May 2025, the Infrastructure, Land and Environment Policy Board on 21st May 2025 and the Finance, Resources and Customer Services Policy Board on 12th June 2025 in respect of the elements covered by those Boards’ remits.
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_________________________________________________________________ 2. Recommendations 2.1. It is recommended that the Finance, Resources and Customer Services Policy Board (I) Notes the Environment, Housing and Infrastructure (EHI) Annual Health and Safety Plan 2024/25 update (Appendix 1) as specific to the areas of activity delegated to this Policy Board; (II) Notes the Environment, Housing and Infrastructure (EHI) Annual Health and Safety Plan 2024/25 action update (Appendix 2) as specific to the areas of activity delegated to this Policy Board: and (III) Notes that a similar Report and update on the Action Plan has been presented to Communities and Housing Policy Board and the Infrastructure, Land and Environment Policy Board to note the elements covered within those Boards’ remits __________________________________________________________________ 3. Background 3.1. Environment, Housing and Infrastructure (EHI) Department is responsible for the provision of everyday essential services, directly to the public of Renfrewshire, to other services within the Council and to community planning partners. These services are delivered by around 1,800 Full Time Equivalent (FTE), with an estimated net expenditure of £61.925 (excluding Housing Revenue Account) for 2025/26. The Housing Revenue Account (HRA) budget and Rent Levels for total rental and other income for 2025/26 is £65.492m. 3.2. The Department provides the following key frontline services: • Operations: Neighbourhood Services, Fleet and Social Transportation, Waste and Recycling (to over 92,000 households and businesses • Climate, Public Protection and Roads: supporting our communities through our Regulatory and Community Safety Services and supporting more than 862 km of roads and transport infrastructure. • Facilities and Property Services: (Hard and Soft Services) including PPP schools, cleaning/catering/janitorial services, public building (repairs,
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maintenance and compliance), Building Services and Property Services, a multi-disciplinary design team. • Housing Services: Management and investment in housing stock (12,078 properties) and providing a wide range of advice and support to our tenants. 3.3 Environment, Housing and Infrastructure Services deliver universal services for over 186,000 Renfrewshire residents, helping to run our schools and care homes, providing 12,078 homes for social rent, protecting and enhancing our local environment though a wide range of initiatives and work to make Renfrewshire a great place to live and work. 3.4 Our services are delivered by a diverse, skilled and committed workforce of 1,800 FTE who deliver services 24/7 over 365 days a year. The health, safety and wellbeing of all our employees is of paramount importance. 3.5 Governance for Health and Safety is provided through monthly discussions at Environment and Infrastructure Senior Leadership Team meetings and quarterly CRMT (Crisis Resilient Management Team). __________________________________________________________________ Implications of this Report 1. Financial – Potential exists for financial liability from property damage, civil or criminal prosecutions through the outcome of accidents and/or ill-health. This report demonstrates Environment, Housing and Infrastructure Services compliance and commitment to Health and Safety policies and procedures. 2. HR & Organisational Development – This report supports Renfrewshire Council’s commitment to the health, safety and wellbeing of employees. 3. Community/Council Planning • Our Renfrewshire is well – EHI will improve the physical and mental health and wellbeing of employees through participation in the “Healthy Working Lives” and “Your Health Matters” Programmes and any other corporate initiatives promoting wellbeing. • Our Renfrewshire is safe – EHI will provide training and support to employees to allow them to develop within the organisation and to gain the skills and experience necessary to provide a quality service to our customers.
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4. Legal – Environment, Housing and Infrastructure will continue to comply with all current statutory Health and Safety legislation and Renfrewshire Council Corporate Health and Safety policies and guidance. 5. Property/Assets – The maintenance of appropriate registers (e.g. Asbestos Register with respect of domestic Council properties) and an obligation to conduct workplace inspections. 6. Information Technology – None 7. Equality & Human Rights - The Recommendations contained within this report have been assessed in relation to their impact on equalities and human rights. No negative impacts on equality groups or potential for infringement of individuals’ human rights have been identified arising from the recommendations contained in the report. If required following implementation, the actual impact of the recommendations and the mitigating actions will be reviewed and monitored, and the results of the assessment will be published on the Council’s website. 8. Health & Safety – This report supports and demonstrates Environment, Housing and Infrastructure’s commitment to ensuring effective Health and Safety management across the Department. 9. Procurement – None 10. Risk – This report supports the overarching management of risk within Renfrewshire Council. 11. Privacy Impact - None 12. COSLA Policy Position - None 13. Children’s Rights – This report is for noting and has no direct implications on children’s rights. 14. Climate Risk – None List of Background Papers a) Background Paper 1: Health and Wellbeing Plan (For all council employees), The foregoing background papers will be retained within Environment, Housing and Infrastructure Department (Service Development) for inspection by the public for the prescribed period of four years from the date of the meeting. The contact officer within
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the service is Gill Darbyshire, Senior Service Development Manager, gill.darbyshire@renfrewshire.gov.uk Author: Gordon McNeil, Director of Environment, Housing & Infrastructure Gill Darbyshire, Senior Service Development Manager E-mail: Gordon.mcneil@renfrewshire.gov.uk Gill.darbyshire@renfrewshire.gov.uk
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Renfrewshire Council Environment, Housing and Infrastructure Health and Safety Plan 2024/25 – Year End Update 1st April 2024 – 31st March 2025 (Finance and Resources Customer Services Board) May 2025 Appendix 1
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This annual report is prepared by Environment, Housing and Infrastructure (EHI) in accordance with Renfrewshire Council’s Health and Safety Policy and Plan, the purpose of which is to evaluate the health and safety performance of the Department. 1. Management of health and safety within the Department Broad context of health and safety policy 1.1 The Director of Environment, Housing and Infrastructure (EHI) has overall responsibility for the application of Health and Safety Policy and welfare at work of employees within the Department. The Leadership Team of EHI, comprising four Heads of Service and Senior Managers, take a lead and active role in the monitoring and application health and safety policy. 1.2 The objective of EHI is to ensure that health, safety and wellbeing are an integral part of the business and all services areas continually seek to develop a positive culture and attitude amongst employees to achieve this. 1.3 As outlined below, regular discussion takes place on a wide range of health and safety policy areas and this allows the opportunity to ensure that arrangements are in place to reflect the service fully and to monitor the effectiveness of current arrangements, updating as required. 2 Organisation for implementing health and safety management Health and Safety Planning Group/Committees 2.1 EHI is represented on the Corporate Health and Safety Committee (CH&SC) by the Senior Service Development Manager who attends the quarterly meetings. The Head of Operations and Service Development Chairs the Council’s Resilience Management Team (CRMT) which covers all services across the Council. Health and Safety is lead across EHI by the Senior Service Development Manager supported by Service Co-ordination Assistant and officers across all Services. 2.2 A monthly meeting of EHI Senior Leadership Team is chaired by the Head of Operations and Service Development, arranged to align with the quarterly meeting cycle of the CH&SC, which discusses a wide range of health and safety work including: (a) Accidents - statistics, trends, investigations and other information to identify causes and provide so far as is practicable solutions for their prevention. (b) Workplace inspections (internal) and audits (Corporate and external) (c) The planning, performance management and review of EH&I’s approach to Health and Safety (d) The monitoring and implementation of the Health & Safety Action Plan
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(e) The identification, assessment and recording of risks (f) Actions arising from the Corporate Health & Safety Committee (CHSCM) (g) Actions arising from the corporate and service Risk Management and planning arrangements, and (h) New developments in Health & Safety arising from legislation and Government and Council policy 2.3 The Health and Safety Policy continues to reflect and provide a guidance framework for the management of Health and Safety across EHI. Consultation Mechanisms 2.4 Information on health and safety issues are communicated to employees using a wide range of internal channels such as strategic meetings, operational meetings, Trade Union meetings, workload reviews, “toolbox talks,” emails and noticeboards. 2.5 It is particularly important to note that a significant number of EHI employees do not have access to electronic communications and therefore, as set out above, a range of approaches are taken in this area including joint working arrangements for employee and Trade Union consultation. Although the Department has an ability to communicate digitally with frontline employees through digital messaging, enabling a quick and effective way to communicate important information, this relies on employees providing a personal mobile number and signing up to receive notifications through “RenTalk”. 2.6 Regular meetings take place with EHI Directorate and Trade Union Representatives where key health and safety issues may be discussed, supporting ongoing awareness and practice of health and safety, management of risks, prevention of accidents and ill health and the maintenance of safe working practices. 3 Environment, Housing & Infrastructure (EHI) Annual Health and Safety Plan 2024/25 – Year End Update 3.1 A wide range of work has been undertaken between 1st April 2024 – 31st March 2025 to promote and address health and safety areas or concerns and a high- level summary of this, relevant to the remit of this Board, is outlined below: 3.2 Facilities and Property Services • Currently Asbestos I-Learn Training is being rolled out to all Senior Facilities Officers (SFOs) in Schools. • A “Safe access to work” process has been introduced which now means that all Soft FM employees must enter premises at the main entrance of the building and sign in when on site • Two Managers within Soft FM completed the Mental Health Training, we now have 8 Mental Health trained Officers in Soft FM. • All SFOs have attended the New Start Induction Training as well as refresher “Hands Off” training, which was delivered to Soft FM Senior Facilities Officers
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(SFOs) throughout the 2024 summer break. • From January 2025, all new employees attend New Start Induction Training on day one, this training incorporates all “mandatory” training courses. The courses run twice a month and start dates are aligned to the course dates. • Legionella training and awareness seminar (to emphasise the importance of flushing outlets etc) was carried out by Soft FM Management to all Assistant Facilities Managers (AFMs). • There has been wide participation in the Asbestos Working Group to review asbestos management and procedures including a review on the treatment of textured wall and ceiling coatings (“Artex”) which has resulted in revised processes now in place to ensure that any asbestos containing materials are treated appropriately while simplifying the removal (where necessary) of other materials. • New and refresher asbestos training has been undertaken by the majority of operatives and supervisors within Building Services. There is now a rolling programme of new and refresher training in place. 4 Monitoring and Support Services 4.1 The ongoing health, safety and wellbeing of employees and service users continues to be a priority for EHI. The focus to promote an open, positive health and safety culture and to encourage employees and management to report all incidents, accidents and occurrences. 4.2 All reported incidents, accidents and occurrences are reviewed on a weekly basis, resulting in more accurate date. Every incident, accident or occurrence is investigated and associated risk assessments reviewed and amended where necessary. 4.3 From 1st April 2024 – 31st March 2025 across EHI there were 218 incidents, accidents and near misses reported. The table below (Figure 1) shows the breakdown of these incidents by service area. Figure 1 – EHI 2024/25 – Total number of incidents/accidents and near misses reported per Service Area (01/04/2024 – 31/03/2025)
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4.4 There has been a slight increase across EHI in the number of accidents, incidents and near misses reported in 2024/2025. There were 188 in 2023/24, and 218 in 2024/25 an increase of 30 (Figure 2). There has been a significant increase in the number of violence and aggression incidents being reported which now make up 34% of the overall incidents recording by our employees. Considerable work, previously noted within this report, has resulted in a sight decease of reported incidents of Violence and Aggression in the later part of 2025. Work is ongoing to monitor this situation and to work collaboratively with Corporate Health & Safety as part of the new Violence and Aggression Working Group. Figure 2 - EHI 2024/25 – Comparison of incidents/accidents and near misses reported per Service Area (01/04/2023-31/03/2024) & (01/04/2024 – 31/03/2025 4.5 Under the Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations 2013 (RIDDOR) there were 18 accidents across EHI between 1st April 2024 – 31st March 2025 comprising 1 dangerous occurrence, 3 specified injury, 1 specified employed by someone else and 13 “over 7-day absences”. 5 Review of Support Services 2024/25 5.1 Supporting our employees and attendance continues to be a key priority for EHI and arrangements are in place to utilise the services of the Council’s Occupational Health provider. During 2024/25 a number of referrals have been made and systems and processes are in place for manager or employee self- referrals to the Occupational Health Service or employee counselling service. The key elements used have included: • Early intervention programme • Employee counselling service • Treating employees referred to the Service Physiotherapy and Cognitive Behaviour Therapy (CBT) for employees • Statutory Occupational Health Benchmarking (eg Hand Arm Vibration Syndrome (HAVS), Audiometry)
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5.2 Due to ongoing concerns with the mental health and wellbeing within Building Services an additional external specialist is available to employees to provide professional help and support if required 5.3 The updating of the “Work ‘n’ Life mental Health Awareness Directory has been completed and distributed to all EHI employees. To compliment the directory a “Z card” has also been created for easy use and reference with includes all the important contact numbers and agencies and this has also been distributed to EHI employees. 6 Environment, Housing & Infrastructure (EHI) Health & Safety Plan 2024/25 - Actions Update (Appendix 2) 6.1 The Environment, Housing and Infrastructure Health and Safety Action Plan 2024/25 set out a range of key actions that were to be undertaken in 2024/25. A short update on each of these actions is set out as Appendix 2 to this report. 6.2 The Environment, Housing and Infrastructure Health and Safety SLT will continue to review Health and Safety management across EHI respective areas of responsibility and a revised EHI Health and Safety Plan 2025 – 2028 has been developed to continue this work.
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Environment, Housing and Infrastructure Annual Health and Safety Action Plan 2024/25 (Year End Update) Facilities and Property Services Service Area Title of Action Due date Update (March 2025) Open/Closed Facilities Management (Hard FM) Work collaboratively with Health & Safety colleagues to ensure Guidance Booklet for Statutory Inspection and Maintenance is relevant and is up to date. 31/03/2025 Work is on-going and will be monitored in the new Health and Safety Plan. Open - This action has been included in the new 2025- 2028 Health and Safety Action Plan (EHIH&S.02.17) Facilities Management (Hard FM) Ensure onsite training is carried out within properties that have with sprinkler systems to ensure routine checks are carried out. 31/03/2025 All training has now been completed. Closed Facilities Management (Hard FM) Procure new contract for the inspection and maintenance of fire dampers across the estate. 31/03/2025 The Corporate Procurement Unit (CPU) has passed responsibility for this area back to the service to progress. Open - This action has been included in the new 2025- 2028 Health and Safety Action Plan (EHIH&S.02.18) Facilities Management (Soft FM) Ensure all accidents/near issues are recorded on Business World within the agreed timescales. 31/03/2025 All staff are reminded and encouraged to report all accidents and incidents on Business World in a timely manner. This information is reviewed regularly. Closed Facilities Management (Soft FM) Monitor I Learn mandatory courses for new and existing employees 31/03/2025 All mandatory courses are completed on Day 1 for all new starts. Existing staff – mandatory courses being managed by Central Support, with reports on progress and requirements issued to each cluster monthly. Closed Open - This action has been included in the new 2025- 2028 Health and Safety Action Plan (EHI.004.06) Appendix 2
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Service Area Title of Action Due date Update (March 2025) Open/Closed Facilities Management (Soft FM) Embed the new Absence Management process into Soft FM with support from HR. 30/09/2024 New Absence Management process in place for all new absence. Closed Facilities Management (Soft FM) Link Gritting Plan to GIS Mapping and CAMIS 31/03/2025 Work is ongoing to upload the current PDF grit plans onto GIS Maps. This work is approximately 50% complete. Once all plans have been transferred to GIS maps the plan is to carry out a full review to ensure all information is correct. Once all the plans have been verified a link will be uploaded to CAMIS and provided to schools to be uploaded to the school web site. Open - This action has been included in the new 2025-2028 Health and Safety Action Plan (EHIH&S.02.13) Building Services COSHH assessment system required for operational use. Decisions on the existing system ongoing. 31/03/2025 A full review and subsequent revision of Sypol, a COSHH assessment system, is currently being undertaken. Open - This action has been included in the new 2025-2028 Health and Safety Action Plan (EHIH&S.02.08 & EHIH&S.02.09) Building Services Review all risk assessments across the business and update as required. 31/03/2025 Due to limited resources progress has been hampered with around 40% of risk assessments reviewed and updated. Open - This action has been included in the new 2025-2028 Health and Safety Action Plan (EHIH&S.02.14)
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Service Area Title of Action Due date Update (March 2025) Open/Closed Building Services Continue to roll out on-line and toolbox talks to the frontline staff on areas of health and safety/health and wellbeing. 31/03/2025 Booklet and z card distributed and signed for across the workforce. Closed Building Services Ensure there is ongoing CPC training to ensure all staff are appropriately qualified for driving duties. 31/03/2025 Work is ongoing with Fleet and Sustainable Transport to ensure all CPC training it up to date. Currently 27 staff have completed this training. Closed Building Services Ensure mental health booklets and “Z” cards are delivered to all frontline employees and are included in the inductions for new members of staff. 31/03/2025 Booklet and z card distributed and signed for across the workforce. Closed Building Services Work with the Corporate Health and Safety Team to promote/revive Health and Safety awareness and information sharing and update where required across the business. 31/03/2025 Monthly operational health and safety meetings in place. 6 weekly department level meeting led by Head of Operations and Service Development in place. Closed Building Services Promote and health and safety incident reporting system and encourage reporting of incidents and near misses. 31/03/2025 All incidents are recorded on the BW system as required Closed Building Services Continue to develop the on-line and toolbox talks for the operatives and staff. 31/03/2025 New bespoke I-Learn courses continue to be developed including a bespoke Induction Plan, Working at Heights and COSHH. The i-Learn are reviewed regularly to ensure they remain up to date. Closed Building Services Ensure all CPC licences are up to date and renewed as required. 31/03/2025 Work with Fleet and Sustainable Transport team to support CPC licences for all drivers. On-going training is in place. Closed
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Property Services Ensure all Technical Unit Officers have a valid Construction Skills Certification Scheme (CSCS) card and training is arranged for new officers/ expired certification. 31/03/2025 All Technical Unit Officers CSCS cards are renewed on a 5-year basis. However, the certification process has recently been revised to account for applicant’s professional qualifications and background. Agreement has now been reached in conjunction with Corporate Health & Safety Team and officers have now been instructed to commence renewing their cards on an individual basis. Open - This action has been included in the new 2025- 2028 Health and Safety Action Plan (EHIH&S.02.03)