Version No:

1

OG Status:

Fully open

Author Section:

Public Services Sector

Issue Date:

23.02.09

Review Date:

23.02.13

To:

FOD Inspectors

Summary

Health and safety management inspections / audits of Fire and Rescue Services (FRS) within Great Britain (GB) 2009/10.  Guidance on investigation and other work not related to this programme.

Aim

To conduct a series of effective targeted health and safety management inspections / audits of selected (approximately 8) Fire and Rescue Services (FRS) within Great Britain (GB) in order to -

• obtain sufficient evidence to ensure compliance with the Health and Safety at Work (HSWA) etc Act. 1974 through health and safety management systems.
• obtain better intelligence on selected FRS operational topics in order for HSE to better contribute to the national debate in these areas.
• identify other areas of concern that will influence future sector engagement with stakeholders.
• seek to ensure that FRSs are continuing to give appropriate consideration to the safety critical aspects of activities – the topics will include training and non operational activities that are relevant e.g. utilisation of risk information.
• provide appropriate feedback to the Service.

Justification

HSE has decided to carry out this planned inspection programme because:

• The FRS employs around 55,000 staff in 57 Fire and Rescue Services throughout GB, most in operational duties;
• Little or no proactive inspection of the FRS has been carried out for a number of years;
• Over the past few years there have been a number of multiple fatalities during operational incidents, and the incidence of fatal accidents appears to be higher than over the preceding period (note that the numbers are too small for any statistical significance to be drawn from the figures);
• There is a concern within HSE and also the Service that a number of issues are contributing to a lower level of competence of operational staff, especially front-line supervision
• More widely, there is continuing high level interest in the way that the FRS balances operational and health and safety responsibilities.

The inspection programme has a high profile within the FRS nationally. One concern within the FRS is the additional burden this will place on FRSs during a period when the Audit Commission (AC) is also carrying out operational assessments which include health and safety topics. The sector is liaising with the AC over the choice of FRSs to be included in the HSE programme. During 2009/10, FOD inspectors are asked to note the following:

• There should be no change in the selection criteria for incidents and complaints. However, the sector should be informed of any investigations that FOD decide to carry out;
• The sector should be consulted on any proactive or follow-up work done with any FRS, which is outside the national inspection programme.

The purpose of this liaison is to ensure consistency in approach to the FRS and to be able to provide assurance that HSE is managing the resource burden on the FRS in an appropriate way.

Audience / Industry

• For those individual FRS inspected as part of this programme - their Fire and Rescue Authority, Chief Fire Officers / Chief Executives, Senior FRS operations managers, senior FRS training managers, supervisory staff, local employee representative bodies and ultimately the fire fighters themselves.  (note – each of the 8 FRS inspected will receive a bespoke written report of findings)
• For those FRS not included (and for the remainder of the fire community) – the FRA leads, FRS senior management, the Chief Fire and Rescue Advisers (England, Scotland & Wales), Audit Commission (FRS Assessment managers), Chief Fire Officers Association, FRS National H&S group the FBU and FOD inspectors. (note – an annonimised report, collating the key findings from the inspections and applicable to all FRS will be produced and sent to all FRS within GB).

Messages

• Part of a national consistent approach to engaging with the Fire and Rescue Service
• HSE wishes to establish the effectiveness of health and safety management, focussing on certain operational topics to do so
• HSE recognises the challenges faced by Fire and Rescue Services in certain operational environments

Activities required

• FOD B2 - The overall FOD inspection strategy will be planned, directed and managed by the FOD B2, Gill Saunders.
• FOD Inspection team - The inspections will be conducted by a national team of inspectors drawn from volunteers across FOD. The size of the team will be set so that the resource requirement from each Division is not excessive, while maintaining some commonality of team membership across the whole programme (a reasonable guide would be 10 - 15 days in personal work plans on average).  This team is currently being organised by the FOD B2.
• FOD Training event – a training/briefing event will be held for those inspectors in the national team sometime in April.  Further details will follow.

Those 8 x FRS to be included in the inspection programme have not been finalised although the intention is to have done so by mid February ‘09 at which time relevant FOD colleagues, who deal with those FRS included, will have been/ will be informed.   Discussion with relevant FOD colleagues is currently underway.

Those FRS where FOD are currently carrying out major investigations (or where they have recently been involved in one) are unlikely to be included in the national inspection programme.

It is envisaged that any follow up work arising out of individual FRS inspections conducted by the national team will be carried out by relevant local FOD inspectors who deal with that FRS.  Local FOD inspectors will be informed of the outcomes / findings of the national team inspection.

Timing

Starting in April 2009 until March 2010.

Diversity

Inspectors should be aware of who (in terms of diversity e.g. men, women, disabled etc) is the target group in the sector they are dealing with. Give consideration to, and factor into the approach, any issues that may surround this audience such as literacy issues, English as a second language and disability (access needs).

The Diversity pages give more information on these areas.

Contact

Plans are currently being firmed up.  When more information is available it will be disseminated as necessary to inform planning.  In the meantime should colleagues have any questions about the national FRS inspection programme they should contact:

Sector - Ian Copland (until 31 March 2009), Jenny Morris (from 1 April 2009)
FOD - Gill Saunders.

Project sponsor	David Snowball, FOD YNE
Project manager FOD B2 (inspections)	Gill Saunders
Project team FOD inspectors	Teams currently being arranged
Project support	To 31 March 2009 Ian Copland (Sector) / Andrew Strawson (Sector) From 1 April 2009 Jenny Morris (Sector) / Sue Parkyn (Sector).