Partnership Liaison Officer (PLO) Secondments available
Are you interested in helping to shape partnership working between LAs and HSE, testing and developing your skills working with colleagues across many local authorities and national bodies and experiencing working within a nationally-focussed organisation? If so, read on.
We are looking for experienced Environmental Health Practitioners (or similar LA officers with experience of health and safety enforcement) to join HSE on secondment as Partnership Liaison Officers (PLOs).
The role of the PLO is to work as part of an HSE Partnership Management Team. In particular PLOs bring to HSE a clear and current understanding of the local enforcement practices and difficulties, access to local networks of key influencers and an insight into how partnership working is seen by LA staff.
Whilst PLOs are expected to be able to assist the PM with any of their activities, in particular they will be engaged in
- Promoting the benefits and strategic importance of partnership working to both the LA community and their FOD colleagues
- Identifying and encouraging opportunities for joint LA-HSE working
- Encouraging and supplying information to LAs undertaking work to develop or implement new ways of working
- Facilitating the gathering and provision of information used to form the basis of joint LA/HSE planning arrangements
- Supporting LA and FOD colleagues in implementing partnership working and support arrangements
- Gathering and disseminating information about achievements resulting from the partnership and joint working
- Providing assurance that local arrangements for monitoring and reviewing the compliance of LAs with the S18 Standard are fit for purpose.
Posts are available in each of HSE's Divisions. A post may also be available in the Local Authority Unit. Posts can be located in many of HSE's local offices. The secondments will run from Autumn 2008. Secondments will be a minimum of six months, although longer is preferred. Details can be discussed locally with the Partnership Manager.
Application will be by submission of a short CV and interview. Before you make a formal application you should ensure that your employer is prepared to release you for a secondment. To get further details of the posts, the work involved and how to apply, please contact your local HSE Partnership Manager. Their contact details are available from the LAU website using this link: http://www.hse.gov.uk/lau/contact.htm
You should make contact with your Partnership Manager as soon as possible and in any case before 22nd August.
Tony Hetherington, Head of Local Authority Unit
Tel: 01582 44 522 6431
Email: tony.hetherington@hse.gsi.gov.uk
Half price ladders with Ladder Exchange
Ladder Exchange is a great opportunity for your local businesses to upgrade their ladders. All they have to do is take their bent, battered or broken ladder to one of the participating companies and they will be able to choose a new ladder from the range available under the offer.
The companies involved are; Speedy Hire, HSS Hire, SGB Hire and Sale and Ladderstore.com.
This offer is available across the country and so there is no excuse for businesses to continue to use substandard ladders. You can help your local businesses by getting involved in Ladder Exchange. We have had a lot of interest from Local Authority (LA) colleagues so far, but without you, businesses in your area could miss out. Don’t let dodgy ladders shatter lives.
Around 60 LAs were involved last year. We are looking for at least 80 this year and are already well on the way. This includes councils of all sizes - County Councils like Essex and Kent and District Councils such as Lewes, Enfield and Knowsley.
To find out more about Ladder Exchange contact;
Gloria Dixon
Tel: 020 7717 6361
Email: Gloria.dixon@hse.gsi.gov.uk
New Statutory Duty on Organisations to respond to Coroners’ Reports
Rule 43 of the Coroners' Rules are being changed to bring in a new statutory duty on organisations, such as HSE and Local Authorities (LAs), to respond to coroners' reports on action that should be taken to prevent future deaths.
The new rules, which are being introduced ahead of the Coroners and Death Certification Bill (due to be published in the next parliamentary session), were laid before Parliament at the end of June 2008 and are expected to come into force on 17 July 2008.
The rules will place a new statutory duty on organisations receiving reports from coroners to respond within 56 days, detailing the action that has, or will be, taken - or an explanation as to why no action is proposed. Coroners will share reports and responses with other interested persons, and the reports and responses may be published - in full or as a summary.
This new rule may impact significantly on our work. HSE Field Operations Directorate (FOD) Legal & Enforcement team is working with colleagues in Legal Adviser's Office and Policy Group (Cross Cutting Division) to provide guidance to HSE colleagues who may receive reports from Coroners. We hope to have some initial interim guidance in place before the new rules come into force.
Once available, LA colleagues may use this guidance to devise their own internal arrangements. In the meantime, LA colleagues can contact their Enforcement Liaison Officer with any specific queries they need answering.
Les Beaumont, FOD Legal & Enforcement Section
Tel: 0151 951 4751
Email: leslie.beaumont@hse.gsi.gov.uk
Tackling radon in workplaces: HSE and Local Authority Environmental Health Department partnerships
HSE and Local Authorities (LAs) are responsible for enforcing the regulations relating to radon in the workplace.
Latest statistics indicate that there are between 90 to 280 lung cancer deaths every year resulting from exposure to radon in the workplace. In addition, less than 8% of employers in radon affected areas have considered radon in their premises. HSE Radiation Team has provided support to Local authorities in a number of areas including:
- Planning local and regional radon initiatives
- Planning inspections and inspector packs
- Providing training to LA Enforcement officers (South West area)
- Provision of information for Local Authority website
- Development of publicity material, undertaking mailshots etc.
- Arranging awareness meetings with employer groups
- Assisting in the planning of Health & Safety awareness days
- Joint Visits, targeting specific locations
Radon is a potential major source of radiation exposure in all types of workplaces and since most employers and employees appear completely unaware of these risks, Local Authorities in many parts of the country can have a significant impact on doses for relatively little resource application. In particular, experience has shown that LAs and HSE working together in this area maximises our collective influence. The HSE Radiation Team has been very impressed by the work and initiatives of many Local Authorities over recent years and are keen to continue to provide the types of support described above.
If you would like to discuss possible support to your Authority from the HSE Radiation Team then please contact:
Gareth Thomas
Tel: 029 2026 3109
Email: gareth.thomas@hse.gsi.gov.uk
/ Arabic
/ Bengali
/ Chinese
/ Farsi
/ Gujarati
/ Hindi
/ Kurdish
/ Pashto
/ Punjabi
/ Tamil
/ Urdu