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Mark Cardnell (CFIOSH, FIIRSM, FinstLM, AIFireE) is an international award-winning health and safety practitioner and who is recognised as a leading authority in supporting organisations in transitional change, management systems and behavioural safety. In this article Mark works through some lessons learnt from his own career path to share with the wider community.
Mark writes:
I think we can all relate to how time passes so quickly particularly as you get older! I look back even now at some 30 years plus working in the health and safety arena and I cannot believe not only how the time passes so quickly, but as importantly how the health and safety role has also evolved so quickly.
Personally, I have always welcomed change; I enjoy change and I have always been able to adopt to change. I understand and fully except that some people find change challenging and disruptive but as organisations adapt to the “new norm” after COVID for example, and they modify their respective structures, the role of the health and safety professional will most certainly be as important as ever and one that will be very much subjected to this evolutional change even further. I used the terminology “after COVID” – maybe I am being a little hasty on that subject with COVID infection rates are on the rise again according to national news outlets?
I have been incredibility lucky to have had the opportunity to work alongside some of the most prestige organisations in the country. Each has brought its very own unique and sometimes complex demands, but as importantly each one has left a positive impression on me. It is not always a direct noticeable impact, but sometimes one I have looked back to and then realised what I have learnt from the experience.
Personal fulfilment
In 2017 I joined the IIRSM mentoring scheme as a mentor and welcomed the opportunity to work with a gentleman who has now successfully progressed to IOSH Chartered status and who now holds a very important role within Central Government. From our first meeting I was aware of his enthusiasm to understand health and safety from the foundation level and already understood his strengths and as importantly recognised his weaknesses. This enabled him to embrace the learning opportunities on offer from many different areas. He spoke to me on many occasions about health and safety was being seen as a “tick box” process and how he felt personally rewarded where he was able to use the learning to develop and implement sensible, constructive and methodical approaches for the benefit of everyone.
I feel this is an effective first lesson – that personal fulfilment is the first key element to success and how behaviour and positive leadership are instrumental throughout the whole process.
I believe, for me, every role I have ever undertaken has brought something new. The continuous developed element is most definitely required – there is always something new to learn and experience within health and safety. I don’t believe you can know everything. The field of health and safety is too vast a spectrum for that. However, one real positive change I have witnessed is a more willingness to share, materials, knowledge, experience and most importantly time and passion. The mentoring programs, webinars, free on-line training and accreditation bodies are great example of this.
Learning and development
It is an important part of health and safety to transpose information and assist others in their career paths. Everyone needs a little support and the opportunity to develop at some point in time. I respect the fact I couldn’t have achieved what I have without the fantastic support I received over the years.
This is lesson number two. Help and assistance has many forms, from a simple direction to mentoring and beyond. This sharing of experience, knowledge and personal support has many positive advantages including mental health, general life expectations and communications skills as examples.
I am always amazed at where my work continues to take me – throughout Facilities Maintenance, Finance and Banking, Leisure, NHS-Healthcare, Military, Construction, Retail, Engineering, Logistics, Education, Government services, Local/Central Government and enforcement support and beyond. Each sector has its own ways of working and working across such muti-disciplines provides a fantastic opportunity over time to brings the learning from all these organisations and people into my passion of designing and implementing health and safety systems and processes that make health and safety easier to understand, be cost effective and enhance the real outcome of keeping people safe, enthusiastic, respected and positively engaged.
Understand the organisation
Lesson number three. Never take it for granted that it will be a specific individual or group that observes your work. I can assure you if your work is visually stimulating, legally correct and interesting the world will be watching.
Health and safety management systems can sometimes be generic in their format and not fully cater for the specific requirements of the organisation or its people. I recall a quote noted to me some years ago – “Not everyone is right-handed”!
I think it is important to fully understand the organisation, its people and its direction before implementing systems and processes to ensure that the most effective delivery and output can be achieved. We now have so much more choice in our lives than ever before, so methodical research to finding the right solution is time well spent. Just because something works for others is no guarantee it will work for you. I would like to think we are a world away from the copy, cut and paste days!
Data management
One area that has most certainly been a success for me is the development of data management (health and safety) information into dashboards. Dashboards are not a new concept but do provide the opportunity to display health and safety information in both word, numeral and pictorial formats.
My first ever dashboard back in 2015 was developed using what I thought was a very basic knowledge of Microsoft Excel. This dashboard due to its in-depth content and presentational format was noted by the Care Quality Commission (CQC) in a healthcare site inspection report as “An Outstanding Practice”. As my personal skills and knowledge have progressed so have the dashboards and their development has been called upon through many organisations including Central Government.
My first dashboard management system was nominated in the International Institute of Risk and Safety Management – IIRSM Risk Excellence Awards 2018 and was followed by the nomination in the 2019 awards for “Mentor of the Year” – for supporting individual competence for members to develop their own dashboard management systems. Success was also displayed in the IIRSM 2020 awards where some of the dashboards were used in the winning entry to the Health and Safety Wellbeing Strategy by the Cabinet Office.
Enhancements
Lesson three. There is always room for enhancements. Keeping systems and processes updated maybe time consuming, but it is worth the investment. It’s not just legislation and best practice – people change, environments change, and organisational structures change for example.
The Healthcare sector is one specific area that has continually provided me with the greatest challengers but through the dedication and respect displayed by the people who continue to support us in some of the darkest times of our lives it has also been the most rewarding sector to contribute to. Healthcare has opened so many doors for me personally. Within this article I have mentioned some keys points noting support, dedication, respect, teamwork, research, individual and group involvement, mental health and continued personal development. All these key phases have been instrumental to effective working in this arena and have required the knowledge gained from other sectors to make this requirement work so well.
Skills and knowledge
Lesson four. I believe it takes a lot of cross pollination of skills and knowledge to enhance a sector. Sector specific knowledge should be the foundation stone, but the inputting of other wider knowledge and experience enhances the process even further.
My charity contribution gives me great pleasure to provide something back to the wider community who are under huge pressures with the “cost of living crisis”, health issues and general life demands as examples. Mental health I expect to be the new pandemic and should not be considered an individual crisis.
I hope that new members entering the health and safety profession can quickly see that it is not all just examinations and certificates, but one of seeking the experience and working knowledge and enhancing the personal skills to engage, develop, respect and implement and being and supporting ownership, leadership and accountability at all levels.
Recent recognition
SHP – Top-25 Most Influential Figures in health and safety.
IIRSM – Risk Management Nominations.
DHSC – COVID unsung hero.
ROSPA – Covid Workplace Champion.
The Safety & Health Podcast brings you the full recording of Louis Theroux’s keynote session at Safety & Health Expo.
Louis sat down with SHP Editor Ian Hart, in front of a packed Keynote Theatre audience, to discuss all things, from communicating effectively and working in hostile to health and health and wellbeing.
The post ‘The health and safety role has also evolved so quickly,’ in conversation with Mark Cardnell appeared first on SHP – Health and Safety News, Legislation, PPE, CPD and Resources.
The uncle of a four-year-old boy killed on a farm has urged everyone in agriculture to do more to keep children safe.
Brian Nutter was at the wheel of a farm vehicle when his nephew Harry Lee fell from the cab footplate and was crushed beneath its wheels.
Mr Nutter, speaking during this year’s Farm Safety Week (July 18–22), said: “I don’t want it to happen again. Everyone needs to think. I hope if people know what happened they’ll be a bit more aware of what they’re doing, and they won’t have to go through what I’m going through.”
Mr Nutter, who farms north of Burnley, Lancashire was given a 26-week prison sentence, suspended for 18 months, and was ordered to carry out 250 hours of unpaid work and pay costs of £5,154 in March this year, following the incident in July 2019.
The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) investigation found that there were insufficient measures in place to ensure the safety of children on the farm.
The Prevention of Accidents to Children in Agriculture Regulations 1998, prohibits children under the age of 13 from riding on, or operating, vehicles used in agricultural operations. No-one, including children, should ride on the footplate of any agricultural machine.
Mr Nutter was also speaking in the week that the HSE’s annual Fatal injuries in Agriculture, Forestry and Fishing in Great Britain report was published, revealing that 25 people had been killed in agriculture-related activities in the previous 12 months.
He said: “We were cleaning a shed out in the farmyard, using a telescopic handler and we had to get something out of the field.
“Harry was with me, and I put him on the machine, as I’d done in the past, and we drove out the yard, on to the lane and into the field. I turned around and he’d gone, and he was under the wheel. It was so, so quick.”
Mr Nutter said that he and his family had all grown up around farms and farm vehicles.
He said: “We were brought up on a farm and we did things, and we were lucky that nothing happened. We were brought up doing it and you follow suit. My own children had been on the farm with me, and Harry was the next generation, the younger one.
“He spent a lot of time with me because that’s what he wanted to do, and I loved him being with me because I didn’t think that we were doing anything wrong. I wish that Harry had stopped in the house that day, but he didn’t.
“I miss him loads, every day I miss him. I wish he were here. I’d do anything to bring him back, but I can’t and that’s the hardest bit. I always think about him, I do a job now and he’s always there with me.”
Mr Nutter said that the hazards of farming weren’t always recognised, but that farms were a dangerous place for children.
He said: “Farms now are getting bigger, machinery is getting bigger, and we’re all running at a faster pace and now farming is changing that fast it has become more of a dangerous place for children, but it’s so hard when it’s their home, that’s the biggest trouble. There’s less of you doing the work and looking after children at the same time. The children want to be with you because they want to be learning.
“The safest place for the children is in the house. Always take a step back and think. I want people to look and think what you’re doing, there’s always another way. I know I’m not the first, I hope I’m the last but I know I won’t be.
“I want to get the message across. I am one of the people it’s happened to, and I don’t want it to happen again. People need to be aware of what can happen. Everyone needs to think. If the children aren’t there, it can’t happen. If Harry had stopped in the house, he’d be here now.
“It’s had a massive impact on all the family. Life has changed forever. It’ll never be the same again. I wish I’d done something different. It’ll never leave me. I wish I’d not had him on the vehicle with me. Please don’t do it.”
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The post Uncle who killed nephew appeals for others to stay safe in agriculture appeared first on SHP – Health and Safety News, Legislation, PPE, CPD and Resources.
Ahead of EHS Congress, taking place in Berlin in September, SHP catches up with speaker Bertrand Gibert, Vice President Environment Health & Sustainability at BioMérieux, to discuss the changing role of the safety professional and why a motivated workforce makes a safe workforce.
How did you get into safety and what do you enjoy most about your job?
Bertrand Gibert (BG): “I am a manufacturing engineer by training, with an emphasis on environment; one of my first projects was to build an environmental management system and quickly we discovered it was relevant to step back and embark safety in the process.
“It was about 20 years ago and my faith in taking care of the planet and the people upon it is still very noble and gives a lot of sense to make an impact.”
How do you think the role of a safety professional has changed throughout your career and what does the future hold?
(BG): “It used to be a very technical job only, very specialised, and somehow a stand-alone occupation mainly driven by regulations. Today it is a job that requires soft skills; technical skills are far from being enough in succeeding.
“Whatever is the safety role level of seniority, it requires dialogue with stakeholders, consultation, feedback, and co-building initiatives. The job is also more complex with new, developing, or emerging risks such as psychosocial risks, working from home and musculoskeletal disorders.”
You state that you are driven by building and nurturing organisations that motivate people, structure community of practices. Why do you think a motivated workforce makes for a safe workforce?
(BG): “Being driven by a purpose or a mission that feeds your needs and expectations helps create a safe environment in which people dare to execute, take actions for good. Then, you belong to something which is bigger than your own role and responsibilities and you evolve in an environment that you belong to; this includes interacting with your people, environment and acting in a safe way, where people think ‘being safe,’ before doing good.”
In your opinion, what makes a good safety ambassador within an organisation and what should you be looking for when appointing someone for that position?
(BG): “A good safety ambassador is someone who walks the talk, whatever their job or seniority, and focuses more on the safety performance (day-to-day efforts) than the results (numbers).
“Safety is a domain about people and so results are the consequence of what you have built or not built. I like to say, ‘inaction is action”. Many leaders minimise their micro-messages. They may send in few words or one attitude; they may have a huge impact on the safety mindset. I remember a leader who once told me, ‘I do not want to be best-in-class in safety, because today we are doing enough (i.e., my injury frequency rates have decreased) and I need to improve other areas, such as non-quality cost and efficiency’.
“The safety culture he built was perceived to be minimal by his teams and he achieved the injury rates fitted with a number; he was the same person who later could not explain some injury peaks and safety degradation in his scope, except by formulating people take shortcuts and should think before acting. I like to appoint safety ambassadors who speak the truth, even if the circumstances are painful; leaders who are sensitive about details, like employees’ suggestions and complains; they often succeed in creating safety and overperform generally in their scope of work.”
You will be speaking about BioMérieux’s route to best-in-class safety performance at EHS Congress in September. What can you tell me about that journey and what will delegates learn from your session at the event?
(BG): “EHS Congress is the place to hear from others about their EHS anecdotes and practices. Overall, we all have the same challenge to create a safe workplace; I will humbly share how an organisation with a strong purpose to help save lives, driven by a long-term vision and an entrepreneurial mindset evolved from a safety compliance only approach to people empowerment dynamics, in order to make everyone accountable for safety.”
Hear more from Bertrand Gibert at the 2022 EHS Congress, taking place in Berlin from 13-14 September. Her session, ‘BioMérieux en-route to best-in-class safety performance,’ takes place on Day two of the conference.
Click to register for your place and to see the full EHS Congress agenda.
Click here for more from EHS Congress on SHP.
The Safety & Health Podcast brings you the full recording of Louis Theroux’s keynote session at Safety & Health Expo.
Louis sat down with SHP Editor Ian Hart, in front of a packed Keynote Theatre audience, to discuss all things, from communicating effectively and working in hostile to health and health and wellbeing.
The post ‘Being driven by a purpose or a mission that feeds your needs and expectations helps create a safe environment,’ SHP meets Bertrand Gibert appeared first on SHP – Health and Safety News, Legislation, PPE, CPD and Resources.
When we think of the modern office we often think of air-conditioned havens with all the modern conveniences we come to expect of life in 2022.
Whilst modern workplaces, even offices have become in general safer and better places to work there are some areas you need to manage from a health and safety perspective.
Here we explore some of the physical health and safety risks of a modern office and what you can do to manage them.
We have written articles in the past on ergonomics and the important role it plays in health and safety, it cannot be overstated. Poor seating practices and desk work can lead to pain and long-term chronic conditions further down the line.
Solution: Ensure people have access to comfortable ergonomic chairs (if necessary) and are taking regular breaks from their desks.
Poor ventilation can lead to airborne pollutants lingering and building up if they are brought into the office. Poor ventilation also increases the risks of diseases and bugs being spread around the office.
Solution: Ensure proper ventilation is available throughout the office and is used at the appropriate times.
The risk of slips and falls is always present in the office but risk management procedures can be put in place to reduce the risk of them occurring and the severity if they do occur.
Solution: ensure you have a proper risk assessment document produced which looks at the risks of slips and falls in all areas of the office including flat floors and stair/walkways. Avoiding running in these areas and encouraging the use of a handrail will also help mitigate potential accidents.
Electrical hazards can often be present in offices with modern working stations that include laptops, chargers and power banks. If an electrical outlet becomes overloaded this can increase the risk of an electrical fire.
Solution: Ensure there is a proper risk assessment document in place and that all regular safety checks are being carried out on the equipment in the office that needs assessments. Regular checks of the fire alarms will also help in the event of an electrical fire.
Moving boxes can be dangerous to health if they are not lifted and manoeuvred in the proper way as this can lead to injury. Stacked boxes that rise high and contain heavy items can cause injury if the structure becomes unstable.
Solution: Adopt a risk management process of avoiding stacking boxes, furniture and other items in a precarious manner and ensure all staff are aware of how to lift heavy items safely.
Poor lighting is a slightly more insidious issue when it comes to physical safety in some ways as it can lead to eye strain over time if workers are using screens for extended periods of time. More immediate dangers can include an increased risk of slips and falls in areas that are poorly lit as this can impact eyesight.
Solution: Ensure all areas are properly lit, both from an eye strain perspective and to mitigate against potential physical injuries.
This is not an exhaustive list of the dangers of a modern office so when developing your health and safety policy and risk assessment documents it is important to ensure you conduct it for your workplace, taking in all the nuances. This will help you to create a modern workplace that people want to work in and are as safe as possible.
The post What are the health and safety risks in the modern office? appeared first on HSE Network.
Tuesday (19 July) was the ‘busiest day for the fire service in London since the Second World War’ dealing with multiple blazes in record-breaking temperatures, London Mayor Sadiq Khan said as he stressed the impact of the extreme weather on the fire and rescue services.
The capital was one of 15 areas around the UK to declare a major incident with fires starting on a day which saw a record temperature of 40.3C (104.5F) in Coningsby, Lincolnshire.
The mayor said: “Normally we get 350 calls a day, on a busy day we can get up to 500 calls. [On Tuesday] the fire service had more than 2,600 calls a day.”
In Wennington, East London, 100 firefighters tackled a blaze which destroyed several homes. London Fire Brigade (LFB) said two rows of terraced houses, four other homes, 12 stables and five cars were destroyed by the blaze, while one firefighter at the scene described it as “absolute hell”.
The mayor has advised Londoners not to have barbecues in parks or private gardens over concerns they could set alight grass. Barbecues are one of the most common causes of grass and open land blazes and while many councils have already localised bans in place, Commissioner Roe from LFB has asked for support city-wide.
In his letter, he said: “With no end to the hot weather in sight, I am deeply concerned that the unprecedented scale of these fires is set to continue, putting lives at risk as well as devastating green spaces around the capital.
“London Fire Brigade has been issuing warnings and safety advice to Londoners throughout the summer, but people are continuing to behave carelessly and recklessly.
“I am now calling for a temporary ban on the use of barbecues in all public parks and open spaces and I’m asking for your help to keep people safe.”
LFB Assistant Commissioner Jonathan Smith said the heat and dry conditions created “the perfect scenario” for fires to spread rapidly across grassland and woodland, with the speed being a particular challenge.
“Firefighters across London worked in very difficult conditions to protect Londoners and their heroic actions mean no lives were lost. I am immensely proud of them and their dedication in such unprecedented heat.
“We declared a major incident and worked with emergency service partners who have also been working hard to continue to run services in these difficult and challenging conditions. By taking action, we were able to focus and prioritise our resources, recall staff from training, call on support from other local fire and rescue services and attend every incident as needed.”
Elsewhere, a number of homes were destroyed by fire in Norfolk, and major incidents were declared in Leicestershire, Hertfordshire, Suffolk, Lincolnshire and Yorkshire, among others.
NFCC Chair Mark Hardingham commented: “We have seen fire and rescue services receive an exceptionally high number of calls during the last few days. Fire control rooms across the country have given superb and professional support to co-ordinate the demand with the ultimate aim to keep people and property safe.
“However, the number of large fires and major incidents declared is concerning. We are working with all fire and rescue services and government departments to ensure additional support can be given where and when it is needed.
“I would like to give my heartfelt thanks to the firefighters, control staff, officers and support staff who have worked tirelessly over the past few days in difficult conditions, with the same aim – to prevent injuries and protect life.”
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The post Major incidents across UK puts strain on fire services – ‘Scale of these fires is set to continue’ appeared first on SHP – Health and Safety News, Legislation, PPE, CPD and Resources.
Ensuring the rail industry remained focused on the basics of health and safety management as it prepares for reform and substantial change, is one of the key messages in the Office of Rail and Road’s (ORR) annual report on health and safety on Britain’s Railways.
The report, which covers the period between 1 April 2021 and 31 March 2022, also highlights Britain’s standing of having one of the safest railways in Europe and that risk on the mainline railway is at an all-time low.
But concerns remain about recent accidents and near misses, and the need to strengthen safety management and oversight following the pandemic.
Fewer earthworks failures, but increased risk of ‘objects on the line’
ORR is not yet fully satisfied with the risk-management of earthworks and drainage, which the regulator had made one of its priorities long before the Carmont tragedy in 2020.
Post-Carmont inspection activities have been a significant part of ORR’s work this year. Network Rail’s Weather Risk Task Force Steering Group (WRTFSG) – borne out of the review into the tragedy – has been diligent in oversight of the 17 action plans for improvements to earthworks and drainage management and the ways that the industry responds to forecasts of adverse and extreme weather. However, ORR has found significant variation in the approach to implementing the action plans within the regions.
Adverse weather conditions in certain areas of the country have increased the potential risk of ‘objects on the line’, which includes trees and flooding. During the first quarter of 2022, storms Dudley, Eunice and Franklin occurred in rapid succession, as the risks from ‘objects on the line’ increased by a third.
Improvement in track-worker safety
This year ORR concentrated on assessing Network Rail’s work to comply with its enforcement action aimed at improving track-worker safety.
The regulator’s report records that there was a 98% reduction in red zone unassisted lookout working since July 2019 and this year there were no track-worker fatalities on the mainline railway, while the moving annual average (MAA) of track work related near-misses fell by 70%.
ORR is now satisfied that Network Rail has complied with both of the track-worker safety improvement notices issued in July 2019.
Nevertheless, there were two serious accidents to track workers, both in May 2021. One of those resulted in a track worker receiving electrical burns from contact with overhead lines at Wolverton in the North West and Central region.
The latter incident, taken together with earlier similar incidents, prompted ORR to take enforcement action requiring Network Rail to improve the way it demarcates and proves dead overhead line isolations.
Opening of the Elizabeth line
A central-operating section of the Elizabeth line officially opened its doors to the public on Tuesday 24 May 2022, with ORR ensuring duty holders continued to meet their respective health and safety duties in the lead-up.
Last year the project conducted trial operations through a staged approach to ensure that required work was completed on schedule before the opening of the line. These trial operations incorporated important operational exercises to test the safety and reliability of the railway, with over 150 scenarios trialled.
There were challenges, including the processes around emergency communications in tunnel cross-passages, but these were satisfactorily resolved to enable the necessary authorisations and consents to be provided.
ORR will continue to work closely with Rail for London Infrastructure (RfLI), who manage the central section, as it plans to introduce ‘auto-reverse’ movements to achieve the Elizabeth line’s 24-trains-per-hour timetable.
Large fine for WH Malcolm
There were four prosecutions that concluded during the year, including that involving WH Malcolm Limited, the operator of Daventry International Rail Freight Terminal near Rugby, which received one of the largest fines levied in a health and safety prosecution – £6.5m.
ORR also served nine improvement notices compared to 11 in the previous year.
Ian Prosser, ORR’s Chief Inspector of Railways, said: “The last twelve months proved to be a further challenging year for all in the railway family and we can look ahead to a period of change and reform that will impact the whole sector in some way.
“We will continue to work closely with industry and government to provide valuable support and advice and strive to see continuous improvements in health and safety management across the industry, for the benefit of all.”
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The post ORR’s health and safety report highlights marked improvement in track worker safety risk exposure appeared first on SHP – Health and Safety News, Legislation, PPE, CPD and Resources.