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INSTITUTION OF OCCUPATIONAL SAFETY AND HEALTH

Minute of the 109th Meeting of the Edinburgh Branch

Donaldson’s College for the Deaf, Edinburgh at 1330 on Thursday 11th November 1999

SEDERUNT

C E White R Lovering I Craig S Boudlin D Forfal

R W Bertrum N Dalrymple J E Bird J R Brownlie P Truscott

K L Lloyd A Hamilton J Fairley J Cowan B Liddle

A Brown A Whyte J McCraith A Matchett N Dalrymple

I Murray J Craig M Johnstone R Edward I Bruce

G N Sutherland J McLean S Page G McNab M Galloway

S Mitchell J Owen L Beattie E McKie W Witherspoon

A Green R Atkinson S Wilson R McLean J Ballinger

F Frazer W Hutchinson J Hepburn A Speake D Jack

R Greer D R Staines M Batho S Chisholm A Milne

N Doherty

APOLOGIES

S Ashton K Wilson L Young B Pill D Brown

M Scott-Smith

1.0 CHAIRMAN K L Lloyd

The Chair was taken by K Lloyd. Welcome was extended to all, particularly new Members

and Guests. The format of the meeting together with the security arrangements was outlined but the need to keep car parking away from the entrance was again stressed.

  1. MINUTES
  2. The 108th Minute – October 1999 – was tabled. The Minute was proposed by B Bertram and seconded by P Truscott as a true and accurate record.

  3. MATTERS ARISING
    1. Item Number 5.0 Education. The guidance for those wishing to up-grade appeared to clash with the completion of the Application Form. The latter requiring detail not covered by guidance. B Bertram to write to the Secretary outlining areas requiring attention.
  4. CORRESPONDENCE
    1. Letters - J McCraith - postcard from Florida
    2. I Routh - thanks from past Speaker

      C Black - ESW seminar requesting promotion materials

      J Cowan - professional availability

      Secretary - five Tech SP regarding presentation of Certificates

      - J Bird progress towards District forming

    3. Fax - Chairman - letter requesting speaker commitment
    4. J Bird - district forming information

    5. Minutes - Scottish Construction Group. October; SVQs and CTA Card
    6. Fife Chamber of Safety. October; Ergonomics

    7. Membership. The Branch now has 728 members being 248 Corporate and 480 None. There are 374 Associate Grade but only 34 Tech SP. With 56 suspended at present.
    8. The Grange. Information regarding CPD for Tech SP
    9. Construction Booklet – English translation from French text

    10. Advert - Optima. Interesting article about our last speaker

Copies of all the above mentioned correspondence was made available for the Members present. Further information is available upon request from the Secretary.

5.0 BRANCH EDUCATION OFFICER L Young

The BELO had forwarded apologies but the matter of the Tech SP requiring CPD soon was outlined by M Johnstone. Copies of the leaflet were available and other upon request from the Secretary.

  1. HEALTH & SAFETY PRACTITIONER
  2. This item is to be removed from the minute, as there is no reader at this time.

  3. SPECIALIST GROUPS

7.1 MAPS CO-ORDINATOR M Johnstone

A Guide to Fire Safety Risk Assessment booklet was tabled by B Bertram as a good companion when carrying out Fire risk Assessment. Copy is available from the Scottish Fire Service Headquarters at Gullane upon request.

Mention was made of two training providers for Diploma – Stevenson College and RoSPA. A comprehensive list of all local trainers should be compiled and maintained.

7.2 CONSTRUCTION C E White

Perth Seminar. The support from HQ was not all that could have been expected; improvements anticipated in future.

Roof Work. Leading edge protection with a new concept of a frame beneath the spandeck. A video of the system was shown before the meeting started.

School Liaison. The need to ensure that work near and within schools takes into account the unpredictability of school children. Not an adventure playground.

The new H&S Poster was displayed and note of the Quarry Regulations 1999 and it’s accompanying ACOP.

    1. HEALTH and ENVIRONMENTAL

No member has the remit for these Specialist Groups – no report to date.

  1. MEMBERS ITEMS
    1. District Forming. No meeting has yet been arranged but correspondence flows. The aims still being to develop a District of the Edinburgh Branch to meet the needs of the existing membership.
    2. Certificate Awards. No presentations were made and three Certificates will be sent onward by post. It is anticipated that next month will have a presentation.
  2. GUEST SPEAKER
  3. The Guest Speaker was introduced by K L Lloyd as John Blackburn from HSE and was invited to address the Members on the subject of New H&S Legislation.

    The speaker started by giving an introduction to his 20 years of experience within the HSE, which included working within the drinks industry, construction, fairgrounds and chemical manufacture. The current area which he controls a team of 7 Inspectors (including 2 trainees) covered central and east Scotland local Government offices, metals and minerals (including quarries, foundries and the like), polymers and fibres (papermaking, printing, rubber and plastics).

    Having stepped into the position of presenting the paper at short notice, due to the original speaker being taken onto a waste management training course at very sort notice, the speaker firstly indicated the area of content which he intended to cover in his presentation.

    He felt that to present a paper on new legislation updates to an audience which may be more versed in what has recently been issued could be counter-productive and he therefore chose to present details of:

    • Items which are currently being considered via consultation documents and discussion documents
    • The highlight the mass of recently issued guidance documents

    Consultation Documents

    The only consultation document which he could find was currently looking for feedback were proposals for gas safety management regulations.

    Discussion Documents

    • Reducing risks, protecting people
    • Employee consultation and involvement
    • Review of explosive legislation
    • Gas safety review - options for change & key issues for consumers

    HSE Strategic Plan

    The HSE have a Strategic Plan covering the medium to long term period -1999 to 2002 There are five main themes which are integrated in the plan: -

    1. To raise the profile of Occupational Health.
    2. To improve health & safety performance within seven key areas of:
      • Develop legislation on asbestos
      • Gas safety review specifically at reducing the number of carbon monoxide poisonings
      • The millennium bug -considering the after effects and recovery plans
      • Health & safety standards in construction where the accident levels are too high
      • Health & safety within agriculture. The high level of children's accidents and falls.
      • Health & safety in the forestry industry and in particular the management.
      • Health & safety in transport activities.
    3. To develop health and safety aspects of competitiveness and to meet the social agenda.
    4. To increase engagement to full participation of employees within health & safety.
    5. To improve the level of openness and accountability of the HSE.
    All these details are available on the HSE Web site for those individuals who may require further details.

    GUIDANCE DOCUMENATATION

    The HSE offices have a fortnightly bulletin which lists all of the recently issued guidance notes and the speaker has gone through numbers of the back issues of this document in order to generate the following list of recently issued Guidance Notes.

    The intention was as each guidance note was highlighted the members present should raise question on the topics that were of particular interest.

    General Management

    • New Health & Safety poster which is required to be displayed at all work sites by 1/7/200
    • HSG 48 Reducing error and influencing people. This was highly recommended reading
    • HSE 31 RIDDOR explained -the latest variation to the legislation.
    • HSG 192 Charity and Voluntary workers
    • HSG 195 The event safety guide
    • Adventure activity centres -5 steps to risk assessment
    • INDG 301 Health & safety benchmarking. This is an extension to POPMAR from HSG 65
    • INDG 297 Safety in gas welding and cutting
    • HSG 122 Motor sport
    • INDG 293 Welfare at work
    • INDG 302 The morning after the millennium before
    • HSG 194 Thermal comfort in the workplace
    • L117 ACoP Rider operated fork lift trucks

    PUWER/LOLER

    • L22 PUWER guidance
    • L133 LOLER guidance
    • HSG 180 Electro-sensitive light curtains for protection
    • L122 Safety of power presses
    • L114 Safety of woOd working machinery

    Fire

    • Fire precautions (Workplace ) Regulations amendment 1999
    • Fire Safety -An employers guide
    • HSE 8 Take care with oxygen -fire and explosions

    Health

    • HSG 193 COSHH Essentials -easy steps to control
    • HSG 61 Health surveillance at work
    • HSG 188 A guide to working with solvents
    • HSG 187 Control of diesel engine exhaust fumes in the workplace

    Asbestos

    • L27 ACoP Control of asbestos at work
    • L28 ACoP Work with asbestos insulation, coating and board
    • HSG 189/1 Controlled asbestos stripping
    • HSG 189/2 Working with asbestos cement
    • INDG 289 Working with asbestos in buildings

    Hazardous Substances

    • CHIP Chemical Hazard Information & Packaging for Safety amendment 1999
    • INDG 181 An idiots guide to CHIP
    • Carriage of dangerous goods amendment regs 1999
    • Transport of dangerous goods (Safety advisers) regs 1999

    Pressure Systems

    • Pressure systems regulations 1999
    • Duty on suppliers and designers

    Quarries

    • Quarries Regulations 1999
    • L 118 Health and safety in quarries

    Construction

    • HSG 185 Health and safety in excavations
    • HSG 33 Health and safety in roofwork
    • HSG 144 Safe use of vehicles on constructions sites

    A lively question time followed with questions amongst others on -

    • CDM
    • The chance of any restriction in use of "grunters"
    • Reasons for HSE visits to site
    • Whistle blowing policies and response to complaints
    • The strategic plan and effects of occupational health increases

    The Chairman voiced a Vote of Thanks and a small token of the Members appreciation was offered – the members responded warmly.

  4. DATE OF NEXT MEETING
  5. Members were reminded that the next meeting had been set at:

    Thursday 09th December 1999 at 1330, Donaldson’s College for the Deaf

    With the topic being

    Stress at Work

    Dr Anita Levinson

  6. CLOSURE

The Chairman thanked all for their attendance and contribution and bade them a safe journey homeward; then closed the meting with the invitation to have tea and then mingle.

C E WHITE FIOSH RSP K L LLOYD MIOSH RSP

Branch Secretary Branch Chairman

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