Issue - meetings

Report of Assistant Director of Human Resources

Purpose of report

To provide the Accounts, Audit and Risk Committee with the Council’s Health and Safety performance over the 2023-24 year and its plan for the current year.

Recommendations

The Accounts, Audit and Risk Committee resolves:

1.1     To review the content of the report.

1.2     To provide feedback if any further detail or additional information is required in future reports which will be submitted quarterly.  

Resolved 

(1)      That the Annual Health and Safety Report 2024/2025 be noted.

(2)      That it be noted that Health and Safety performance reports would be submitted quarterly to the Committee and officers be requested to incorporate the following in future reports as far as practicable: update on vehicle accident rates and impact of the action plan; update on near misses and systems in place to address these; and, days lost for incidents that are non-RIDDOR accidents. 

The Assistant Director of Human Resources submitted a report that provided the Committee with the Council’s Health and Safety performance over the 2024/25 financial year and its plan for the current year.

In introducing the report, the Portfolio Holder for Corporate Services explained that the majority of incidents and accidents that had been recorded involved Environmental Services. Due to the nature of the work undertaken, this was the highest area of risk for the Council Each incident was investigated thoroughly with appropriate corrective actions taken as necessary including training, supervision and monitoring.

In response to a question regarding the availability of comparative data from other local District Councils, the Committee was advised that this was reported monthly to the Core Leadership Team and that Cherwell’s data was similar to other Councils.

In response to a question regarding the increase in the amount of vehicle accidents in 2024/2025, the Health and Safety Manager explained that the Environmental Services management team was working on an action plan to reduce the number of accidents.

The Committee requested that, as far as practicable, additional information on vehicle accident rates and the impact of the associated action plan; updated information on near misses and systems in place to address these; and, days lost for incidents that were non-RIDDOR accidents be included in future reports. 

Resolved 

(1)      That the Annual Health and Safety Report 2024/2025 be noted.

(2)      That it be noted that Health and Safety performance reports would be submitted quarterly to the Committee and officers be requested to incorporate the following in future reports as far as practicable: update on vehicle accident rates and impact of the action plan; update on near misses and systems in place to address these; and, days lost for incidents that are non-RIDDOR accidents.