Health and Safety Bulletin
July 2001
Duty to investigate accidents
The HSE has offered a Consultation paper on a proposed additional duty on management to investigate accidents. The development is strongly supported by BECTU and by the TUC as a whole.
BECTU Safety Representatives database
Work has continued on updating the union's database on Safety Representatives (in permanently employed areas) and on members with an active interest in health and safety (in freelance areas).
Essential information includes: Names and contact details; grade or occupation; company; BECTU branch; H&S qualifications (e.g. stage 1 course, stage 2, IOSH etc).
If members can provide relevant information on themselves or the Safety Representative at their workplace, please contact Tracey Hunt at BECTU Head Office. Anyone attending a significant training course is urged to contact Tracy on the same basis.
Accreditation for BECTU Safety Representatives
Consideration is being given to developing the accreditation system for BECTU Safety Representative's e.g. an official card to be issued only after completion of a stage 1 training course.
Any members with views on this issue are urged to contact BECTU Head Office.
S4T Scottish Theatres Consortia
The BECTU National Health and Safety Committee, at its June meeting, heard a report from Euan Turner on Scottish Theatre Safety Net (the joint S4T/BECTU initiative reported in the last BECTU H&S Bulletin
).Under the auspices of the project, BECTU is developing a Safety Representative's Handbook, which would be issued on completion of relevant training - initially in the Scottish Theatres but possibly eventually elsewhere in BECTU.
Work on the handbook is being undertaken by Sallie Wilcox (BECTU Safety Representative at Scottish Opera) and BECTU officials Mark David-Gray and Trish Lavelle.
HSE Broadcasting Joint Advisory Committee (BJAC)
Andy Egan has attended the April 2001 meeting of BJAC on behalf of BECTU.
Issues raised included:
- A research project on Pyrotechnics
- At work road safety
- Worker safety advisors (and roving Safety Representatives)
A new agreed HSE document to be published on H&S in film, Broadcasting, Video and Commercials Production.
At a subsequent BJAC working group held at Granada, Manchester in May provisional agreement was reached on a repository of H&S training
Courses information to be co-ordinated by Skillset (our national training organisation) and provided on the Skillset website.
A draft template covering the information to be supplied for the website by training course providers was discussed.
Recruits wanted for first aid course
BECTU is planning to hold a one day First Aid course at an approximate cost of £50 per head.
The course would be run by an expert trainer from the British Red Cross and would lead to an "Appointed Person" first aid qualification.
The exact timing of the course depends on the demand for places but it will be on a weekday. The venue will be BECTU Head Office.
If interested, please contact Andy Egan or Martin Spence at BECTU Head Office, 111 Wardour Street, London, W1F 0AY, tel: 020 7437 8506
TUC Hazards At Work Folder
We are trying to update our list of representatives who have copies of the TUC Hazards at Work ring binder (bright orange and green in colour).
Please let Tracey Hunt know if:
- you have the binder
- you have had the updates for 98/99/2000
Once the list is up-to-date we should be in a position to supply the up-dates to reps.
Please call on 020 7437 8506, or email Tracey Huntthunt@bectu.org.uk