Health and Safety Bulletin
January 2003
BECTU National Health and Safety Committee
The Committee met in September, with a change of representation from the Arts and Entertainment Division. The retiring reps - Moira Elliott, Kate Walker and Mary Corner - were thanked for their contributions. Their replacements are Lee Burns and Sallie Wilcox.
Safety Representatives' Regulations
The Health and Safety Commission is producing a consultation document on employee consultation and safety reps. This will attempt to harmonise the Safety Reps Regulations (1977) ie the 'Brown Book' with the 1996 Regulations dealing with non-union workplaces. The consultation is likely to last 3 months.
The issues raised are likely to include the development of Roving Safety Representatives, the extension of legislation (which allows Equity and the MU to use full-time officials as safety reps) and the use of Union Inspection Notices (UINs). There is no guarantee at this stage of the outcome but the consultation provides the possibility of progress in these areas.
BECTU Safety reps' questionnaire
BECTU Health & Safety activist Pat Styles has circulated questionnaires to all of the union's Safety Reps listed on our database. If you have received the questionnaire and not responded, please do so if you can.
Off those responding as at the end of December 2002, the key health and safety issues listed in order of importance were:
- Stress
- Manual Handling
- Rest Breaks
- Length of Working Hours
- Display Screen Equipment
- Repetitive Strain Injury
- Provision of Risk Assessments
- Staffing Levels
For all of these issues, more than 6% of respondents indicated that they were a significant concern for their members.
Temporary locations and studios in film, television and theatre
The HSE has recently issued Entertainment Information Sheet 18 dealing with Buildings used for locations and temporary studios in film, television and theatre. A copy is attached to this Bulletin.
H&S In Audiovisual Production: Your Legal Duties
A new booklet under this title has just been published by HSE it was drafted by a subcommittee of HSE and industry representatives, including BECTU. The main focus is on health and safety obligations; capabilities and training; and risk assessment.
Time-off for training
There have been useful developments in the case law governing paid time-off for health and safety training. In both Rama v South West Trains (in the High Court) and Catten v The Department of Social Security (in the Employment Tribunal) the applicants won their arguments for access to paid time-off for advanced health and safety training (such as Stage 2 and Stage 3 courses). Employers will now have to be more wary of denying or delaying reps' access to such courses. BJAC
The HSE's Broadcasting and Performing Arts Joint Advisory Committee - on which BECTU is represented - met in October. Issues covered included the BJAC (terms of reference and work plan; draft guidance on the use of tallescopes (on which BECTU has submitted comments); The Temporary Work at Heights Directive; and the Physical Agents (Noise) Directive.
Hse Entertainment Section
The HSE office dealing with policy aspects of our sector, including BJAC business, is the Entertainment Section, based in Glasgow. The official in chare is Barry Baker(a Principal Inspector), assisted by Gavin Howat (Inspector).
Hazards Conference
BECTU was well represented at last year's Hazards Conference held in Manchester in September. BECTU members attending included reps from the National Health & Safety Committee, cinema, ENO, BBC and Technicolor.
New Minister for health and safety
Following the transfer of health and safety to the Department for Work and Pensions, the new Minister responsible for this area is Nick Brown, who also retains his responsibilities as Minister for Work.