Health and Safety Bulletin

January 2005

Driving for work

ROSPA (The Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents) have produced a recent series of leaflets on Driving for Work. These cover:

  • Mobile Phones
  • Safer Speed Policy
  • Safer Journey Planner

The leaflets are produced with the support of the Department of Transport.

BECTU Safety Representatives' Network

We now have an initial group of Safety Reps on the BECTU Safety Reps' Network. Members of the network have each others contact details and can therefore share information and experience with reps in other workplaces throughout BECTU's area of organisation.

So far, there are 20 reps on the network, including members from all six divisions of BECTU. If you want to join the network, simply email Tracey Hunt at Head Office with your request to join and your consent to passing on your contact details to other members of the network.

BECTU National Health & Safety Committee

Issues covered at the October meeting included sector reports (on NTL, national houses, BBC, regional production and FAA) and a report back from BJAC (the HSE Advisory Committee for our sector).

Members of BECTU's Disabled Members' Network have been invited to the next meeting of the Committee.

Hazards Conference 2005

The next annual Hazards Conference will be held on 29-31 July 2005 at Leeds University.

Noise at Work Regulations

The HSE is developing new Control of Noise at Work Regulations implementing the EU Physical Agents (Noise) Directive. There has already been a consultation on proposals for the new regulations, which are meant to control the risks to health from exposure to noise at work and to comply with the EU Directive. The new regulations, when finalised, are not obliged to take effect until February 2006.

Within this context there are also specific discussion on the Music and Entertainment sectors, including the development of a Draft Code of Practice. There are 2 Working Groups – one for Live Music and one for Recorded Music. BECTU is represented on both Groups by Clive Coston (BBC Division).

Draft Corporate Manslaughter Bill

The draft Bill promised in the Queen's Speech is a longstanding Labour policy commitment. There is disappointment, however, that the legislative timetable makes it virtually impossible for such a Bill to become law before the anticipated General Election in spring.

The Bill is likely to target companies rather than individual directors, although the TUC points out that it is individuals, not companies, that make decisions affecting health and safety.

Work at Height Regulations

Following the main consultation (to which BECTU responded in March 2004), there was a further consultation on the specific issue of whether the construction industry's '2 metre rule', which requires particular equipment and fall protection measures where work is undertaken at or above 2 metres in the construction industry, should be included in the new Regulations.

BECTU's response was to support this proposal, especially given the overlap between construction and areas of our own industry.

HSE/BJAC

Items from the latest meeting of the HSE's Broadcasting and Performing Arts Joint Advisory Committee (BJAC) and its relevant Working Groups include:

  • The 'Theatre Essentials' document should be published by ABTT with an HSE foreword.
  • The document on 'H&S in Film Production', originally published in 1999, will be reviewed.
  • Some guidance is due to be developed on the electrical safety of equipment hired out by freelance/self employed workers.
  • BJAC's formal title will become 'the Film, Broadcasting and Performing Arts Joint Advisory Committee' but will continue to be known as 'BJAC'.
Last updated 14 January 2005