Health and Safety Bulletin
September 2005
Noise at Work Regulations
The new Directive comes into force around February 2006.
There is a specific HSE Working Group developing a Code of Practice (CoP) for the Music and Entertainment sectors. BECTU is represented on the Working Group by Clive Coston of the BBC.
The Working Group wishes to test the draft CoP by circulating it in confidence to relevant safety reps. If any BECTU Safety Rep would be interested in participating, please contact Andy Egan at BECTU Head Office as soon as possible. Volunteers will be provided with a copy of the draft and asked to submit their comments.
A list of the grades for whom the CoP will be particularly relevant is appended to this Bulletin [28k pdf].
Hazards Conference 2005
The National Hazards Conference was held at Leeds in July 2005.
Among the BECTU reps attending was Louise Smith of the BBC. Her report on the Conference is appended to this Bulletin [33k pdf].
Film Industry Safety Group (FISG)
The FISG has been established as a liaison and lobbying body on health and safety issues in the film industry. BECTU is currently represented by Andy Egan.
Issues under discussion at the inaugural meeting in June included FISG Term of Reference and revisions to the existing HSE publication 'H&S in Film Production'.
There were also concerns raised about the use of camera cranes by unauthorised and undercapitalised small operators, with resulting accidents on set or location. One potential solution under consideration is a system of licensing for the provision and operation of camera cranes.
SERTUC/HSE Conference
A conference on 'Partnerships for H&S' is being held jointly by SERTUC (SE Region TUC) and the HSE. It is open to all Safety Reps in the South East and East of England.
It will be held on 10th October from 10am to 4.30 pm at Congress House, with TUC and HSE speakers and workshops (eg slips & trips; ladders; backs; moving goods safely; migrant workers).
BBC H&S Conference 2005
The BBC's H&S in Broadcasting Conference 2005 will take place on 26th October at White City Conference Centre. This falls within European Safety Week. The theme is Noise. There is likely to be high demand and tickets are being offered by invitation.
Topics will include HSE Strategy; Corporate Manslaughter; Broadcasting; and Music.
Reported hazard: chandelier safety lines
Members are asked to take note of the following hazard reported by Hamish Millar, Safety Rep at Royal Lyceum Edinburgh and a member of BECTU National Health & Safety Committee.
During our annual insurance inspection the auditorium chandelier was being winched up for inspection (hand winch) As it locked into position a bang was heard. The operator was asked to release the winch to check the locking mechanism. As he did so the chandelier fell, crashing onto the stall seats. The winch line had sheared and no safety line was attached.
Check those safety lines.
BECTU Health & Safety Network
Members are encouraged to join the union's Health & Safety Network, which is a list of contact details for BECTU Safety Reps across the board.
There are currently 33 members on the network, the aim of which is to facilitate direct exchanges of information among safety reps.
BECTU health & safety publications
The BECTU Health & Safety Handbook and reformatted Health & Safety Craft Cards are currently at the printers. The reprinted versions will be publicised as soon as they are available.
TUC news
From October, the TUC Certificate in Occupational Health & Safety will be available to study online in a 36 week course, details at www.tuc.org.uk/learning/tuc-10437-fo.cfm.
New TUC Health and Safety publications include:
- Health and Safety Inspections: a TUC Guide
- "How Noisy is your workplace?" (short leaflet)
'Hazards At Work'
A number of members have placed orders for the new TUC 'Hazards at Work' publications. This has now been published and will be posted to those members in the near future. If you have not placed an order but wish to do so, please contract Tracey Hunt at BECTU Head Office.
HSE Health & Safety Training Group
The Health & Safety Training Group of the HSE met in June 2005. Issues under discussion included:
- Occupational standards for grips in film: New City & Guilds qualification being developed.
- Occupational standards for grips in broadcasting: Currently under review and - as with film - including BECTU participation.
- Occupational standards for camera grades: Again being reviewed with BECTU participation.
- Pan-Broadcasting 'competencies': BBC and ITV are in discussion with a view to developing common approaches to health and safety competencies ie the health and safety standards required for workers.
Work at Height Regulations
The new regulations took effect in April. A 'Brief Guide' on the Regulations is available from HSE.
H&S and disability
The Disability Rights Commission are holding a number of seminars on Risk Assessment and the Disability Discrimination Legislation. The seminars are free of charge and are being held from November through to January in Newcastle, London, Birmingham, Glasgow, Cardiff and Exeter.
The underlying concern is exactly the same as that reported in our last Health & Safety Bulletin ie the need to avoid health and safety becoming a reason to restrict employment opportunities for disabled people.
BECTU National Health & Safety Committee
Issues covered at the July meeting included HSE developments, H&S Conferences; new publications; and sectoral reports (on Odeon Cinemas, BBC, Edinburgh Theatre, RPD, Theatre Safety Committee and Labs).
Questionnaire on possible BECTU H&S Official
A questionnaire has been sent to all Safety Reps on the possible responsibilities of a BECTU Health & Safety Official. The deadline for responses is October 1st.
No definite decision has been taken as to whether such a post will be created. This will depend on available resources and the other competing priorities.
Members' expenses for external health & safety courses
Please note the following guidelines for claiming expenses for external health and safety training courses ie for courses run outside of BECTU.
- H&S Stage1, Stage 2, Stage 3: Local travel and lunch expenses only. No expenses for long distance travel or accommodation.
- All other courses: Dealt with on a case by case basis.