Issue - meetings

The Chairman asked if Members had any questions regarding the report, and asked if The Health and Safety Officer had anything else to add.

Councillor Ruffles extended his thanks to the Health and Safety Officer for the extra support which he had given to the Hertford Theatre Team in relation to their Christmas productions at Southern Maltings in Ware.

Councillor Bull asked if there was any reason for Grange Paddocks leading the table of accident statistics. The Health and Safety Officer said that this was due to the larger size of this facility and therefore its higher footfall. He said that the statistics were also affected by the swimming pool facilities at Hartham Leisure Centre currently being closed to the public due to refurbishment. The Head of Human Resources and Organisational Development added that the higher footfall at Grange Paddocks was the clear link. He said that contractors would be asked to provide accident statistics from similar sized facilities to enable more meaningful comparisons going forward. 

The Chairman referred to page 30, item 8 of the report, and asked how the new lone working programme implementation was progressing. The Health and Safety Officer said that uploaded forms were being received from service teams. These forms were being passed to People Safe, who would then change the administration portal, and issue new upgraded devices. He explained that these new upgraded devices would be phase issued to staff with training, that each team would have its own group administrator, and that he himself would have contract management oversight, enabling the production of user reports.

The Chairman asked if there would be a time when both of the lone working services would be working simultaneously as they phased over. The Health and Safety Officer said that there would be an overlap, and that this would maintain continuity of service ensuring that staff continued to have protection. 

It was moved by Councillor Dumont and seconded by Councillor Buckmaster that the recommendations, as detailed, be approved. After being put to the meeting and a vote taken, the motion was declared CARRIED.             RESOLVED – that the Health and Safety Quarterly Review (Q3) – October 2021 to December 2021 be received.