Health and safety

Health and safety refers to legislation, regulations, policies, and procedures, designed to prevent accidents, injuries and illnesses in the workplace and other environments. The West Midlands Police Federation (WMPF) Health and Safety Committee works with all Federated ranks for the benefit of all to ensure a safe and healthy environment for individuals, whether they are employees, visitors or the public.

The committee includes representatives from all departments and Federated ranks. The main responsibilities of a health and safety committee include:

1. Communication: Facilitating open communication between employees and management regarding health and safety concerns, ensuring that issues are promptly addressed.
2. Training and education: Providing individuals with the knowledge and skills needed to work safely and respond appropriately to emergencies.
3. Safety Inspections: Conducting regular inspections of the workplace to ensure compliance with health and safety standards and identify areas for improvement.
4. Incident reporting: Encouraging good systems for reporting accidents, assaults, and incidents, reviewing their causes, and implementing corrective actions to prevent recurrence.
5. Risk assessment and management: Evaluating risks associated with identified hazards and recommending measures to control or eliminate them.
6. Policy development: Assisting in the creation and review of health and safety policies and procedures to ensure they are comprehensive and up to date.
7. Monitoring compliance: Ensuring the organisation complies with relevant health and safety legislation and standards.
8. Incident investigation: Reviewing reports of accidents, injuries, and near-misses to determine their causes and recommend preventive measures.
9. Health Promotion: Monitoring the health of individuals to detect early signs of work-related illnesses.
10. Personal Protective Equipment (PPE): Ensuring the availability and proper use of protective equipment. Including the attendance at Uniform and Equipment Working Group.
11. Vehicle Users Group: Attend and contribute with the Vehicle User Group, highlighting issues raised by members and WMP staff and officers.  Feedback will also be provided by attending committee member on any developments provided by group.
12. Enforcement: The committee will be involved in enforcement when required where non-compliance of health and safety legislation is apparent and there is resistance to improve.

The committee will keep in constant communication and continue to maintain a positive working relationship with WMP Health and Safety (B7) and when required the Health and Safety Executive.

Action can only be taken with evidence, using a WMP system, please consider reporting any accident, assault or near miss on the eSafety System.

Near miss definition: an event or situation that could have resulted in injury, illness, damage or loss but did not do so due to chance, corrective action or timely intervention.

Contact the health and safety lead

West Midlands Police Federation health and safety full-time lead Patrick McBrearty can be contacted by email or by telephone on 0121 752 4915 or 07812 223 302

Health and safety workplace representatives

• Andrea Forrester
• Ash Forster
• Ian Smith
• Lee Hayward
• Lorayne Brown
• Michael Woods
• Martin Bonser
• Simon Wheeler
• Steve Green
• Suky Downes.

Their contact details can be found on the find a rep page.

Further information

Assaults

PowerPoint Presentation (polfed.org)

College of Policing – shift work and road safety

Shift work in policing and road safety | College of Policing

Health and Safety Executive – Police

Police Service – Health and safety in the workplace – HSE

Health and Safety Executive – Reporting

Tell us about a health and safety issue – contact HSE

Institution of Occupational Safety and Health (IOSH)

IOSH magazine – Safety, Health and Wellbeing in the World of Work

National Examination Board in Occupational Safety and Health (NEBOSH)

Our News and Events – NEBOSH

NHS – Health A to Z

Health A to Z – NHS (www.nhs.uk)

Oscar Kilo – National Police Wellbeing Service

The National Police Wellbeing Service | Oscar Kilo

Working hours – (ACAS)

Working hours and rest | ACAS

 

Other useful documents

Assault on Police Employees – 10 Point Plan

A Short Guide to Making your Premises Safe from Fire

Blood-borne viruses in the workplace

Consulting employees on health & safety

Preventing slips and trips at work

Role responsibility of a health & safety leader

Working Time Regulation Guide