Agenda and draft minutes

Moved by Councillor Tom Munro and seconded by Councillor Sandra Peake

RESOLVED that Councillor Jane Yates be elected as Chair of the Safety Committee for the 2025/26 Municipal Year.

Councillor Jane Yates in the Chair

Moved by Liz Robinson (UNISON) and seconded by Councillor Tom Munro

RESOLVED that Chris McKinney (UNISON) be appointed as Vice Chair of the Safety Committee for the 2025/26 Municipal Year.

An apology for absence was received on behalf of Councillor Rowan Clarke.

To note any urgent items of business which the Chairman has consented to being considered under the provisions of Section 100(B) 4(b) of the Local Government Act 1972.

There was no urgent business to be considered at the meeting.

Members should declare the existence and nature of any Disclosable Pecuniary Interest and Non Statutory Interest as defined by the Members’ Code of Conduct in respect of:

a)  any business on the agenda

b)  any urgent additional items to be considered

c)  any matters arising out of those items

and if appropriate, withdraw from the meeting at the relevant time.

There were no declarations made at the meeting.

To consider the minutes of the last meeting held on 6^th March 2025.

Moved by Councillor Tom Munro and seconded by Chris McKinney (UNISON)

RESOLVED that the minutes of a meeting of the Safety Committee held on 6^th March 2025 be approved as a true and correct record.

The Health and Safety Apprentice presented the report to the Committee.

The total number of Council employee accidents in Quarter 4 2024/25 was 5. This compared to 8 accidents during Quarter 4 of 2024/25.  Employee accidents occurred in the following service areas: Streetscene (4); and Housing (1).

The types of incidents were: cuts & abrasions (2); manual handling (1); slips, trips and falls on same level (1); and ill health (1).  None of these were RIDDOR reportable.

The number of near misses reported during Quarter 4 2024/25 was 2 (both near misses with no injury).  The report provided further details of the dates, locations, severity, etc. of incidents.

The total number of accidents reported by members of the public was 47 (none of these were serious enough to be RIDDOR reportable).

Additionally, 1 non-employee incident occurred (slipped on snow) at Pleasley Vale Business Park (also not RIDDOR reportable).

There was 0 near misses and 2 accidents reported by Dragonfly Development Ltd. (DDL) and Dragonfly Management (DM) during Quarter 4 2024/25.  These included a cut & abrasion and a slip, trip and fall on same level.

The Health and Safety Apprentice drew the Committee’s attention to an error in the report – while it was stated 0 days were lost due to accidents / incidents, this actually stood at 55 (including the day of the meeting – this tally was ongoing).

Graphs included in the report showed the number of monthly incidents by each month of employees, members of the public, contractors and ‘other’ for Quarter 4 2024/25.

The Health and Safety Apprentice shared that during Quarter 4 2024/25, 35 Council employees had received training including: Institution of Occupational Safety and IOSH) Managing Safely (3); IOSH Managing Safely Refresher (2); First Aid (11); and First Aid Refresher (8).

77 DDL / DM employees had received training in the same period including: IOSH Managing Safely (4); First Aid Refresher (1); Ladder and Stepladder Training (2); and Asbestos Removal (Category A) (51).

The report detailed inspections carried out at 6 Council locations (Cresswell Wellness Centre; Pleasley Vale Mills 1, 2 and 3; Pleasley Vale Outdoor Activity Centre, Unit T and the Boathouse; and The Tangent Business Centre) and 8 formal inspections at DDL sites (Ashbourne Court; Woburn House; Parkfields; Jubilee Court; Valley View; Victoria House; and Briar Close (twice)).

To a question on the 2^nd January 2025 and 14^th January 2025 incidents involving Streetscene Officers, the Strategic Director of Services informed there was a weight limit on what black bin liners could withstand and animal faeces proved dense and heavy – the “cat litter” for the 2^nd January 2025 incident had been discarded into a public waste bin.

The Strategic Director of Services noted on occasion third parties discarded waste that was not typically expected for street litter – it was not uncommon for traders to inappropriately discard their waste in and around public waste bins.

The Strategic Director of Services informed no time had been lost from these incidents and the  ...  view the full minutes text for item SAF7-25/26

The HR and Payroll Manager presented the report to the Committee.

The average number of days lost per employee in Quarter 4 2024/25 was 2.8 days, with the outturn for the average number of days lost per employee standing at 9.5 days for 2024/25 (the annual target had been 8.5 days).

It was stated that current NHS waiting times had likely contributed to the higher than target figure.

6 Services had experienced zero sickness in Quarter 4 2024/25 (a further 4 Services had experienced less than 1 day per full-time equivalent (FTE) employee absence).

Stress/Depression had remained in the top three reasons for absence since Quarter 2 2019/20.  There had been 11 cases of absence due to Stress/Depression in Quarter 4 2024/25 (3 work related, 8 none work related).

There remained a direct correlation between employees undertaking physically demanding work and high levels of sickness.  This was reinforced by Muscular/Skeletal absences being in the top three reasons for sickness absence throughout 2024/25.

There had been 0 days of sickness recorded for COVID-19 in Quarter 4 2024/25.

Health and wellbeing initiatives included: Support When You Need It – Vivup’s Confidential Employee Assistance Programme; World Menopause Day 2024 and two sessions of the Menopause Support Group completed; International Men's Day 2024; Fraud Awareness Week; Online Fire Safety Checks; Cervical Cancer Awareness Week; Macmillan Monthly Walking Groups; Race Equality Week; Eating Disorders Awareness Week; Vivup Rewards & Benefits; Your Financial Wellbeing Courses; and Go!Active subsidised membership (for Quarter 4 2024/25, this stood at 64 subscribers).

To a question on the attendance numbers of the Menopause Support Group, the HR and Payroll Manager informed 5 had attended these sessions.  A Member noted even 2-3 attendees would have been reasonable.

The HR and Payroll Manager added that session of the Menopause Support Group would continue and stressed attendance was open to all Council employees – those not going through / would never go through Menopause were welcome to attend to help improve knowledge and awareness.

The Chair asked if the Menopause Support Group was open to Members.  The HR and Payroll Manager confirmed yes and would ask the Employee Engagement Officer to promote these sessions with Members.

Moved by Councillor Tom Munro and seconded by Liz Robinson (UNISON)

RESOLVED that the report be noted.

Before the meeting ended, a Member noted no disabled parking had been allocated in the Members’ and senior officers’ parking behind The Arc.  The Strategic Director of Services would investigate if provision was possible.