Your questions answered - March 25

Q: I am looking to update our Health, Safety and Wellbeing (HS&W) policy, and I’ve recently been reading about DEI, psychosocial safety and sustainability. Which should I prioritise for our next update? 

It’s great that you regularly update your HS&W policy, that’s a vital thing for all companies to do. Clearly, your priorities should reflect those of your organisation as one-size does not fit all when it comes to these issues. 

Although it can sometimes feel a little as if there’s a new hot topic every month, remember that your focus should be on listening and engaging with your staff, and doing what’s right for them and your organisation. 

By addressing risks associated with the physical, mental, emotional or even social aspects of your people, you will also be able to tackle and prioritise broader issues and make your organisation more sustainable, inclusive and a better place to work.

Continue with your regular risk assessments and updates to your policy and you’ll find that the important elements within each of the issues you’ve highlighted will be covered - as long as it’s right for your team, your culture, your workplace environment. 

Q: I work in occupational health and safety, but I also want to get up to speed with the new fire and building safety regime, as part of my CPD. Where is the best place to find guidance?

This is an ever-evolving issue, and it is vital that we, as health and safety professionals – current and future - keep abreast of it.

In October 2023, Section 156 of the Building Safety Act 2022 (BSA) made a number of amendments to improve fire safety in all regulated buildings.

Ultimate oversight now rests with the Building Safety Regulator (BSR), who sets out rules to protect the design and construction of higher-risk buildings, giving residents confidence in the safety and standards of their building. The BSR in England is part of the Health and Safety Executive, though for your research, it is also worth keeping an eye on Gov.uk. 

Further proposals, due later this year, will introduce stricter fire risk assessment requirements, a new British standard for fire risk assessors, and updated regulations on staircases, sprinklers, and fire-resistant materials.

For more, check out Building Safety Regulator (BSR), and also Gov.uk.

Q: I recently read about AI being introduced into health and safety assessments for workplaces; is this safe? 

New and developing technologies, such as AI, are already being used in workplaces, and we should look to harness them – as well as new ways of working – to create safer, healthier working environments. 

Workplaces can be made safer through technology reducing or removing human involvement in high risk settings. This could be using drones or autobots for difficult tasks, which previously only humans could do. The use of drones to assess problems on high roofs or in tight confined spaces is becoming common practice and should be considered before sending employees or contractors into harm’s way.

Risk assessments should be routinely reviewed, ensuring they respond to the risks faced by those working in the field. Make sure all relevant training is identified and provided, as hand-in-glove, risk assessments and workplace training are key to effective risk reduction and tailor all training to the challenges being faced.

We must continue to understand its impacts and lay foundations for a safer future. Technology will continue to have a valuable role to play in workplace safety, but we must maintain balance so that technology and humanity work together, and every workplace becomes fit for the future.

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