Harrow Council is facing increased risk due to a lack of cooperation from some managers in providing necessary information for health and safety audits. The issue is particularly acute within the environment department, where requested information is not being provided, and it is unclear whether the information is not recorded or cannot be found. This is hindering the validity of audits, according to discussions at a recent Employees' Consultative Forum (ECF) meeting.
Davis Searles raised concerns about the lack of cooperation and questioned what repercussions there were for managers who did not cooperate.
An officer explained that the managing director is actively involved in addressing this issue. The corporate risk has been escalated to red, and reports are being produced to monitor progress. A set of key performance indicators (KPIs) are being monitored to improve competencies and ensure that managers have the skills to produce required documentation for risk assessments.
Councillor Paul Osborn, Leader of the Council, suggested that future reports should provide more context around management self-audits, including the expected number of audits and whether the current figures are typical. Currently, 14 health and safety management self-audits have been completed, but it is not clear what the expected number of self-audits is.
The concerns were raised during a discussion of the annual health and safety report for 2024-2025. The report highlighted a 16% decrease in reported accidents and incidents compared to the previous year. Other key trends included that the number of RIDDOR incidents remained the same as the previous year, with 4 reported, and the 'Don't ignore it, Report it' campaign was launched in July 2024 to address under-reporting concerns.
The report also noted a Notice of Contravention issued by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) following a Legionnaires' disease diagnosis of a caretaker at Glebe School. The HSE issued the notice for breaching the Control of Substances Hazardous to Health (COSHH) Regulations regarding legionella management. Following the HSE notice, training for Duty Holders and Responsible Persons at all schools is ongoing, and community schools are now required to submit monthly water temperature declarations. Resources have been allocated to support this programme.
Councillor Henson also suggested that future reports should include the outcomes of audits and inspections, confirming whether issues were raised and addressed. Councillor Osborn supported this suggestion, stating that it would provide more clarity and reduce the need for additional questions.
Read the full agenda and reports pack from the meeting for more information.
