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European Safety And Health Week In BT Announced 

CWU have written to all its Branches advising that activities within BT for this year's European Health & Safety Week in October are being planned and giving some detail as to the campaign itself.

Click to go HSE Euro Week websiteRisk assessment is the theme of the European Safety and Health at Work Week for the next two years, beginning   this year from the 20th to 24th October.

The two-year campaign is aimed at a wide range of stakeholders, including employers, workers and Union Safety Representatives, and is intended to promote the benefits of completing and implementing a risk assessment.

In BT this is particularly relevant to Openreach, where a significant number of incidents are a direct result of poor risk assessment.

Risk Assessment is something that we do subconsciously during the course of our every day life, and yet when people are asked to formalise the process in work situations, despite it being a requirement since 1993, they are often less than proficient at doing it. The campaign in BT will therefore emphasise that on site risk assessment is a dynamic process, without which, as the accident record shows, people get hurt.

Improving awareness of the importance of risk assessment is something to which both the company and the BT Unions are fully committed.  As in previous years, all BT Group lines of business will be working jointly with USRs from CWU and Connect to highlight the importance of good risk assessment in the prevention of workplace injuries.

This year there will be a questions and answers activity, and there will be a specific focus on risk assessment in relation to:

* Display Screen Equipment

* Climbing and work at height

* Slips, trips and falls 

There will be three distinct stages to this year's European Safety and Health Week in BT: 

1.      From the 6 - 17 October there will be a survey comprising of questions and answers, open to all BT employees regarding their understanding about risk assessment. 

2.      During the week itself, from 20 - 24 October, all those who have a responsibility for the completion of risk assessments on working at height, climbing, Display Screen Equipment and slips, trips and falls, will make a concerted effort to complete risk assessments, and all line managers will discuss the importance of risk assessment at one to ones and team meetings. 

3.      From the 27 October to 7 November, another survey, comprising again of questions and answers, will be available for employees to complete.  This survey will enable both BT and the BT Unions to review the effectiveness of the campaign. 

Further information regarding risk assessment in BT can be found in the health and safety handbook under: 

* Display Screen Equipment - SFY/HSH/C020 

* Access Systems - SFY/HSH/D030 

* Working at Height in a Mobile Elevating Work Platform - SFY/HSH/D039 

* Climbing Practices - SFY/HSH/D041 

Regional CWU health and safety representatives were briefed about the European campaign week in BT on 14 August. 

Highlighting the fact that release to attend the activities is an issue, CWU says that Branches need to ensure that USRs plan workplace activities and time-off for the campaign as soon as possible.

As previoiusly reported by Unionsafety, information packs about the European Campaign can be ordered direct from the HSE.

BT managers will also be advised to do this.  There will be a poster produced jointly by BT and the BT Unions for circulation in due course.  We will also be submitting articles advertising the week to BT Today and CWU Voice.

Further details on the European Campaign on Risk Assessment can be found on the HSE website

Source: CWU LTB641/08



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