Safe and Well at Work: Occupational Health and Safety Strategic Framework for NHSScotland

Appendix 2
SAFE AND WELL AT WORK: OCCUPATIONAL HEALTH AND SAFETY STRATEGIC FRAMEWORK FOR NHSSCOTLAND

SUMMARY OF ACTIONS

Actions for the Scottish Government

• The Scottish Government will provide the overall policy direction for occupational health and safety for NHSScotland, and ensure that policies and approaches developed and implemented take account of broader government policy.

Actions for the Occupational Health and Safety Strategic Forum ( OHSSFor)

• The Occupational Health and Safety Strategic Forum ( OHSSFor) will play a leading role in facilitating the delivery of high standards of occupational health and safety across NHSScotland, through steering implementation, as appropriate, in relation to national delivery of actions, monitoring and evaluation of progress.
• OHSSFor will consider whether any additional guidance or standards are required to assist NHSScotland Boards with implementation, as well as reviewing and, where required, introducing systems for collecting and considering data and evidence, and for gathering good practice and disseminating to other Boards.
• Over time, OHSSFor will review existing priority areas for action, with a view to advising Ministers and MSG on whether other priority areas should be adopted.
• This work will be taken forward, working closely with the Scottish Workforce and Staff Governance Committee ( SWAG).

Actions for NHSScotland Boards

Approach to Occupational Health and Safety:

• NHSScotland Boards must ensure robust and effective management systems for occupational health and safety are in place, fully integrated into general management systems with an emphasis on risk assessment and control measures to proactively protect staff and reduce injury or illness. These management systems should not operate in a silo, but need to take account of a range of wider strategic policies which impact on the workforce at local and national level.
• NHSScotland Boards must ensure their systems of management of occupational health and safety risk and controls are fully in place and operating, before focussing attention on priority areas for action to ensure a positive step change improvement in occupational health and safety performance.
• NHSScotland Boards are expected to develop a unique local approach encompassing in full the requirements of effective health and safety management, and extending this to encompass the focus on health promotion and wellbeing, along with resilience and mental health support.
• NHSScotland Boards must assure themselves as employers that they are meeting all statutory standards and health and safety regulations as a matter of course.
• NHSScotland Boards are expected to enhance the standard of occupational health and safety provision through risk assessment, meeting accreditation standards and a process of continuous quality assurance and improvement.
• NHSScotland Boards must ensure that, where appropriate, existing local occupational health and safety strategies and plans are reviewed and revised, to be consistent with the approach and priorities identified in this strategic framework.
• NHSScotland Boards are encouraged to share their experiences and expertise with other Boards, and, where appropriate, to work with other Boards and partners to look for opportunities for joint working and sharing services.

Staff Support and Engagement:

• All staff across NHSScotland must have equal access to comprehensive, competent, confidential and quality occupational health and safety advice services.
• NHSScotland Boards must promote and support staff engagement and partnership working, making use of local structures, including local health and safety committees.
• NHSScotland Boards should be proactive in informing and supporting staff to manage and maintain their health, and to manage ill health in a constructive manner.

Delivery of Occupational Health and Safety Services:

• NHSScotland Boards must focus on ensuring all staff, including occupational health and safety staff, are appropriately trained and educated.
• NHSScotland Boards should recognise clinical occupational health as a specialism to be included within clinical governance.

Governance Arrangements:

• NHSScotland Boards must demonstrate clear leadership and reassure themselves that appropriate governance arrangements via the Staff Governance Standard at Board level are in place to enable accountability at local level for delivery of occupational health and safety standards.
• NHSScotland Boards are expected to clarify roles and responsibilities at every level of the organisation to ensure high standards of occupational health and safety are delivered.

Monitoring Progress:

• NHSScotland Boards must ensure there are appropriate monitoring and audit arrangements in place to measure progress and to ensure that risk management and governance arrangements in relation to occupational health and safety are in place and working well, for example through the utilisation of a closed loop health and safety management system.

Actions for Staff

• Staff need to take responsibility for their own health, safety and wellbeing. This includes employee duties under Section 7 of the Health and Safety at Work Act and Regulation 14 of the Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations.
• All employees have a responsibility for their own safety, and to seek to avoid slips, trips and falls, where possible.
• A bottom up approach to developing activity to reduce slips, trips and falls is advantageous and should be encouraged, building on existing partnership working arrangements and employee engagement activities.