Agenda item

The Committee received a joint report of the Corporate Director of Regeneration, Economy and Growth and the Corporate Director of Resources that provided an update on the Council’s Health, Safety and Wellbeing (HSW) performance for quarter four 2023/24 (for copy see file of minutes).

K Lough highlighted the key areas of the quarter 4 report that included a 9% reduction of the number of accidents since the last quarter.  There had been two fires, one at a waste transfer site and one at a children’s extra care unit.  There had been 75 risk audits carried out which was a healthy number but was still a lower sign off rate than there should be.  There were two enforcement actions taken with one with a contractor at a demolition site regarding asbestos and one at a school regarding asbestos management.  The council had been given a clean bill of health following the HSE inspections with no actions required.  Work was ongoing with Head Teachers, Governors and Business Managers within Academies that were not under the council’s control regarding health and safety training to reinforce what schools needed to do in relation to asbestos. There was an ongoing investigation at the demolition site of Kelly’s Bakery where an uncontrolled wall fell onto a pedestrian pathway due to Storm Isha. Radon Gas results had been returned with only 3 buildings that required action.  Engine controlled pumps had been installed to bring the buildings back under the threshold.  Inspectors provided assurances on the delivery programme and had asked the council to share DCCs working practises with other local authorities that had not made as good a progress.

Councillor A Hanson asked if the radon gas management programme only extended to council owned buildings or other buildings as a local charity were perplexed when a council officer had asked to put a detector in their building even though it was not DCC owned.

K Lough advised that the scheme only included council owned buildings and if the charity did not have a lease with the council, he was unsure why permission was asked to place the detector in the building.  He agreed to investigate further.

Mr C Robinson referred to the slipping accidents that had occurred at Durham bus station and asked how the flooring had passed building regulations inspections.

K Lough acknowledged that the flooring issue had only come to light after the bus station had opened.  The problem with the flooring had not been obvious and would not have been picked up in any testing that was carried out before the site opened.

Mr C Robinson asked if there would be changes to the regular testing carried out before new buildings were opened like Milburngate to ensure no further episodes occurred.

K Lough confirmed that investigations into the accidents would lead to a review of testing before a site was opened.  The incident was rare and had not seen anything like it before.

Mr I Rudd queried why there had been an increase in people named on the violent persons register.

K Lough acknowledged that there had been improved reporting that encouraged employees to report issues.  There had also been an increase in partnership working with police and probation that provided more intelligence from partner agencies that had increased the numbers on the register.

Resolved:

That the report be noted.