Powering Improvement and

worker engagement

Garry Graham

Deputy General Secretary

Introduction:

• Trade unions passionate advocates of PI

• This event is a key example of how we can

work in partnership

• Our aim is for PI to be beacon of best

practice across the wider economy

• Leadership being shown at a national level

• Key message that health and safety

requires leadership and engagement at all

levels

Celebrate our successes • Commonality of purpose

• High standards of health and safety not

only a moral imperative but good business

sense

• Spirit of openness and trust

• Ability to share best practice

• Confidence to share when things go wrong

• Ability to address “controversial” issues

Is this how it feels on the ground?

• How much awareness is there in your

company of PI?

• How much familiarity is there with the

themes of Powering Improvement?

• Does this matter?

• How do we bridge the gap?

• How do we improve recognition and

engagement?

Challenges only get greater! • Increased economic and regulatory

pressure

• Toxic “debate” around energy policy

• “wilful lack of understanding” of challenges

faced

• Health and safety a political football

• Work intensification and increased use of

contractors

• Strained relationships

How do we get to our vision by 2020?

By 2020 the UK electricity industry will have

delivered a sustained improvement in health

and safety performance by applying and

influencing best practice approaches utilised in

the top performing sectors in the UK and

beyond.

Success will be evaluated using leading and

lagging indicators such as injury and ill-health

rates together with feedback from work

awareness surveys.

Recommit to overarching themes

• Leadership – at all levels;

• Worker Involvement –continue to promote effective

consultation, engagement and ownership;

• Building Competence – workers will be able, aware and

empowered;

• Corporate memory/Knowledge Bank – we will work

together to ensure that, as experienced workers retire

and are replaced, lessons are remembered from incidents

and accidents and mistakes are not repeated;

Key principles going forward:

• All workers in our industry have the right to go to work each day and not be

injured or made ill by their work;

• We recognise the importance of cooperation between all groups that make up the

electricity industry: generation, transmission, distribution, contractors, trade

unions as well as government, regulators and other workers’ representatives;

• We recognise that everyone in our industry has a responsibility to look after their

own, and their colleagues', health and safety.

• We recognise the serious consequences of work-related accidents and ill health –

both personal, economic and reputational;

• A safe, healthy and competent workforce is essential;

• We are fully committed to addressing occupational health issues as well as safety

ones;

• We are committed to sharing best practice regarding the management of health

and safety risks. This includes sharing lessons learned when things go wrong;

• We aspire to exceed compliance with H&S legislation to strive for continuous

health and safety improvement and to provide the leadership and resource to

make this happen;

What does effective engagement look like? What it looks like when done effectively What it looks like when done badly or not

at all Provision of information and training to enable staff

to work in a safe and healthy manner

Worker H&S reps* carry out their full range of

functions either independently or, if agreed, jointly

with management

Worker H&S reps are involved in risk assessment

Worker H&S reps are consulted in good time on

matters relating to their health and safety and the

results of risk assessments (eg systems of work

including procedures).

Contributions worker H&S reps make are considered

before health and safety management decisions are

made. Where they are deemed inappropriate,

worker reps are given the reasons.

Worker reps are valued and comfortable reporting

staff concerns without fear of disadvantage.

The company has key performance indicators for

worker involvement, progress against which is

reviewed and reported.

Employees lack the right level of information or

training needed to do their job in a safe and healthy

manner

Worker H&S reps cannot carry out their functions –

eg not released, cover not provided.

Risk assessments are made by management without

worker ‘voice’

Change and new technologies are introduced

without the involvement of staff in assessing how

they may affect worker health or safety, so staff

have no sense of ownership

Health and safety controls don’t seem practical or

employees have to work around difficulties.

Supervisors or line managers don’t discuss:

- how to do a job safely

- how safely to use new equipment

Staff don’t know to whom they would go to if they

had health and safety concerns.

There is little or no evidence of information being

cascaded through the organisation

Our commitment • Train and develop our safety

representatives

• Demonstrate leadership in the workplace

• Ensure health and safety part of our day to

day work

• Develop and share best practice

• Ensure effective communications

• Be honest and build trust

• Seek to work in partnership

Examples of good practice The sector has some very good standards of involvement,

particularly in respect of union H&S reps, these include;

• Agreed programmes of joint health and safety

inspections or surveys

• Jointly investigating accidents, incidents,

complaints and ill health

• H&S rep training is supplemented with company

provided, bespoke training

• Best practice of joint training, where reps and

managers learn together.

Supporting the cycle:

Return home safe &

well

Sharing best

practice & learning

Health as well as safety

Partnership with worker

reps

Personal responsibility

We must remember to assess & manage change

Our noble ambition

To ensure that staff stay safe and well… and to keep the lights on!

garry.graham@prospect.org.uk

Thank you Any questions?