Hi All,

If you are not aware, the HSE are out sourcing COVID-19 inspections:

Inspectors will make COVID-secure checks as part of their normal role in visiting workplaces during the pandemic. To ensure we reach as many workplaces as possible nationally and support the core work of our inspectors, we are working with trained and approved partners to deliver the spot check calls and visits

I have heard on the old grape vine that these inspectors are not HSE trained and rather using people like debt collectors.

Has anyone had an inspection from these yet?

So, these people are not “appointed inspectors” under section 19 of Health and Safety at Work Act?

This looks like theatre again. How can someone who has no training or understanding turn up on site and check that covid rules are being applied? Could it be that the HSE know that legally the enforcement of the guidance on covid 19  DOES NOT come under the Health and Safety at Work Act and they have decided not to commit any real resources to “enforcing” it?

biker1 - whilst that is probably true, you can bet if you don't allow them access you will get a knock on the door from the HSE pretty soon afterwards.

Do we know of any enforcement notices given out by the HSE regarding COVID-19?

https://resources.hse.gov.uk/notices/notices/notice_list.asp?rdoNType=&NT=&SN=F&EO=LIKE&SF=NSUM&SV=covid&ST=N

as we have 1 manager off due to his lad getting ill, he has now got symptoms as well... but where from? how long ago? as long as welfare is in place, risk assessment done, screens, tape, markings are in place where needed and people are visually keeping distance, i cant see what they can do.

I recieved this from my local liasion group a couple of weeks ago - i dont remeber the "global email it refers to - or a magazine artice which the refranced. There was a copy of the letter these people are carrying - but that wont copy sorry.

Info From HSE.

In 23 September 2020, we shared with you via global email, our plans for Third-party support to undertake COVID-Secure Spot Checks.

Since that time, we’ve been working closely with our providers, Engage (Marston Group) and CDER (which includes Rundles), to develop an approach and prepare Spot Check Support Officers to make face to face contact with duty holders across GB.

This allows HSE to significantly scale up our wider organisational proactive work around on the ground spot check work, provide support to local authorities (LA’s), respond rapidly to local outbreaks, and ensure inspectors and visiting officers can focus on more complex COVID-19 interventions and other priority operational activities.

We’re now pleased to tell you that the first tranche of Spot Check visits are being undertaken by Engage and CDER.

The Spot Check Support Officers are using the same structured approach that’s used in the call process, along with their physical observations, to assess those who are potentially non-compliant.

Spot Check Support Officers will focus purely on COVID related matters, and in line with government guidance, ascertain if  risk assessments are in place and  adequate control measures implemented e.g. appropriate signage, social distancing and cleaning regimes.  They will complete a visit form to record their findings which will be submitted to the project team in a standard format, to ensure any necessary follow up actions for inspectors are identified quickly and dealt with in a timely manner.

Spot Check Support Officers will be acting on behalf of HSE and in line with our values and behaviours, when engaging with our duty holders. They will have letters of authorisation, which clearly state the limited remit within which they are authorised to act.

Although we are early in the process of ‘going live’ with both providers we wanted to share this key milestone in HSE’s COVID response.

Edited by user 08 December 2020 15:17:12(UTC)  | Reason: making sure where HSE info started

“risk assessments are in place and  adequate control measures implemented e.g. appropriate signage, social distancing and cleaning regimes.”

So, no requirement for a suitable and sufficient risk assessment just something  in place and a list of unqualified control measures. How do you know signage is appropriate?  And what does it say to make it appropriate -watch out there’s  a covid about?

The PHE are not an enforcement body as such; their main role is advisory. The covid regulations are enforced by the police and local health officials.

And of course, we have all seen  bad practice mainly on building sites but  I suspect it’s taking place elsewhere as well.

The simple fact is that no workplace can be make Covid safe. How do you risk assess when you are not able to identify if, where and to what extent the hazard exists in your workplace? Any one person in your workplace might become a positive donor without any symptoms. Oh - and as far as I am aware the current methods only test for the virus when inside the body. That person could be colonised externally and thus able to infect others without this being apparent from a test. To me it seems that we can only take a certain level of measures to attempt to minimise the risk of the virus spreading. How do we then monitor if our measures are effective? Even if someone contracts the infection how can we be certain that it occurred at work and as a result of a failure of our systems? There seems also to be increasing evidence that the indirect route of spread, i.e. via fomites, is at least, if not more, significant that direct airborne exposure. Managing the indirect route is far more complex.

God I hate the continuation of Government cut backs.  Of course the HSE has had to outsource, they don't have anything close to what this country needs as a safety force to investigate and prosecute corrupt working practices.