Outsourced H&S Management

This client has several colleges around the UK offering secondary level education as well as preparation for UK university entry for foreign students and language courses in the summer.

Some project highlights:

• Presenting a mitigation case to the enforcing authorities

• Convincing senior management of business benefits

• Gaining efficiencies through effective H&S management

• Using a good safety record as a marketing tool

S2 were called following a recommendation by the company’s lawyers. The organisation had suffered a serious incident at one of its colleges. A cleaner had fallen through an unguarded hole in a floor over a weekend during renovation works, resulting in a broken back. The Health & Safety Executive (HSE) had investigated and found inadequate H&S management systems in place. A prosecution was instigated along with a requirement to take immediate action under threat of closure of the college.

We met with the directors, establishing the background of H&S management in the company, scope of operations and current provision.

There have been a number of supervisors over the years delegated with the responsibility for dealing with H&S, none professionally trained. A local freelance H&S advisor had provided some risk assessments, but these were generic and showed little understanding of the specialist nature of the business. This had a very negative effect on the company’s legal compliance and operational efficiency. In fact, the HSE used these risk assessments as clear evidence of the company’s negligence when drawing up the prosecution evidence.

S2 were asked to carry out a full review and then make recommendations. At this stage the company saw this as a painful and expensive exercise, but a necessary one in view of the impending prosecution. However, they were surprised to find that the recommendations we put forward provided them not only with a more efficient way of running their business but they could see the many added benefits from doing things this way. They were also pleased with our suggestion to empower the existing staff, rather than employing specific new H&S personnel.