Introduction Hazard Spotting Presentations Toolbox News / Stop Press

1. Newsletter Sharing Learning Improving October 2017 Links via icons or arrows Diabetes and Work Kate Walker, Diabetes and You • Introduction • Hazard Spotting • Presentations • Toolbox • News / Stop Press • Next event(s) Health & Wellbeing in Construction Mark Ashby, Health Unit, Construction Division Drug and Alcohol Testing in Construction - How it Works Mathew Gilliver, Express Medicals For further information: Liz Prophett Tel: 07881 290238; Email: secretary@bhsea.org.uk

2. A captivated audience Guests and New Members

3. Following on from the success of the last meeting, it was a pleasure to see a large number of members turn out for the health-related topics on 9 October A especially warm welcome to: Members attending for the first time: • Liz Scott – CHH CoNeX Ltd. • Mark Godfrey – Fitzgerald Contractors • Dave Jones – Interclass • Guests • Phil Maddison - Amey (Construction). We hope to see you all again next time!

4. What could happen?

5. What did happen How to prevent from happening?

6. Diabetes and Work Kate Walker, Diabetes and You • Key Points: • Put simply diabetes is a sugar intolerance but is a serious and progressive disease. As time goes by, it requires more and more medication and carries a greater risk of complications eg amputation. • Currently 9.6 million people in the UK at risk of diabetes with 3.2 million diagnosed + 100,000 not. • It used to be an age-related disease but now affects even primary school children. • The body normally produces insulin to stabilise blood sugar levels in response to an intake of sugar. • There is no definitive cause but stress is known to raise cortisol levels in the body. Cortisol and insulin do not work well together. • When testing for diabetes on a scale 1-7: a reading of 5 considered normal, 6.4-6.9 indicates pre-diabetes, 7 results in a positive diagnosis requiring medical intervention. The finger prick test looks at how much sugar is in the blood at that moment. A more thorough test is carried out by the GP. • Type 1 diabetes: insulin is no longer produced naturally and so has to be taken intravenously daily.. • Type 2 diabetes: Can be managed with oral medication, a change of lifestyle and diet (more active, less sugar intake/eating protein first. Someone could have had it for 10 years before diagnosis, by which time the effects are irreversible. People often present at health appointments with other conditions, such as a heart problem, and diabetes is only diagnosed following further investigations. • A ‘hypo’ (black-out) is experienced when blood sugar crashes down to the lower end of the scale. In this instance the blood sugar levels need to be raised very quickly eg dextrose tablets or Lucozade • Those who do not properly control their diabetes, through lifestyle and medication, can become a danger to themselves and others, especially when driving or operating machinery in the workplace. Diabetic drivers are required to be tested two hours before a journey and thereafter every two hours. Regular ‘hypos’ have to be reported to the DVLA and will result in a driving ban.

7. Health and Wellbeing in ConstructionMark Ashby, HM Inspector of H & S, Health Unit, Construction Division • Key Points: • Construction workers are 100 times more likely to die from work-related ill-health than an accident. Focus / balance shifting to very much include health risks. • Health monitoring/surveillance has a role but no substitute for managing/controlling health risks. • 40% of workplace cancer registrations and deaths to construction workers. Other health risks / effects can also seriously impact an employee’s quality of life and affect their ability to work. • Suicide is a major problem amongst low-skilled construction workers who are around 10 times more likely to end their own life than to die from a fall at work. • During 2014 HSE inspectors looked specifically at health issues and found a high level of enforcements were for dust – predominantly asbestos and silica - and welfare issues. • HSE Health and Work Strategy – priorities: • - occupational stress and related mental health issues • - musculoskeletal issues • - occupational lung disease. • HSE management standards to reduce workplace stress eg monitoring workloads and work patterns, and promoting positive working relationships to reduce conflict and unacceptable behaviour. • Training schemes being developed to raise awareness of mental health issues, also work by charities • Links/Further Information: • - HCLG (Health in Construction Leadership Group) video • - Cases studies / good practice • - Video case study: Terry the former stoneworker suffering with silicosis • Mates in Mind: Mental Health in construction • HSE ‘Go home healthy’ • - HSE – Managing construction health risks

8. Drug and Alcohol Testing in Construction - How it Works Mathew Gilliver, Express Medicals • Key Points: • Testing is not a legal requirement for construction staff, but is often seen as best practice and may be an important way to protect a company, its reputation and the health, safety and wellbeing of staff. • It is mostly routinely conducted for safety critical roles, eg air traffic controllers, trackside workers. • A company drug and alcohol policy is of benefit to employers and employees, and following consultation, testing may become part of Contract of Employment for new and existing employees. • Tests can form part of the recruitment process (pre-job offer), occur randomly on a percentage of the workforce, after an incident or where there is a suspicion. • Employees need to make their employers aware if they are taking any medically prescribed drugs which may affect test results. • Tests can be conducted in a number of ways, eg via urine, hair or saliva sampling but there are tests which, although give an instant result – known as Point of Care Tests – cannot be used as grounds for disciplinary action and must be used in conjunction with other tests. • A recent TV programme raised concerns as tests were picking up the presence of opiates in test samples when the employee had simply been consuming bread with poppy seeds. Matt explained that this was probably due to the testing threshold being set too low and consequently picking up all manner of substances!

9. Occupational Lung Disease in Construction - Toolkit Link to toolkit

10. HSE launches second phase of construction inspection campaign (2 October 2017) • In addition to things such as falls from height, the campaign will focus on control of harmful dusts including respirable silica from concrete, brick and stone, asbestos and wood dust, as well as work at height, structural safety, materials handling, good order and welfare provision. • Of 2000 inspections during the first phase of the initiative: • action was taken to address these issues in almost half of visits. • lots of good examples of small sites working safely and protecting workers health from exposure to harmful dusts, proving it can be done. • Nearly half of construction fatal accidents and injuries reported to HSE involved refurbishment work. Link to press release

11. Construction / WWT Events HARNESS AWARENESS TRAINING Dates:10/17/19 May 2017 - 6 x 2 hour sessions (two per day) Venues: Coleshill, Merry Hill-Dudley, Central Birmingham. Providers: Keepmoat, Arco, Mace Group SCAFFOLDING & WORK AT HEIGHT Date:11 July 2017 (Half-Day Event) Venue: RICOH Arena (c/o Broadstreet Rugby Club) Coventry. MANAGING HEALTH IN CONSTRUCTION Date: 23November 2017, 8.00 (Half- Day Event) Venue: Black Country Living Museum Topics: Manual Handling / RPE / Dust / Stress / HAVs / Noise / Role of Occupational Health / Hand Protection Etc. For further information: Liz Prophett Tel: 07881 290238; Email: secretary@bhsea.org.uk Next BHSEA event at NMC

12. Sharing Learning Improving 13th November 2017 12.45pm for 1.30pm – 3.45pm National Metalforming Centre - B70 6PY (1 min from M5 j1) Next Event • Introduction • Presentations • Toolbox • News / Stop Press • Next event(s) Ergonomics in practice – making it comfortable / making it safe * Posturite * Other speakers TBC Everyone welcome If possible please confirm your attendance by contacting Liz Prophett Tel: 07881 290238; Email: secretary@bhsea.org.uk