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The Health, Safety and Environment Department has launched the first ever CWU major National membership Survey of Accident Reporting to gauge the level of accidents at work amongst members and to get feedback on the growing problem of under-reporting.
The first ever CWU national membership survey of accident reporting has been launched by the Health, Safety and Environment Department – and members are urged to check whether they’ve received one of the special survey postcards with the February edition of the CWU Voice Magazine. The survey – of 10,000 randomly selected individuals across all the businesses in which the CWU has members – will hopefully gauge the true level of accidents at work among members and obtain valuable feedback on the growing problem of accident under-reporting and RIDDOR (Reporting Of Injuries, Diseases & Dangerous Occurrences Regulations) Breaches. Branches are requested to ensure that those members receiving one of the survey postcards within their Voice polywrap, respond to the five quick-and-easy-to-answer questions and, either post it back to CWU/HQ as soon as possible, or hand it to a Branch Rep for forwarding to HQ. This important survey seeks to discover information from ordinary members of any problems, pressures or obstruction in relation to reporting an accident correctly. The rates of injury accidents at work reported by employers have reduced substantially over the past decade - but just how accurate are those numbers? Many CWU safety reps have questioned the claims made by directors and managers who have been reporting big reductions in accidents in recent years. We want to find out whether the emphasis has shifted from reducing accidents, injuries, illnesses and near-misses, to producing favourable statistics. Rather than drive accident reporting underground, we need members to report ALL accidents and near misses in a 'blame-free' culture.” Concerns are particularly grave at Royal Mail, where the Health, Safety & Environment Department has repeatedly reminded the company of its legal obligation to provide a proper, accessible accident reporting facilities which the Laws states can be a book or an electronic, computer based equivalent such as the current 'ERICA' system.
We have also requested that they circulate an Instruction to all Managers ensuring that all accidents are properly recorded and entered on the Accident Reporting system with an explanation of what occurred in the victims own words and not those constructed by a Manager without the victims consent and agreement. Any pattern of behaviour on the employer’s part which suggests that there is a consistent breach of obligations under the Regulations can be drawn to the attention of the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) who have been made aware of the Union's concerns and the problems and complaints from Safety Reps regarding this matter which we have raised with the employers, primarily Royal Mail. The Health, Safety & Environment Department is also currently pursuing a new "Accident Notification, Reporting and Investigation Agreement" with Royal Mail along with a new "Accident Reporting - Issues Escalation Process Agreement" for CWU Area Safety Reps which is currently under discussion. Our conclusion is that rather than drive accident and near miss reporting underground by blaming members, we need to encourage staff to report ALL accidents and near misses in a 'blame-free' culture in order to address the problems and make sustainable improvement in safety not just numbers on bits of paper with only a short-term cosmetic effect.
" The issue of the under reporting of accidents is of major concern, having serious ramifications for the health, safety and welfare of workers. As a result official statistics are detrimentaality affected which in turn reduces the ability of the Unions to tackle a governmetn whose attitude is that health and safety at work protection is an unnecessary burden on employers, and allows them to contimnue with their immoral and callous aims of putting profit before the health and safety of the workers in this country." The Co-ord urges all Branches to get involved with the issues in LTB087/13 The final word is with Dave who says the the message is simple:- Source: CWU |
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Writing in letter to all CWU branches (LTB087/13), Dave Joyce, the Union's National Health, Safety & Environment Officer
explains the details of the problem and the background to the Union's campaign: 
The Health, Safety & Environment Department has again recently reminded Royal Mail of the provisions of regulation 25 of the Social Security (Claims and Payments) Regulations 1979 and advised employers that a failure to provide a proper, accessible, accident book or electronic equivalent may amount to a breach of statutory duty pursuant to Regulation 5 of the Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999. (See CWU Letter to Branches 303/12). 
In response and in support of the Union's campaign, Derek Maylor, Chair of the NW BT Unions Health and Safety Co-ord told Unionsafety: