Royal Mail Group - Revised Safety Policy And Plan Announced

Dave Joyce CWU National Health, Safety & Environment Officer, in writing this week to CWU Branches via LTB144/09, alerts all USRs to the new Royal Mail Safety Policy and Plan:

Following very productive discussions and a series of meetings with Keith Scott, the new Royal Mail Group Head of Safety, a new, revised Royal Mail Group National Safety Policy and Arrangements has been introduced following endorsement by the Royal Mail Group Chief Executive and board in December.

The new Policy states very clearly that the role of Trade Union Safety Representatives is crucial to the delivery of a safe working environment, high standards of safe working practices and a positive safety culture. The Policy goes on to recognise that Safety Representatives must be involved in health and safety issues and will engage at all levels of the organisation, providing information and assistance to the staff they represent and to safety practitioners and managers in safety related matters.

The new Policy also agrees to establish a new National Joint Royal Mail Group/Trade Unions Safety Forum dealing with 'Corporate wide' issues and to 'ensure employee engagement' on Group wide safety issues at strategic level.

The new Policy will introduce a new system of 'Group Safety Standards' to address corporate wide safety issues and aim to 'standardise' across all Business Units where appropriate.  These will be accompanied by 'Group Safety Guidance Notes' aimed at providing detailed information and instruction on a specific safety topic. These may be stand alone documents or linked to a Group Safety Standard. They may include background information or specific instructions in relations to process or procedure in relation to any safety issue. They will be set out in an easily digestible format useful for all employees, managers and safety professionals. Before introduction they will be subject to consultation with the Trade Unions via the Joint Royal Mail Group Safety/Trade Unions Safety Forum. 

The Trade Unions welcome the fact that the RMG Health and Safety management system will be based on the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) model management system ‘Successful Health and Safety Management’ as set out in (HSG65), identified as the 'minimum standard' within RMG.

The Safety Policy provides 'Top-Down' guidance for Directors, managers, health and safety professionals and Safety Representatives. The aim is to improve health and safety in the organisation on a continuous health and safety improvement basis. The components are; effective health and safety policies, effective organising for health and safety, effective safety planning and implementation, measuring safety performance, safety auditing and reviewing safety performance.

Firmer language is used in the new Policy by way of the words 'must' and 'will' denoting compulsory action.

Dave makes special mention for all CWU Safety Representatives to the following important sections and passages contained in the Policy:-

Trade Union Safety Representatives
The role of the trade union safety representatives is crucial to the delivery of a safe working environment, high standards of safe working practice and a positive safety culture. It is recognised that they must be involved in health and safety issues and will engage at all levels of the organisation and provide information and assistance to the staff they represent and to safety practitioners and managers in safety related matters.

To ensure that this working relationship is engaged to consider corporate wide issues the (joint Royal Mail/Trade Unions) Group Safety Forum has been established to ensure employee engagement on Group wide safety issues at the strategic level.

Download the policy here

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