Association of Colleges
FESH
Further Education Safety & Health Group
New Forum for Health & Safety in Further Education
In line with the Health and Safety Commission’s document, A Strategy for Workplace Health and Safety to 2010 and Beyond, it had been agreed that the long standing Higher and Further Education Advisory Committee, HiFEAC, would be set down in favour of new sector-led forums.
At a meeting at HSE headquarters it had been agreed that there was a need to revitalise health and safety in the further education sector. Clear and consistent leadership was necessary to improve health and safety practice in the workplace.
AoC worked with HSE to establish a new forum for the further education sector, the Further Education Safety and Health forum (FESH). Stephen Green confirmed that AoC would take forward the FESH group following this introductory meeting. Stephen agreed to provide the secretariat and the Association of College Managers agreed to provide the Chair. There is a core membership with representatives from:
- Association of Colleges
- Association of College Managers
- Scotland's Colleges
- Trade Unions – UCU, UNISON & EIS
- Welsh Assembly
- Fforwm
- HSE
Terms of Reference
"To act as a forum for the further education sector, developing a partnership between employers and employee representatives and providing strategic oversight and direction on matters of occupational health and safety including that of the safe learner. It is expected that the establishment of this forum will lead to the evolution of practical solutions to occupational health and safety issues. The regulators will be invited to attend and others may be co-opted.”
FESH Assessment Tool
The following core issues were considered for inclusion in the workplan for FESH, which will cover 3-5 years:
- Communications
- Data collection and analysis– to include ill health, accident and sickness absence statistics, and levels of occupational health services
- Revitalising health and safety targets
- Promotion of sensible risk management
- Promotion of occupational health provision
- Promotion of good management practice in relation to stress (including bullying / harassment)
- Competence of health and safety advice – this is central to the application of good health and safety practice and includes appropriate training of managers
- Promotion of partnership working
This has led to the development of an Assessment Tool, based around the recommendations of the Ministerial Taskforce Report and its subsequent ‘One year on' report, the basis of which is making improvements to workplace health and subsequently better service delivery.
FESH has drawn up this Assessment Tool to provide Colleges with a recommended strategy to help them to meet their health and safety responsibilities.
FESH acknowledges the work of the Local Government Association's National Health and Safety Practitioner Panel in developing the principles upon which this tool is based.
About the Assessment Tool
The Assessment Tool has been designed to complement the Health and Safety Executive’s strategy for the health and safety of Great Britain. Each HSE strategy goal has been interpreted by FESH, and recommendations on how that goal might be evidenced have been included for evaluation by College corporations.
The evidence examples are not exhaustive, and individual institutions may wish to add to or amend them according to their local circumstances.
The take-up and success of this strategy is something FESH will monitor over the next year and beyond so that it can respond with appropriately targeted advice, guidance and tools to meet the needs of Colleges. It will require the active support of senior managers and corporation boards. To this end, the joint HSE/Institute of Directors publication guidance is recommended and it can be downloaded from the HSE website here:
Leading health and safety at work
Recommended Actions for Colleges
- Add the Assessment Tool as a standing item to Safety Committee meetings
- Nominate a person to lead/champion the use of the Assessment Tool
- Begin using the Assessment Tool immediately (with a view to providing feedback by September 2012)
FESH will collect and collate the results from your feedback and produce a report.
Anonymity of participating Colleges is assured.
The Assessment Tool is available in both A4 and A3 formats. Download them here:
FESH Assessment Tool A3 version
FESH Assessment Tool A4 version
Notes of FESH meetings
Preliminary meeting June 2006
Second meeting November 2006
Third meeting March 2007
Fourth meeting June 2007
Fifth Meeting October 2007
Sixth Meeting March 2008
Seventh Meeting February 2009
Eighth Meeting February 2009
Ninth Meeting November 2009
Tenth Meeting Feb 2010
Eleventh Meeting Oct 2010
Twelfth Meeting Feb 2011
Thirteenth Meeting Jun 2011
Fourteenth Meeting Oct 2011
Fifteenth Meeting February 2012
