ESFRS Manual Note

H&S01_06_V5 - Page No.1

summary Safety Critical Information

Dissemination

document control
Responsible Author Sig for Sig for RB Issue Date Review Date
Director CFO/CE
ACFO D Whiting July 2015 July 2016

Related documents
Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974
Management of Health and Safety at Work
Regulations 1999 (as amended)
HSG 65 revised. 8 January 2014 (3rd edition)

1 Summary

1.1 It is ESFRS policy to ensure that there are appropriate arrangements for
communicating important information relating to health, safety and welfare.

1.2 ESFRS has two key health and safety consultation forums – the Health, Safety and
Welfare Committee and the Workplace Safety Representatives Committee. It is
recognised that these forums and other arrangements (such as local management
meetings, workplace inspection outcome meetings, routine safety representative
meetings and toolbox talks) provide opportunities for general communications,
discussion, dialogue and the sharing of information. It is also recognised that health
and safety information is communicated by a variety of methods including manual
notes, risk assessments, posters, electronic methods, community protection
memoranda and training documents. The purpose of this note is not to provide
information about the dissemination of routine safety information or information
required under the Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences
Regulations 1995 (RIDDOR), but to provide guidance relating to the transmission of

summary policy procedure appendices

 ESFRS Manual Note
H&S01_06_V5 - Page No.2

summary
other safety information that is specific and critical, and needs to be communicated in a
manner that is urgent.

summary policy procedure appendices

 ESFRS Manual Note
H&S01_06_V5- Page No.3

policy

2 Policy

2.1 This policy and procedure sets out the management systems to communicate urgent
information relating to health, safety and welfare. It also sets out the responsibilities of
key individuals, and other staff, with regard to critical safety information dissemination
actions.

2.2 This policy and procedure covers mechanisms that are vital components of the
organisation’s health and safety management system and, in line with the principles of
HSG 65 ‘Successful Health and Safety Management’ and focuses on, “Plan, Do,
Check, Act” approach to management, moving away from the POPMAR (Policy,
Organising, Planning, Measuring performance, Auditing & Review) the model now
covers four key sections:
• Core elements of managing for health and safety
• Are we doing what we need to?
• Delivering effective arrangements
• Resources.

2.3 The aim of this policy and procedure is to assist in providing an underpinning
framework to support the continuous improvement of ESFRS health and safety
management systems by taking a proactive approach. The intention is to raise
awareness, recognise and identify potential hazards and risks, and to reduce the
opportunities for accidents and injuries occurring. In particular, the policy and
procedure reinforces the objectives of the Fire Authority and senior management to (i)
provide a safe and healthy environment, (ii) achieve a continuous reduction in
workplace safety events, and (iii) continually improve health and safety performance.

summary policy procedure appendices

 ESFRS Manual Note
H&S01_06_V5- Page No.4

procedure

3 Procedure

3.1 Considerations for the dissemination of urgent safety critical information.

3.2 It is acknowledged that the nature and the circumstances relating to safety events
varies and that a degree of professional judgement is required to determine when,
how, and to whom, it is appropriate to disseminate safety critical information in an
urgent manner. The following is intended to provide guidance:

• Information needs to be communicated to sections of the workforce as appropriate to

the circumstances. This may, for example, include disseminating information to all
operational personnel, to all training centre staff, to all engineering staff, to a
combination of staff groups or to all personnel. It is not appropriate to disseminate
safety information to sections of the workforce where the information does not apply.

• Safety critical information could be received from sources outside the ESFRS (such as
Chief Fire and Rescue Advisor, the Police, another fire and rescue service, the
Environment Agency, etc.). Information received, whether from within or from outside
the organisation, should be checked and verified, as appropriate, and considered
carefully before it is disseminated.

• Safety event investigations may generate important information (at various stages of
an investigation) that might need to be communicated to sections of the workforce on a
timely basis. Safety event investigators should liaise with the Strategic Health and
Safety Advisor, or in their absence, an appropriate directorate head to determine the
most appropriate method of achieving this. Careful consideration must be given to the
need and the appropriateness of disseminating information in the context of potential
implications and potential conclusions arising out of an investigation.

summary policy procedure appendices

 ESFRS Manual Note
H&S01_06_V5- Page No.5

procedure
• The type of information that would be appropriate for urgent transmission is information
that is of a critical safety nature (e.g. where there has been a transgression involving
operational procedures and a potential for a serious accident has occurred, or where
an inherent defect in equipment has been identified which has the potential to cause
injury). It is recognised that a degree of professional judgement is required to make
these decisions. As a consequence, all requests for the urgent communication of
critical safety information must be approved by the Strategic Health and Safety
Advisor, an appropriate Directorate Head or a Principal Officer. This principal officer
will ordinarily be the Assistant Chief Fire Officer.

• The communication of safety critical information is primarily by the distribution of ‘red’

safety critical information bulletins. Consideration should be given to reinforcing this
method of communication by teleprinters, e-mail, pager messages, telephone calls and
fax machines. This is particularly important where information needs to be transmitted
without delay.

3.3 Organisational roles and responsibilities

3.4 East Sussex Fire Authority

3.5 East Sussex Fire Authority members hold the overall responsibility for ensuring that all
staff are able to work and function in a manner that is safe. Under Section 2 of the
Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974, employers have a general duty to ensure, so
far as is reasonably practicable, the health, safety and welfare of employees at work.
This responsibility extends not just to operational, training, fire safety and intervention
purposes but also to other purposes such as work carried out by contractors and to
visitors at ESFRS premises. The Fire Authority has overall responsibility for ensuring
that all appropriate steps are taken, so far as is reasonably practicable, to ensure that
employees and others are informed about risks and matters relating to safety in a
manner that is effective, timely and appropriate.

summary policy procedure appendices

 ESFRS Manual Note
H&S01_06_V5- Page No.6

procedure
3.6 Corporate Management Team

3.7 Members of the Corporate Management Team (CMT) are responsible for the provision
of strategic direction about matters relating to health, safety and welfare. CMT shall
ensure that safety critical information is communicated and disseminated in a manner
that is effective, timely and appropriate.

3.8 CMT members should consider any strategic implications arising from the information
dissemination and undertake any necessary action as appropriate to the
circumstances.

3.9 Directorate Heads

3.10 Directorate Heads shall ensure that appropriate systems are implemented and
maintained to facilitate the rapid transmission of critical safety information. In the
absence of the Strategic Health and Safety Advisor, Directorate Heads should liaise
with members of the Health and Safety Department to determine the most appropriate
method of disseminating information.

3.11 Directorate Heads shall ensure that appropriate systems are in place to ensure that
staff within their spheres of responsibility have been made aware of, and understand,
the detail and the significance of the information. At Service Headquarters, Directorate
Heads shall ensure that arrangements are in place for the receipt of signatures and
that documents are forwarded to the Health and Safety Department for collation and
storage purposes.

3.12 Directorate Heads shall ensure that effective document control with regard to ‘red’
safety critical bulletins is rigorously enforced. Safety critical document control is subject
to periodic auditing by the Health and Safety team and is a key component of the
organisation’s safety management system.

summary policy procedure appendices

 ESFRS Manual Note
H&S01_06_V5- Page No.7

procedure
3.13 Directorate Heads shall, following the dissemination of a ‘red’ safety critical bulletin,
conduct an appropriate review and/or impact assessment to determine whether or not
changes are necessary with respect to policies, procedures and risk assessments to
amend, update, and improve safe systems of work. Directorate Heads shall liaise with
the Strategic Health and Safety Advisor regarding action points so that details can be
incorporated into the business assurance tracking systems. This part of the procedure
is intended to reinforce continuous performance improvement.

3.14 The Strategic Health and Safety Advisor

3.15 The Strategic Health and Safety Advisor shall co-ordinate, approve the content of, and
issue safety critical information bulletins in liaison with key individuals.

3.16 The Strategic Health and Safety Advisor shall consider the most appropriate
mechanism(s) for communicating and sharing safety critical information within the
ESFRS and also with external organisations and agencies (for example other
emergency services, Health and Safety Executive, local resilience forums etc.)

Categories of information may also include safety issues relating to products, services,
hazardous materials, risks to the local community or contractors, educational material
and statutory notifications.

3.17 The Strategic Health and Safety Advisor shall liaise with Directorate Heads about any
review action points or impact assessments following the publication of ‘red’ safety
critical bulletins and ensure that details are entered onto the business assurance
tracker. The Head of Health and Safety is responsible for maintaining ESFRS intranet
information so that it is appropriate, relevant and up to date.

3.18 Borough Commanders, Station Managers and other workplace managers

3.19 Borough Commanders, Station Managers and other workplace managers shall ensure
that critical safety information arising from a safety event is communicated to M&CC

summary policy procedure appendices

 ESFRS Manual Note
H&S01_06_V5- Page No.8

procedure
and the duty officer as per Appendix A of ESFRS manual note ‘The Management of
Safety Events’. Where information is received (e.g. via FINDS) that does not arise from
an ESFRS organisational safety event but, nevertheless, appears to be relevant to the
ESFRS, contact should be made with the Strategic Health and Safety Advisor or, in
their absence another directorate head, to discuss the issues.

3.20 Watch Managers, Crew Managers and other workplace managers

3.21 Watch Managers, Crew Managers and other workplace managers shall ensure that all
staff are briefed about critical safety information that has relevance to their role(s).
They must also ensure that staff fully understand the details of ‘red’ health and safety
bulletins and that signed records are maintained effectively. Where staff have been
absent, they must be updated on their return. Adherence must be paid to HS 01/98
revised (see appendix A). Signed “Red” Health & Safety Bulletins must be retained at
a local level for a minimum of five years and those signed bulletins that are over five
years old, can be archived by forwarding them to the Health & Safety Department at
HQ during March of each year.

3.22 Employees

3.23 Every member of ESFRS has the responsibility of ensuring that they understand and
comply with the contents and the details pertaining to the dissemination of critical
safety information. Where any doubt about the nature or context of safety information
exists, clarification should be sought through line management.

3.24 All employees have a duty to report serious and immediate dangers and recognisable
shortcomings in safety arrangements.

summary policy procedure appendices

 ESFRS Manual Note
H&S01_06_V5- Page No.9

appendices
4 Appendices

Appendix A – Health & Safety Introductory Bulletin (HS 01/98 revised 30 August 2007,
April 2010 and 16 June 2015)

summary policy procedure appendices

 H&S01_06_V5 Page 10
Appendix A

HS 01/98 (16 June 2015)

EAST SUSSEX FIRE & RESCUE SERVICE

HEALTH AND SAFETY BULLETIN

SAFETY CRITICAL INFORMATION RELEASED BY

EAST SUSSEX FIRE & RESCUE SERVICE

NOTE: The following information must be imparted to all relevant personnel at the station/workplace.
Officers in Charge/Supervisors must enter the names of all personnel at their work site on the spaces
provided on the rear of the Bulletin. All personnel for whom this Bulletin is pertinent will sign against
their name to show they have received the information.

PERSONNEL TO WHOM INFORMATION IS RELEVANT: ALL FIRE & RESCUE SERVICE

PERSONNEL.

Revision to HS Bulletin HS 1/98: Instructions for Dissemination of Safety Critical Information.

This Bulletin will replace the instructions contained in all previous versions of Bulletin 1/98.
Old versions of Bulletin 1/98 must be removed and destroyed.

East Sussex Fire & Rescue Service Health and Safety Bulletins are intended to ensure the
dissemination of important safety critical information to relevant personnel throughout the Service.

Release of Health and Safety Bulletins should only be authorised by the Strategic Health and Safety
Advisor, or by a designated Fire & Rescue Service Principal Officer.

Release of the Bulletin will be on red paper and will be made through the Health and Safety
Department.

Where the necessary information is of a more urgent nature, initial release will usually be made using
one or more of the following options.

i. Informing M & CC to put messages onto station end mobilising printers and officer/station
pagers.
ii. Facsimile, and email transmission to relevant workplaces and Information sent via these
methods will be backed up with a Health and Safety Bulletin.

In order to confirm that all relevant personnel have received the information and to ensure that
necessary records are maintained, in accordance with health and safety law, workplace managers
should ensure the following procedures are applied.
 H&S01_06_V5 Page 11
Appendix A

1. The workplace manager will ensure that the names of all personnel, permanently based
at the workplace, are entered in block capitals in the space provided on the rear of the
Bulletin.

2. Each person named must then sign against their name in the adjacent space, when they
have read and understood the Bulletin.

3. Where personnel are absent for significant periods such as long term sick leave and
therefore they are not available to receive the information, workplace managers should
make a relevant entry of record of explanation for the lack of receipt against the name of
the individual.

4. On return to work from extended absence such as long term sickness, personnel should
read relevant Bulletins and initial the against the entry made by their workplace manager

5. Personnel who are on temporary postings for significant periods, should consult their line
manager as to which location is appropriate for their receipt of Bulletins.

6. No other means of receipt, circulation slips, or local formats are to be used.

7. It is the responsibility of all workplace managers to ensure that signatures are entered for
all personnel based at the workplace.

8. New staff, as part of their induction, should be shown relevant safety Bulletins. However,
it will not be necessary for them to sign for safety Bulletins issued prior to their
employment with East Sussex Fire & Rescue Service.

9. Completed Bulletins must be placed within the Health and Safety Technical Bulletin
Folder provided to each workplace.

10. Signed Bulletins over 5 years old should be forwarded to the Health and Safety
Department at HQ for archiving.

A revised index will form part of the each Bulletin issued.

Health and Safety Bulletins may only be withdrawn by the Strategic Health and Safety Advisor.

David Whiting

Strategic Health and Safety Advisor

 H&S01_06_V5 Page 12
Appendix A

Print Name Signature Date Print Name Signature Date

______________ __________ _______ ______________ __________ ______
______________ __________ _______ ______________ __________ ______
______________ __________ _______ ______________ __________ ______
______________ __________ _______ ______________ __________ ______
______________ __________ _______ ______________ __________ ______
______________ __________ _______ ______________ __________ ______
______________ __________ _______ ______________ __________ ______
______________ __________ _______ ______________ __________ ______
______________ __________ _______ ______________ __________ ______
______________ __________ _______ ______________ __________ ______
______________ __________ _______ ______________ __________ ______
______________ __________ _______ ______________ __________ ______
______________ __________ _______ ______________ __________ ______
______________ __________ _______ ______________ __________ ______
______________ __________ _______ ______________ __________ ______
______________ __________ _______ ______________ __________ ______
______________ __________ _______ ______________ __________ ______
______________ __________ _______ ______________ __________ ______
______________ __________ _______ ______________ __________ ______
______________ __________ _______ ______________ __________ ______
______________ __________ _______ ______________ __________ ______
______________ __________ _______ ______________ __________ ______
______________ __________ _______ ______________ __________ ______
______________ __________ _______ ______________ __________ ______