Page 15 - WMPF Federation Feb-Mar 2020-flip_Neat

Officer safety

‘Officers have moral and legal

duty to report near misses’

olice officers must report any near that could have resulted in injury, illness, action may be taken, reporting a near miss
misses to the Force to help prevent damage or loss but did not due to chance, can lead to that being put right before
Pinjuries and serious incidents but corrective action or timely intervention. someone gets hurt.
should not be afraid to do so, the Federation’s Therefore any event or situation that does “The Federation receives a weekly list of
health and safety lead has stressed. actually result in injury, illness, damage or all the near misses reported and we raise our
Deano Walker was speaking after a loss is not a near miss and should be reported concerns with the Force if necessary. One area
Freedom of Information request by a media as an accident or incident. we are becoming increasingly concerned
outlet revealed the Force made the largest The Force has a legal duty as an employer about is police buildings. The years of cuts to
single compensation pay-out to an officer to ensure the health, safety and welfare of police budgets clearly saw many of our police
injured in the line of duty paying more than employees under the Health and Safety at stations and other buildings closed but we
£156,000 to an officer who fell from a stool or Work 1974 but officers and staff are under an also saw a lack of investment in those that
chair. obligation to help prevent colleagues and remained open and we are seeing some
The figures also showed the Force spent a visitors coming to harm at work. accidents occur as a result. If you have a
total of £258,568.49 on 73 compensation “The most common submission we get concern about the state of any police building
claims between 2015 and 2019 with the relates to minimum staffing levels but strictly and you fear there could be an incident in
majority being paid out due to slips, trip and speaking this doesn’t really fall under the which someone could get injured I would
falls by officers and staff. near miss criteria – though we do appreciate urge you to report it.”
“It is clearly in everyone’s interest to help officers’ frustrations,” says Deano. Other near miss examples include:
the Force prevent injuries because behind “An example of a near miss that we get l Premature failure of Airwave batteries
each of these pay-outs there will be someone most years is a shovel or grit being missing l Poor reception areas for Airwave or other
who has been injured at work, perhaps with from a grit bin. If you discover this is the case, communication devices
life-long effects, and who may have had to you should report this since clearly in icy l PAVA leaks
take time away from their job while they conditions a lack of available grit or a means l PAVA, baton or other personal protection
recovered,” says Deano. of spreading it could lead to an incident in equipment having no – or little – effect
“So, while the figures show the monetary which someone could be injured. during a violent incident; if there is an
value of the compensation, there will be the “I don’t think anyone should assume injury to an officer or staff, however, this
added cost, physically and mentally, to those someone else has reported these types of should be recorded separately
injured, and the knock-on effect in terms of incidents and I also don’t think anyone should l Falling asleep at the wheel of a vehicle,
people having to pick up extra work while fear getting into trouble for raising an issue of personal or police, on the way to work or
someone is away from their role.” concern. Everyone has a moral and legal duty after the end of shift
Officers and staff should record near to highlight near misses and help prevent l Exposure to extremes of temperature or
misses on the E-safety section of the Force someone getting injured. A near miss could bad weather on operations
intranet but Deano says there can be some be classed as an early warning that l Vehicle faults, such as engines cutting
confusion as to what constitutes a near miss. something is wrong. out while being driven, brake failures or
In very simple terms, a near miss can be “If there is an accident, clearly an vehicle fires.
defined as an unplanned event or situation investigation takes place and corrective

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