Safety in the

Salvation Army

Aaron Smith

Regional Safe Mission Advisor

This talk will…

• Tell you about what we do in The SA

• Tell you about how health and safety is managed

in The SA

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My background:

• Trained at ELDC

• Food, Health and Safety EHO at RMBC

• Contract work for Osbourne Richardson

• Joined the SA in 2011 – North Region

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SA Potted History

•Formed in 1865 by William Booth

•Quasi military structure

•Now operates in over 125 countries

•Church and charity

•Large provider of social care in UK 4

SA in the UK• Over 5,000 employees, 25,000 volunteers

• 700 Corps (Churches/Community Centres)

• 100 Hostels

• 20 Old Persons Residential Homes

And much more…

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What else we do…• Relaying victims of human trafficking

• Employment training centres

• We serve 3,000,000 meals every year at community and residential centres

• Our Family Tracing Service reunites more than

3,000 people each year

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SA H and S - Pre 1900• William Booths Match factory – 1891

• Health and wellbeing of homeless and street

workers

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SA H and S - Pre 2011

• 1 advisor covering the whole of the UK and ROI

• Based in London

• Limited support, other than reactive

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SA H and S Post 2011

• Team of 5 Regional Advisors

• Administrative support

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Role of an Advisor

• 2 Year advisory visit cycle

• Creating guidance

• Serious accident investigations

• Analysing and presenting statistics

• Attending area and national safety meetings

• Creating/reviewing policies

• Running accredited and unaccredited training

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Top 6 Risks

• Fire

• Occupational Driving Risks

• Working at Height

• Violence at Work

• ‘Sudden Deaths’ in Social Services Premises

• Asbestos

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Accident Statistics

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Other Departments• Property and Facilities

• Legal Department

• Board of Trustees

• Internal Audit Department

• Other Business Administration Teams14

Primary Authority Partnership

• Signed in late 2012 –

Chelmsford City Council

• Coordinate and

assist with health and safety

• Scope to take on other areas at a later stage

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CHAS Accredited

• First Approval in November

2012

• Currently being reapproved

• Reduced burden on Tendering Dept

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Resources Available• Suite of risk assessment forms and accompanying

guidance

• Comprehensive library of relevant guidelines

• In house developed fire safety management system

• Simple permit to work system17

Training Available

• Since 2011 – Over 70 Courses and 800 People

• CIEH Level 2 H and S in the workplace

• IOSH Managing Safely, IHASCO Fire Warden

• Other Non Accredited Courses

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Barriers

• Time and resources

• Culture

• Perception

• Regulation – food safety more externally regulated

• Communication, command and control 19

…but we don’t

always get it right…

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Swindon Gorse Hill Corps

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Fatality

• Rough sleeper allowed to sleep in back of a lorry

at a premises

• Faulty boiler nearby

• Died of carbon monoxide poisoning

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Simple Caution

• Failure to prevent exposure to asbestos

• Damage to boiler room door

• Survey report available

but not referred to

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The Future…• More areas covered by Primary Authority

• More training courses available

• End of second 2 year visit cycle 2015

• Harm reduction and asbestos strategies

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Thanks for Listening…

Any Questions?