Health and Safety

To ensure that county councillors are safe within the County Hall complex, it is really important that all councillors regularly familiarise themselves with the following Health and Safety information, which are available on C-First as How Do I guides; 

Councillors are reminded to familiarise themselves with: 

  • The contents of 'Emergency/Health & Safety Notices', which are posted in all offices and meeting rooms.  These notices provide fire safety information specific to the building, floor and room being used, and should be checked from time to time for any updates that are made in line with changes to legislation and LCC policies. 
  • Escape routes and emergency exit locations.  
  • Locations of fire assembly points. 

Health and safety guidance states: Anyone with a disability, no matter how minor or temporary, that could affect their ability to react to an audible alarm and/or self-evacuate in an emergency, must have a Personal Emergency Evacuation Plan (PEEP) in place.  The purpose of the plan is to identify and document any individual adjustments that may be required.  

Should any councillor feel that they require assistance to evacuate due to a disability or medical/health issue either temporary or long term, please contact Catherine Earnshaw directly: catherine.earnshaw@lancashire.gov.uk 01772 533306 so that a PEEP can be put in place to ensure that a safe and timely evacuation can take place. 

 

 

If you are involved in any accident, incident or near miss in your role as a councillor, you should report this to Democratic Services via member.development@lancashire.gov.uk as soon as possible. Democratic Services will then complete a LCC Accident/Incident and Near Miss Report Form and will conduct an investigation if necessary and will put in measures to prevent a similar incident from happening again. 

Copies of completed Accident/Incident/Near Misses forms will be retained on the councillors record within the Elected Member Information System. 

A generic risk assessment template has been developed to assess the risks of any councillor visit (including Development Control Site Visits, Tours, Visits to non LCC buildings). Prior to arranging any visit, officers will identify and mitigate the risks using the risk assessment template. The completed risk assessment will be shared with councillors who are required to comply with the officer guidance and instruction. 

Although PATesting of portable electrical equipment is not a legal requirement, it is good practice and in line with LCC's safety measures, where a test of all LCC issued equipment is tested on an approx. 12-18 month frequency. All county councillors are strongly encouraged to bring in their equipment to County Hall, on the arranged dates.  

Councillors are reminded to regularly make quick safety checks before using equipment to ensure there are no obvious signs of damage, such as snags in a power cable, etc. If any defects are found, councillors should stop using equipment immediately and report the issue to Democratic Services.