Agenda item 14 - Health and Safety - Annual performance report

not received lost time days, personal injury claims and other accident costs. Most importantly the safety and
health of our staff has been fully protected.
6.5 Police Staff Assaults on Duty
A total of seven assaults were reported for operational police staff (three E Division and one D Division PCSO’s
and three E Division detention officers). This total remains the same as in the previous year but reflects a
decrease of one assault to a PCSO and an increase of one assault to a detention officer. Despite the continued
increase in the diversification of police staff roles into more traditional operational policing roles, including police
community service officers and other workforce modernisation programmes 2010/11 performance data
supports the generally stable trend of police staff assaults over the last three years.
6.6 Prisoner Handling Injuries
Person handling risks are also a Health and Safety Executive priority action area (Reference Better Backs
Campaign). The incidence of accidents/injuries during the control, restraint, arrest, transportation and handling
of prisoners has decreased by 10% from 96 in 2009/10 to 86 in 2010/11
This performance should be viewed against the general downward trend in prisoner handling incidents which
has been achieved through a combination of preventative measures such as: -
Specific officer safety training measures.
Increased attendance officer safety training programmes.
Provision of officer safety equipment e.g. limb restraints.
Enhanced vehicle design for transportation of prisoners.
Officer and prisoner safety design features within custody units.
16% of all police officer injuries due to assault / prisoner handling incidents occur to the head and neck areas.
This figure is consistent with the previous two years, it is suggested that the head and neck areas are focused
upon as a preventative measure within the following year’s OST training programme.
6.7 Accidents (including assaults) by Location
Reproduced below is an analysis of the number of recorded accidents (including assaults) rates per 100 police
officers and police staff. The data shows a consistent accident rate across the two divisions with headquarters
showing a lower accident rate. This is to be expected due to the high numbers of officer based low risk staff, it
should be noted however that Headquarters also includes Protective services which encompasses some of the
highest risk roles within the force.
Chart 4 – Accident Rates (including assaults) by Division /Department 2008/09 – 2009/2010
No of
accidents
and
assaults
2008/09 2009/10 2010/11
No of Rate per No of No of Rate per No of No of
police 100 accidents police 100 accidents police
officers members and officers members and officers
and staff of staff assaults and staff of staff assaults and staff
Rate per
100
members
of staff
Headquarters 110 1252 8.78 81 1255 6.45 71 1166 6.09
D Division 82 458 17.90 72 443 16.25 85 517 16.44
E Division 136 759 17.92 132 758 17.41 134 878 15.26
Total 328 Average 285 285 Average 13.37 290 Average 12.60
6.8 Operational Training
The Minimising the Risk of Violence report produced by the Home Office supports the concept of “training for
reality” which encourages officers to be trained in circumstances which reflect operational conditions and
therefore increasing officer confidence whilst minimising the risk of harm to themselves and the public in the
operational environment.
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