FBU Bethnal Green - Fire Brigades Union

68 We recommend that in order to allow watch officers and their crews to fulfil theirtraining and familiarisation, an urgent review of the workloads placed on watchbasedofficers and a rationalisation of the demands placed upon them by abureaucratised workplace is initiated.6.10 IRMP, RISK ASSESSMENT, AND RISK PLANNINGThere are implications for the IRMP, risk assessment and Authority’s risk planningprocesses. Our comments and proposals on these matters will be made separately,however it is appropriate to make the observation that the Authority’s risk planning isbased on a simple statistical approach. The risk planning process was carried out by aconsultancy rather than by operationally-experienced officers. The Authority has carriedout no task and risk analysis which it is specifically required to do.6.11 ACCIDENT INVESTIGATION AND OUTCOMESWe feel it appropriate to make the following remarks: Trade Union safety reps must to be able to complete their accident report free fromunderstandable restrictions from a Coroner. Lessons from a tragic incident such asthis need to be learned immediately, in order to prevent a recurrence; The Brigade / Authority have in the past been issued with Improvement Notices bythe HSE. The Brigade’s response has been to publish framework documentscontaining strategies which have taken a considerable time to implement and whichare often not actioned entirely at all. There is little by way of assessment of theimplementation of the proposals or any review by the HSE of their effectiveness.This is evidenced by the fact that whilst the Brigade congratulates itself that it hashad no fatalities for over 10 years, the conclusion of this report bear a remarkablesimilarity to the findings and recommendations to those of previous fatalities mostnotably the fatal fire at Gillender Street in July 1991. We hope that this absence ofadequate action will not be repeated this time.19