Managing inspections during COVID-19

HSE inspector Mhairi Duffy explains the challenges she and her colleagues have faced – and overcome – during the coronavirus pandemic.

I am currently managing a team of inspectors in the Field Operations Directorate. During the COVID-19 restrictions this has mainly meant dealing with concerns from employees or others about social distancing in those businesses which have continued to operate in the current climate.

These range from ‘key workers’ within manufacturers of PPE and cleaning products and food manufacturers as well as metal fabrication, recycling and courier depots. Much of that work is managing the expectations of the employees. Many believe that where they are not ‘key workers’, HSE should be closing down the factories.

There is no restriction on manufacturing continuing under current government rules. Inspectors’ role is, therefore, to work with employers to make sure that, where they are continuing to work, they can do that safely. The challenge here is to ensure the health and safety of inspectors as well as preventing them from spreading any infection between sites, so we must do as much of this remotely as possible.

Inspectors are very much a ‘can do’ group of problem solving people so to be extensively confined to quarters while employees are alleging that they are being put at risk is difficult for us.

I think from work done so far most employers we have had contact with are trying their best to keep employees safe. By contacting them, where they were perhaps falling short, we have been able to share good practice that other employers have shared with us and, where necessary, we have been able to require measures to be taken and to reassure employees.

As with any health issue we deal with, we are not looking to establish a causal link once exposure has occurred but to proactively prevent exposure. Where the PHE guidance can be followed this is fairly simple i.e. separating people on packing lines, one way walkways in factories etc. Where the guidance cannot be followed inspectors are using their judgement to determine whether there is a risk to employees – for example where manual handling requires two person lifts how factories are dealing with that.

We are also sadly continuing to receive reports of serious and fatal accidents in workplaces. Where these are coming in we are working closely with the police to secure evidence of the incident as well as deal with any risks which may remain on the sites. It will be difficult for me as a manager to ask staff to attend an incident or concern site. My team are as concerned as those factory workers for not only their own safety but the safety of their families. However, HSE are working with the trade unions to develop a risk assessment and controls to allow visiting staff to attend to scene safely and continue to be an effective regulator.