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NEWS
Dec 2010 / Jan 2011 www.esb.ie/em
Remember last winter? – stay safe
THIS YEAR has been a remarkable year in terms of Safety and Health in ESB. It began with a very cold winter with treacherous roads and freezing conditions to contend with at work and at home. We did have a reasonably good summer compared to the last few and now we are back to winter again; short days, wet, cold and some say we may get a repeat of last winter’s conditions.
But despite the inclement start to the year safety performance as measured by Lost Time Injuries for staff and contractors has seen an unprecedented improvement. At date of publication the number of LTIs to staff is 20 compared to 40 last year and contractor LTIs, at 10 is a quarter of last year’s outcome. How did this dramatic improvement come about? Some might say its luck but most understand that it is the relentless focus on safety and health for many years that is continuing to pay significant dividends.
But this also tells us that we cannot afford to relax. In 2010 a contractor lost his life when engaged in tree cutting on ESB’s behalf. He came in contact with 10kV overhead wires. Imagine Christmas for his family. This was the first fatality to a contractor since 2005. We also know from our ‘P1’ incident records that there have been a significant number of Near Miss incidents that could have resulted in serious injury or even death. Don’t forget to be afraid!
Below are some practical tips to prepare you and your loved ones when out and about this winter:
Stay alert this Winter
Avoid slips
Where to walk
Walk in designated walkways as much as possible
How to walk
Point your feet out slightly like a penguin!
Bend slightly and walk flat-footed
Extend your arms out to your sides to maintain balance.
Take short steps and walk at a slower pace
What to wear
Dress warmly and wear boots or shoes with non-skid soles (avoid plastic and leather soles).
How to fall
Try to avoid landing on your knees, wrists, or spine. Try to fall on a fleshy part of your body, such as your side.
Try to relax your muscles if you fall. You’ll injure yourself less if you are relaxed
SMALL STEPS – reducing slip and trip injuries
Paul Quinn Graduation
First company-wide on-line training initiative focuses on sustainability
ONE OF the key objectives of ESB’s 2020 Strategic Frame- work is to embed sustainability as a core competency within ESB. This will help us in working together to build effective and innovative solutions to environmental and social sustainability challenges.
An important part of realising this ambition is to ensure that all our staff have the opportunity to learn about sustainability and to understand the context within which our Strategic Framework targets have been developed. As a first step, an on-line sustainability training course has been developed and, over the coming months, all staff will be encouraged participate. The course, which will be available both via the intranet and on DVD, explains the climate change challenge, introduces ESB’s Strategic Framework and provides information about what individuals can do to reduce their own carbon footprint.
The course takes 30 minutes to complete and there is a short examination at its conclusion (taking another 15 minutes). Those who achieve a pass in this exam will automatically achieve a foundation level competency in sustainability and this will be recorded in PHR.
The delivery of training via this on-line channel is, in itself, an example of sustainability in action. It is efficient, both in terms of minimising the need for staff to travel to central training locations and in reducing the time staff have to spend away from core work. In addition, therefore, to completing the course and exam, participants are being encouraged to provide feedback on their experience of this type of training so that it can be further developed for the needs of ESB users.
The course was developed by Val Warren, a member of the Sustainability Programme Team, working with ICT and Sustainability Managers and Champions. “Our objective was to develop an educational tool that would be accessible to all and could be taken independently by staff. We received a lot of support from staff who participated in and provided useful feedback during the pilot phase of the development of the Programme and I would like to thank them for their input,” he explains. “This type of on-line training has a lot to offer, particularly where course content can be standardised for significant numbers of people”.
Executive Director of Sustainability, John Campion, believes that the launch of the course is a significant milestone for the company. “Both the climate change challenge and ESB’s 2020 Strategic Framework are very clearly set out in this programme. I am confident that anyone who successfully completes the course will have a very strong foundation from which to build. We need people to understand the big picture in relation to sustainability, but also to know what they can do, in their own lives, at work and at home, if we are to fully realise our ambitions – and I think this course supports both objectives.”
The course is being extended throughout ESB on a location by location basis and all staff should have received their access link or DVD copy by the end of December.
ESB schools sustainability DVD LAUNCHED
THE SUSTAINABILITY Team has developed a DVD for use in primary schools. The DVD explains issues relating to climate change, renewable energy and the role the individual can play in promoting sustainable behaviour.
Sustainability is a subject of considerable interest in schools throughout Ireland, a lot of great work is already being done by staff and sustainability champions in the community. Feedback from our own staff and from educational stakeholders throughout the country is that many students are engaged in environmental, energy efficiency and bio-diversity projects and have a great interest in this area. For their part, teachers are looking for up-to-date informative material that can be used to supplement existing teaching resources in accessible, end-user friendly formats.
As Ireland’s leading energy provider, ESB occupies a unique position in respect of this particular issue. The company is regularly contacted by teachers, students and parents of students who are seeking presentations from ESB both on the wider issues of climate change and energy management and on ESB’s own strategy and work in this area.
To meet this need Sustainability Team has led the development of a DVD for schools which is suitable for use as a resource tool in engaging primary school students on issues relating to:
- Climate Change the Environment.
- Renewable Energy and ESB.
- What individuals can do to hep the environment.
The DVD has been developed so that it can be used by those who are engaging with local schools. It is aimed at children in primary school, from 3rd to 6th class. For more information, please e-mail the sustainability team (sustainability@esb.ie).
