DSO checked the computer system to see what time the NSO last scanned their ID card, and at which wind turbine. It was wind turbine 9 at 03:00. The DSO decided to call the emergency services as a precaution. It took the DSO five minutes to find a location where the phone signal enabled them to make this call. The DSO told the emergency services of the NSO's likely location and provided the access code to the gatehouse. The DSO picked up their radio, a first-aid kit, and a blanket, before going to find the NSO. They found the NSO lying a few feet downhill from wind turbine 9 . The NSO was partially covered by snow, and visibly bleeding from a head wound. The DSO asked what happened and the NSO tried to respond, before becoming unconscious. All the DSO could understand was the word 'slipped'. Opening the first-aid kit, the DSO found only safety pins, disposable gloves, and small plasters. The DSO cleared snow off the NSO. They put a blanket underneath the NSO, as part of emergency first aid, then covered them with their coat. They stayed with the NSO until the emergency services arrived. An ambulance arrived 40 minutes later and the NSO was taken to hospital. They were treated for hypothermia, a head injury, and a fractured wrist. The DSO contacted the regional office to inform them of the accident. The DSO would remain on site when their shift ended until cover could be arranged. The NSO was off work for six weeks. During this time, an accident investigation was carried out. Audit Following the investigation, Secure National's MT advised the regional office to arrange for a full health and safety audit of the windfarm site. This would determine what improvements would be needed to prevent a recurrence of the accident. An experienced, external health and safety consultant (who is a Chartered member of a health and safety professional body) would carry this out. Two weeks later, on the moming of the audit, the ROM met the consultant on site. While escorting the consultant to the gatehouse, the ROM said, "the audit seems like a lot of effort for a site like this." Once inside, the consultant asked to see all relevant health and safety documentation. The ROM provided them with a file from their bag. This contained the health and safety policy (dated February 2021), a generic risk assessment, and a lone and remote working activities guidance document for Secure National SO's. The risk assessment was carried out in 2017 by the regional office and contained no reference to specific sites. While warming themselves inside the heated gatehouse, the ROM told the DSO on shift to take the consultant on a tour of the windfarm. On the tour, the DSO explained their day-to-day duties, and told the consultant about the recent accident findings. Following the accident, the hillside still had patches of snow that had become hardened by freezing temperatures. The consultant struggled along the path as the snow and ice had not been fully cleared. They commented that working here during the winter must be challenging. The DSO agreed and remarked that they try to work faster to get back to the warm gatehouse during bad weather. The consultant asked the DSO if they were aware of any of the health and safety documentation provided by the ROM. The DSO replied that they were given the documents to read at their induction. They highlighted a lack of refresher training which they had raised as an issue at multiple one-to-one meetings. Once back at the gatehouse, the consultant asked the ROM about accident investigations at the site. The ROM explained that details of any accidents and incidents are recorded if they were reported. They also remarked that they doubted that all accidents and incidents were reported. The consultant thanked the ROM and DSO for their time, and confirmed that they would take the information away for review and deliver a report to the MT. Task 6: Monitoring and measuring (audits) 6 Comment on the strengths of Secure National's approach to the audit. Note: You should support your answer, where applicable, using relevant information from the scenario. Task 7: Financial arguments to improve health and safety 7 What financial arguments could be used to convince Secure National's MT that health and safety needs to be improved? Note: You should support your answer, where applicable, using relevant information from the scenario. SCENARIO Secure National is a privately-owned security services organisation. They succeeded in a recent takeover following the bankruptcy of another security organisation. Restructuring of the organisation means that Secure National operates from a head office in a city centre. The new owner is the managing director (MD) and a board of six other directors form the management team (MT). The rest of the head office's workforce consists of various departments, comprising of human resources, IT, finance, and general administration. The organisation has five regional offices across the country. The MT is satisfied that regional office managers (ROMs) successfully manage on-site security operations. The MT only gets involved with significant problems. The regional offices operate 24 hours every day, with a reduced number of workers between 20:00 - 06:00 for dealing with emergencies. Most of the regional workforces are made up of security officers (SOs) working on sites where Secure National have been awarded contracts to operate. Around the country, Secure National operates 818 sites and employs 2404 security officers to operate these sites. The sites generally have more than one SO on duty at the same time, but there are a small number of sites (91) where only one SO is on duty at any one time. The SOs complete a training course to obtain a security industry associate (SIA) licence and also train as a first-aider. Only licenced SOs are allowed to be on duty at the sites. SOs are required to attend one-to-one meetings twice a year with ROMs at their regional office. These meetings are usually to discuss progress, receive feedback and resolve any local issues. The site Secure National has been responsible for security at an onshore windfarm for 10 years. The windfarm is in a remote location that has annual average temperatures between 5C(23F) and 13C(55.4F). When constructed, the site had five wind turbines across a fenced-in hillside, with a gatehouse at the entrance where the SOs are based. A year ago, the fenced-in area was expanded and five more wind turbines were added to the site. To help ensure that there are no unauthorised visitors to the windfarm, the SOs periodically patrol the site to check the perimeters and the locations around each wind turbine. A new design of electronic monitoring system was installed to replace an outdated one at the same time that the additional wind turbines were installed. The SOs scan ID cards at each wind turbine to confirm when they have checked that location. The scanned data is kept in a digital log that the automated system periodically sends to the regional office. The log can also be accessed on a computer at the gatehouse. If the regional office does not receive data after six hours, the SOs are contacted by the office to determine whether there are any issues. The mobile phone telephone signal is only intermittent at the gatehouse, but is unavailable further into the hillside. Short-range, two-way radios are used in these circumstances. The site is operated by two SOs. The day shift SO (DSO) has worked at this site for five years. The current night shift SO (NSO) is relatively new and transferred to this site three months ago. The DSO works 06:00 - 18:00 and the NSO works 18:00 - 06:00. Secure National provides relief guards to cover for sickness or annual leave. The SOs are instructed to arrive approximately 20 minutes before their shift begins, so that a shift handover can be carried out. The accident It is winter, and the first snow of the season has fallen more heavily than expected overnight. While driving to work the DSO called the NSO and left a message on their phone. This was to inform the NSO that the DSO would be late because the snow was making the road difficult to drive on. When the DSO finally arrived at the gatehouse 30 minutes late, the NSO was not there, but their car was still parked outside. Concerned, the DSO called the NSO's mobile phone, but there was no answer. They radioed the NSO, and again, did not receive a reply. After repeated, failed radio attempts, the Task 1: Emergency response 1 Based on the scenario only, comment on how the DSO effectively managed the emergency. (10) Task 2: Managing risks for those working on site 2 The organisation's approach to managing risk, affecting SOs working at the wind farm, has both strengths and weaknesses. (a) What are the strengths of their approach? (10) Note: You should support your answers, where applicable, using relevant information from the scenario. (b) What are the weaknesses of their approach? Note: You should support your answers, where applicable, using relevant information from the scenario. Task 3: Active and reactive monitoring measures 3 The consultant advises the MT that the organisation (Secure National) should carry out health and safety performance monitoring. (a) What are the reactive (lagging) monitoring measures that could be put in place by the organisation? (12) Note: You should support your answer, where applicable, using relevant information from the scenario. (b) Based on the scenario only, what active (leading) monitoring measures could be readily available for use by the organisation? (4) Task 4: Considering the impact and management of change 4 A management of change team was set up by the Secure National MT. (a) Explain why the competence of this team is important in the management of change? (8) (b) Based on the scenario only, what types of change require management of change controls? (6) Task 5: Policy review 5 Why might the health and safety policy require a review? (15) Note: You should support your answer, where applicable, using relevant information from the scenario