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33043 Visitors Since January 2002
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Public Services Specialist Group (PSG)
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Merseyside Representative: Eric Beak
The Group has one of the largest memberships of all the Specialist Groups. Its roots go back to the former Institution of Municipal Safety Officers (IMSO), which merged with the Institution of Industrial Safety Officers to form IOSH.
The chief operating functions of Specialist Groups are promoting communications, providing member services and support, and developing external relations, either directly or by contributing to IOSH collectively.
Typically, each specialist group is steered by a committee that meets quarterly in Leicester. Each Committee presides over the development and maintenance of a detailed one year plan set in the context of a 5 year outline programme. Specialist Groups have to break even financially and support their budgets from special events. In the case of PSG, dating back to the days of IMSO, a 3 day annual symposium is held at the beginning of September. This year's symposium " Practicalities of Health and Safety" will be held at King Alfred's College Winchester 2-4 September. Details will be available in June. The symposium is also used to announce the winners of the ZM Awards given by Zurich Insurance each year.
Public Services Action over the past year:
Communication: newsletters, a PSG page on IOSH Website, and developing its relationships with other public sector specialist groups.
Member Services and Support: the National Safety Symposium at Chester; drafting guidelines on particular topics - management of road risks, health & safety for volunteers, hand/arm vibration, lone working & mechanical/ manual handling.
External Relations at national level: with HSE, Audit Commission, Trade Unions (Unison), Association of Local Authority Risk Managers (ALARM), Local Government Employers Organisation. The committee invites a representative from a national organisation recognised to have an interface with Health and Safety each time it meets. The aim is to initiate a long term dialogue with each institution. As a result of this process, IOSH is now represented on the HSE's Consultative Forum for Local Government.
The development of specialist groups has affected Public Services Group more than most and the Committee gave over a large section of its February 2002 meeting to examining its role, now that Groups exist for Health, Education and Fire. It recognises its core interests as being the strategic and corporate health and safety issues for local government and other types of public service (e.g. broadcasting, Ministry of Defence).
Public Services Activity at Branch Level
Merseyside Branch meetings are aimed to attract all branch members and do not divide along specialist interest lines. This contrasts with Manchester, where the Public Services Group has its own programme of meetings. Members of Merseyside Branch who are operating in Local Government do meet, but independently of IOSH, as the Cheshire and Districts Health and Safety Group. There are similar independent networks for colleagues in Education and Social Services. Branch members with concerns relating to the Public Services Group are welcome to drop a line to Eric Beak beakej@cheshire.gov.uk.
Page last updated: 27/07/2002
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