34 NAVY NEWS, FEBRUARY 2008
News and information for serving personnel
Accidents happen –
Leisure
facilities
Childcare
savings
THE Armed Forces Childcare
just tell somebody!
are free
to forces
CONGLETON Borough Council
Voucher Scheme is up and
believes it is leading the way by
running, offering the chance
opening up leisure facilities to
to save on tax and National
WHAT would you do if you
and injuries that occurred, which equipment you’re using will be The aim of reporting is to find
Servicemen and women free of
Insurance (NI).
As we reported in December,
had an accident at work?
means almost half of all accidents capable and work properly. out what went wrong and so
charge.
The move is a “gesture of
the scheme, run by Sodexho
What if it resulted in you
are never reported. Rates of accidents and injuries ensure that it can be prevented
Hopefully, if you were to suffer reported are used by supervisors, from happening again.
appreciation” by the Cheshire local
Pass Ltd, is available to all
having to take time off? Or
an injury, it will only be trivial COs and senior officers to measure
authority to war-weary troops.
members of the Armed Forces,
prematurely ended your
– but it could be much worse. levels of safety in ships and units
Reporting incidents is easy
The initiative means members of
and allows personnel to reduce career? So, what are the impacts of and across the Naval Service.
– just complete the Naval
the Armed Forces can have free use
the cash element of their How would you cope, especially good reporting? Under-reporting of accidents
Service Incident Report
of facilities in any of the borough’s
salary in favour of childcare if it continued to affect you, even If accidents are reported the and injuries provides a misplaced
Form (NSIR01).
five leisure centres, including
vouchers. in retirement? circumstances can be investigated sense of well-being.
Once completed and signed,
Malkins’ Band golf course.
By doing so, tax and Nataional What can you do to protect and if necessary equipment and/ A full and timely accident
take the form to your line manager
Troops returning from duty in
Insurance are calculated on yourself and colleagues from or procedures can be adapted or report will support any need to
and SHEF Advisor for comments
places like Iraq or Afghanistan
a reduced salary, bringing accidents and potential injury? changed to reduce the likelihood seek future compensation.
and acknowledgement of sight of
will have free use of activities such
savings of up to £1,195 a year, The simple answers are: of the accident recurring. Reducing the number of
the report.
as swimming, aerobic and keep fit
depending on circumstances. Report all accidents – no And remember, reporting of all accidents and injuries and keeping
Should you encounter problems
classes, interactive fitness suites
Vouchers of between £30 matter how trivial; reporting a accidents should include ‘Near good records will mean that
when completing the form give the
and golf.
and £243 each month can be trivial accident can prevent a more Misses’, incidents that have the money spent on compensation
Naval Service Incident Notification
Cllr Andrew Thwaite, a
claimed. serious reoccurrence. potential for injury – slipping on claims against the MoD can be
Cell (NSINC) a ring or send an
retired RAF squadron leader
For more details visit the To put this into perspective, a deck may not injure you, but it better spent elsewhere.
email requesting advice.
who spearheaded the scheme,
website www.MODchildcare. in 2007 over 1,000 accidents in could do the next time. Last year the known cost was
The original NSIR01 form
said: “After a career initially at
co.uk or call Freephone on 0800 the Naval Service were reported, Reporting ensures that the £88m including £16m legal costs.
stays with the ship, unit or
sea, largely in the Middle East,
066 5075. many involving personal injury. information gained can be put Finally, there is a legal
establishment that you’re serving
followed by 29 years in the RAF,
There is no time limit on This probably represents only to good use, so that when you’re requirement for all accidents and
in and a copy must be sent to
I am very aware of the severe
applying to join the scheme. 60 per cent of the actual accidents under pressure to do your job, the injuries to be reported.
NSINC in Fleet HQ, Portsmouth,
risks and hardships our service
Personnel tend to have a at Naval Service Incident
personnel are undergoing 24/7 in
common misconception that Notification Cell (NSINC), Fleet
Iraq and Afghanistan.
by admitting to having had an HQ, MP4-3, Leach Bldg, Whale
“From talking with those who
accident or near miss they could Island, Portsmouth PO2 8BY.
have served in Basra, the extensive
get themselves into trouble. Telephone numbers: (023)
media coverage and the casualty
The last thing that anyone wants 9262 5151 or (023) 9262 5882;
rates it is obvious we are operating
is to be blamed for something mil: 93832 5151 or 93832 5882.
on a full war footing in Iraq and
– this is human nature. For DII email contact
particularly so in Afghanistan.
Because of this, all accident FLEET E-NSINC MAILBOX or
“The description by
reporting in the Naval Service is fleete-nsincmailbox@mod.uk
a neighbour’s son of the
conditions and risks within the
‘without blame’. on the internet.
airfield perimeter at Basra were
Hmm… Bavaria
staggering.
“I felt that we should recognise
the effort the borough’s young
Servicemen and women are
or Australasia?
making on our behalf.
“In the USA Service
personnel, including visiting
UK Service personnel, get
EXERCISE Bavarian Surprise 08 required this year – so there is no
substantial concessions on travel,
(BS08) is an adventurous and excuse to miss out.
accommodation, leisure pursuits
challenging activities expedition Talk to your Divisional Officer
and so on, and are made to feel
that will be conducted in the or visit the website www.
they are doing a worthwhile job
Allgau area of Bavaria, Germany. englishguesthouse.co.uk and
for their country.
Its aim will be to provide use the Bavarian Surprise link.
“While there is not much we
members of the Naval Service If Germany doesn’t take your
as a council can do individually,
marina
an opportunity to participate fancy, how about a spell Down
we aim by making this gesture
● Members and staff from Pembroke House were invited by brewers Shepherd Neame to the launch of
in a multi-activity seven- Under?
of waiving entry fees for serving
a specially-packaged edition of Spitfi re Ale, which will suppor the Help for Heroes charity
day adventurous training and The Long Look programme is
personnel to the council leisure
challenging activities package. a multinational, trilateral exchange
facilities, to show our appreciation
Help fl oods in for heroes
The exercise will start on the between the Armed Forces of the
and hopefully help them relax
March 2 and run until September UK, Australia and New Zealand.
while home on leave.”
28, with groups of up to 50 The 140 exchange participants
He added that they know of
personnel rotating through the are drawn from each of the three
no other authority making such
exercise each week. Services and represent a wide
a move, and hoped that “other
RESIDENTS and staff from the Participants travel to Dover to range of employment groups.
councils may follow Congleton’s
RNBT’s care home at Pembroke meet the rest of the week’s group RN officers and ratings,
initiative.”
House, Gillingham, were invited before embarking on the ferry to normally at the Lt / SLt / WO
by the Shepherd Neame Brewery Calais. / Senior Rate / Leading Hand
Council
at Faversham to the launch of a A luxury German coach then level, are employed primarily on
fundraising initiative which will whisks them overnight to Bavaria. a reciprocal basis within their
help Service personnel injured on Upon arrival, after a briefing and respective host units.
welcomes
operations, particularly in Iraq kit issue, there is then a chance for The basic criteria are
and Afghanistan.
some sightseeing before activities that volunteers need to be
The brewery has launched a
begin the following morning. recommended, medically fit, free
the troops
limited edition packaging of its
Accommodation is at Haus from welfare problems and must
popular Spitfire Ale, highlighting
Schwaben on half board with have at least 18 months left to
WEAR Valley District Council is to
the work of the recently-created
packed lunch, friendly staff – and serve.
hold a civic reception for members
Help for Heroes charity with the
excellent German beer. Full details are set out in RNTM
of the Armed Forces returning from
profit from the sales pledged to
No personal contributions are 163/07.
the Gulf, Iraq and Afghanistan.
the new charity.
The reception will be staged
Supporters of the charity
in the early part of this year,
include former and serving
● Mr July (left) and Mr September in the Commando Hunks calendar
An all-round education
and will be for troops living in
members of the Armed Forces
The ‘models’ are all serving at “Knowing we are doing our bit
the Wear Valley, Co Durham, and
and well-known public figures and
CTCRM Lympstone; many have to support injured Servicemen and ANY time, any place, anywhere
Through innovative use of
their families.
celebrities, including TV presenter
served in Afghanistan or Iraq and women when they return from the – so long as it is within the vicinity
both facilities and technology
Chief Executive Michael
Jeremy Clarkson and musician
know first-hand the traumas of battlefield makes doing something of junior rates’ accommodation of
the education and training of
Laing said: “The council wants
James Blunt.
loss or injury among comrades. like this really worthwhile.” HMS Sultan.
sailors will become that bit more
to recognise the contribution of
The special edition beer was also
Her Majesty’s Forces and their
sent as Christmas gifts to personnel Capt Sean Lerwill RM (Mr The calendar, at £6.00 plus The Gosport engineering
flexible.
families.
returning from Afghanistan and July) said: “We are very proud £1.75 UK postage and packing training establishment launched
Wi-fi will allow for training
“This event is to say ‘thank you’
Iraq and those being treated at to help the families of fallen per item, can be ordered online at its new wi-fi facility just before
to be delivered outside of the
to them on behalf of their home
the Defence Medical Services comrades, and many of us have www.castle-storm.co.uk or by Christmas to bring students the
‘normal’ classroom.
area.”
Rehabilitation Centre at Headley known Marines who have lost phone on 07518 041556. culture of mobile learning – ‘any
The focus will shift from
To nominate a relative, contact
Court, in Surrey. their lives. marina RNA backs charity – page 29 time, any place, anywhere’.
instructor-led learning to personal
learning of the underpinning
Stuart Elliott at Wear Valley
In a rather different vein, Royal
Royal Navy Presentation Team dates
knowledge necessary to achieve
District Council, Committee
Marines Commandos have gone
success.
Section, Civic Centre, Crook,
topless for a Commando Hunks
County Durham DL15 9ES,
calendar, with £1 being donated
Auckland
Such modernised training
DATES and details of the RN Presentation Team’s ; email s.elliot@wearvalley.gov.
to Help for Heroes for each one
Tues Feb 19:
delivery will bring benefits through
events for the coming months are: Rosehill Barn, Moresby, uk or call 01388 761511.marina
sold.
individual learning, group working
Tues Feb 5: Stoke Town Hall, Glebe Street, Whitehaven;marina
and the opportunity for trainees
Stoke-on-Trent; Weds Feb 20: The Abbey House Hotel, Abbey marina
to conduct effective study and
It’s your 2-6
marina Weds Feb 6: The Royal Oak, South Street, Road, Barrow-in-Furness;
consolidation outside their core
Leominster; Tues Feb 26: The Castle Green Hotel, Kendal;marina
working hours. NEED to get your message
Thurs Feb 7: The Hill, Pen-y-Pound, Thurs Feb 28: The Rendezvous Hotel, Keighley marinamarina
Trainees will be able to reinforce across to the rest of the RN?
Abergavenny; Road, Skipton.
learning and it is hoped that To feature in 2-6 contact Lt Cdr
Tues Feb 12: Hartlepool Historic Quay, Maritime Anyone wanting to book a place at a presentation marina the result will be better trained, Gregor Birse (Fleet Media Ops),
Avenue, Hartlepool Marina, Hartlepool; should contact the RNPT on 020 8833 8020 or email motivated and more confident 93832 8809 or Lt Cdr Harvey
Burwin (DPR(N)), 9621 85984.marina Weds Feb 13: Auckland Castle, Bishop rnpt@gtnet.gov.uk personnel for the Fleet.
News and information for serving personnel
034-036_NN_feb.indd 1 22/1/08 12:14:41
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