FOI 531/26
Request
Health assessments for police officers classified as night workers
For the purposes of this request:
- “Night worker” has the same meaning as in Regulation 2 of the Working Time Regulations 1998.
- “Health assessment” includes any assessment, screening, questionnaire, or occupational health review offered or undertaken to assess fitness for night work, whether conducted internally or via a contracted occupational health provider.
- This request relates only to police officers
Unless otherwise stated, the time period covered by this request is 1 April 2023 to 31 March 2025.
Questions
- Numbers classified as night workers
Please state the total number of police officers employed by the force who were classified as night workers at any point during the period.
- Health assessments offered
Of those officers:
- The number who were offered a health assessment specifically in relation to night work.
Of those offered a health assessment:
- The number who undertook an initial night work health assessment.
- The number who undertook a follow up or periodic night work health assessment.
- Outcomes of assessments (aggregate, non personal) Please state the number of officers whose most recent assessment during the period resulted in:
- Confirmation of fitness for night work without adjustment; b. Fitness for night work subject to adjustments or restrictions; c. Temporary removal from night work; d. Permanent removal from night work.
- Internal communications to officers about night work health assessments For the same period (1 April 2023 to 31 March 2025):
- Please state the total number of internal communications issued to police officers by the force which refer to, promote, explain, or remind officers about:
- health assessments for night workers, and/or
- health risks associated with night work where health assessments are referenced.
- Where available, please provide a numerical breakdown by format, for example:
- force wide emails;
- intranet posts or internal blogs;
- internal newsletters;
- briefing notes or circulars issued to officers.
- If held, please confirm the keywords or standard phrases used by the force to identify or retrieve such communications (for example: “night worker”, “Working Time Regulations”, “night work health assessment”, “occupational health – night work”).
Clarifications (for avoidance of doubt)
- This request does not seek personal data, medical records, names, collar numbers, or individually identifiable information.
- All information should be provided in aggregate, force level numerical form only.
- This request includes assessments initiated automatically by the force and those requested by officers.
- Where exact figures cannot be provided, please supply the closest available aggregate figures and briefly explain the limitation.
Response
Your request for information has now been considered, and I am not obliged to supply the information you have requested.
Section 17(5) of the Freedom of Information Act 2000 requires South Wales Police, when refusing to provide such information (because the information is exempt) to provide you the applicant with a notice which:
(a) states that fact,
(b) specifies the exemption in question and
(c) states (if that would not otherwise be apparent) why the exemption applies.
In relation to your request, the following exemption applies:
Section 12(1) – Exemption where cost of compliance exceeds appropriate limit.
At South Wales Police we monitor and collate statistical data on crimes, incidents and other data relevant to our daily business. The predominant purpose of this is to identifying pattern and trends, so resource allocation and policies can be managed to ensure public safety.
The data you have requested is not routinely collated in the format that would easily answer your query therefore we consulted with our Human Resources (HR) department, who have advised that their system does not identify how many officers are night workers. Force Planning have also been consulted and have advised that they do not have a category called ‘night workers’. South Wales Police refer to shift work rather than day/night working however not all shift workers will work nights. Whilst they are able to search shift workers, they have advised that to be able to review the specific period 1 April 2023 to 31 March 2025 they would need specific information on those working at that time and their shifts. We are not aware of a reporting mechanism that can reliably extract this information with the required level of accuracy to be able to answer questions 1,2,3, and 4 within the 18 hours stipulated by the regulations.
In relation to question 5, HR have advised that we are unable to answer this as we do not have a mechanism for collating all internal communications.
Whilst I cannot quantify exactly how long this would take it would most certainly exceed the 18 hours stipulated by the regulations
It is estimated that the cost of providing you with the information is above the amount to which we are legally required to respond i.e. the cost of locating and retrieving the information exceeds the "appropriate level" as stated in the Freedom of Information (Fees and Appropriate Limit) Regulations 2004.
In the case of the police service, the appropriate limit is £450 which has been calculated to equate to a total of 18 hours of work.
If any part of the request exceeds the fees limit, then Section 12 applies to the whole request.
In accordance with the Freedom of Information Act 2000, this letter acts as a refusal notice.
Excess cost removes the forces obligation under the Freedom of Information Act, however under Section 16 – Duty to provide advice and assistance, an authority is required to offer an applicant the opportunity to redefine their request within the cost limit. Unfortunately, due to the way in which data is recorded, we can see no feasible way in which you could refine your request.