Health and Safety in the News
6th January 2011
A Circus of Horrors, the acts of which include swallowing swords attached to electric drills, and fire-breathing, have been asked by officials, for the first time in 15 years, to carry out a risk assessment because of a performance in which a contorted performer smokes a cigarette while firing a bow with her feet. Read more...
There has been no significant snowfall for more than a week, and health and safety is blamed by councils across the UK for failure to collect rubbish for over four weeks in some cases. 'The lorries might have hit parked cars and there are safety concerns about heavy lifting in icy conditions.' 'Rubbish!', says Richard Littlejohn. Read more...
5th January 2011
The owner of an Indian restaurant linked to several cases of E. coli has appeared in court to admit to four food hygiene offences and the total fines have reached over £11000, showing the serious nature of the breaches and sending a clear message to businesses of the need for responsible business management. Read more...
2nd January 2011
Mile High Flights charges lovers £640 to 'join the club' aboard a specially adapted plane - but health and safety bosses at the Civil Aviation Authority have refused to renew the company's licence, saying pilots cannot keep their minds on the job. "We cast no moral judgements on what people do in their planes, but it became apparent safety criteria couldn't be met." Read more...
...more than compliance
Showing posts with label health and safety. Show all posts
Showing posts with label health and safety. Show all posts
Friday, 7 January 2011
Friday, 10 December 2010
Eric & Bob
Post 3, Dec 10 2010
Post 1 - Click here!
Post 2 - Click here!
Allow us to introduce Ernest, a longstanding and dedicated worker at ACME Heating & Plumbing:
Click here to see the full-size image
About 1000 electrical accidents are reported to HSE every year, but there are simple precautions that can be taken to significantly reduce the risk of electrical injury - click here to go to the HSE site and find out what you can do.
Employee of the week: Ernest Rogers
By name and by nature, Ernest is sincere, wholehearted and frank - three very dangerous characteristics for a worker at ACME!
Though intimidated by Eric at times, Ernest tries his best to tell it like it is, pointing out health and safety hazards and concerns; perpetually fighting for justice and peace of mind, in the offices, the canteen, and of course the metaphorical war zone that is the factory floor.
Post 3, Dec 10 2010
Post 1 - Click here!
Post 2 - Click here!
Allow us to introduce Ernest, a longstanding and dedicated worker at ACME Heating & Plumbing:
Click here to see the full-size image
About 1000 electrical accidents are reported to HSE every year, but there are simple precautions that can be taken to significantly reduce the risk of electrical injury - click here to go to the HSE site and find out what you can do.
Employee of the week: Ernest Rogers
By name and by nature, Ernest is sincere, wholehearted and frank - three very dangerous characteristics for a worker at ACME!
Though intimidated by Eric at times, Ernest tries his best to tell it like it is, pointing out health and safety hazards and concerns; perpetually fighting for justice and peace of mind, in the offices, the canteen, and of course the metaphorical war zone that is the factory floor.
Thursday, 14 October 2010
Eric & Bob
Post 2, Oct 14 2010
Click here to see the full-size image
Eric: You know what this place needs, Bob?
Bob: Well...
(Bob reminisces the past week at ACME Heating & Plumbing...)
(Pandemonium on the factory floor!)
Eric: REG!! HIT THE STOP BUTTON!
Sally: Now, do you have an environmental policy?
Bob: Of course! Who wouldn't have these days, eh?
Reg: Yeah, when it gets that high we burn it...
Eric: WHO'S THAT!?
(Stan lays sprawled on the floor under a ladder.)
Bob: That's Stan, I'm just, erm, collecting him for his training.
Eric: That'll affect his bonus...
(After a great deal of puzzling, Bob doesn't have a clue what one thing 'this place needs', except possibly a closure order.)
Bob: ...no idea, enlighten me.
Eric: A touch of professionalism. REG!!
(Eric produces a huge pile of signs as Reg appears.)
Eric: Put up some signs!
Reg: Okay...
Signage is very important around the workplace, contributing to the continual improvement of safety and communicating good health and safety around the workplace. But it should not be a substitute for ensuring the welfare of your employees via worker involvement and an effective health and safety policy.
Post 2, Oct 14 2010
Health and safety signs and posters are a practical way of meeting your legal requirements, and assisting in the process of improving workplace safety. Signage is not only important for informing people about risks and possible dangers, but in many cases it is a statutory requirement.
Not to mention, signs make everything clearer and more professional-looking, right? Here's how NOT to use health and safety signs - courtesy of, who else, Eric Erickson.
Eric: You know what this place needs, Bob?
Bob: Well...
(Bob reminisces the past week at ACME Heating & Plumbing...)
(Pandemonium on the factory floor!)
Eric: REG!! HIT THE STOP BUTTON!
Sally: Now, do you have an environmental policy?
Bob: Of course! Who wouldn't have these days, eh?
Reg: Yeah, when it gets that high we burn it...
Eric: WHO'S THAT!?
(Stan lays sprawled on the floor under a ladder.)
Bob: That's Stan, I'm just, erm, collecting him for his training.
Eric: That'll affect his bonus...
(After a great deal of puzzling, Bob doesn't have a clue what one thing 'this place needs', except possibly a closure order.)
Bob: ...no idea, enlighten me.
Eric: A touch of professionalism. REG!!
(Eric produces a huge pile of signs as Reg appears.)
Eric: Put up some signs!
Reg: Okay...
Signage is very important around the workplace, contributing to the continual improvement of safety and communicating good health and safety around the workplace. But it should not be a substitute for ensuring the welfare of your employees via worker involvement and an effective health and safety policy.
Employer of the week: Eric Erickson
The chain-smoking big bad boss at ACME Heating & Plumbing, much like his factory he is unstable, produces very little except in the way of noise and chemical pollution, and seems ready to blow at any given moment. It is rumoured however that Eric was once 'a very nice person', and the workers at ACME often gossip about what it might have been that tipped him over the edge.
Wednesday, 15 September 2010
Health & Safety and the Law
The aims of good health & safety systems, safety policies and the law are to reduce occupational ill health, reduce accidents and deaths, provide a good working environment, promote physical and mental wellbeing, protect the environment and be a continual reminder of the commitment of all within the organisation towards safety.
Management peace of mind is but a dream for far too many businesses, here are the key elements considered essential when evaluating your health & safety systems:
Remember that as an employer you have a legal and moral duty to make your organisation as safe and healthy a working environment as is reasonably practicable.
'Reasonably practicable' indicates a balance between cost and risk; companies need to identify and evaluate hazards in order to ensure that the financial and time costs of dealing with them are balanced against the risk of harm to a person. In a prosecution for breaches of safety legislation, the company must prove its innocence by justifying that it had done all that was 'reasonably practicable'.
Having a safe and pleasant workplace will improve working relationships and make your business somewhere your employees will enjoy being. Visiting clients will feel comfortable and more prepared to do business.
The aims of good health & safety systems, safety policies and the law are to reduce occupational ill health, reduce accidents and deaths, provide a good working environment, promote physical and mental wellbeing, protect the environment and be a continual reminder of the commitment of all within the organisation towards safety.
Management peace of mind is but a dream for far too many businesses, here are the key elements considered essential when evaluating your health & safety systems:
- An adequate health & safety policy (link to HSE site)
- Legal compliance
- Good welfare facilities
- A plan to reduce accidents and incidents
- A mechanism for improvement
Remember that as an employer you have a legal and moral duty to make your organisation as safe and healthy a working environment as is reasonably practicable.
'Reasonably practicable' indicates a balance between cost and risk; companies need to identify and evaluate hazards in order to ensure that the financial and time costs of dealing with them are balanced against the risk of harm to a person. In a prosecution for breaches of safety legislation, the company must prove its innocence by justifying that it had done all that was 'reasonably practicable'.
Having a safe and pleasant workplace will improve working relationships and make your business somewhere your employees will enjoy being. Visiting clients will feel comfortable and more prepared to do business.
Wednesday, 25 August 2010
HSE Myth of the month
'Health and safety' banning everything from ladders to school trips is a familiar headline, but it is rarely true - each month the HSE portray a myth about health and safety and enlighten us on the reality of the situation.
Myth: 'Pin the tail on the donkey' stopped by health and safety risks
Read more...
Printable poster
Myth: Poles in fire stations banned
Read more...
Printable poster
Myth: Safety goggles needed to play conkers
Read more...
Printable poster
More myths
'Health and safety' banning everything from ladders to school trips is a familiar headline, but it is rarely true - each month the HSE portray a myth about health and safety and enlighten us on the reality of the situation.
Read more...
Printable poster
Myth: Poles in fire stations banned
Read more...
Printable poster
Myth: Safety goggles needed to play conkers
Read more...
Printable poster
More myths
Monday, 2 August 2010
Risk Assessments
Conducting risk assessments and implementing appropriate control measures are an essential part of a good health and safety system.
If you have 5 or more employees you are required to have:
Health & safety – The basics
There are three main reasons why effective management of health and safety is important within any organisation:
Ever since the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974 required every employer to “ensure so far as is reasonably practicable, the health, safety and welfare at work of all his employees (and others)” there has been an implied duty to assess and control risk. This has been developed and made more explicit by the majority of recently published health and safety regulations.
The law
The main legislation relating to health and safety at work is the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974.
This give rise to further European and UK laws and regulations, including:
Health & safety responsibilities
Employers must:
Health and safety assistance
Health and Safety Assistance (The Management of Health and Safety at Work 1999 - Regulation 7)
Every employer must appoint one or more ‘competent persons’ to assist him in his undertaking the measures he needs to take to comply with the requirements of the law.....the overall purpose of the competent person is, therefore, to help ensure that the health and safety responsibilities of the employer are being met.....if there is no competent person in the workforce can the employer seek an outside consultant to act as the competent person.
A competent person can be defined as a person with:
Risk assessments
Risk assessment is an essential part of the planning stage of any health and safety management system.
Risk assessment is the cornerstone of modern health and safety law. This dates back to one of the basic principles stated in the Robens Report which led the way to the HASAW Act 1974 ‘those who create risks should have the responsibility for overcoming those risks’.
Risk assessment is therefore the process of establishing whether or not risks are adequately managed (a safe system of work exists).
A risk assessment is simply a systematic way of establishing whether or not:
Common definitions
Risk is defined as: The likelihood that the harm from particular hazards is realised (the extent of risk covers the population affected and the consequences for them) a risk can be reduced by good management.
Hazard is defined as: Anything with the potential to cause harm.
The elimination or adequate control of hazards is a more pro-active way of reducing injuries than simply investigating accidents. The identification of hazards is the first step in risk control, each hazard representing a potential accident or health problem.
Common hazards
Hazards may be either:
Conducting a risk assessment
The HSE gives comprehensive risk assessment guidance in their booklet five steps to risk assessment.
The five steps are:
It is important to ensure that all groups of employees and others that might be affected must be considered.
Do Not Forget:
If you have 5 or more employees you are required to have:
- A documented health and safety policy
- Risk assessments for all significant hazards to staff, residents and visitors
- Access to competent health and safety advice
- Documented arrangements for the planning, organisation, control, monitoring and review of your safety arrangements. For example, A health and safety manual
Health & safety – The basics
There are three main reasons why effective management of health and safety is important within any organisation:
- Moral – Employers have a moral obligation towards their employees and others.
- Financial – Good health and safety management can have beneficial effects on employee morale, productivity and hence company profit.
- Legal – Health and safety legislation sets standards, which are by definition the minimum standard employers are expected to achieve.
Ever since the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974 required every employer to “ensure so far as is reasonably practicable, the health, safety and welfare at work of all his employees (and others)” there has been an implied duty to assess and control risk. This has been developed and made more explicit by the majority of recently published health and safety regulations.
The law
The main legislation relating to health and safety at work is the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974.
This give rise to further European and UK laws and regulations, including:
- Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999
- COSHH (Control of Substances Hazardous to Health) 1999
- RIDDOR (Reporting of Injuries Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations) 1995
- Manual Handling Operations Regulations 1992
- Fire Precautions (workplace) Regulations 1997/99
- Health and Safety (first aid) Regulations 1981
Health & safety responsibilities
Employers must:
- Provide a safe working environment
- Display insurance liability certificate
- Display health & safety law poster
- Carry out risk assessments
- Provide PPE (personal protective equipment)
- Communicate with staff regarding health and safety
- Cooperate with the employer on matters of health & safety.
- Consider their own health and safety
- Not interfere with any equipment provided for health & safety.
Health and safety assistance
Health and Safety Assistance (The Management of Health and Safety at Work 1999 - Regulation 7)
Every employer must appoint one or more ‘competent persons’ to assist him in his undertaking the measures he needs to take to comply with the requirements of the law.....the overall purpose of the competent person is, therefore, to help ensure that the health and safety responsibilities of the employer are being met.....if there is no competent person in the workforce can the employer seek an outside consultant to act as the competent person.
A competent person can be defined as a person with:
- Sufficient training to suit the task
- Relevant qualifications
- Skills and experience – to apply their knowledge
- Understanding of the work involved and best practice
- An awareness of their own limitations
- Good personal qualities, attitude and communication
- The ability to supplement their own knowledge by obtaining external knowledge and advice
Risk assessments
Risk assessment is an essential part of the planning stage of any health and safety management system.
Risk assessment is therefore the process of establishing whether or not risks are adequately managed (a safe system of work exists).
A risk assessment is simply a systematic way of establishing whether or not:
- Legal standards are being met
- Best practice is followed
- Risks are reduced to the lowest level that is reasonably practicable to achieve i.e. that a safe system of work exists.
- Creates awareness of the hazards present in the workplace and the risk that they entail
- Identifies the population at risk, often those who are not thought of as being at risk (for example, cleaners, temporary workers, visitors)
- Identifies whether existing measures are adequate and whether more should be done.
- Makes sure that risk controls are proportionate to the risk involved
- Can iron out risks at the design stage in products that give rise to risks, for example machinery
- Helps to prioritise risk control measures, making sure that the most important risks are tackled first
Common definitions
Risk is defined as: The likelihood that the harm from particular hazards is realised (the extent of risk covers the population affected and the consequences for them) a risk can be reduced by good management.
Hazard is defined as: Anything with the potential to cause harm.
The elimination or adequate control of hazards is a more pro-active way of reducing injuries than simply investigating accidents. The identification of hazards is the first step in risk control, each hazard representing a potential accident or health problem.
Common hazards
Hazards may be either:
- Physical - for example, machinery, electricity, heat, noise, gravity, thermal
- Chemical – for example, water, acid, alkali, asbestos
- Biological – for example, HIV virus, legionella, hepatitus
- Ergonomics – for example, physical stress
- Psychological – for example, stress, shock anxiety
Conducting a risk assessment
The HSE gives comprehensive risk assessment guidance in their booklet five steps to risk assessment.
The five steps are:
- Identify the hazards
- Decide who might be harmed and how
- Evaluate the risks and decide upon precaution
- Record your findings and implement them
- Review your assessment and update if necessary
It is important to ensure that all groups of employees and others that might be affected must be considered.
Do Not Forget:
- Office staff, night cleaners, maintenance, security guards
- Visitors, the general public
- Young or inexperienced workers
- Lone workers
- New and expectant mothers
- Disabled staff
- Contractors
Who are Solutions?
We are a South Wales based company providing business support across all sectors - specialists in providing Health & Safety, Quality and Environmental Management Support. We offer affordable and professional assistance, developing your business to be the benchmark for others within your field.
Personal, confidential, professional and affordable - we deliver a sensible and proactive approach to enabling you to fulfil all your responsibilities, legal requirements and customer expectations. We are a one stop shop for all of your quality, environmental and health & safety requirements.
Our team members are trained and experienced specialists within their fields. We promote best practice and are happy to provide you with answers to any of your questions from within our areas of expertise - just leave us a comment!
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