People cannot remain healthy at work if their basic welfare needs are not catered for. This includes the following:
It is important to recognise that people eating with dirty hands can result in them ingesting hazardous materials. Also, that dirty clothes can mean people taking hazardous materials into their car and possibly home to their family.
Facilities have to be kept clean, in good condition and supplied with materials (e.g. toilet paper, soap). Also, rooms need to be well ventilated and at a reasonable temperature (not too hot or cold).
These requirements are all covered by the Workplace (Health, Safety and Welfare) Regulations 1992.
Reference – Approved Code of Practice L24 ‘Workplace health, safety and welfare. Workplace (Health, Safety and Welfare) Regulations 1992 (as amended by the Quarries Miscellaneous Health and Safety Provisions Regulations 1995)’ available free at http://www.hse.gov.uk/pubns/priced/l24.pdf
The following fall into the category of general safety:
Reference – ‘Workplace health, safety and welfare – a short guide for managers’ available free at http://www.hse.gov.uk/pubns/indg244.pdf
The potential for violence at work is a risk that needs to be managed. There are two sources of violence that need to be considered, employees attacking each other and members of the public attacking employees. People working in health sectors, education, handling cash (retail outlets and cash deliveries) and people in positions of authority (e.g. police) are most at risk, especially if working alone.
Whilst violence is largely unpredictable, there are certain factors that make it more likely. They include:
The job and working environment need to be designed to minimise the opportunities and incentives for violence. Employees who are at risk need to be trained to deal with it, including recognising warning signs and taking appropriate action. Arrangements need to be made to summon help when required and to increase deterrents (e.g. CCTV). Violent incidents should be recorded and investigated in a similar way to accidents, in order to identify trends.
Reference – ‘Violence at work – a guide for employers’ available free at http://www.hse.gov.uk/pubns/indg69.pdf
People under the influence of drugs and alcohol can be a hazard to themselves and others. Organisations need to have rules in place that clearly state expectations that people will only turn up for work when they are in a fit state to do so safely and will not consume whilst at work. Controls need to apply to prescription and over-the-counter medicines in addition to illegal drugs.
The ways people can be harmed when walking around a site or building include:
The following can have an impact on the likelihood of someone being harmed:
Premises need to be well designed and maintained to minimise the likelihood of slips and trips. In addition measures taken to control hazards should protect people walking through or past the area where the hazard is present. Areas where people are generally safe should be identified and there should be means of stopping people entering other areas without suitable precautions. The effort put into preventing access to hazardous areas should be based on risk, and may involve signs, training (e.g. site induction) and physical barriers that may need to be kept locked.
People falling from height are at risk of injury. Even falls from low heights can cause serious injury, although the distance fallen is clearly a factor in the actual consequences.
Before carrying out work at height the first question must always be whether it can be avoided. If not, it is important that the work is planned properly and the risks assessed. Good organisation and competent people are required.
Planning the work should include the following:
Some people mistakenly believe that ladders and step-ladders are banned under health and safety regulations. This is not the case. However, it is important to recognise that people die every year falling from ladders, and so their use needs to be controlled.
Precautions for using ladders include:
Additional precautions for using step ladders include:
Reference – ‘Top tips for ladder and stepladder safety’ available free at http://www.hse.gov.uk/pubns/indg455.htm
Mobile access towers come in sections that are fitted together to create a platform for working at height. They can be very useful, avoiding the need for scaffolding, but have their limitations. They are usually quite light-weight, and so prone to toppling over. Also, they may not be particularly strong.
Manufacturers of towers have a duty to provide the information necessary to use them safely. This includes how they fit together, maximum height, and use of stabilisers. Clearly towers should only be used in accordance with these instructions.
Other points to note include:
Scaffolding provides a means of working at height. However, erecting scaffolding can be hazardous in its own right, and the safety of the people using it depends on how it is designed, erected and maintained. There are codes of practice that cover scaffolding, including use of fall arrest equipment whilst it is being erected or altered.
Key requirements for safe use of scaffolding include:
For stability, the scaffold should usually be tied in to the structure being built or worked on. There are different types of tie:
Where ties are not possible, angled supports can be used to support the scaffold.
Reference – ‘Scaffold checklist’ available free at http://www.hse.gov.uk/construction/safetytopics/scaffoldinginfo.htm
The term MEWP applies to a number of different types of equipment including vehicle mounted articulated and telescopic booms, self-propelled articulated and telescopic booms, trailer mounted articulated and telescopic booms and scissor lifts. Some of these are commonly known as ‘cherry pickers.’
Potential problems with MEWPs include:
The risk of falling from a MEWP is increased by a sudden movement caused by an impact, ground movement, or failure of a stability critical part of the MEWP. Some form of lanyard or other protection can prevent these events causing injury.
Issues to consider are really a combination of access to height, vehicle use, lifting operation and use of work equipment. In particular;
The correct equipment needs to be selected and operators must be competent.
Reference – ‘The selection and management of mobile elevating work platforms’ available free at http://www.hse.gov.uk/pubns/geis6.htm
Rope access is a method of working at height, developed from techniques used in climbing and caving. Typical jobs carried out using rope access include inspection and testing, maintenance, painting, cleaning structures and windows. It can be hazardous, so people are have to be competent and apply rigorous safety precautions, including:
Further information is available from the International Rope Access Trade Associate (IRATA) at http://www.irata.org
The Work at Height Regulations 2005 apply to all work at height where there is a risk of a fall liable to cause personal injury. There is no minimum height specified (in the past people have referred to the 2 metre rule, but this no longer applies).
Duties are placed on employers, the self-employed, and any person that controls the work of others (for example facilities managers or building owners who may contract others to work at height). They include:
Specific issues covered by the regulations include:
The regulations were amended in April 2007 to apply to those who work at height providing instruction or leadership to one or more people engaged in caving or climbing by way of sport, recreation, team building or similar activities in Great Britain.
Reference – ‘The Work at Height Regulations 2005 – a brief guide’ available free at www.hse.gov.uk/pubns/indg401.pdf
Management of change is critical for health and safety. This includes temporary changes that occur due to activities such as maintenance, renovation, demolition and excavations. It is important that the knock-on effects of temporary changes are properly understood and assessed; and that the findings are communicated to the people who may be affected. It should be recognised that risks can occur during transition to the temporary state and when returning to normal.