Health and Safety

Potential Hazards Something about the working environment, equipment or working practices which may cause harm Examples: Trips, slips and falls Fire Lifting and carrying Trailing cables, open filing cabinet drawers, spilt liquids Overloaded power sockets, flammable liquids Heavy item, blocking view, carrying too much

Dealing with Accidents All organisations must know how to deal with accidents. Each accident must be recorded on an ACCIDENT REPORT FORM A summary of all accidents that happen in the organisation is recorded in the ACCIDENT BOOK

What do you think this form should contain Accident Report Form What do you think this form should contain Name, date of birth and job position of injured person Date and time of accident Place of accident Brief description of accident Details of injury First aid treatment given (if any) If taken to doctor/hospital Date form was completed

Reporting Faulty Equipment Before using any equipment staff must be trained on how to use it. If equipment is not used properly or is faulty it can be dangerous. If a piece of equipment was faulty what would you do? Question

Answer: Switch off and unplug the faulty equipment Place a notice on the equipment warning staff not to use it Report the fault to your supervisor or safety officer Complete a Hazard/Fault Report

General rules for preventing accidents happening Employees should follow guidelines in the employer’s Health and Safety Policy Workstations, floors and passageways should be kept tidy and clear Documents that are no longer required should be filed

Continued … Liquids should not be placed near electrical equipment Bins should be emptied regularly Wire management – safe storage or concealment of cables and wires All emergency and evacuation procedures must be followed

Health and Safety Legislation A number of laws have been passed to make sure that organisations meet certain standards. If they do not meet these standards they are breaking the law.

The main Acts are: Health and Safety at Work Act (HASAWA) (1974) No need to copy this slide Health and Safety at Work Act (HASAWA) (1974) Health and Safety (First Aid) Regulations (1981) Health and Safety (Display Screen Equipment (1992) Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations (RIDDOR) (1995)

Health and Safety at Work Act (HASAWA) (1974) – Responsibilities Employers must: Ensure the workplace is safe Identify safety hazards in the workplace Deal with any safety hazards Provide suitable safety equipment Regularly maintain safety equipment

Responsibilities - continued Employees must: Take care of the own and others’ health and safety Use all safety equipment provided Not misuse safety equipment Co-operate with employers on health and safety matters

Health and Safety (First Aid) Regulations 1981 Employers must: Appoint a qualified first-aider Keep records of all incidents Have a first-aid box available What items should be kept in a first aid box? Think

Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations (RIDDOR) 1995 Incidents of death, injury or disease must be reported to the appropriate authority Incidents must be reported within 10 days Can be used to monitor areas of danger

Health and Safety (Display Screen Equipment) (1992) Employers must: Assess workstation and reduce risks Ensure workstation meets minimum requirements Arrange eye tests Provide training Organise daily work to allow for regular breaks

Computer Health Hazards EYE STRAIN AND HEADACHES Solved by: providing anti-glare screens Fitting blinds to prevent glare Providing regular breaks or changes in activity Arranging eye tests

REPETITIVE STRAIN INJURY (RSI) Solved by: Providing wrist rests Introducing regular breaks Adjusting the layout of the workstation

BACKACHE Solved by: Providing an adjustable chair Introducing regular breaks and changes of activities

STRESS Solved by: Introducing a variety of tasks Organising suitable training Monitoring workload