Health and Safety At work

HSE inspectors Your organisation may be visited by an inspector or team of inspectors. Inspectors may ask to speak to a range of people in your organisation, which may include representatives from: the Board of Directors (Chief Executive, HR Director) Health and Safety Personnel/Human Resources Occupational Health recognised trades union/staff-side representatives

HSE inspectors Inspectors may exercise the powers set out in Section 20 of The HSWA ect.1974. 1. To enter premises, at almost any time, where it is believed that a dangerous state exists. A police officer may be taken along to help gain entry if required. 2. To carry out any necessary investigations and examinations - taking photographs, drawings and measurements of premises or items within them, taking samples of articles/substances and of the atmosphere, etc. 3. To direct that premises (in whole or in part) or items within the premises shall be left undisturbed for as long as required to make specialist examination. 4. To dismantle and/or test any item or substance which they decide is harmful to health. 5. To take statements from persons involved with an incident or accident. Interviewees must answer any questions and sign a statement of their answers, although these are not admissible as evidence in any subsequent proceedings against that person. 6. To inspect any documents, books or records considered relevant to the investigation. 7. To seize and render harmless any articles/substances found to be very dangerous in respect of causing personal injury.

HSE inspectors If an inspector is of the opinion that a person is contravening one or more of the relevant statutory provisions or has contravened one or more of those provisions in circumstances that make it likely that the contravention will continue or be repeated, an "Improvement Notice" may be served requiring that person to remedy the contravention in a given time scale.

HSE inspectors Inspectors may exercise the powers set out in Section 22 of The HSWA etc. 1974. If an inspector is of the opinion that a person carrying out activities will involve a risk of serious personal injury or personal injury is imminent, the inspector may serve a "Prohibition Notice" which will have immediate effect.

Safety Officer The safety officer is responsible for creating, maintaining and improving safety in the workplace. They are responsible for making sure that legislation is adhered to and assist in planning, implementing, monitoring and reviewing the health and safety strategies of an organisation. The role also includes formulating operational procedures that recognise hazards. They seek to minimise conflict between safety and production considerations and assess risk and propose workable solutions. Safety officers undertake inspections, carry out accident investigations, keep records and write reports. They advise on fire regulations, safeguarding machinery, noise, hazardous substances, occupational health and environmental health. Liaison with professionals, such as officers of enforcing authorities like the Health and Safety Executive, is common.

Safety representative Employers must consult employees on health and safety issues. Consultation must be either direct or through a safety representative that is either elected by the workforce or appointed by a trade union.

Environmental health officers Environmental health officers make sure that people's living and working surroundings are safe, healthy and hygienic. They work in both the private and pubHAlic sectors.

HSAW Employees Section 7 (a-b) it shall be the duty of every employee while at work: (a) To take reasonable care for the health and safety of himself and others who may be affected by his acts or omissions at work. (b) To co-operate with his employer or any other person, so far as is necessary, to enable his employer or other person to perform or comply with any requirement or duty imposed under a relevant statutory provision. Section 8: Places a duty on everyone not to intentionally or recklessly interfere with or misuse anything provided in the interests of health, safety and welfare

HASW Section 2: Contains the duties placed upon employers with regard to their employees. These are outlined more fully below. Every employer shall prepare (and as often as may be appropriate revise) a written statement of his general policy with respect to: a) The health and safety at work of his employees; and b) The organisation and arrangements in force for the time being for carrying out that policy, and bring the statement and any revision of it to the notice of all his employees.

Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations 1995 (RIDDOR) Change – 6 April 2012 Deaths and injuries If someone has died or has been injured because of a work-related accident this may have to be reported. Work-related accidents The accident that caused the death or injury must be connected to the work activity

Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations 1995 (RIDDOR) Change – 6 April 2012 Types of reportable injury Deaths Major injuries Over-seven-day injuries Reportable major injuries are: fracture, other than to fingers, thumbs and toes; amputation; dislocation of the shoulder, hip, knee or spine; loss of sight (temporary or permanent); chemical or hot metal burn to the eye or any penetrating injury to the eye;

Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations 1995 (RIDDOR) Change – 6 April 2012 injury resulting from an electric shock or electrical burn leading to unconsciousness, or requiring resuscitation or admittance to hospital for more than 24 hours; any other injury leading to hypothermia, heat-induced illness or unconsciousness, or requiring resuscitation, or requiring admittance to hospital for more than 24 hours; unconsciousness caused by asphyxia or exposure to a harmful substance or biological agent; acute illness requiring medical treatment, or loss of consciousness arising from absorption of any substance by inhalation, ingestion or through the skin; acute illness requiring medical treatment where there is reason to believe that this resulted from exposure to a biological agent or its toxins or infected material

Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations 1995 (RIDDOR) Change – 6 April 2012 Over-seven-day injuries As of 6 April 2012, the over-three-day reporting requirement for people injured at work changed to more than seven days. Now you only have to report injuries that lead to an employee or self- employed person being away from work, or unable to perform their normal work duties, for more than seven consecutive days as the result of an occupational accident or injury (not counting the day of the accident but including weekends and rest days). The report must be made within 15 days of the accident.

Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations 1995 (RIDDOR) Change – 6 April 2012 Over-three-day injuries You must still keep a record of the accident if the worker has been incapacitated for more than three consecutive days. If you are an employer, who must keep an accident book under the Social Security (Claims and Payments) Regulations 1979, that record will be enough

Risk assessment Five steps to risk assessment Page 2 of 8 How to assess the risks in your workplace Follow the five steps in this leaflet: Step 1 Identify the hazards Step 2 Decide who might be harmed and how Step 3 Evaluate the risks and decide on precautions Step 4 Record your findings and implement them Step 5 Review your assessment and update if necessary

Risk assessment Step 1 Walk around your workplace and look at what could reasonably be expected to cause harm. ■■ Ask your employees or their representatives what they think. They may have noticed things that are not immediately obvious to you. ■■ Visit the HSE website (www.hse.gov.uk). HSE publishes practical guidance on where hazards occur and how to control them. There is much information here on the hazards that might affect your business. ■■ If you are a member of a trade association, contact them. Many produce very helpful guidance. ■■ Check manufacturers’ instructions or data sheets for chemicals and equipment as they can be very helpful in spelling out the hazards and putting them in their true perspective.

Risk assessment Step 2 For each hazard you need to be clear about who might be harmed; it will help you identify the best way of managing the risk. That doesn’t mean listing everyone by name, but rather identifying groups of people (eg ‘people working in the storeroom’ or ‘passers-by’). In each case, identify how they might be harmed, ie what type of injury or ill health might occur. For example, ‘shelf stackers may suffer back injury from repeated lifting of boxes’.

Risk assessment Step 3 Having spotted the hazards, you then have to decide what to do about them. The law requires you to do everything ‘reasonably practicable’ to protect people from harm. You can work this out for yourself, but the easiest way is to compare what you are doing with good practice. So first, look at what you’re already doing, think about what controls you have in place and how the work is organised. Then compare this with the good practice and see if there’s more you should be doing to bring yourself up to standard. In asking yourself this, consider:

Risk assessment Step 3 Can I get rid of the hazard altogether? ■■ If not, how can I control the risks so that harm is unlikely? When controlling risks, apply the principles below, if possible in the following order: ■■ try a less risky option (eg switch to using a less hazardous chemical); ■■ prevent access to the hazard (eg by guarding); ■■ organise work to reduce exposure to the hazard (eg put barriers between pedestrians and traffic); ■■ issue personal protective equipment (eg clothing, footwear, goggles etc); and ■■ provide welfare facilities (eg first aid and washing facilities for removal of contamination). Improving health and safety need not cost a lot.

Risk assessment Step 3 Improving health and safety need not cost a lot. For instance, placing a mirror on a dangerous blind corner to help prevent vehicle accidents is a low-cost precaution considering the risks. Failure to take simple precautions can cost you a lot more if an accident does happen. Involve staff, so that you can be sure that what you propose to do will work in practice and won’t introduce any new hazards

Risk assessment Step 4 Putting the results of your risk assessment into practice will make a difference when looking after people and your business. Writing down the results of your risk assessment, and sharing them with your staff, encourages you to do this. If you have fewer than five employees you do not have to write anything down, though it is useful so that you can review it at a later date if, for example, something changes. When writing down your results, keep it simple, for example ‘Tripping over rubbish: bins provided, staff instructed, weekly housekeeping checks’, or ‘Fume from welding: local exhaust ventilation used and regularly checked

Risk assessment Step 4 You need to be able to show that: ■■ a proper check was made; ■■ you asked who might be affected; ■■ you dealt with all the significant hazards, taking into account the number of people who could be involved; ■■ the precautions are reasonable, and the remaining risk is low; and ■■ you involved your staff or their representatives in the process.

Risk assessment Step 4 A good plan of action often includes a mixture of different things such as: ■■ a few cheap or easy improvements that can be done quickly, perhaps as a temporary solution until more reliable controls are in place; ■■ long-term solutions to those risks most likely to cause accidents or ill health; ■■ long-term solutions to those risks with the worst potential consequences; ■■ arrangements for training employees on the main risks that remain and how they are to be controlled; ■■ regular checks to make sure that the control measures stay in place; and ■■ clear responsibilities – who will lead on what action, and by when.

Risk assessment Step 5 Few workplaces stay the same. Sooner or later, you will bring in new equipment, substances and procedures that could lead to new hazards. It makes sense, therefore, to review what you are doing on an ongoing basis. Every year or so formally review where you are, to make sure you are still improving, or at least not sliding back, Look at your risk assessment again. Have there been any changes? Are there improvements you still need to make? Have your workers spotted a problem? Have you learnt anything from accidents or near misses? Make sure your risk assessment stays up to date.

Moving of materials PUWER requires that equipment provided for use at work is: suitable for the intended use safe for use, maintained in a safe condition and inspected to ensure it is correctly installed and does not subsequently deteriorate used only by people who have received adequate information, instruction and training accompanied by suitable health and safety measures, such as protective devices and controls. These will normally include emergency stop devices, adequate means of isolation from sources of energy, clearly visible markings and warning devices used in accordance with specific requirements, for mobile work equipment and power presses

Moving of materials Lifting These Regulations (often abbreviated to LOLER) place duties on people and companies who own, operate or have control over lifting equipment. This includes all businesses and organisations whose employees use lifting equipment, whether owned by them or not. In most cases, lifting equipment is also work equipment so the Provision and Use of Work Equipment Regulations (PUWER) will also apply (including inspection and maintenance). All lifting operations involving lifting equipment must be properly planned by a competent person, appropriately supervised and carried out in a safe manner.

Moving of materials Lifting LOLER also requires that all equipment used for lifting is fit for purpose, appropriate for the task, suitably marked and, in many cases, subject to statutory periodic 'thorough examination'. Records must be kept of all thorough examinations and any defects found must be reported to both the person responsible for the equipment and the relevant enforcing authority.

Moving of materials Lifting If your business or organisation undertakes lifting operations or is involved in providing lifting equipment for others to use, you must manage and control the risks to avoid any injury or damage. Where you undertake lifting operations involving lifting equipment you must: plan them properly using people who are sufficiently competent supervise them appropriately to ensure that they are carried out in a safe manner

Waste disposal Waste containers should be stored in a secure manner and protected from extreme environments. They should be segregated and stored in compatible hazard classes (flammable, corrosive, oxidizers, etc.) to prevent hazardous reactions if the wastes combine. The containers should remain closed during storage, except when adding or removing waste.

Waste disposal