Health & Safety News

How Common Are Mental Health Problems?

Tue, 06 Aug 2019 00:00:00 +0000

They go on to explain that this has not significantly changed in recent years however access to help and support is increasingly harder. With reports for England and Wales suggesting that only 1 in 8 adults with a mental health problem are currently receiving treatment.

It’s not surprising that employers find the issue of mental health in the workplace challenging to managing. It can be hidden, hard to talk about and anyone suffering will most likely have additional anxiety around talking to their employer for obvious reasons.

Facts and figures can easily be found on the internet, an article we reviewed showed a steady increase since 1993. Possibly this can be attributed to the change of lifestyle and additional pressures of the 21st Century.

The same article goes on to say that women are most likely to be affected and men more likely to take their own lives. Worryingly mental health problems start early and in childhood .... this being our future workforce.

A happy workplace is a safe workforce.

The following extract is from the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) website.

Mental health is about how we think, feel and behave. Anxiety and depression are the most common mental health problems. They are often a reaction to a difficult life event, such as bereavement, but can also be caused by work-related issues.

While 'work' is not the only place or experience that causes or impacts mental health. Since ‘the average British worker will put in 34 hours and 26 minutes of work a week, and 84,171 hours in the course of their career.” How you manage mental health in your organisation is essential to create a happy and safe workforce.

A happy workforce is a productive workforce.

From a financial viewpoint prioritising health and wellbeing makes good sense, with benefits including increased productive, a reduction in days lost and improved staff retention.

You also have a duty of care in the same way you would support an employee with a physical injury or health problem.

However, we understand that for employers of large workforces, those who have dedicated departments, personnel and of course budget it's far easier than for an SME.

Yet, no matter the size of your business, you DO have a duty of care as explained below by the HSE.

‘Whether work is causing the health issue or aggravating it, employers have a legal responsibility to help their employees. Work-related mental health issues must be assessed to measure the levels of risk to staff. Where a risk is identified, steps must be taken to remove it or reduce it as far as reasonably practicable.”

Plus, your future workforce is more likely to have mental health issues. Therefore, NOW is the time to make health and wellbeing a priority in your business.

Working conditions can have a huge impact on the mental health of your employees. Equally the mental health of your valuable workforce can impact the working environment.

Women in full-time employment are nearly twice as likely to have a common mental health problem as full-time employed men (19.8% vs 10.9%).
Evidence suggests that 12.7% of all sickness absence days in the UK can be attributed to mental health conditions.
Better mental health support in the workplace can save UK businesses up to £8 billion per year.

It’s for these reasons What No Safety has introduced the Mental Health In the Workplace two-day training to its course offering. With learning outcomes that include able to describe examples of mental health problems, understand social and cultural attitudes to mental illness and much, much more.

The course covers how to promote a healthy workplace, why mental health is not discussed at work and the impact on the workplace of unidentified mental health problems. To name just three elements. You can find out more here.

If you would like to find out more about the Mental Health Training in the Workplace course or discuss your individual business needs in relation to mental health please email abarrett@whatnosafety.co.uk or call 01722 326 390.

October is Fire Prevention Month

Wed, 09 Oct 2019 00:00:00 +0000

Between April 2018 and March 2019, the Fire and Rescue Services {FRSs) were called out to attend 182,825 fire, of which 15,005 occurred in buildings other than the home.

So yes, it does happen.

Health and safety is about controlling risk and providing a safe environment for your workers and anyone that visits your premises. It’s about prevention.

What can you do to prevent fire on your premises?

Firstly, every workplace is different and it’s why a risk assessment is needed. This doesn’t have to be complicated or challenging and a five-step process is all you need.

Identify fire hazards
Identify people at risk
Evaluate, remove or reduce the risks
Record your findings, prepare an emergency plan and provide training
Review and update the fire risk assessment regularly

You might have noticed the word training above which applies to your Fire Wardens. Sadly, there is no written guidance on how many you might need and it will depend on the size and type of business.

As an employer, you are legally required under the Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999 to prepare an Emergency Plan. Your Fire Wardens are designated the responsibility of executing the plan in an emergency situation.

An emergency plan once created is shared with your workforce and it should be practised regularly.

The minimum fire precautions you will need to take include fire detection and warning system to warn people in all circumstances. A method for fighting small fires if safe to do so and safe routes for people to leave the premises (including suitable fire exits).

Fire Safety: what to check and test

The type of fire protection and detection identified in your fire risk assessment will vary again depending on the size and type of business but here is a list of items that should be checked or tested on a regular basis.

✔ All corridors, stairs and escape routes (including external ones) are free from obstruction and slip and trip hazards.

✔ All fire-resisting doors and fire exit doors are working correctly and are not wedged open or obstructed.

✔ All emergency lighting and fire exit signs are clearly visible and in working order.

✔ All fire detection systems are unobstructed.

✔ All fire-fighting equipment e.g. extinguishers, hose reels and fire blankets are unobstructed, in the correct place with safety pin / clip and security tag fitted.

✔ All break glass units visible and unobstructed.

What No Safety can support you in creating or create for you risk assessment documents and provide training tailored to your specific need if necessary. Call 01722 326 390 to find out more and to discuss your need.

More Than a Duty of Care

Tue, 20 Aug 2019 00:00:00 +0000

While it might require initial commitment in time and budget the longer-term benefits to your employees now and those of the future is huge.

In 2017/18 stress, depression or anxiety accounted for 44% of all work-related ill health cases and 57% of all working days lost due to ill health.
The main work factors cited by respondents in the Labour Force Survey as causing work-related stress, depression or anxiety were workload pressures, including tight deadlines and too much responsibility and a lack of managerial support.

The facts shared above show how mental health impacts business productivity and how ‘work’ can impact an individual.

It’s worth mentioning that work is not the only stress factor or cause of mental health problems which can come about because of a bereavement, relationship problems and money worries for example.

What can you do to support your workforce?

Place as much emphasis on health and wellbeing as you do safety. Incorporate into your business ethos and normalise helping to remove the stigma.
Offer a flexible working environment. This can be challenging particularly for small businesses and those with an invaluable and small team. You may need to be creative in your thinking and leave the 9-5 mindset behind.
Create a healthy working environment and culture. This may require you to introduce new policies and more importantly implement and follow them through.
Provide ways for employees to de-stress by introducing a corporate gym membership or inviting local therapist to provide chair massage.
Show them that you care, and this can be done by simply providing free fruit in the office.

Be creative and even better get your valuable employees involved by asking them what they want. Give someone the responsibility for coming up with ways to bring fun into the office. Depending on the size of your workforce you may consider setting up a Health and Wellbeing group.

Looking after the mental health of your employees can be as simple as putting them first, an excellent place to start.

In relation to creating policies and procedures What No Safety Ltd is here to help. It’s why we’ve introduced the Mental Health in the Workplace training. A two-day course that will give you as the business owner and your managers the ability and confidence to support your valuable employees.

Call 01722 326 390 if you have any questions relating to the training or mental health in the workplace generally.

Welcome to our new Website

Thu, 31 Jan 2013 00:00:00 +0000

We’re delighted to announce the launch of our new website.

We hope that the new site will act as a one stop shop for Businesses or Establishments looking for Health & Safety services.

Health and Safety Care Quality Commission

Wed, 20 Aug 2014 00:00:00 +0000

What No Safety Services Ltd is here to take away the pressure and stress through their half day Health and Safety Induction Course developed specifically for general practices. It will assist you in meeting Care Quality Commission (CQC) requirements, better understand what is required of you and identify areas where further training and support might be needed.

Our successful induction course being held on Tuesday 09th September covers not only CQC standards, but also the Health and Safety and Work Act 1974.

Aimed at Practice Managers, clinical staff and receptionists, ensuring your surgery staff and patient safety on all levels.

The course will cover: Health & Safety legal requirements, patient safety, risk assessment & more! For your conveneince we are running two sessions with 12-spaces on each. The morning session starts at 9am and will finish at 12.30pm and the after commences at 1pm and will finish at 4.30pm.

If you would like more information or require a booking form please contact lindsey@brownburden.com who is coordinating this event.

Safety To Go Newsletter - October 2013

Tue, 01 Oct 2013 00:00:00 +0000

In this months edition we cover:

Corporate Manslaughter
Portable Equipment
Testing
Ladder Exchange
Bad v Good
First Aid Changes and The Recovery Position

Click here to download.

Safety To Go Newsletter - November 2013

Fri, 01 Nov 2013 00:00:00 +0000

This month we discuss:

Fire!!
Display Screen
Equipment (DSE)
Myth Busters
Fire Awareness Course
Bad v Good
Slips, Trips and Falls

Click here to download.

Safety To Go Newsletter - September 2013

Mon, 30 Sep 2013 00:00:00 +0000

This month we discuss:

Legal Casebook — Fall from Height
RIDDOR Reporting — Changes due
Vibration — HAVS

Click here to download.

Safety To Go Newsletter - December 2013

Fri, 01 Nov 2013 00:00:00 +0000

This month we discuss:

Baby, it’s cold outside
Our 10th Birthday Party
Myth Busters
Snow and Ice Plan
Bad v Good
Mental Health

Click here to download.

Safety To Go Newsletter - January 2014

Wed, 01 Jan 2014 00:00:00 +0000

This month we discuss:

New Year, New You
Legislation Update
Myth Busters
Driving
Accident Reporting

Click here to download.

Safety To Go Newsletter - February 2014

Mon, 03 Feb 2014 00:00:00 +0000

This month we discuss:

Workplace Fires
Alcohol / Drugs at Work
Myth Busters
Meet The Team
Bad v Good
Love Your PPE

Click here to download.

Safety To Go Newsletter - March 2014

Mon, 03 Mar 2014 00:00:00 +0000

This month we discuss:

Business Support
Sharing the road with Cyclists
Myth Busters
Scaffold Towers
Bad v Good

Click here to download.

Safety To Go Newsletter - April 2014

Tue, 01 Apr 2014 00:00:00 +0000

This month we discuss:

Event Planning
Young People & Work Experience
Myth Busters
Legionella
Kitchen Safety
Work at Height

Click here to download.

Safety To Go Newsletter - May 2014

Thu, 01 May 2014 00:00:00 +0000

This month we discuss:

Risk Profiling
Competence in H&S
Myth Busters
Workstation Seating
ACOPs
Manual Handling

Click here to download

Safety To Go Newsletter - October 2014

Wed, 01 Oct 2014 00:00:00 +0000

This month we discuss:

Anniversary Edition
Remember, remember ….
Myth Busters
Fire Training
14 Points of Safety
Bad v Good
DSE

Click here to download.

Safety To Go Newsletter - March 2015

Sun, 01 Mar 2015 00:00:00 +0000

This month we discuss:

New and expectant mothers
Cost of H&S failures
Myth Busters
Smoke and CO Alarms
Bad v Good
RPE

Click here to download.

Safety To Go Newsletter - July 2014

Tue, 01 Jul 2014 00:00:00 +0000

This month we discuss:

Can you afford to be innocent?
Workplace Injury Claims
Myth Busters
Good Samaritans Law
Bad v Good
Sun Safety

Click here to download.

Safety To Go Newsletter - September 2014

Mon, 01 Sep 2014 00:00:00 +0000

This month we discuss:

H&S—where is it going?
An ageing workforce
Myth Busters
First Aid Kits
14 Points of Safety
Bad v Good
Thunderstorm myths

Click here to download.

Safety To Go Newsletter - August 2015

Sat, 01 Aug 2015 00:00:00 +0000

This month we discuss:

INDG 417
Electrical Testing
Myth Busters
COMAH 2015
Near Miss reporting
Bad v Good
Safe Removal of Disposable gloves

Click here to download

Safety To Go Newsletter - September 2015

Tue, 01 Sep 2015 00:00:00 +0000

This month we discuss:

Self Employed
Vulnerable Workers
Myth Busters
RIDDOR Contact
H&S Week 2015
Bad v Good
Colour Vision

Click here to download.

Safety To Go Newsletter - April 2015

Wed, 01 Apr 2015 00:00:00 +0000

This month we discuss:

Drugs and driving
Awareness training in AEDs
Myth Busters
H&S Week 2015
Bad v Good
Safe use of Acetylene

Click here to download.

Safety To Go Newsletter - May 2015

Fri, 01 May 2015 00:00:00 +0000

This month we discuss:

CDM15 & home improvements
Common injuries
Myth Busters
H&S Week 2015
Part 2
Bad v Good
Asbestos Aware app

Click here to download.

Safety To Go Newsletter - November 2014

Sat, 01 Nov 2014 00:00:00 +0000

This month we discuss:

Ebola v Flu
Gas Heating Safety
Myth Busters
Fire Training
IOSH + CSCS
14 Points of Safety
Bad v Good
Machine Guarding

Click here to download.

Safety To Go Newsletter - December 2014

Mon, 01 Dec 2014 00:00:00 +0000

This month we discuss:

Fines to Increase?
Christmas Stress
Myth Busters
14 Points of Safety
Bad v Good
Respirable Diseases

Click here to download.

Safety To Go Newsletter - January 2015

Thu, 01 Jan 2015 00:00:00 +0000

This month we discuss:

2014 in review
Duty of care in Winter Months
Myth Busters
14 Points of Safety
Bad v Good
Smoking Policies & e-cigarettes

Click here to download.

Safety To Go Newsletter - February 2015

Sun, 01 Feb 2015 00:00:00 +0000

This month we discuss:

New for 2015
First Aid Needs Assessment
Myth Busters
14 Points of Safety
Bad v Good
Nuisance Noise in the Office

Click here to download.

Safety To Go Newsletter - June/July 2015

Mon, 01 Jun 2015 00:00:00 +0000

This issue is a super bumper summer one, focusing on the sun and holiday safety.

Click here to download.

Safety To Go Newsletter - October 2015

Mon, 19 Oct 2015 00:00:00 +0000

This month we discuss:

Blame or no blame?
Bullying
Myth Busters
GRIP Ratings
Bad v Good
Occupational Cancers in Construction

Click here to download.

Safety To Go Newsletter - November 2015

Tue, 24 Nov 2015 00:00:00 +0000

This month we discuss:

Sentencing Council Guidelines
Driving
Myth Busters
Resuscitation Council Changes
Bad v Good
Fork Lift Trucks

Click here to download.

Safety To Go Newsletter - January 2016

Fri, 15 Jan 2016 00:00:00 +0000

This month we discuss:

Reflection and Anticipation
People First
IOSH Working Safety
Winter Quiz

Click here to download.

Safety To Go Newsletter - February 2016

Fri, 12 Feb 2016 00:00:00 +0000

This month we discuss:

HSE Strategy
Bad v Good
Myth Busters
Winter Quiz Results
Gritting
Manual Handling Training

Click here to download.

Safety To Go Newsletter - March 2016

Tue, 15 Mar 2016 00:00:00 +0000

This month we dsicuss:

CDM 2015—Repair and maintenance
Bad v Good
HSE Strategy
Myth Busters
Business Continuity Training

Click here to download.

Safety To Go Newsletter - June 2016

Mon, 06 Jun 2016 00:00:00 +0000

Introducing our new look newsletter which in this month we discuss:

ISO 45001: the new International standard for Occupational Health and Safety Management
Myth Busters
Manual Handling at Work Regulations 1992
Bad v Good
Up Coming Training

Click here to download.

Safety To Go Newsletter - July 2016

Thu, 07 Jul 2016 00:00:00 +0000

This month we discuss:

ISO 14001 Environmental Standard
Myth Busters
Bad v Good -Travis Perkins fined £2 million
Workplace Transport Safety
No Time to Lose: An IOSH Campaign Solar Radiation

Click here to download.

Safety To Go Newsletter - August 2016

Mon, 08 Aug 2016 00:00:00 +0000

This month we discuss:

Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) at Work Regulations
Myth Busters
Bad v Good - Solar installers “left to their own devices” before roof fall
Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005

Click here to download.

Safety To Go Newsletter - September 2016

Sun, 04 Sep 2016 00:00:00 +0000

This month we discuss:

BREXIT what does it mean to the world of Health and Safety
Myth Busters - HSE has banned step ladders
Working at Height Regulations 2005
Bad v Good - BT engineers' ladder falls may have followed electric shock
Maximum working temperatures
Tougher sentencing guidelines introduced for environmental issues

Click here to download.

Safety To Go Newsletter - October 2016

Sat, 01 Oct 2016 00:00:00 +0000

This month we discuss:

European Week for Safety and Health 24th October 2016
Myth Busters: Changing rooms at law firm could not have both basins and sockets
What is business continuity?
Control of Asbestos Regulations 2012 & the do's and don'ts
Bad V Good - Company exposes family to risk of asbestos
Book your one hour free consultation

Click here download.

Safety To Go Newsletter - November 2016

Mon, 31 Oct 2016 00:00:00 +0000

This month we discuss:

Firework regulations 2004
Myth Busters: Health and safety laws ban bonfires
Carbon monoxide awareness
Fire safety and emergency
Having your chimney swept

Click here to download.

Safety To Go Newsletter - December 2016

Mon, 05 Dec 2016 00:00:00 +0000

This month we discuss:

Road Safety in Winter
Health & Safety Myth Busters at Christmas Time
Christmas Stress Relief
Bad v Good - prosecution after illegal and dangerous gas work
Preventing Accidents at Christmas

Click here to download.

Safety To Go Newsletter – January 2017

Mon, 09 Jan 2017 00:00:00 +0000

This month we discuss:

Control of Substances Hazardous to Health Regulations 2002 COSHH
Health and Safety Myth Buster - "It's natural so it can't be harmful"
Bad V Good - Sealand maker's COSHH failings led to dermatitis
Do you employ young people either paid or for work experience?
Ensure your risk assessments stand up in court

Click here to download.

Safety To Go Newsletter – February 2017

Mon, 13 Feb 2017 00:00:00 +0000

This month we discuss:

Managing Stress in the Workplace
Health and Safety Myth Buster - Pancake races are banned!
Bad V Good - Staffordshire Logistics Company fined over safety failings
Brief update of some key points that could affect you in the future

Click here to download.

Safety To Go Newsletter – March 2017

Tue, 07 Mar 2017 00:00:00 +0000

This month we discuss:

'No Time To Lose' - an IOSH campaign (Respirable Crystalline Silica)
Health and Safety Myth Buster - Children banned from waiting in car at a recycling centre
Bad V Good - Silica dust risk prosecuted under COSHH Regulations
HSE proposes relaxed risk assessment recording
First response: spills

Click here to download.

Safety To Go Newsletter – April 2017

Mon, 10 Apr 2017 00:00:00 +0000

This month we discuss:

Occupiers Liability
Health and Safety Myth Buster - People don\\'t have to take any responsibility for their own health and safety
Bad V Good - Estate agent who told house-hunters to have a good look around a property before a women fell 30ft down a well were fined £200,000
Employers’ obligation on sight test for Display Screen Equipment user
Preventing slips and trips at work

Click here to download.

Safety To Go Newsletter – June 2017

Fri, 23 Jun 2017 00:00:00 +0000

This month we discuss:

Reading Borough Council sentenced after legionella death at a care home
Is Legionella a problem in your business?
Health and Safety Myth Buster - Every possible risk needs a safety sign
Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations 2013

Click here to download.

Safety To Go Newsletter: August 2017

Thu, 24 Aug 2017 00:00:00 +0000

This month we discuss:

Top health and safety tips
Faecal bacteria found in ice from three major coffee chains in 2017!
Health and Safety Myth Buster - You can’t wear flip-flops to work
Skin Cancer and Solar Radiation
Fire Safety: What to check and test

Click here to download.

Safety To Go Newsletter: September 2017

Mon, 18 Sep 2017 00:00:00 +0000

We have always understood and recognised your time is precious and that health and safety may not (although should be) top of your priority list.

Therefore we introduce our new look bite-sized version of the health and safety newsletter.

This month we discuss:

First Aid Needs Assessment
Health & Safety Myth Buster: office lights must have a working bulb
Accident and Near Miss Reporting and Accident Investigation

Click here to download your copy.

Safety To Go Newsletter: Education Edition

Tue, 26 Sep 2017 00:00:00 +0000

In the special Education Edition of Safety To Go we discuss:

Safety in school workshops
Myth Buster - School risk assessments to be redone every year
Fines for exposure to asbestos while refurbishing school
Accident and near miss reporting and accident investigation
Control of infection

Download your copy here.

Safety To Go Newsletter: October 2017

Tue, 17 Oct 2017 00:00:00 +0000

The bite-sized newsletter which this month focuses on health and wellbeing in the workplace.

• Health and wellbeing in the workplace improves safety
• Health & Safety Myth Buster: unable to open office windows
• General points of good housekeeping and safety

Click here to download your copy.

Safety To Go Newsletter: Construction Edition

Thu, 19 Oct 2017 00:00:00 +0000

In the special Construction Edition of Safety To Go we discuss:

Construction (Design and Management) Regulations 2015
Myth Buster - unable to open office windows
General points of good housekeeping and safety to be considered in all workplaces on a daily basis
First Aid provision in the workplace
Ladder safety
House builder fined after vulnerable pensioner drowned

Download your copy here .

Safety To Go Newsletter: November 2017

Tue, 14 Nov 2017 00:00:00 +0000

The bite-sized newsletter which this month focuses on winter and personal safety.

Winter is coming, managing seasonal health and safety risks
Lone workers
Mythbuster - Odd job person in managed block of flats not allowed to change light bulbs for health and safety reasons
What is personal safety

Click here to download your copy.

Safety To Go Newsletter: Housing Association Edition

Mon, 20 Nov 2017 00:00:00 +0000

In the special Housing Association Edition of Safety To Go we discuss:

Lone workers
Myth Buster - changing of light bulbs
£1.8m fine after lone worker drowns in “accident waiting to happen”
What is personal safety
Winter is coming, managing seasonal health and safety risks
How to protect new and expectant mothers

Download your copy here.

Safety To Go Newsletter: December 2017

Mon, 11 Dec 2017 00:00:00 +0000

The bite-sized newsletter which this month has a seasonal theme.

Prevent winter slips and trips
Mythbuster - Indoor Christmas lights need a portable appliance test (PAT) every year
Article - Tesco fined £200,000 after worker slips and is injured on shop floor
Commuting smartly during bad weather
Winter Driving Tips for us all

Click here to download your copy.

We now have a blog!

Wed, 02 Dec 2015 00:00:00 +0000

What No Safety now has a blog section which we plan to regularly update with useful expert information about the ever-changing health and safety landscape. The blog system was created by Webbed Feet ^UK, web designers in Salisbury.

Be sure to check back for more updates!

Do You Offer Eye Care To Your Employees?

Thu, 24 Dec 2015 00:00:00 +0000

The physical document gave organisations an instant snapshot of a driver’s entitlement to drive, including class of vehicle and any health issues that might prevent them getting behind the wheel.

The recent coroner’s inquest into deaths caused by a runaway refuse lorry in Glasgow offered another reminder that ensuring work drivers’ fitness is crucial. This includes verifying that their eyesight is not impaired, but a recent survey suggests that over half of employers did not offer any eye-care to their workers as part of their risk prevention strategies.

The onus isn’t just on the employer to check whether drivers can see a number plate from a legally required 20 metres, licence holders have a legal obligation to notify their employer and the DVLA of any impediment to their health that would prevent them driving or carrying out their job to the required standard. But it is common for people, particularly those over 40, not to notice that their eyesight is gradually deteriorating, and work drivers, especially those who routinely drive in challenging conditions such as low sun or at night, may find their eyesight worsens at a faster rate than less frequent road users.

The recommended frequency for eye tests is every 2 years. A survey last year by Brake (a road safety charity campaigning for compulsory eye testing for drivers) found 12% of regular vehicle users had not had their sight tested for more than 5 years. An eye examination will not only test distance vision, but also peripheral vision and the ability to refocus between near and far objects.

‘Cassie’s Law’ was introduced in 2013, named after Cassie Mc Cord who lost her life after being hit by a driver who had failed an eye test 3 days earlier yet was able to continue driving under a legal loophole. The regulatory change gave the police powers to revoke licences after roadside examinations and more than 690 people have had their licences suspended since the law was changed.

Whether through the DVLA service or through a third party provider, safety managers need to ensure that an employee’s entitlement to drive covers more than just the vehicle types they can operate. This is increasingly crucial for drivers operating vehicles with specialist equipment.

Contact us for advice and assistance or why not give us a call on 01722 326390.

Working with Display Screen Equipment

Thu, 19 May 2016 00:00:00 +0000

Millions of people in Britain alone, use Display Screen Equipment every day and an increasing number of hours are spent in front of our screens.

So what are the problems?

Computer workstations can be associated with neck, shoulder, back or arm pain as well as fatigue and eyestrain. Surveys have found that a high proportion of Display Screen Equipment users report aches, pains or eye discomfort. These aches and pains are sometimes called upper limb disorders (ULDs) which can include a range of medical conditions such as Repetitive Strain Injury (RSI). While many of these conditions do not cause serious ill health it makes sense to avoid them as far as possible.

The Health & Safety (DSE) Regulations 1992

The regulations were introduced because Display Screen Equipment has become one of the most common kinds of work equipment and aims to protect the health of the user. They require employers to:

Analyse workstations to assess and reduce risk
Look at the whole workstation (equipment, furniture and the work environment), the job and any specials needs of individual staff
Ensure workstations meet minimum requirements
Plan work so there are breaks and changes of activity
On request arrange eye tests, and provide spectacles if special ones are needed
Provide health and safety training and information

It doesn’t mean that DSE work is risky—it isn’t. ULDs can be avoided if users follow good practice, workstations are set up correctly and breaks are taken during prolonged use. By just taking a few simple precautions work with DSE can be comfortable and productive.

If you employ many users of DSE, it may help to appoint someone competent to act as an assessor. The assessor can help to identify:

who is covered by the Regulations
assess workstation risks and put control measures in place
provide training

Review of assessment is key to good working practice, especially where there has been a change of employee, equipment, considerable change in task or … the user has changed their workstation!!

Why not contact us to discuss your requirements?

Bullying Is On The Increase In Britain

Mon, 14 Mar 2016 00:00:00 +0000

One in three employees are bullied in the workplace. Most people who witness bullying do nothing about it. Bullying is often dismissed as banter. These were just some of the findings from research in 2015 by employment law solicitors Slater and Gordon.

Examples of bullying identified by the 2000 employees surveyed by Slater and Gordon included shouting, shoving, intimidation and threatening behaviours. Over 25% of those questioned had witnessed a colleague being deliberately humiliated by a bully, 10% had heard racist insults and 16% had seen a colleague subjected to inappropriate sexual remarks. What were often dismissed as childish pranks were observed by almost 25%, including colleague work being deliberately sabotaged and physical violence between workmates.

However, while most people had either been bullied at work or had seen a co worker bullied:

Less than half did anything about it
A third felt too awkward to confront the issue
A quarter thought it was simply parts of the organisations culture
A fifth thought they themselves would be the target of bullying if they spoke out
A tenth feared their job could be at risk if they complained

The research found that in more than half of cases bullying was disguised as workplace banter. In many cases the behaviour was subtle, such as deliberately not inviting a colleague out to work drinks, lunches and meetings. In a fifth of the cases the victim was reduced to tears. According to the report factors such as tight deadlines, personality clashes and office politics were often at the root of the problem.

So do something about it!

Is your workplace free of bullying? Does your company have an Anti bullying policy? Does it take into account cyber bullying as well as physical? Do you have someone (impartial) in your company to talk to? If you can answer NO to any of these questions - WHY? No one likes a bully, and no one likes being bullied.

Please contact us for advice and assistance on this issue that causes deep distress to individuals and has a negative impact on your workforce as a whole and further affects your business reputation.

Manual Handling Training Reduces Working Days Lost

Wed, 10 Feb 2016 00:00:00 +0000

The term manual handling covers a wide variety of activities including lifting, lowering, pushing, pulling and carrying. When these tasks are not carried out appropriately or correctly there is a risk of injury.

Manual handling injuries can have serious implications for the employer and the person who has been injured. They can occur almost anywhere in the workplace and heavy manual labour, awkward postures, repetitive movements of arms, legs and back or previous/existing injury can increase the risk. (Credit HSE we couldn’t have written it better ourselves!)

Our manual handling course provides an introduction for employees who undertake basic manual handling in an office environment. It covers the Manual Handling Operation Regulations 1992 and other relevant legislation.

In 2013 more working days were lost to musculoskeletal problems (back and neck pain) than any other cause!

To help prevent injury in the work place where possible it is best to avoid lifting BUT of course this is not always practical. Ensuring your employees understand the risk and put measures in place prior to moving an item is the first step to reducing the risk of accident.

See our Manual Handling Training course and book your place today.

People First

Mon, 25 Jan 2016 00:00:00 +0000

So we arrive at the crucial part the objective. As is the case with all relevant health and safety procedures the emphasis must be on the people involved and the objective is to ensure their safety.

The only effective formula to manage health and safety successfully is to engage with the people involved, identify the hazards, assess the risks, implement control measures and review and update your findings on a regular basis. Conduct your business in this inclusive and transparent manner and you will achieve your objective

Maintaining that people focus definitely benefits any business and effective management of both health and safety and employee relations can ensure legal compliance and create new tender opportunities and business accreditation.

The very fact that you are investing in your workforce will deliver the long term benefits, both for the here and now and the future.

Contact us for advice and assistance or call: 01722 326390.

Helping Great Britain Work Well

Wed, 24 Feb 2016 00:00:00 +0000

The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) has launched a new strategy, applicable between 2016 to 2020.

As Dame Judith Hackitt explained in a recent blog, this is a strategy for the system, not for HSE alone.

We need to act together to gain much broader ownership and commitment and that means we need to talk, share ideas and find the courage to take some new directions.

The strategy covers six themes:

Acting Together — promoting broader ownership of workplace safety and health
Tackling ill Health — highlighting and tackling the burden of work-related ill health
Managing Risk Well — enabling productivity through proportionate risk management
Supporting Small Employers— giving SMEs simple advice so that they know what they have to do
Keeping Pace with Change — anticipating and tackling the challenge of new technology and ways of working
Sharing Our Success — promoting the benefits of Great Britain’s world-class health and safety system

Some questions to ask yourself

Business leaders, employees, OSH advisors, HR professionals and regulators all have key roles to play in improving the UK’s safety and health system over the next 5 years.

Does your personal contribution to health and safety really help others or hinder?
Is ownership and responsibility for health and safety in the right place in your organisation?
Is it on the right things?
What could you personally do differently in 2016 that will really help HSE to create an even better health and safety system in GB?
Are you prepared to make a resolution to do something different in 2016?

If you are interested, join the conversation on social media #HelpGBWorkWell, or for more information follow the link to the HSE’s strategy pages.

Who Are Your Vulnerable Workers?

Mon, 11 Apr 2016 00:00:00 +0000

Health and safety should not be used as an excuse to justify discriminating against certain groups of workers.

Disability

2% of the UK working age population becomes disabled every year. A disability is a physical or mental impairment which has substantial and long term adverse effects on the ability to carry out normal day to day activities H&S legislation should not prevent disabled people finding or staying in employment and should not be used as a false excuse to justify discriminating against disabled workers.

Gender

A person’s gender can affect the hazards they face at work. Women make up 42% of the employed population in the EU; the jobs they do, their working conditions and how they are treated by society can affect the hazards they face at work and the approach that needs to be taken to assess and control them.

New to the job

People are at particular risk of injury in the first six months of a job as they may be unaware of existing or potential risks. The extra risk arises due to lack of experience, lack of familiarity with the job and work environment, reluctance to (or lack of knowledge of how to) raise concerns and eagerness to impress.

Age

Todays workforce is likely to contain a higher proportion of older workers because of factors such as increased life expectancy, removal of the default retirement age and raising of the State Pension age. Employers have the same responsibilities for the health and safety of older employees as they have for all their employees.

When employing a young person under the age of 18, whether for work, work experience or as an apprentice, employers have the same responsibilities for their health, safety and welfare as they do for other employees.

Race and migrant workers

In seeking to protect the health and safety of all workers it is known that race is an important factor, particularly in terms of differences in vulnerability, the networks and channels of communications, and language. The law requires that employers provide workers with comprehensible and relevant information about risks and about the procedures they need to follow to ensure they can work safely and without risk to health. This does not have to be in English.

Need help in assessing health and safety risk in your business? Get in touch and book a one hour FREE health and safety consultation with one of our experts by calling 01722 326 390.

What Is Health & Safety?

Tue, 31 May 2016 00:00:00 +0000

Many see H&S or SHE as something they have to do, a necessary evil if you will and often the one thing that prevents everyone from having fun!

Let us be clear health and safety is about keeping employees safe at work, preventing injury and worse a fatality. It is a mechanism for the employer to keep those employees safe and certainly not to make daily operations difficult, in fact quite the opposite.

When health and safety is managed well, nobody will notice and when staff are involved in the process it works even better! It should increase efficiency in business operation, provide a safe environment for staff and in turn create a happy and more effective workforce! It’s a win, win!

It is not easy to get anyone excited about health and safety but workers have the right to work in places where health and safety is properly controlled. Surely this is a good thing?

Health and safety really does not have to be difficult and with the right policies and procedures in place, and followed, there is no reason why it should be.

Getting staff involved and giving them responsibility in roles such First Aider or Fire Warden (supported with training) helps them to take pride in their safe environment and want to be part of the solution.

Of course, there will always be exceptions to the rule, and even organisations where health and safety is just too difficult or more hassle than its worth. However, when embraced it really shouldn’t be any more or less important than payroll (and we know how important that service is)!

Want to find out how we can help you make health and safety as easy as riding a bike? Then please get in touch and book your free one hour health and safety consultation by calling 01722 326 390.

Manual Handling at Work Regulations 1992

Wed, 22 Jun 2016 00:00:00 +0000

The term Musculoskeletal disorders (MSD) covers any injury, damage or disorder of the joints or other tissues in the upper / lower limbs or the back.

An injury could be caused by simply repeatedly carrying out an action too often without a break, and not necessarily by moving a very heavy item e.g. stacking shelves with small boxes all morning. So whatever your business you should consider the way your staff move and carry out their daily tasks whether on a construction site or sitting at a till.

In brief, the Regulations require employers to:

Avoid the need for hazardous manual handling, so far as is reasonably practicable.
Assess the risk of injury from any hazardous manual handling that can’t be avoided.
Reduce the risk of injury from hazardous manual handling, so far as is reasonably practicable.

None of us can avoid lifting and carrying but the way you and your staff carry out these actions could make all the difference to them individually and to your company financially.

Why not consider sending staff on one of our half day basic Manual Handling courses? Or please call us on 01722 326 390 and let us tailor a more advanced course just for you and your staff.

Improving Performance and Reducing Risk

Wed, 22 Jun 2016 00:00:00 +0000

If your business is already registered for other ISO standards e.g. ISO 9001 for quality control or ISO 14001 for Environmental Management standards or already holds the BS OHSAS 18001 standard, you may be interested to find out more about the new Occupational Health and Safety Management standard, it is anticipated that the final standard is scheduled for publishing later this year.

What are the anticipated benefits of the new standard?

The draft version of ISO 45001 brings occupational health and safety management and continual improvement into the heart of your business.

Just think of the multiple benefits as a result of implementing and adopting an occupational health and safety management system:

Reduced work related injuries, ill health and death
Eliminate or minimise Occupational Health & Safety risks
Improve Occupational Health & Safety performance and effectiveness
Demonstrate corporate responsibility and meet supply chain requirements
Protects brand reputation
Motivates and engages staff through consultation and participation

So what is your business going to do?

Anticipated arrival is the end of 2016 but no precise date has yet been given. If you are interested in complying with this new standard please drop us a line: abarrett@whatnosafety.co.uk

No tTme to Lose: Solar Radiation

Sat, 02 Jul 2016 00:00:00 +0000

However, the reality is that the risks to ordinary holiday makers targeted by sun product advertising campaigns are not comparable to the risks faced by millions of outdoor workers, who for significant periods of the year are typically exposed to solar radiation for hours at a time, day in, day out.

6 Sun Safety tips for ‘Don’t Fry today’

Use sunscreen whenever you are outdoors
Reapply sunscreen frequently
Stay indoors when the sun is strongest
Take extra care near water or sand
Cover up
Don’t intentionally try to tan.

As anyone working outside in the sun can be affected they should follow the above points in the same way as they would if they were on holiday.

This will affect workers from the most obvious eg construction workers and farmworkers to grounds workers and people working in outdoor Leisure pursuits.

Sun safety should form part of your Health and Safety Policy if appropriate and include not only the above points but other forms of controlling the risks by ensuring staff drink sufficient amounts of water and have sufficient breaks that are taken out of the sun.

Personal Protective Equipment at Work Regulations

Thu, 18 Aug 2016 00:00:00 +0000

Personal Protective Equipment at Work Regulations briefly cover the following:

PPE is equipment that will protect the user against health or safety risks at work. It will cover a wide variety of equipment from safety helmets, gloves, eye protection, safety trousers to safety footwear and safety harnesses.

However, it is important that different types of PPE are compatible to ensure they give maximum protection. For instance, ear defenders worn while wearing a hard hat or safety helmet, must fit correctly to ensure that they give full protection to the individual.

Personal Protective Equipment should be used as a last resort. Where there are risks to health and safety that cannot be adequately controlled in other ways, PPE should be supplied.

The regulations also require that PPE is:

Properly assessed before use to make sure it is fit for purpose
Maintained and stored correctly
Provided with instructions on how to use safely (do you check that they are?)
Used correctly by employees.

When selecting and distributing PPE:

Choose good quality products that are CE marked.
Choose equipment that suits the wearer, one size will not fit all. The equipment should be comfortable to wear as they will be much more likely to wear it.
Instruct and train people and explain why it is needed, when to use it and what its limitations are.

It is the employer’s responsibility to supply PPE when it is deemed necessary after carrying out a risk assessment. However, it is important to ensure that your staff know it’s their responsibility to report to you if there are any faults or the equipment does not fit correctly and the PPE needs to be replaced.

The PPE Directive is now over 20 years old. In order to reflect current technologies and processes for developing and bringing PPE to the market, it is in the process of being superseded by a new PPE Regulation. This will only affect you if you are a manufacturer of PPE.

For further guidance why not contact us on 01722 326 390.

Solar Installers Left To Their Own Devices Before Fall

Thu, 18 Aug 2016 00:00:00 +0000

PV Solar, a photovoltaic panel installer from Glasgow, must pay more than £180,000 in fines and costs after one of its employees was injured when he fell through a roof light.

The roof light was over a swimming pool outbuilding at a private home in Kent. The injured worker was part of a three strong team replacing faulty solar panels that had been installed by PV Solar in April 2011. One of the workers was carrying a panel along the roof and fell through one of the eight roof lights. The water in the swimming pool partly broke his fall but he hit the pool’s side and fractured his shin and spine.

The accident happened on 30 April 2013, but the 32 year old was unable to return to work until January this year and this was then only on a part time basis.

PV Solar was sentenced at Canterbury Crown Court after a Health and Safety Executive (HSE) investigation, which found none of the installation team had been trained to use the scaffold tower, ladder and safety harness that was supplied for the panel replacement work. The company could also have provided other equipment such as fall scaffolding or hard covers for the roof light.

The HSE had previously served PV Solar with a prohibition notice to stop unsafe work on a fragile roof in Bristol in May 2011. The executive said that the company therefore knew what was required to ensure that an accident like this would not happen.

The company pleaded guilty to three separate breaches of the Work at Height Regulations 2005. It was fined £153,000 and ordered to pay £29,480 in prosecution costs.

The injured worker and his colleagues were effectively left to their own devices with equipment that was not wholly suited for the task at hand.

Never leave it to chance and assume that people will know how to use equipment even if they say they have done similar work before, always ensure that they have been trained in all aspects of the job to be carried out.

Why not contact us for further help and advice on 01722 326 390.

Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005

Wed, 31 Aug 2016 00:00:00 +0000

It means that any person who has some level of control in premises must take reasonable steps to reduce the risk from fire and make sure people can safely escape if there is a fire.

Where does the order apply?

The order applies to virtually all premises and covers nearly every type of building, structure and open space:

Offices and shops
Premises that provide care, including care homes and hospitals
Community halls, places of worship and other community premises
Shared areas of properties where several households live in
Pubs, clubs and restaurants
Schools and sports centres
Tents and marquees
Hotels and hostels
Factories and warehouses.

The main rules under the order

To carry out a fire risk assessment
Consider who may especially be at risk
Get rid of or reduce the risk of fire as far as reasonably possible and provide precautions to deal with any possible risks which are left
Take other measures to make sure there is protection if flammable or explosive materials are used or stored
Create a plan to deal with any emergency, keep a record of your findings and review your findings on a regular basis.

Under the order anyone who has control of premises or anyone who has a degree of control over certain areas or systems may be a ‘responsible person’.

To further enhance your knowledge and the knowledge of your staff in managing an emergency situation like fire why not sign up to attend our Fire Warden Training and / or contact us for further advice and information on 01722 326 390.

BREXIT and Impact On Health & Safety

Thu, 15 Sep 2016 00:00:00 +0000

Post Brexit, the UK now has less influence over EU law, now we are exiting. However, it is vital the UK continues to apply our successful risk based health and safety systems, which includes laws from EU directives because it’s been found to be fit for purpose by several independent reviews and is respected and imitated across the world.

IOSH will continue to promote agreed international standards and to defend against any erosion of health and safety protections. As UK organisations will want to continue to trade with Europe, it will be in everyone’s interest to maintain the status quo. The UK has already helped to influence sound foundations for European health and safety and beyond and our expertise will continue to be sought and valued.

Richard Jones - The head of Policy and Public Affairs - Institute of Occupational Health and Safety (IOSH)

Maximum Working Temperatures?

Thu, 15 Sep 2016 00:00:00 +0000

You may not be aware but at present, there is no statutory maximum temperature at which employers need to introduce control measures, such as breaks, access to water or air conditioning.

The Approved Code of Practice (ACOP) to the Workplace (Health, Safety and Welfare) Regulations 1992 suggests the minimum temperature in a workplace should normally be at least 16⁰ C. If the work involves vigorous physical effort the temperature should be at least 13⁰ C.

The MP’s who tabled the EDM have argued that there should be a corresponding upper temperature limit, given that excessive heat in the workplace is responsible for heat stress and thermal discomfort, and can impact seriously on health, wellbeing and productivity.

We can all imagine the types of industries where the temperature rises to very high levels, even when the weather is not hot eg industrial catering kitchens and certain manufacturing industries.

The EDM calls for a maximum working temperature of 30⁰ C or 27⁰ C for those carrying out strenuous work, beyond which employers would have a statutory duty to introduce effective control measures. Measures might include reviewing times when people are working outdoors during hot weather, so that where possible outdoor work is being done in the morning or late afternoon, providing sufficient breaks away from the heat. Ensuring people working in high temperatures have access to chilled water at all times and relax dress codes where possible.

Watch this space - should this become part of the Workplace Regulations we will be sure to tell you.

Colour Vision, Defects and Assessments

Wed, 16 Aug 2017 00:00:00 +0000

There are also some jobs where safety considerations are minimal, but quality control required the correct identi-fication of colours (e.g. in industries such as textiles, paper manufacture, dyes and paints.

If an employer has employees whose colour vision is important for safety critical purposes then colour vision testing is crucial in deciding on their fitness for work. When colour vision needs are associated with product quality then colour vision testing is valuable to avoid costly error

Colour vision defects

A person with a colour vision defect perceives a wide range of different colours as being the same, which to a colour normal person appear to be different. The colour confusions are variable and can be mild, moderate or severe (colour blindness—a total lack of colour vision). Approximately 1 in 12 men and 1 in 200 women suffer from some form of defective colour vision. Defective colour vision is usually inherited (from mother to son, usually red/green), although it can be acquired as a result of eye disease or as a side effect of medication or toxic poisoning. There are three classes of colour deficiency: red (protanopia), green (deutanopia) and blue (tritanopia confusion between blue and yellow, violet and red, and blue and green). A colour vision deficiency is unlikely to constitute a disability for the purposes of the Disability Discrimination Act 2005.

Assessments and testing

If colour vision assessment is required in order to evaluate the ability to perform one or more specific tasks this is often carried out at the pre-employment stage. In addition, annual checks for possible acquired defects are desirable in certain work situations. Tests are used to ensure that the worker can perform all tasks efficiently and safely, and also for those over 40 years of age. The policy for colour vision testing should be implemented throughout the company, ensuring that all staff have been consulted/notified, the level of colour vision considered acceptable for a given work task has been defined, the examiners are competent, appropriate testing conditions are used and procedures are in place for recording results, maintaining records and informing management of the results.

Colour coding

Colour codes are important in the workplace as a means of establishing, by visual clues, specific information that a worker needs to perform a task either safely or more efficiently. There are two types used regularly connotative (colour is the only means of information transfer and the code has to be identified correctly to ensure the safe operation of the activity) and denotative (enhances information that is provided by other distinguishing features such as position, sequence, shape or text)

Should you require further advice please contact us on 01722 326 390.

Control of Asbestos Regulations 2012

Thu, 10 Nov 2016 00:00:00 +0000

Asbestos is only a risk to health if asbestos fibres are released into the air and breathed in. Past exposure to asbestos currently kills around 4500 people a year in Great Britain. Workers who carry out building maintenance and repair are particularly at risk.

There is usually a long delay between first exposure to the onset of disease, which can vary from 15–60 years, only by preventing or minimising exposure now can asbestos-related disease eventually be reduced. It is now illegal to use asbestos in the construction or refurbishment of any premises, but many thousands of tonnes of it were used in the past and much of it is still in place.

What buildings are affected?

All non-domestic buildings, whatever the type of business
The common areas of domestic buildings e.g. halls, stairwells, lift shafts, roof spaces.
All other domestic properties are not affected by the duty to manage.

Where might you find asbestos?

It was used in many parts of buildings such as thermal insulation of pipes and boilers, fi re protection inducts, fire breaks in ceiling voids, roofing and wall cladding, gutters, decorative plasters and paints, the list goes on.

Who is at risk?

The more asbestos fibres breathed in, the greater the risk to health. Therefore workers who may be exposed to asbestos when carrying out maintenance and repair jobs are at particular risk such as construction and demolition contractors, roofers, electricians, plumbers, painters, phone and IT engineers etc.

What does the duty to manage asbestos involve?

Under the Control of Asbestos Regulations 2012 if you are responsible for maintaining relevant parts of a building you have a duty to manage asbestos. Anyone who has information on the whereabouts of asbestos in your premises is required to make this available to you as the duty holder, but you will need to assess its reliability. Those who are not duty holders, but control access to the premises, have to co-operate with you in managing the asbestos.

Contact us for further help and advice on 01722 326 390.

Business Continuity Management - What Is It?

Thu, 10 Nov 2016 00:00:00 +0000

Business Continuity Management is about identifying those parts of your organisation that you cannot afford to lose, such as information, stock, premises and planning how to maintain these if an incident occurs.

Any incident large or small whether it is natural eg flooding, accidental or deliberate eg arson, can cause major disruption to your organisation. But if you plan now, rather than waiting for it to happen, you will be able to get back to ‘business as usual’ in the quickest possible time. Delays could mean you lose valuable business to you competitors or your customers lose confidence in you.

BCM is simpler than you might think and to implement you will need to consider the following:

What are your organisation’s key products and services?
What are the critical activities and resources required to deliver these?
What are the risk to these critical activities?
How will you maintain these critical activities in the event of an incident such as loss of access to premises, loss of utilities etc.?

Contact us for more information about Business Continuity Planning for your business.

Road Safety In Winter

Tue, 13 Dec 2016 00:00:00 +0000

Information given out by the media often carry warnings that you should not drive “unless it is absolutely necessary” and we certainly should not ignore this advice.

However, there are often times when driving is necessary and in many cases for drivers of commercial vehicles, company business will demand that a journey is made.

Vehicle checks

Ensure lights are working, and are clean and snow free
Ensure that the vehicle windscreen and wing mirrors are clear of ice and snow and fully demisted
Check that windscreen wiper blades work properly, all windows are clean and the washer bottle filled with screen wash that is not frozen
Ensure that the whole car is free of snow to prevent snow sliding down the windscreen
Ensure the battery is fully charged
Check tyre condition, tread depth and pressure and that brakes are working well.
Ensure that fluid levels are kept topped up – anti freeze, oil and fuel

Emergency Kit

Tow rope
A shovel
Wellington boots
Hazard warning triangle
De-icing equipment
First aid kit in good order
A working torch
A blanket
Warm clothes
Emergency rations – non - alcoholic hot drink, chocolate
Fully charged mobile phone

Useful reminders

Footwear should be dry and provide enough grip to avoid “pedal slip”
Avoid sudden vehicle movements as these can cause loss of control
If your vehicle skids take your foot off the accelerator and point the vehicle in the direction you want to go
If you have an automatic gear box, if possible select gear 2 (second gear) in order to avoid first gear
Consider other road users including cyclists and motor bikes, who may be blown over in strong winds, slip on ice etc.
Keep vehicle well ventilated so the hot air from the heater does not make you drowsy
Use dipped headlights when visibility is poor or it is raining
Be aware of icy patches under bridges and tree lined sections of road
Refrain from over-taking vehicles when the weather deteriorates
Switch off distracting noises

Fog

Avoid driving in fog unless your journey is absolutely necessary, it is the most dangerous weather condition. An accident involving one vehicle can quickly involve many others, particularly when driving too close to the vehicle in front of you.

Rain

Rain reduces your ability to see and greatly increases the distance required to slow down and stop. Remember you will need about twice your normal breaking distance.
When roads are flooded avoid the deepest water, which is usually near the kerb and do not attempt to cross water if you think it will be too deep. If you do go through water remember to test your brakes once you are through.

Preparation before travelling

Listen to local and national weather broadcasts and travel bulletins on a regular basis, for the areas you will be travelling through, as conditions can change rapidly.

Consider postponing your journey if at all possible and discuss with your employer if you have any concerns.

If you decide you really must travel

Let someone know where you are going and what time you hope to arrive
Plan an alternative route in case your main choice becomes impassable

Take care and be safe this winter.

Do You Employ Young People?

Thu, 12 Jan 2017 00:00:00 +0000

Work experience placements offer young people valuable insight into working life, help them decide on future careers and improve their understanding of risk.

In the UK a young person is anyone under 18 and a child is anyone who has yet to reach the minimum school leaving age. Pupils reach the minimum school leaving age in the school year in which they turn 16, and are now required to follow some kind of further education until the age of 18.

By law an employer must ensure that young people are not exposed to risk due to lack of experience, being unaware of existing or potential risks and / or a lack of maturity.

Employers need to consider whether the work:

Is beyond their physical or psychological capacity.
Involves harmful exposure to substances that are toxic, can cause cancer, can damage or harm an unborn child or can chronically affect human health in any other way, including harmful exposure to radiation.
Involves risks of accidents that cannot reasonably be recognised or avoided by young people due to their insufficient attention to safety or lack of experience or training.

A child must never carry out such work involving these risks, whether they are permanently employed or on work experience. However a young person who is not a child can carry out duties involving these risks if the work is necessary for their training, they are properly supervised by a competent person, and the risks are reduced to the lowest level so far as is reasonably practicable.

Remember when carrying out a risk assessment for young people the risks will possibly be different to the main work force who will have worked for some years and in a particular industry or type of work.

Businesses are often confused as to whether they can safely have a young person on a work experience placement. They are fearful and unsure as to what sort of environment they can put a young person in and instead of following guidance

and saying ‘yes we might be able to put them here, but we do not want to put them there or there, they just say we cannot do it at all because of the rules and regulations.’

Are you fully covered?

Providing that you have employers’ liability insurance a young person carrying out the same work as other members of your work force is covered in the same way, but if you have queries check with your insurance company.

If you are interested in employing a young person or having a young person on a work experience placement but you are not sure, why not contact us at ‘What No Safety?’ Call 01722 326 390.

Ensure Your Risk Assessments Stand Up In Court

Sat, 11 Feb 2017 00:00:00 +0000

However during routine inspections and / or accident investigations HSE inspectors constantly find risk assessments that are inadequate.

One very common mistake for example is that companies think that as long as they have filled in a form they have carried out their obligation. The key to a good risk assessment is to make an informed systematic judgement about the potential hazards and whether you have the correct precautions in place to reduce the risks to a minimum.

Contact us for further help and advice.

First Response: Spills

Tue, 14 Mar 2017 00:00:00 +0000

Sugar spills at the Imperial Sugar plant near Savannah, Georgia in the US contributed to a chain of explosions in 2008 killing 14 workers and causing millions of dollars, worth of damage. Something as innocuous as milk, in enough volume, will kill fish in a watercourse or promote algal growth in drains. One litre of diesel can pollute one million litres of water.

All spills however small should be cleaned up as soon as possible in the safest manner without putting the responders in danger.

The first steps that are taken are the most critical for a safe outcome and should be proportionate to the incident’s nature and scale.

The main hazards fall into four broad categories – slips and falls, health exposure, explosion and fire and environmental pollution.

As soon as you hear of an incident all personnel who do not need to be at the scene must be cleared from the affected area immediately and an alarm raised if the spill is known to be hazardous.

If the substance is hazardous you should simultaneously find out whether anyone has come into contact with it and arrange first aid if necessary and follow up medical attention. In the case of a hazardous powder, such as cement or strong detergent a first aider can wash off the contamination.

If the substance is unknown it is prudent to treat it as a hazardous substance until proven otherwise.

The next step should be to prevent further spills if there is any safe means of doing so and carry out a detailed investigation of the whole incident.

What can go wrong?

Safety hazards

If the spilled material is flammable, as in the case of paint, solvents, diesel fuel, heating oil, petroleum-based oils or gels and machine oil, it can generate flammable vapours depending on the location, ambient conditions and the presence of ignition sources. The spill of a flammable product in a confined workshop or store room, left unattended and then presented with an ignition source can result in a serious fire or explosion.

Some of the most common sources of ignition in a workplace are naked flames including welding and cutting equipment, smoking, electrical lighting, heating and many, many more depending on the type of work carried out.

Health hazards

These could manifest in the form of harm to skin, eyes and the respiratory system, in extreme cases there is a risk of internal organ damage. Many chemicals can penetrate even unbroken skin, causing ill effects in other parts of the body.

Environmental hazards

Spills may have serious consequences on the natural environment near the workplace. Liquids can soak through the ground to reach ground water, or can run into ditches and watercourses. Spilled materials can travel far in running water before they are detected and dealt with, causing severe damage to wildlife. It is important to know where your sites drains lead to. There are two main types – surface water to take away the rainfall and foul sewers that take the domestic waste to treatment works. However, in remote places of work and in farms, there may be only soakaways or ditches that may lead to the nearest public waters or ground water.

Depending on your business ensure that you have an emergency plan in place should a hazardous or large spill occur. For further help and advice why not contact What No Safety Services?

Sight Test for Display Screen Equipment Users

Tue, 18 Apr 2017 00:00:00 +0000

The Display Screen Equipment Regulations clearly state that there is a requirement to provide eye and eyesight tests, on request, to all current or new Display Screen Equipment users.

Simple vision screening tests can be carried out for groups of employees on-site, but these do not satisfy the requirements of the DSE Regulations and staff are still entitled to request a full eye test and sight test regardless of their outcome.

There is no evidence to suggest that DSE work will cause permanent damage to eyes or eyesight. Eye tests are provided to ensure users can comfortably see the screen and work effectively without visual fatigue.

Many employers believe that eye tests must be conducted either annually or bi-annually, but what the Regulations actually say is that the professional guidance of the optometrist should be followed. In practice, this is often a two year test cycle, but will depend entirely on the condition of the individual patient, and must be respected by the employer.

For new users, the test must be conducted before the employee starts using VDU (visual display unit), but for re-tests the requirement is only that they are carried out as soon as is practicable.

There is also a provision in the Regulations for any DSE user to request an eye test at any time outside these defined periods if they experience visual difficulties in the course of their work. However, the Regulations include a “reasonableness” condition, so employers can legitimately resist frivolous or excessive claims.

Corrective action

The regulations are clear about the absolute minimum requirements for the provision of “special” corrective appliances, specifically required to reading a display screen. These are distinguished from “normal” corrective appliances that are quite simply, glasses used for anything else.

The critical criterion is whether glasses are required specifically to view the screen clearly at the correct distance of between 330mm and 600mm. The basic requirement is to provide single-vision spectacles suitable for viewing a screen at the appropriate distance.

There is no provision for employers to fund the cost of contact lenses for DSE work under any circumstances.

On the money

The cause of much confusion is the misconception that a simple contribution from the employer is acceptable. To comply with the Regulations, the employer must pay the full costs of an eye test and the provision of basic spectacles where required.

For further help and advice on the Display Screen Equipment Regulations why not get in touch?

Preventing Slips and Trips at Work

Mon, 15 May 2017 00:00:00 +0000

What does the law say in brief?

The Health and Safety at Work Act 1974 – requires employers to ensure the health and safety of all employees and anyone who may be affected by their work, so far as is reasonably practicable. This includes taking steps to control slip and trip risks.

Employees have a duty not to put themselves or others in danger and must use any safety equipment provided.

The Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999 – require employers to assess risks (including slip and trip risks) and where necessary take action to address them.

The Workplace (Health, Safety and Welfare) Regulation 1992 – require floors to be suitable, in good condition and free from obstructions. People should be able to move around safely.

Risk assessment

A risk assessment is not about creating huge amounts of paper work but rather about taking sensible measures to control the risks in your workplace, for example using doormats to stop rainwater being tracked in and making the floor slippery. Consider what risks in your workplace may lead to slip or trip injuries, and decide what effective control measure will prevent these types of accidents.

Practical steps to prevent slips and trips accidents indoor and externally

Stop floors becoming contaminated

Use entrance matting
Fix leaks from machinery or buildings
Make sure plant and equipment are maintained
Design tasks to minimise spillages
Plan pedestrian and vehicle routes to avoid contaminated areas

Use the right cleaning methods and cleaning products

Make sure that your cleaning method is effective for the type of floor you have
Don’t introduce more slip or trip risks while cleaning is being done eg trailing leads
Leave smooth floors dry after cleaning or exclude pedestrians until the floor is dry
Remove spillages promptly
Have effective arrangements for both routine cleaning and dealing with spills
Use the appropriate detergent mixed at the correct concentration

Consider the flooring and work environment

Check for loose, damaged and worn flooring and replace as needed
Floors likely to get wet or have spillages on them should be of a type that does not become unduly slippery
Make sure lighting is sufficient and that slopes or steps are clearly visible
Keep walkways and work areas clear of obstruction

Get the right footwear

Where floors cannot be kept clean and dry, slip-resistant footwear can help prevent slip accidents eg specific footwear for people working in kitchens
Trial footwear first to make sure it is suitable for the environment and for those wearing it i.e. comfort and fit
If footwear is supplied as personal protective equipment (PPE) it must be supplied free of charge to employees

Think about people and organisational factors

Consider how work is organised and managed eg to avoid rushing, overcrowding, trailing cables
Make sure employees are involved in the decisions that affect them eg choice of PPE footwear or a change in cleaning methods.

Don't hesitate to get in touch if you have any health and safety concerns in your business, we are here to help you comply with the law, support you to implement best practice to improve performance and will ensure that your business success is not compromised.

Occupiers Liability

Fri, 26 May 2017 00:00:00 +0000

The term occupier itself is misleading since physical occupation is not necessary for liability to arise.

Occupiers’ liability is perhaps a distinct form of negligence in that there must be a duty of care and breach of duty, causing damage. The rules of remoteness apply to occupiers’ liability in the exact same way that they apply to negligence claims. Liability can arise on occupiers for omissions since their relationship gives rise to duty to take action to ensure the reasonable safety of visitors. The law relating to occupiers liability originated in common law but is now contained in two major pieces of legislation:

Occupiers Liability Act 1957 – which imposes an obligation on occupiers with regard to ‘lawful visitors’

Occupiers Liability Act 1984 – which imposes liability on occupiers with regard to persons other than ‘his visitors’

Different levels of protection are levelled under the two pieces of legislation with a higher level of protection afforded to lawful visitors.

Lawful visitors

Lawful visitors to whom occupiers owe the common duty of care for the purposes of the Occupational Liability Act of 1957 include:

Invitees – those who have been invited to come onto the land and therefore have express permission to be there
Licensees – those who have express or implied permission to be there
Those who enter pursuant to a contract – for example paying guest at a hotel or paying visitors to a theatre
Those entering in exercising a right conferred by law – for example, a person entering to read the gas or electricity metres

Non-lawful visitors

The 1957 Act does not extend protection to:

Trespassers
Invitees who exceed their permission
Persons on the land exercising a public right of way

Carbon Monoxide Awareness

Thu, 15 Jun 2017 00:00:00 +0000

According to the HSE statistics around 14 people per year die from CO poisoning caused by gas appliances and flues that have not been properly installed, maintained or that are poorly ventilated.

Levels that do not kill can cause serious harm to health if breathed in over a long period. In extreme cases paralysis and brain damage can be caused as a result of prolonged exposure to CO.

Signs to look for which indicate incomplete combustion is occurring and may result is the production of CO:

Yellow or orange rather than blue flame (except fuel effect fires or flue less appliances which display this colour flame).
Soot or yellow / brown staining around or on appliances.
Pilot lights that frequently blow out.
Increased condensation inside windows.

There are a number of simple steps that gas consumers can take to keep themselves safe Carbon monoxide can be produced by any combustion appliance, including those that burn fossil fuels eg oil, wood and coal. If you have one of these appliances you should make sure that it is serviced and maintained by a competent person and the chimney is regularly swept.

What are the symptoms of carbon monoxide poisoning? Early symptoms of carbon monoxide poisoning can mimic many common ailments and may easily be confused with food poisoning, viral infections, flu or simple tiredness. Symptoms to look out for include:

Headaches or dizziness
Breathlessness
Nausea
Loss of consciousness
Tiredness
Pains in the chest or stomach
Erratic behaviour
Visual problems

What should I do if I think my appliance is spilling carbon monoxide?

Call the National Gas Emergency Service 0800 111 999.
Switch off the appliance and shut off the gas supply at the meter control valve.
Open all doors and windows to ventilate the room

The Landlord / Home Owner Gas Safety Record The Gas Safety (Installation and Use) Regulations 1998 place duties on gas consumers, installers, suppliers and landlords. You must ensure that any gas appliances (permanent or portable) and gas flues that you own and provide for use by your tenants have regular gas safety checks by a competent person who is registered with the Gas Safe Register, always remember to check their registration.

Contact us for further help and advice.

Is Legionella a Problem In Your Business?

Mon, 10 Jul 2017 00:00:00 +0000

However, some people are at higher risk, including:

People over 45 years of age
Smokers and heavy drinkers
People suffering from chronic respiratory or kidney disease
Anyone with an impaired immune system.

Where are legionella bacteria found?

The bacterium Legionella pneumophila and related bacteria are common in natural water sources such as rivers, lakes and reservoirs, but usually in low numbers. Since Legionella bacteria are wide spread in the environment, they may also contaminate and grow in purpose built water systems such are cooling towers, evaporative condensers, hot and cold water systems and whirlpools and hot tubs.

Any water system that has the right environmental conditions could potentially be a source or legionella bacteria growth, so is there a reasonably foreseeable legionella risk in your water system:

Water is stored or re-circulated as part of your system
The water temperature is all or some part of the system is between 20 – 45 ◦ C
There are some sources of nutrients such as rust, sludge, scale and organic matters
The conditions are likely to encourage bacteria to multiply
It is possible for water droplets to be produced and if so can they be dispersed over a wide are e.g. showers and aerosols from cooling towers and susceptible to infection due to age, illness, a weakened immune system etc.

What are your duties?

Under general health and safety law as an employer, or a person in control of a premises e.g. a landlord, you have health and safety duties and need to take suitable precautions to prevent or control the risk of exposure to legionella.

You must appoint a “Duty Holder” to be responsible for managing the risk of Legionella in your premises, have you appointed this person, do they know what to do?

To find out more about how to identify and assess sources of risk why not contact What no Safety? Call 01722 326 390 to book a free, no obligation, health and safety consultation.

Fire Safety: What to Check and Test

Mon, 11 Sep 2017 00:00:00 +0000

Daily Checks

✔ All corridors, stairs and escape routes are free from obstruction and slip and trip hazards, including external ones

✔ All fire resisting doors and fire exit doors are working correctly and are not wedged open or obstructed

✔ All emergency lighting and fire exit signs are clearly visible and in working order

✔ All fire detection systems are unobstructed

✔ All fire-fighting equipment e.g. extinguishers, hose reels and fire blankets are unobstructed, in the correct place with safety pin / clip and security tag fitted.

✔ All break glass units visible and unobstructed

If you have any fire safety training needs please call Alan our Training Manager who can answer your questions about upcoming structured half and full day courses.

We also offer tailored training delivered on the company premises for your business or industry sector.

Reporting - What You Need to Know

Wed, 04 Oct 2017 00:00:00 +0000

Some types of accidents and incidences have to be reported by law under RIDDOR (Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences), but all types of accidents and near misses should be reported internally whatever the size of your company and whether the injury is small or large.

An injury such as a small cut can still, in certain circumstances, turn into something much nastier like septicaemia. There may also be differences in opinion that may lead to a civil claim from a member of the public or even your staff. Near misses should also be reported and this will give the employer an opportunity to prevent future incidents that could end in an injury being caused.

All companies should hold an accident book. Accident book entries provide a solid piece of evidence as to the circumstances of the accident.

What to do immediately after an accident

Your immediate goal is to help the injured person to prevent further injury to themselves or anyone else
Call for the necessary first aid treatment or an ambulance for the injured person
Isolate the area using tape, barriers or personnel to restrict access to the area and preserve the scene.

Why investigate accidents?

To meet the requirements of RIDDOR
To notify your insurers and to gather information in the event of a future insurance claim
To boost employee morale and attitude towards health and safety
To prevent further similar accidents

Look at the sequence of events to establish the facts – what happened and why

Where and when did the accident happen?
How did the accident happen?
Who was injured and what was the nature of the injury?
What was damaged and to what extent?
Who other than the injured person was involved if anyone?
What were the contributing factors if any?
What were the immediate and underlying causes of the accident?
Were there any witnesses if so what did they see or hear?
Were there adequate safe systems of work and were these being followed?
Did the work organisation or lack of it impact on the accident?
Were the maintenance and cleaning adequate?
Consider the workplace layout, equipment and substances being used if relevant?
Had the people involved received adequate information, instruction and training?
Take photographs and take measurements
Consider what corrective actions need to be taken immediately and in the long term including reviewing risk assessments and safe working procedures.

For further help and advice on accident investigation why not call ‘What No Safety’ on 01722 326 390.

Control of Infection: Norovirus

Wed, 11 Oct 2017 00:00:00 +0000

The virus is easily spread from person to person through direct contact, contact with contaminated surfaces and ingestion of food contaminated by an infected person.

Norovirus is a highly contagious virus and causes gastroenteritis, inflammation of the stomach and intestines. The typical symptoms of norovirus are nausea, vomiting, low-grade fever, abdominal cramps and watery, bloody diarrhoea. Symptoms usually develop within 24 – 48 hours after exposure, but can appear as early as 12 hours. The illness typically lasts 12 to 60 hours and usually will resolve on its own. Individuals are most contagious when sick with norovirus and during the three days after recovery.

The virus can persist on surfaces in the environment for weeks and is often not destroyed by many disinfecting products.

Control Measures

Educate everyone about good hand washing techniques
Adults should observe younger children washing hands after using the toilet and before eating.
Ensure each basin is supplied with soap and paper towels. If soap and water are not available e.g. at outdoor facilities use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer, but remember nothing is as good as soap and water.
Post signs to remind all persons to practice frequent hand washing and good hand washing techniques.
Ensure that cleaning of touch points e.g. door handles, light switches, taps, shared serving utensils, play equipment and toys, are thorough particularly during times when there are higher cases of sickness and diarrhoea.
Ensure that persons cleaning areas that are contaminated with vomit and or faeces are provided with disposable gloves, apron and face masks and the waste is disposed of in clinical waste bags and the area disinfected.

For further help and advice on how to protect and reduce infection call What No Safety on 01722 326 390.

General Points of Good Housekeeping and Safety

Wed, 25 Oct 2017 00:00:00 +0000

General points of good housekeeping and safety to be considered in all workplaces on a daily basis.

Are work areas, offices, stockrooms, workshops etc. kept clean and tidy with suitable bins provided?
Is waste, rubbish, debris disposed of regularly and safely, including redundant drums of materials and boxes?
Are buildings, floors, yards and structures adequately and safely maintained?
Are there any trips hazards or trailing leads?
Are there any areas from where falls are likely?
Are steps and stairs, obvious and provided with hand rails?
Are toilet facilities clean, well lit, well stocked and ventilated?
Is lighting satisfactory in all areas?
Is heating satisfactory in all areas?
Are standards in regard to control of dust, fumes and smells satisfactory?

Health & Wellbeing in the Workplace

Wed, 25 Oct 2017 00:00:00 +0000

Health and wellbeing in the workplace improves safety ...

Because:

1 in 6 workers in Great Britain suffer from mental health issues
1 in 8 of the working age population report having a musculoskeletal disorder (MSK) problem
1 in 5 adults say they have had suicidal thoughts at some point in their lives

From a safety perspective, we know that happier workforces are safer ones. Why?

Because:

They enjoy better sleep so are more alert
Take fewer sick days
Are better employees, helping to create the right environment for safer working

While workplace wellbeing has perhaps been considered in the past to be a little too hands on, this is no longer the case with many companies and businesses embracing it. Why?

Because:

Employees who feel cared for by their employer are 27% more likely to stay with them for more than five years (ICM Research, 2014). This is a considerable financial incentive when you consider that the average cost of replacing a member of staff earning £25,000 or more is £30,614 (Cass Business School, 2013).

Health and safety, as we have said before, is not sexy, it can be the one thing that is considered an unnecessary evil but it’s vital to keeping your employees and those that visit your premises safe. It is not the killjoy that prevents you putting up the Christmas decorations in the office - sorry if it’s too early to mention the ‘c’ word but a great example – it is about keeping employees’ safe at work, preventing injury and worse a fatality.

Thinking about ways to improve in the workplace or even develop a wellbeing strategy? Then call 01722 326 390 today.

Ladder Safety

Mon, 13 Nov 2017 00:00:00 +0000

• Ladders and stepladders are the last resort, can you buy or hire some alternative equipment that would provide safer means of access?

• Is the work of short duration and low risk?

• Are they in good condition?

• Do ladders rest against a solid surface and not on fragile or insecure materials?

• Are ladders secured at the top and bottom to prevent then slipping sideways or outwards?

• Do ladders rise at least a metre above their landing place? If not, are there handholds available?

• Are the ladders positioned so that users don’t have to overstretch?

• Do you have to use the top three rungs of a stepladder? If so your stepladder is to short.

• Is the user competent? Those using ladders should be trained to use the equipment safely.

• Are your ladders and stepladders regularly checked?

Contact us for further help and advice on 01722 326 390.

First Aid Provision in your Work Place

Mon, 13 Nov 2017 00:00:00 +0000

Some small workplaces with low level hazards may only require a minimum provision for first aid, but to ascertain what is required a first aid risk assessment should be carried out to ensure that provision is appropriate to the circumstances (hazard and risks) of the workplace.

The minimum first aid provision in any workplace is:

A suitably stocked first aid kit
An appointed person to take charge of first aid requirements
Information for employees about first aid arrangements

First Aid Box

There is no mandatory list of items to put in a first aid box. It will depend on what you assess your needs to be. The following is a guide where work activities involve low level hazards.

Individually wrapped sterile plasters in assorted sizes appropriate to the type of work.
Sterile eye pads.
Individually wrapped triangular bandages.
Safety pins.
Large and medium, individually wrapped, sterile, un-medicated wound dressings.
Disposable gloves.

For further help and advice why not send one or more of your staff on an ‘Emergency First Aid at Work’ course run by What No Safety?

Managing Seasonal Health and Safety Risks

Wed, 06 Dec 2017 00:00:00 +0000

Not only can low temperatures, minimal sunlight and Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) associated with this time of year put a serious dampener on workforce morale, they can also prove to be a serious threat to staff safety and wellbeing.

Employers can make the mistake of discouraging staff in taking days off sick. Therefore forcing some employees who are ill to come to work regardless and not allowing them to rest and recuperate sufficiently. By doing this they are then putting other staff at risk of infection.

If staff know they are ill and suffering from a fever, they should stay at home until at least 24 hours after the fever has gone. Limiting the risk of contagion and also ensuring the unwell person is fully recovered before returning to work.

One important factor to consider in trying to minimise illness in the workplace is heating. A cold office or work room can not only be a health hazard but can also damage employee morale. The guidance under the Workplace (health, safety and welfare) regulations is to keep a minimum temperature of 16 degrees Celsius, whilst regularly consulting staff as to the preferred comfortable working temperature.

If the work involved is physical this is reduced to 13 degrees Celsius. Similarly, it is important to ensure that the working environment is not too warm. A stuffy working environment with little ventilation can be uncomfortable, can lower productivity and is a potential breeding ground for germs.

It is important to ensure internal and external lighting is suitable and sufficient as the days draw in. In addition ensure that external foot paths, roads and car parks are managed to ensure that a ‘build– up’ of leaves, surface water and ice are dealt with appropriately to reduce potential trip and slip accidents.

Employees who work outside in the open air experience higher risks of physical safety, particularly during harsh or unpredictable weather conditions. It is vital that adequate Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) is provided suitable for the individual and the working environment in which it is used. In biting cold weather an employer may be quick to assume that thick gloves are imperative for their staff, however many outdoor jobs require manual dexterity for the operation of equipment.

Waterproof clothing, should be suitable for the weather conditions and be of a good quality to ensure the comfort of staff. If Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) is not comfortable, staff will not wear it putting themselves at risk.

It is important to ensure that as an employer you provide a suitable rest area out of the harsh weather conditions where staff can take regular, short breaks and can get themselves a hot drink.

Lone Worker Safety

Wed, 13 Dec 2017 00:00:00 +0000

In the correct circumstances, it is perfectly legal for people to work alone providing a risk assessment has been carried out, identifying the hazards of the work, assessing the risks involved and putting measures in place to avoid or control the risks.

Lone workers are people who work by themselves without close or direct supervision, here are some examples:

A person working alone in a small workshop, petrol station, kiosk or shop
People working on their own outside normal working hours e.g. cleaners and security, maintenance or repair staff
Agricultural and forestry workers
Service workers, including postal staff, social and medical workers, estate agents and sales and service representatives visiting domestic and commercial premises

When carrying out a risk assessment the employer needs to consider the types of activities that will take place, the equipment to be used and foreseeable emergencies such as fire, equipment failure, illness and accidents to ensure sufficient control measures are put in place.

If an individual has certain medical conditions e.g. epilepsy, diabetes, asthma or any other condition which may make the individual liable to sudden episodes of incapacitating illness, further consideration and evaluation would need to be undertaken.

The risk assessment must consider the following:

Means of communication with the lone worker e.g. mobile phones do not always work in all locations
Potential for violence involved within the work
The nature of the work being undertaken, the more hazardous the work the less likely it is that it is appropriate for lone working to take place
A means for the person to regularly touch base with their employer or for someone to check on the individual during the working period

You must be able to rely on the individual working alone to ensure that they do not take any unnecessary risks and keep in contact.

Training is particularly important for lone workers where there is limited supervision to control, guide and help in uncertain situations and where there is potential exposure to violence and aggression.

For further help and advice on lone working why not call ‘What No Safety’ on 01722 326 390.

Prevent Winter Slips and Trips

Wed, 03 Jan 2018 00:00:00 +0000

Identify areas that are most likely to be affected by ice and snow and take action to reduce the likelihood of accidents occurring.

Check weather reports in your area on a regular basis
Ensure that there is adequate lighting to see and avoid hazards
Remove wet leaves and other debris from walkways as they build up, as they can cause slips and hide other hazards such as patches of ice, uneven paving stones and small pot holes
Consider using a fitted canopy or absorbent non-slip mats at building entrances and when a particular area may be considered slippery, if possible divert pedestrians to an alternative route
Keep people off grass and dirt shortcuts by putting up temporary barriers, this will prevent mud and water being brought into the building
Prevent ice from forming by spreading grit, such as salt or sand on walkways ideally in the early morning or immediately after rain has stopped or snow has been cleared.

How to clear snow from roads, paths and cycle ways

Do it early in the day, it is easier to move fresh, loose snow|
Don’t use water, it might refreeze and turn to black ice
Use Eco-friendly salt alternatives if possible, it will melt the ice or snow and stop it from refreezing overnight. However do not use salt from salting bins at the side of roads, as this is specifically to be used for keeping public roads and paths clear
If you are short of Eco-friendly salt you can use ash or sand as this will provide grip underfoot
Pay extra attention when clearing steps and steep pathways, if you are short of salt this would be a priority area to use the salt.

To find out which roads and pavements your council will grit during icy or snowy conditions go to: www.gov.uk/roads-council-will-grit.

Launch of WNS Monthly Newsletter

Wed, 11 Sep 2013 00:00:00 +0000

I am pleased that the continued growth of the company has lead us to securing the services of Ms Kathi Baker as our Editor in Chief. We hope that our Clients and other readers will find it of interest and will improve their company’s awareness of the latest health and safety issues. We want it to be informative, but with a lighter side to what can be a weighty subject.

Alastair Barrett - Managing Director, What no Safety Services Ltd

Legionella – What is it & what are your duties?

Thu, 13 May 2021 00:00:00 +0000

Legionella – What is it & what are your duties?

Legionella was discovered after an outbreak in 1976 among people who went to a Philadelphia convention of the American Legion. Those who were affected suffered from a type of pneumonia that eventually became known as Legionnaires' disease.

The first major outbreak in the UK was at Staffordshire Hospital in 1985, where over 100 patients fell ill with pneumonia-like symptoms, 28 of which died. An investigation traced the source of the outbreak to Legionella bacteria in an air-conditioning cooling tower.

Legionnaires’ disease is a potentially fatal form of pneumonia and everyone is susceptible to infection. However, some people are at higher risk, including:

People over 45 years of age
Smokers and heavy drinkers
People suffering from chronic respiratory or kidney disease
Anyone with an impaired immune system

Where are legionella bacteria found?

The bacterium Legionella pneumophila and related bacteria are common in natural water sources such as rivers, lakes and reservoirs, but usually in low numbers.

Since Legionella bacteria are widespread in the environment, they may also contaminate and grow in purpose built water systems such are cooling towers, evaporative condensers, hot and cold water systems and whirlpools and hot tubs.

Any water system that has the right environmental conditions could potentially be a source or legionella bacteria growth, so is there a reasonably foreseeable legionella risk in your water system:

Water is stored or re-circulated as part of your system
The water temperature is all, or some part of the system is between 20 – 45 ◦ C
There are some sources of nutrients such as rust, sludge, scale and organic matters
The conditions are likely to encourage bacteria to multiply

If it is possible for water droplets to be produced, they be dispersed over a wide are e.g. showers and aerosols from cooling towers, people are susceptible to infection.

What are your duties?

You must appoint a “Duty Holder” to be responsible for managing the risk of Legionella in your premises.

Have you appointed a ‘Duty Holder’ and do they know what to do?

To find out more about how to identify and assess sources of risk why not call us on 01722 326 390 or email alastair@whatnosafety.co.uk

First Aid - A Legal Requirement?

Wed, 16 Jun 2021 00:00:00 +0000

First Aiders bring obvious benefits to your business, including faster response during an emergency, a reduction of workplace accidents due to increased awareness and a more positive workforce.

Did you know that it is a legal requirement for ALL companies to provide adequate and appropriate equipment, facilities and first aid personnel?

What happens when your first aider is absent through sickness or holiday? We recommend you have more than one first aider in your business.

Remember, trained first aiders are not just for the office and their responsibility goes beyond that of holding a first aid tin.

The minimum first aid provision in any workplace is:

· A suitably stocked first aid kit

· An appointed person to take charge of first aid requirements.

· Information for employees about first aid arrangements

· First aid box

For further help, why not join us for our next ‘Emergency First Aid at Work’ training course in Salisbury, Wiltshire.

This one-day course is in-line with the Health and Safety (First Aid) Regulations 1981, which includes AED (defibrillator training). Facilitated by Stuart Barrett who has been a qualified teacher for more than 25 years with experience in various managerial roles.

Stuart is now a qualified trainer in the disciplines of Mental Health in the Workplace, Safeguarding, First Aid, Forest School and Bushcraft.

We are delighted to be able to offer limited places, with a maximum of 12 delegates. Places are limited to allow for social distancing.

Find out course dates and more information here. Booking is easy, simply call 01722 326 390 to speak with our Training Manager Alan, drop me an email (abarrett@whatnosafety.co.uk).

Keeping your fingers crossed that all will be OK?

Mon, 02 Aug 2021 00:00:00 +0000

Are you re-opening your business post COVID-19 restrictions or a temporary closure?

Do you need some help to understand your statutory obligations and the action you need to take?

Don't keep your fingers crossed and hope for the best. Get the right information to help you to re-open your business safely.

To assist you with this, The Better Business for All (BBfA) partnership has produced a comprehensive COVID-19 Toolkit to help guide you with the re-opening of your business.

As a business owner, it's important to take the necessary steps to ensure the safety and protection of your employees and customers.

The toolkit includes:

· Updated working safely guidance

· Occupancy levels & support bubbles

· Changes to NHS Test and Trace hotels and other guest accommodation

· Information on ventilation and workplace testing for shops and branches

· Checklists to help you focus on the main controls to re-open your business

These checklists can also be used if it is necessary to close temporarily.

To print or view the COVID-19 Toolkit.

If you need any help with this or any other area of health and safety, please do get in touch, we’re here to help.

Accidents & Incidents - What Action Do You Need to Take?

Fri, 13 Aug 2021 00:00:00 +0000

Whichever industry you are in, there are near misses, accidents and incidents.

Some types of accidents and incidents must be reported by law under RIDDOR (Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences), but all types of accidents and near misses should be reported internally whatever the size of your company and whether the injury is small or large.

We’ve put together a quick guide to help you take the right action.

What to do immediately after an accident

Your immediate goal is to help the injured person to prevent further injury to themselves or anyone else.
Call for the necessary first aid treatment or an ambulance for the injured person
Isolate the area using tape, barriers, or personnel to restrict access to the area and preserve the scene.

Why investigate accidents?

To meet requirements of RIDDOR
To notify your insurers to gather information in the event of a future insurance claim
To boost employee morale and attitude towards Health and Safety
To prevent further similar accidents

Establish the Facts

Look at the sequence of events to establish the facts. What happened and why? Here are a few pointers to get you started:

Where and when did the accident happen?
How did the accident happen?
Who was injured and what was the nature of the injury?
What was damaged and to what extent?
Who other than the injured person was involved if anyone?
What were the contributing factors, if any?
What were the immediate and underlying causes of the incident?
Were there any witnesses, if so, what did they hear or see?
Were there adequate safe systems of work and were these being followed?
Did the work organisation or lack of it impact on the accident?
Was the maintenance and cleaning adequate?
Consider the workplace layout, equipment and substances used, if appropriate
Had the people received adequate information, instruction and training?

Act Without Delay – Contact RIDDOR

For most types of incidents, including

accidents resulting in the death of any person
accidents resulting in specified injuries to workers
non-fatal accidents requiring hospital treatment to non-workers
dangerous occurrences

The responsible person must notify the enforcing authority without delay, in accordance with the reporting procedure (Schedule 1) produced by RIDDOR.

This is most easily done by reporting online. Alternatively, for fatal accidents or accidents resulting in specified injuries to workers only, you can phone 0345 300 9923. NB: A report must be received within 10 days of the incident.

Accident Resulting in +7 days Incapacitation?

For accidents resulting in the over-seven-day incapacitation of a worker, you must notify the enforcing authority within 15 days of the incident, using the appropriate online form.

Exposure to Carcinogens, Mutagens or Biological Agents?

Cases of occupational disease, including those associated with exposure to carcinogens, mutagens or biological agents, as soon as the responsible person receives a diagnosis, using the appropriate online form

Record in the Accident Book

The Accident Book is an essential document for employers and employees, who are required by law to record and report details of specified work-related injuries and incidents.

It enables businesses to comply with legal requirements under social security and health and safety legislation.

Need some help?

If this all seems a bit overwhelming and you need any help with this or any other area of Health and Safety, please do get in touch, we’re here to help.

What No Safety Services Ltd is one of Wiltshire's leading Health and Safety consultancies. We support businesses with all aspects of health and safety to ensure they are complying with the latest legislations and implementing best practice.

Swiss Cheese, Safety and All That Jazz!

Wed, 29 Sep 2021 00:00:00 +0000

This month I was invited to present to a group of business owners by inspirebiz where I introduce the Swiss Cheese model — why holes appear in our safety management systems and how we can prevent them happening.

As business owners having health and safety management systems in place is not just good practise it is our duty towards the welfare of our staff. We look at our moral obligations as well as the legal and financial, and the ramifications to a business of breaching HSE guidelines.

For more information call us on 01722 326390 or email Alastair abarrett@whatnosafety.co.uk

Long COVID – The New Normal

Mon, 25 Oct 2021 00:00:00 +0000

The children have settled back into school, young people have started at their university and many employees have returned to their pre-pandemic work environment, and are now settling into their ‘new normal’. Now more than ever, employee wellbeing should be top of your list as a business owner.

You may be implementing a phased return for your staff, encouraging hybrid working, or your business may be continuing as it has done since the last set of restrictions were lifted.

It’s worth reflecting on the fact that thousands of people contracted the coronavirus over the past year, many who are still suffering from the after effects of the virus. This is now being referred to as 'Long-COVID'.

Long-COVID at work

For around 10% of us, the long-term impact of COVID is very real and in some cases may impact people's ability to work. As business owners, it is imperative that you understand your legal obligations to your employees and how to manage those employees going forward.

This article provides some details relating to Long-COVID. However, if you wish to learn more, please contact us below and we can discuss YOUR business obligations with you.

Sense of Wellbeing

Remember that those who have been fortunate enough not to have contracted the coronavirus have still been impacted by it, and their wellbeing is just as important to your business.

To receive your free guide produced by PPP Healthcare, 'Well Workplace Guide' please email us on abarrett@whatnosafety.co.uk.

Violence at Work

Another new side effect of COVID is a new form of Violence at Work. This can refer to someone claiming to have the virus and deliberately coughing or spitting directly into the face of another person. Tensions may also run high between people who have differing views on mask wearing. Your risk assessment for staff engaging with members of the public should be reviewed to include this new development.

For more information on Violence at Work relating to COVID, click here.

Need some help?

If you need help with any of these issues, or any other area of Health and Safety, please do get in touch. We’re here to help.

For more information on how we can help your business, visit our website or contact us on the details below:

☎️ call 01722 326 390

📧 email abarrett@whatnosafety.co.uk

Fending off Winter Viruses in the Workplace

Wed, 17 Nov 2021 00:00:00 +0000

Flu, while likely to get better on its own, can make some people seriously unwell, causing extreme fatigue, body aches and temperatures. It is very infectious and can easily be spread to other people through the germs in coughs and sneezes, which can live on your hands and surfaces for 24 hours. If you get it, you are more likely to pass it to another person during the first 5 days.

Similarly, Norovirus is a highly contagious virus and causes gastroenteritis, inflammation of the stomach and intestines. Some typical symptoms of norovirus include nausea, vomiting, and low-grade fever. The illness typically lasts 12 to 60 hours and usually resolves on its own. Individuals are most contagious when sick with norovirus and during the three days after recovery.

Outbreaks of the Flu and Norovirus infections are more likely to occur during the winter months, and especially within institutions such as schools, child care settings, residential facilities, hospitals and long-term care facilities. Get into good habits and set out procedures to ensure your workplace is prepared…

Help prevent infectious diseases by:

Educating everyone about good hand washing techniques
Ensuring adults observe younger children washing hands after using the toilet and before eating.
Ensuring each basin is supplied with soap and paper towels. If soap and water are not available (e.g. at outdoor facilities) use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer, but remember nothing is as good as soap and water.
Posting signs to remind all persons to practice frequent hand washing and good hand washing techniques.
Ensuring that cleaning of touch points e.g. door handles, light switches, taps, shared serving utensils, play equipment and toys, are thorough particularly during times when there are higher cases of sickness and diarrhoea.
Ensuring that persons cleaning areas that are contaminated with vomit and or faeces are provided with disposable gloves, apron and face masks and the waste is disposed of in clinical waste bags and the area disinfected.

For further help and advice on how to protect and reduce infection call What No Safety on 01722 326 390.

All is calm, all is bright…and safe!

Wed, 15 Dec 2021 00:00:00 +0000

Take a look around your house… Get the kids involved too! What can you spot that might cause an accident? From Christmas trees to twinkly lights, there are all sorts of things you can adjust to make you safer! And don’t forget to be just as vigilant in the office. Businesses are responsible for making sure their workplaces maintain safety standards throughout the season.

Here are a few things to look out for to ensure a happy holiday season:

As you string lights up around your house or office remember that you are essentially stringing up electrical wires. Don’t tack them to a wall with nails or pins as you could damage the wire and cause a fault. Also, remember to distribute your light plugs to different sockets – overloading extension cords is never clever.

If you have a nifty timer you can plug in and set, or connect it up to a home system app, then use it – you can have your lights switch on as evening falls, but switch off again as you go to bed or leave the office. No more forgetting to turn them off overnight, meaning no more wasted energy or potential fire hazards.

Never display cards and decorations above a fire, and it’s best to keep them away from other heat sources too, such as light fittings.

Candles bring a beautiful ambience during the cosy season, but remember they are an open flame and must never be left unattended. Make sure they are kept away from any decorations which could catch light. Make sure your smoke alarm is working too!

As a business owner, in the workplace, make sure you know your fire procedures and that they work effectively, also keeping fire exits clear at all times. Having trained staff who know how to react quickly and responsibly is also important – we offer various training courses (including Fire Warden Training) to get your staff feeling confident.

If you are unsure and would like advice about how to improve your safety procedures and policies, or would like to book a course, get in touch with us on 01722 326 390.

Wishing you a safe, happy season!

https://www.whatnosafety.co.uk/

Working Minds Encourages Employers to Start Listening

Wed, 26 Jan 2022 00:00:00 +0000

But it seems that business owners are more satisfied with how they have adjusted to the new working practices than their employees (according to the 2021 edition of the Global Workplace Report from NTT Ltd.). It is suggested that organisations need to become more aware of their employees’ opinions and feelings about their changing circumstance – rather than simply assuming they understand their needs. Communicating with and listening to your employees is a crucial baseline activity towards keeping the conversation about mental health in the workplace open and productive.

There is much more diversity in employees working preferences for the future than employers are perhaps realising…

“Voice of the Employee (VoE) data shows that, when offered a choice of at-home, hybrid, or in-office working arrangements, employees are relatively evenly split between the three, at 30%, 30% and 39%, respectively. This finding contradicts the belief shared by 79% of organisations that employees prefer office working – when in fact, VoE data finds that just 39% of employees desire full-time office working….” – Workplace DNA

Work-life balance and commuting times are two of the biggest factors in an employee’s decision to take a job. Simply concluding that remote-working is the loudest answer is to misunderstand – as is concluding that everyone enjoys office-working. Our lives are not simple and employees have a lot to consider – so employers need to start listening more, in order to fully understand how they can meet their employee’s needs.

When employees are not considered – when they are not included in the conversation about their own working lives – tension, disappointment and frustration can grow, which in turn leads to stresses on their mental health.

To encourage and help businesses to recognise the signs of work-related stress and make tackling issues routine, HSE launched a campaign in November called Working Minds. The campaign is specifically targeting small businesses, with fewer than 20 employees, with a focus on Agriculture, Construction, Health, Manufacturing, and the Motor trade. But HSE is also calling for a culture change across all workplaces in the UK, to ensure psychological risks are treated the same as physical ones in health and safety risk management.

The reminder is that, no matter where people work, employers have a legal duty to assess the risks in the workplace, not just in terms of potential hazards and physical safety. By providing employers and workers with easy to implement advice, HSE intends for businesses to promote good working practices, and create open environments where employees can share their concerns.

To find out more about the Working Minds campaign, visit here:

workright.campaign.gov.uk/campaigns/workingminds

To find out more about What No Safety’s own Mental Health in the Workplace Training Course, visit us here:

https://www.whatnosafety.co.uk/training/mental-health-in-the-workplace-training-course

Offices Need to Improve…or We Won’t Utilise Them

Mon, 21 Feb 2022 00:00:00 +0000

Office buildings which don’t prioritise the health and wellbeing of their users are under scrutiny and could swiftly become redundant, according to a webinar hosted by the Building Engineering Services Association (BESA).

BESA’s Head of Technical, Graeme Fox, who chaired the webinar, said it was increasingly important that buildings found a way to demonstrate they were ‘safe havens’ from conditions that could be harmful to health, including poor indoor air quality. If they don’t make an effort to show they are aware of issues and seeking solutions, they could lose the faith of their workers.

Technological innovations are there to be utilised and the possibility of QR codes being used to equip visitors with real-time information about the conditions in their building gives the control back to the individual – the decisions to enter become fully theirs.

The role of office lighting in protecting people’s wellbeing is also important. If lighting is poor employees are at greater risk of damaging eyesight, having accidents and feeling low.

The President of the Society of Light and Lighting (SLL), Ruth Kelly Waskett, said:

“Daylight is one of the biggest components of a healthy office because it gives us a connection to the outdoors and has a direct impact on our sleep patterns… We must design workspaces that give people access to natural light and make greater use of smart lighting to improve working conditions." – Workplace DNA

Technology promises further options for workers in monitoring their own light levels, with items such as wearable light sensors now becoming more widely available.

Building engineers face challenges in product choices and design, as they try to balance driving down carbon emissions while also juggling the unpredictability of occupancy levels.

Frances Brown, Senior Associate at the engineering practice Hoare Lea, told the BESA webinar:

“It is really important that we don’t make office spaces worse just to save energy. We need to keep measuring and monitoring, especially around [air quality]. CO2 monitoring can help you design your control systems so you only install what you need and don’t over-ventilate. It is all about doing enough; not doing too much these days. That’s where the data comes in and helps us to get that balance right.” – Workplace DNA

If you are unsure about what poses a health and safety risk in your workplace, we are here to help. Reach out to us if you need advice about how to improve your business premises for your workers health. Find us here: whatnosafety.co.uk

HSE Advises Workplace Mental Health Just As Important As Physical Health

Mon, 21 Mar 2022 00:00:00 +0000

The HSE advises that mental health should be just as important as physical health in the workplace – risks to both must be equally considered. Training employers to recognise and address issues is vital, and will help to support employees in coming forward and talking openly.

The HSE has produced guidance on how to engage employees in conversations about managing stress and wellbeing, and how to provide support. It includes:

👉 Having regular keep-in-touch meetings or calls with your workers means that problems will be less likely to escalate as you will catch them sooner. If your staff know they have a regular slot of time where they can raise an issue or ask a question, they are more likely to engage and feel able to approach if problems arise.

👉 Talking openly with workers about the possibility of them becoming stressed or mentally unwell is important. Being transparent and honest helps us all to feel less alone and able to ask for help.

👉 Involving workers in completing stress risk assessments can help them identify potential problems and solutions, which they may not have put a name to otherwise.

👉 Keeping workers updated on what is happening helps them to feel involved and reassured. Change can be a huge stressor for many of us, but seeing the road ahead reduces the worry of the unknown - by making sure communication is open and clear, employers and employees can move forward together.

👉 Talking to people about fatigue and making sure they take regular breaks will reaffirm that their health is the priority. Encouraging them to take their annual leave is important and setting working times makes sure people aren’t working too long.

Not sure where to start in your workplace? Our Mental Health in the Workplace two-day course can help you get on track with understanding and supporting your staff. On successful completion, participants receive a CPD certified qualification too, which is valid for three years.

Our course includes:

🔎 Understanding mental health and related health problems.

🔎 Recognising the signs and symptoms of anxiety, phobias, depression, bipolar and schizophrenia.

🔎 Legislation and your responsibilities in the workplace under mental health.

🔎 How to promote a healthy workplace.

🔎 Why mental health is not discussed at work.

🔎 How to recognise a problem and support an employee with mental health related problems

🔎 The impact on the workplace of unidentified mental health problems.

🔎 How to implement an action plan to promote the recovery of mental ill health

If you would like to find out more, or wish to book, please email abarrett@whatnosafety.co.uk or call 01722 326 390.

We also have access to many e-learning courses, including Mental Health training. Find out more here: https://www.whatnosafety.co.uk/health-and-safety-e-learning

Health and Safety - what’s not to love?

Tue, 26 Apr 2022 00:00:00 +0000

In the first of three articles on the key points to protect your business, I will guide you through what you need to be doing to protect your business, staff and reputation through a sustained and systematic approach to ensure you hold onto what you have worked so hard to build.

The law says that you have to have good health and safety arrangements (Regulation 5 Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulation 1999). To give a structure to this the Health and Safety Executive created a guide called Managing for Health and Safety (HSG 65) this is known as the Plan, Do, Check, Act model.

Image credit: © HSE HSG 65

Starting with PLAN, if you employ more than 5 people you need to have a safety policy. This is where we start the safety journey as the policy sets the direction of travel of how you as a business will organise and arrange compliance. Consider changes and foreseeable threats to your business in this element.

Plan some targets you want to achieve and put some dates to these. Don’t just say "we will reduce accidents" - think about positive measures like training days for your staff and inspections of equipment.

Parts two and three of this series will detail under the DO section how to set up a risk assessment machine and how Swiss Cheese features in your controls. This will help you to identify the hazards to your business and what you can do to prevent them causing harm to people, plant, property and the environment. (Don’t just think blood on the ground, all of these issues potentially impact your bottom line)

In the implementation section, you need to think about how you are going to consult with your workforce (safety briefings, formal 1 – 2 – 1) and communicate including training, verbal chats, written down procedures and use of posters etc.

We as business owners know what gets measured gets done, so where you have set some targets, how do you CHECK that they are being achieved? Inspections and audits, as well as accident and near miss investigations, fit into this section.

Showing that you respond to issues raised in business is how we survive. If a client is unhappy we adapt and change our working practices. Health and safety is no different - if you note an issue then learn those lessons and ACT upon them. How do we act? Well we form a new PLAN and round we go again.

Therefore the purpose of the model is to archive continuous improvement in your business, so even if you only implement one new thing this will lead to a 1% improvement and slowly those 1% become 10% and you start to sleep better, business turnover improves, and your staff feel loved and appreciated. Health and Safety, what’s not to love? 😊

- Alastair Barrett MRICS, CMIOSH, CMaPS, OSHCR | Managing Director, What No Safety Services Ltd (EC approved supplier)

The Risk Assessment Machine

Mon, 23 May 2022 00:00:00 +0000

It is an absolute (must be done) duty that businesses have to undertake risk assessments. This has been a legal requirement since 1992. There is a logical process to this covering the key steps.

Start with a walk around your business and look at the tasks you do, ask yourself (and your workforce, remember you have to consult) what are the hazards (thing that could cause harm) associated with this task. Gather as much information as you can because one day you might be asked to justify your decisions (best not to say that you guessed in a court of law)

Think about who will be affected by the task - employees, contractors, visitors, public etc - and how possible is a physical injury, a lung condition from dodgy dust or wellbeing issues related to stress or depression.

Ask yourself how likely this hazard is to occur and if it did how bad could it be (once a year / cut finger or every day / life changing injury). Check if you have existing controls in place (see upcoming part 3 of this series for more information on controls) and do they remain in place.

Start with Eliminate and then work to Reduce (swap a bad chemical for a less dangerous one) and Isolate (guards on machines). The first three of ERICSP don’t involve humans. Humans are not good at safety and as we write the controls and the safe systems of work it means that we start to try and find ways to work round them. Personal Protective Equipment comes last as it only protects the individual who is wearing it.

If you are happy that your controls are doing their job, great! Stop your risk assessment at this point. If you think more can be done, then introduce additional controls. (Ask what your competitors are doing - the courts will look to see how you benchmark against other similar businesses, so you should be looking to be the same or better than your rivals)

What should drop out the bottom of the machine is a safe system of work. This will inform your safe working practices (method statements) saying how you will carry out the task.

You cannot just put the risk assessment on the shelf and say job done. You have to tell the workforce about the hazards they face and what you are doing to control them.

Review your assessments on a yearly basis or if a change happens e.g. new legislation or you have an accident (so you don’t have a safe way of working). Do the accident investigation, identify the lessons learnt and feed back into the top of the machine to create a new way of working.

Creation of risk assessments is one of the main things you can do to improve safety within your business.

- Alastair Barrett MRICS, CMIOSH, CMaPS, OSHCR | Managing Director What No Safety Services Ltd (EC approved supplier)

Health and Safety, sweet music to your ears...

Tue, 28 Jun 2022 00:00:00 +0000

Health and safety is not that difficult, all you need to do is understand where hazards are, and where the holes can appear in your business’s controls, and then make sure you have covered them over.

Your first control should always be "can I eliminate the problem?". If you can change the process or the use of a certain product then do it. If you cannot get rid of the hazard then look at the Swiss Cheese model.

In the Swiss Cheese model of health and safety you can see that the incident occurs when holes appear in all of our defensive measures. If we are lucky it is a near miss (no loss is incurred) if we are not so lucky then a life changing injury to a member of staff or public occurs.

The control measures are in a hierarchy of control list so you should always prioritise engineering controls, then administrative (procedural) and finally behavioural ones.

🟧 Engineering controls are those that you can touch and feel - such as guarding on a machine, a fire door or fixed barrier to stop you stepping out in front of a vehicle.

🟧 Administrative controls are anything that is written down. This would cover your risk assessments, permit to work systems, standard operating procedures, accident reporting and investigation systems.

🟧 Behavioural controls are your soft skills and include the culture of your organisation, training that you give staff, mentoring of your workforce and can include the wearing of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) that you provide for them to wear.

🟧 Finally Mitigating Actions are ways to stop the situation becoming worse e.g. qualified first aiders, spill kits to stop the spread of a contaminated substance into a water way.

As the owner / director of the business one of your many jobs is to continually monitor what is happening within your company. This is a legal requirement under the Health and Safety at Work Act Section 2.2.C. You have to ensure that you inform, instruct, train and supervise your employees. The monitoring element is covered under supervision and therefore you are continually looking for where the holes are appearing or could be about to appear. Think about changes that you are planning for the business.

Examples would include taking on a new member of staff (young person does not know the rules), moving into that new building you have been working towards for the last two years (vehicle movements in service yard, sharing the premises with other users), or winning that new contract that will require the purchase of new equipment (who is going to service and maintain it).

If you do all of the above, then you are on the way to having a safe and secure business and workforce. Which should be sweet music to your ears 😊

- Alastair Barrett MRICS, CMIOSH, CMaPS, OSHCR | Managing Director What No Safety Services Ltd (EC approved supplier)

Feeling the heat: Surviving Soaring Temperatures at Work

Tue, 19 Jul 2022 00:00:00 +0000

However, there is reference in health and safety at work law that employers should keep temperatures at a comfortable level – this can be known as “thermal comfort” – so, what does this actually equate to?

According to the HSE, the factors which usually cause discomfort in the workplace are:

🟪 Air temperature. This is the temperature of the air surrounding the body.

🟨 Radiant temperature. This comes from thermal radiation, which is the heat which radiates from a warm object. Examples of radiant heat sources include the sun, fire, electric fires and ovens.

🟧 Air velocity. This is the speed with which the air is travelling across the employee – it may help to cool them if it is cooler than the general environment.

🟩 Humidity. The evaporation of sweat from our skin is our bodies’ main method of heat reduction, but less sweat can evaporate in humid environments.

🟦 Clothing insulation. Being able to add layers of clothing when we feel cold, and remove some when we feel hot, is a core way for us to regulate our temperatures. But some companies prevent this ability when they need to enforce the wearing of a uniform of PPE.

🟥 Metabolic heat – from physical characteristics. Even if all of the above elements remain constant, it’s important to take into account the variable characteristics that differ from employee to employee. Size and weight, age, fitness level and sex can all play a part in how a person’s body deals with temperature.

It’s not always solely seasonal variations which can create workplace heat though – it can also occur in specific environments due to the processes being used. For example, a glass-blowing studio would generate excessive heat all year round due to the furnaces involved in the craft.

Here are some tips HSE recommends to keep temperatures as comfortable as possible:

👉 Take regular breaks, depending on the nature of your work.

👉 Stay hydrated with cold drinks, but avoid fizzy drinks.

👉 Utilise air conditioning and fans.

👉 Consider installing blinds on the windows for office workers.

👉 Wear layers of clothing and lighter versions of PPE.

👉 If possible, change to working “summer hours”, i.e. starting earlier and finishing earlier in the day during the summer months.

If you feel like your working conditions are too hot it’s time to talk to your employer – discuss the issues together to find solutions.

💡 If you are an employer who needs to assess your staff’s working environment, and need support to ensure you are covering all of the bases to keep them comfortable, get in touch with us.

abarrett@whatnosafety.co.uk

01722 326 390

https://www.whatnosafety.co.uk/

Lone Working - Solo Safety Advice

Mon, 22 Aug 2022 00:00:00 +0000

Your employer has specific duties to protect you as a lone worker, so talk to them if you have concerns. This also applies if you're working for them as a contractor, a freelancer or are self-employed.

When things go wrong, we often turn to those around us for assistance. However, as a lone worker, you may not have that luxury and therefore need to be prepared.

👉 Maybe you’ll be exposed to work-related road risks, or perhaps violence. Maybe you’ll be working in an isolated, rural area or be dealing with stressful calls. All of these things should be considered by your employer and they should keep in touch with you regularly to make sure you are navigating them safely.

Training and Advice

Your employer should provide you with relevant training to equip you for dealing with the risks that may arise. By understanding fully what your role entails and which risks you may be faced with, you can mentally prepare so that you have a plan of action should something happen.

If you might meet with unexpected violence in your work, embrace conflict management training – how to respond calming but firmly, how to use your body language and who you should call if the situation escalates.

If you are exposed to risks on the road, as a driver, get to know your vehicle inside out, plan your journeys and have numbers on hand that you can call on to report accidents and gain support.

Know when to ask for help

Being a lone worker means you may already have an independent spirit, well suited to dealing with adversity alone. But being a lone worker does not mean handling everything with no help. Knowing when to reach out, before a situation becomes too difficult to resolve, is an important skill to master.

👉 Know your own strengths and recognise what you can reasonably cope with. Asking for support is not a sign of weakness, and communicating with your employer is vital in making sure you remain safe and you get the job done well.

If you're concerned about health and safety risks to you as a lone worker, talk to your employer, a manager or supervisor, or a health and safety representative.

💡 If you are an employer who needs to assess your staff’s lone working, and need support to ensure you are covering all of the bases to keep them safe, get in touch with us.

abarrett@whatnosafety.co.uk | 01722 326 390 | https://www.whatnosafety.co.uk

Risk Assessments: You can do it!

Tue, 20 Sep 2022 00:00:00 +0000

⚠️ What?

The risk assessment process requires that you observe your workplace and identify all of the hazards associated with the working activities you undertake. This could be in the office, warehouse or other people’s premises.

👨‍👩‍👧 Who?

Once you’ve identified the hazards you then have to identify who is going to be affected by the hazards. This could be:

your staff
members of the public
contractors
visitors to your premises
young persons
those with disability
pregnant women

❓How?

Now you need to identify how these persons would be affected by a hazard. For example:

are they going to breathe in the dust and fumes?
are they going to slip or trip on your premises?
are they going to be affected by the noise that your working practices generate?

⏰ When?

Once you have identified the above, you need to identify the likelihood of the hazards occurring and, if it was to occur, what is the consequence that is going to occur...

⬇️ A one-off activity that is undertaken once a year, with minimal risk of injury, could be scored as a low risk.

⬆️ An activity which is undertaken several times a day and that carries a high risk of, say, amputation would be classed as a high risk.

Where there is significant risk, it has to be recorded in writing and the information shared with your workforce and interested parties.

👉 The risk assessment has to be reviewed on a yearly basis or whenever there is significant change e.g., legislation, new premises or new staff.

Risk assessments do not exist on their own and additional documentation such as inspection regimes, standard operating procedures, action plans and training matrixes would also be produced as supportive documentation towards your safety management system.

💡 Are you in charge of beginning Risk Assessments and feel overwhelmed? You can find answers in our playlist of short videos about Risk Assessments on our YouTube channel.

What No Safety provides advice, support and services to assist you with Risk Assessments, Inspections and more – get in touch to see how we can help:

abarrett@whatnosafety.co.uk | 01722 326 390 | www.whatnosafety.co.uk

Keep Spooky, Keep Safe! 👻

Mon, 24 Oct 2022 00:00:00 +0000

If you and your kids are planning a party, or a Trick or Treat trip around the neighbourhood, here are some safety tips to keep in mind...

🦇 Plan costumes that are bright and reflective. Walking about at night it’s easy to blend into the background, especially if you are dressed as a bat – which is a hazard when you are crossing roads. Consider adding reflective tape or bright colours to your costumes and trick-or-treat bags for greater visibility.

🔥 Look for "flame resistant" on any of your costume labels. Wigs and accessories should also clearly indicate this.

🧙‍♀️ Hats should fit properly to prevent them from sliding over eyes and blocking vision.

🎃 Never allow small children to carve pumpkins. They can, however, go to town on the design, drawing on the scariest face they can muster onto the pumpkin with markers. Then it can be your challenge as the parent to carve it! For the best control while carving, it is recommended that adults use a small pumpkin saw in small strokes, directing the blade away from themselves and others. Advice warns against using larger blades, which can become lodged in the pumpkin and cause injuries when pulled out.

🕯 Consider using a flashlight or glow stick instead of a candle to light your pumpkin. If you do want to use a candle, a votive candle is safest – and never leave it burning and unattended.

🪦 If you have lawn decorations make sure they are well lit so that visitors can spot them easily and not trip over them. It’s fun to have headstones and bones in your garden to set the scene, but make sure the main pathways are clear of trip-hazards.

🍂 Sweep any wet, fallen leaves from your pathways, pavements and steps to prevent anyone from slipping on them in the dark.

🐺 Keep pets inside, safe and cosy – with more visitors at the house than usual they may get anxious and move erratically, causing them to get under foot and trip visitors. Also, with firework use being likely over this period, keeping pets inside will also reduce their stress over noise levels.

What No Safety provides advice, support and services to assist you with Risk Assessments, Inspections and more – get in touch to see how we can help:

abarrett@whatnosafety.co.uk | 01722 326 390 | www.whatnosafety.co.uk

Navigating Blackouts: Protecting your machinery when the power goes down

Sun, 20 Nov 2022 00:00:00 +0000

The Plan, Do, Check, Act Model helps us to prepare for such eventualities as far as possible.

Plan You can see a possible issue ahead - eg. a power-cut during the night. How is it going to impact your business? Will equipment be damaged from the downtime? Will staff time be lost? Consider all the angles and don't ignore your gut! Do Explore what the impact of the issue would be by asking more questions:

Will it cause particular damage to your machinery?
Are staff trained on restarting the machinery?
What is the start up process?
Could a fire be caused?

Check It's time to make sure you have everything in place to cope, and if not, to do something about it...

Do you have a procedure ready, and are your staff trained in how to see it through?
Do you need contact numbers with specialist providers, to assist if there is an issue?
What are the call-out numbers and who on your staff can call them?

Act Put a note in your calendar for three months time and re-assess:

Has anything happened?
Do you need to make a new plan?
Have you hired any new staff who need to be brought up to speed?

Also, even if you feel solid in your own plans, consider the wider context:

Do you have clients who might need your assistance?
Have you thought of the impact on your business should one of your service providers be affected by blackouts?

If you need to assess your safety procedures, but don't know where to start, we can help. Our expert team can advise you on the issues to prepare for, specific to your business, and get your policies and processes back on track.

abarrett@whatnosafety.co.uk | 01722 326 390 | www.whatnosafety.co.uk

Working for the First Time: Keeping Young Employees Safe

Mon, 12 Dec 2022 00:00:00 +0000

These seasonal types of jobs (whether paid or placement) may be a younger person’s first experience of the working environment and, by law, an employer must ensure that young people are not exposed to risk due to a lack of experience, being unaware of existing or potential risks and/or a lack of maturity.

Employers must always consider whether the work:

🟨 Is beyond a person’s physical or psychological capacity.

🟧 Involves harmful exposure to substances that are toxic, can cause cancer, can damage or harm an unborn child or can chronically affect human health in any other way, including harmful exposure to radiation.

🟦 Involves risks of accidents that cannot reasonably be recognised or avoided by young people due to their insufficient attention to safety or lack of experience/training.

A child must never carry out such work involving these risks, whether they are permanently employed or on work experience. However, a young person who is not a child can carry out duties involving these risks if the work is necessary for their training, they are properly supervised by a competent person, and the risks are reduced to the lowest level so far as is reasonably practicable.

👉 Remember, when carrying out a risk assessment for young people the risks will possibly be different to the main work force who will have worked for some years and in a particular industry or type of work.

Are you fully covered?

Providing that you have employers’ liability insurance, a young person carrying out the same work as other members of your work force is covered in the same way - but if you have queries check with your insurance company.

If you are interested in employing a young person or having a young person on a work experience placement but you are not sure, give us a call – we can help!

abarrett@whatnosafety.co.uk | 01722 326 390 | www.whatnosafety.co.uk

Working in Winter: Preparing & Supporting Your Employees

Mon, 23 Jan 2023 00:00:00 +0000

Whilst there are no specific standards about working in the cold, employers have a responsibility to create a safe and hazard-free environment – and this includes ensuring your employees have the information and training they need, to respond to hazards appropriately.

❄️ Blizzards, winter storms, snow and ice - the weather in the winter creates extra considerations when it comes to safety. For employees working outside during, or prior to, an incoming storm, the risks are elevated. Not only will the conditions impact their own body and mindset (being cold and wet), but other issues such as downed power lines, slippery surfaces and equipment, icy roads (including black ice) and windy conditions will all cause additional concern.

Therefore, take the time to cover this topic with your employees this January – make sure they feel prepared and supported.

Know the hazards and how to spot an issue. Here are a few topics to cover:

❄️ The signs of hypothermia and the signs of frostbite. Educating staff on how to spot these in themselves, as well as in their colleagues, is important.

❄️ The key risk factors of:

being wet and/or cold for extended periods of time
having a cold body temperature
having a lack of effective Personal Protective Equipment (PPE)
having underlying health conditions
having a lack of fitness

As an employer, you could support your staff with:

🤝 Buddy systems – to ensure no one is working alone in hostile weather conditions

😌 Scheduled Breaks – to ensure frequent short breaks are taken, allowing for recovery

☕️ Hot Beverages – to ensure employees are warmed and sustained

If you’re not sure where to start when speaking to your employees about the signs and added risks of cold weather, get in touch with us – we’re happy to help.

abarrett@whatnosafety.co.uk | 01722 326 390 | www.whatnosafety.co.uk

Working at Height is still the most common cause of Workplace Fatalities

Tue, 21 Feb 2023 00:00:00 +0000

Even low-level falls, from ladders and similar, can inflict many injuries on workers, and cause life-changing consequences for the victim and their families.

With the government considering scrapping the UK’s Work at Height Regulations at the end of 2023 unless campaigners convince ministers to retain them, now is the time to dive deep into how we can look after each other at work.

Get properly trained

Anyone who plans, supervises or works at height must have the proper training for the job they are doing. If you’re unsure what courses are relevant to you and your workers, we can talk you through them. Through our work with ProTrainings we have a wide range of courses which can be accessed online with ease – so you can make a start right away.

Carry out a risk assessment for every job

Not every job is the same – so one Risk Assessment does not fit all. Every job is unique and requires different equipment and safety measures. Therefore, it’s essential to carry out a full risk assessment before every job. This means determining who may be a risk and how; identifying ways you can minimise the risks; putting safeguards in place; reassessing your policies and procedures, and updating them regularly. We are experts in risk assessment, so if you have any questions, don’t hesitate to ask!

Use the right equipment

Choosing the wrong equipment when working at height increases the risk of accidents. Using the right platform means you’ll be working more efficiently and safely. When deciding on the equipment to use, take into consideration whether the ground is sloped, flat, hard or soft; whether there are easy access routes; and what space is available to manoeuvre the equipment.

If you want to make sure you are covering all the important bases in your safety planning, get in touch with us – we’re happy to help.

abarrett@whatnosafety.co.uk | 01722 326 390

The Bigger Picture of Health and Safety: Key Stats and where we’re at...

Mon, 27 Mar 2023 00:00:00 +0000

The Health and Safety Statistics reported by the HSE, for 2021/22, reveal just how our workforce is coping with a multitude of work-related illnesses and injuries. Did you know that the estimated cost to the UK, of injuries and ill health from current working conditions, is £18.8 billion? And while this monetary cost is huge, the price we can pay from our quality of life is far greater.

However, there is good news! The rate of fatal and non-fatal injury to workers has shown a downward trend – so the work you are doing as business owners to create safer workplaces for you and your colleagues is making a difference.

Health and Safety is a must-do – there are no short-cuts and no substitute for expert advice. If you don’t know what you need to do to protect your team, ask us at What No Safety. We have the up-to-date knowledge of the regulations and legislation to ensure you don’t miss a thing, and our years of experience mean we can tailor our advice to your specific industry.

Want to know more about the bigger picture? Here are some excerpts from the Statistics report you might find interesting...

These are the key figures for Great Britain (2021/22) compiled by the HSE:

1.8 million working people suffering from a work-related illness, of which

914,000 workers suffering work-related stress, depression or anxiety
477,000 workers suffering from a work-related musculoskeletal disorder
123,000 workers suffering from COVID-19 which they believe may have been from exposure to coronavirus at work
2,544 mesothelioma deaths due to past asbestos exposures (2020)
123 workers killed in work-related accidents
565,000 working people sustained an injury at work according to the Labour Force Survey
61,713 injuries to employees reported under RIDDOR
8 million working days lost due to work-related illness and workplace injury

Key Facts Image Source - Health and safety at work: Summary statistics for Great Britain 2022, HSE

“In the recent years prior to the coronavirus pandemic, the rate of self-reported work-related stress, depression or anxiety had shown signs of increasing. However, the current rate is higher than the 2018/19 pre-coronavirus levels.” - Health and Safety Statistics, HSE

Workplace Injury

“Over the long-term, the rate of fatal injury to workers showed a downward trend though in the recent years prior to the coronavirus pandemic, the rate had been broadly flat. The current rate is broadly in line with pre-coronavirus levels. Prior to the coronavirus pandemic, the rate of self-reported non-fatal injury to workers showed a generally downward trend. The current rate is similar to the 2018/19 pre-coronavirus levels. Prior to the coronavirus pandemic, the rate of nonfatal injury to employees reported by employers showed a downward trend. The current rate is below the pre-coronavirus levels.” - Health and Safety Statistics, HSE

Industries

“Industries with statistically significantly higher rates of work-related ill health compared to the average rate across all industries were human health and social work and public administration and defence.

Agriculture, forestry and fishing, construction, accommodation and food service activities and wholesale and retail trade (including motor vehicle repair) had statistically significantly higher workplace injury rates compared to the average rate across all industries.” - Health and Safety Statistics, HSE

To explore further you can find the full Health and Safety Statistics document on the HSE website.

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If you want to make sure you are covering all the important bases in your safety planning, get in touch with us – we’re happy to help.

abarrett@whatnosafety.co.uk | 01722 326 390 | www.whatnosafety.co.uk

Your Hands Are Tools – Keep Them Protected

Tue, 25 Apr 2023 00:00:00 +0000

If you work in a job involving manual labour, you particularly rely on them for your livelihood. And for a business, losing days of work to a serious injury can hold up projects and cut into profits, too.

However, so many hand injuries are preventable, and if we take the correct measures – assessing the risks properly and making safety a priority in the workplace – there’s no reason to get into strife.

A few things which can threaten your hand-happiness at work:

Cuts and lacerations
Long nails, loose sleeves or jewellery catching on equipment
Repetitive Strain Injury (RSI) and sprains

A few easy actions to keep your hands safe:

👀 Look first! Whether it’s a machine or a desk drawer, if you can’t see what is inside, don’t put your hand in there.

✋ Don’t remove guards from machines. Machine guards and other safety features are there to protect you.

💍 Don’t wear loose sleeves or jewellery around machinery.

📴 Switch it off! Don’t put your hands in machinery to perform maintenance, repair, or cleaning until it is switched off. Also, don’t use your hands to push material into a machine or sweep up dirt.

🚦 Don’t rush your work. Take your time.

⚠️ Don’t risk an action that you know to be dangerous, thinking you will get away with it.

💡 Don’t use tools for anything other than what they were designed to do.

🧤 Wear gloves as part of your personal protective equipment, selecting the right gloves for the job they need to do.

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If you want to make sure you are covering all the important bases in your safety planning, get in touch with us – we’re happy to help.

abarrett@whatnosafety.co.uk | 01722 326 390

Hard to Breathe? | How Indoor Air Quality Can Impact Our Health

Mon, 22 May 2023 00:00:00 +0000

It’s up to both the employer and the employee to stay alert to the air quality in their indoor workplace. Why? Because poor indoor air quality can cause breathing problems, headaches, eye and skin irritations, nausea, dizziness and fatigue. If employees are coping with a decline in health, it can often be hard to pinpoint why. So, it’s time to get aware of how IAQ (Indoor Air Quality) can affect us, and take steps to improve it.

🔴 Employers need to know - what factors contribute to IAQ

Indoor air can be dangerous when it contains carbon monoxide, ozone, radon, asbestos, VOCs—Volatile Organic Compounds—and other dangerous gases.

Some of the common causes of a reduction in IAQ:

Poorly maintained HVAC systems
Mould problems - from flooding or leaking
Outdoor pollutants coming into the building
Cleaning products
Mechanical equipment
Painting and renovations

🔎 When you look into your workplace air quality, put on your Detective Hat and consider these things:

Check the HVAC system is working correctly
Consider the air movement pathways in your building
Think about the building’s air pressure – keeping air pressure slightly positive prevents outdoor air from entering
Check the building’s temperature. The comfort range is 20-25°C
Compare the pattern of complaints – if multiple employees are reporting something from the same location, or at the same time of day, check it out!
Investigate work processes that could emit air contaminants

🟡 Employees need to know - how to avoid contributing to indoor air pollution

It’s important to understand that every one of us can create, or contribute to, indoor air quality hazards. Do your part to keep hazards reduced by considering these things:

Don’t wear too much perfume or cologne
Don’t smoke indoors
Don’t block air vents
Dispose of food waste and rubbish the right way. Do you know how strong a banana peel can be?
Let your supervisor know about potential air-quality issues

If you want to make sure you are covering all the important bases in making your workplace safer, get in touch with us – we’re happy to help.

abarrett@whatnosafety.co.uk | 01722 326 390

Why Hybrid Workplaces need more Emergency First Aiders

Tue, 27 Jun 2023 00:00:00 +0000

Having less people on site does not reduce the possibility of accidents happening – but it does reduce the likelihood of there being someone qualified on-site who can help when the unexpected occurs.

If your business has embraced the hybrid working model, it’s likely you will actually need more members of your team trained up as Emergency First Aiders. If you only have a few staff qualified, it’s harder to ensure one of them is in the office at any given time, especially when working with rotating schedules.

By training as many members of your team as possible in Emergency First Aid at Work, you give your staff and your business the best chance of navigating accidents towards happier outcomes. You also build your team’s skillset in ways you might not realise...

Learning First Aid is a major confidence builder. Emergency situations are stressful for all involved, but knowledge is power. When a person is trained in First Aid, they are given the tools to be able to read a situation, to think clearer, and to respond swiftly and calmly. Much of the stress of a situation can be defused by knowing which steps to take, because it turns the unknown into something more mappable.

The First Aid skills learned for work can also be utilised outside of the workplace, which means your team members can feel more in control of situations that may occur at home or when at leisure.

Remember, it is an employer’s responsibility to ensure that there are adequate and appropriate equipment, facilities, and personnel available to assist a casualty. If you need to train up more of your team to ensure you always have a First Aider on-site, we can help.

We run an Emergency First Aid at Work training course, to ensure you have the opportunity to up-skill your team regularly. The qualification gained lasts three years, (so remember to keep on top of subsequent re-training as needed) and the training is provided by an expert instructor.

To organise a bespoke training course, suited to your particular industry, get in touch with us today:

abarrett@whatnosafety.co.uk | 01722 326 390

Working in the Sun | Put Solar Radiation on your Health & Safety radar!

Wed, 19 Jul 2023 00:00:00 +0000

Solar Radiation is the radiant energy emitted by the sun through different kinds of light, some of which we can see or feel, and some that are invisible: 

👁️ Visible Spectrum light is the light that we can see 

🔴 Infrared Radiation is the light we can feel as heat 

🟣 Ultraviolet (UV) Radiation is invisible but can damage deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) in skin cells and cause burning (sunburn) and skin cancers. 

It’s important for business owners, managers and workers to be aware of solar radiation and to take steps to ensure their teams are protected.

Why is Solar Radiation a Health & Safety at Work issue?

Solar radiation is classified as a Group 1 carcinogen by the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC), part of the World Health Organization (WHO). It is treated as a definite cause of cancer in humans.

“...The risk of getting skin cancer from sun exposure is well known and widely understood. It is publicised in the media, and we see marketing associated with sunscreens and other sun-protection products generally aimed at consumers in the holiday, sport and leisure markets. In some industry sectors, the risks aren’t acknowledged or managed as well as they could be. More awareness around the topic and the associated risks is required.  There have been myths around how sun damage can occur and about risk factors associated with different climates – even misunderstandings around vitamin D deficiency from a lack of UV exposure. 

There are cultural challenges in some industries, too. For example, a male-dominated culture can exist in the face of certain risks in some parts of the construction sector across the world.            

The reality is that the risks to ordinary holidaymakers, targeted by sun product advertising campaigns, aren’t comparable to the risks faced by millions of outdoor workers. For significant periods of the year, outdoor workers are typically exposed to solar radiation for hours at a time, day in, day out. They may have long-term, chronic solar radiation exposure to particular body parts such as head, neck, arms and hands (legs and torso may be exposed intermittently, too).” – iosh.com

What can employers do to support their outdoor workers?

☀️ Check the ultraviolet (UV) index from the weather forecast and communicate information to relevant workers. Prompt staff to use protective measures to minimise exposure. Action should be taken when the index is at level three or above.

☀️ 60% of daily UV occurs between 10am and 2pm, so avoid or minimise exposure to direct sunlight in the middle of the day. Try to minimise exposure until at least 3pm if possible.

☀️ Regularly swap job tasks between workers so that everyone on the team can spend some time in the shade.

☀️ Use heavy duty cover or shade when working outdoors in the sun – shade can cut UV exposure by 50% or more.

☀️ Provide rest breaks in shaded areas or indoors. Positioning water points in shaded areas or indoors can help encourage workers to take breaks out of the sun.

>> For more tips visit: iosh.com

We provide consultancy services to ensure you are covering all the areas of your particular business which carry risk. Our advice is bespoke and tailored to the industry you are in, and we have years of experience. Reach out to us for a chat – let’s make your workplace safer together.

abarrett@whatnosafety.co.uk | 01722 326 390 | www.whatnosafety.co.uk

Ready for Anything: Building a Comprehensive Workplace Emergency Plan

Mon, 28 Aug 2023 00:00:00 +0000

🟡 The Importance of Customised Emergency Response Plans:

Every workplace is unique, and cookie-cutter solutions just won't cut it when it comes to emergency preparedness. Your business requires a response plan tailored to its specific needs and potential risks. From natural disasters to medical emergencies or workplace incidents, a customised plan can be the difference between chaos and swift, organized action.

Moreover, adhering to legal requirements and industry standards is paramount. Depending on your location and industry, there may be specific regulations dictating the level of preparedness your business must demonstrate. A tailored emergency response plan ensures compliance while addressing the unique aspects of your work environment.

🟡 Developing a Comprehensive Emergency Response Plan:

Creating an effective emergency response plan requires a systematic approach. Start by establishing an emergency response team or committee, comprising individuals with designated roles and responsibilities. This team will spearhead the planning process, keeping it organised and comprehensive.

Identifying potential hazards is the next critical step. Conduct thorough risk assessments to pinpoint potential emergency scenarios that could occur in your workplace. From fire hazards to equipment failures, understanding the risks enables you to implement preventive measures to reduce the likelihood of emergencies.

Involving your employees in the planning process is invaluable. They are your eyes and ears on the ground and can provide valuable insights into the daily operations of your business. By actively participating in the creation of the response plan, your team will develop a sense of ownership in workplace safety.

🟡 Regular Training and Testing for Preparedness:

An emergency response plan is only as effective as the people who implement it. To ensure your employees can respond confidently and efficiently during emergencies, ongoing training is essential. Conduct regular training sessions covering evacuation procedures, first aid, proper use of fire extinguishers, and other relevant safety measures.

Don't stop at training – put your plan to the test through drills and exercises. Simulating emergency scenarios allows your team to practice their roles in a controlled environment. By observing how your plan plays out during these simulations, you can identify areas for improvement and fine-tune your approach.

Remember that an emergency response plan is not a static document. Your business evolves, and so do the risks it faces. Regularly review and update your plan to reflect changes in your business operations, incorporate new hazards, and apply lessons learned from past incidents.

At What No Safety, we're passionate about empowering businesses like yours to create a safer work environment. Our team is ready to assist you with all your health and safety questions and needs. Whether you're looking to develop a comprehensive emergency response plan or seeking expert guidance on compliance and industry standards, we've got your back.

Remember, safety isn't just a priority – it's a mindset. With What No Safety as your trusted advisors, you can focus on what you do best while we ensure the well-being of your business, your staff, and your reputation. Let's create a workplace where safety is second nature, and success follows suit. Reach out to us today and let's pave the way for a brighter, safer tomorrow.

abarrett@whatnosafety.co.uk | 01722 326 390 | www.whatnosafety.co.uk

Burn Prevention: A Deeper Dive into Workplace Hazards and Solutions

Tue, 26 Sep 2023 00:00:00 +0000

Workplace burns, scalds, and hazards include:

🔴 Thermal burns: Resulting from contact with hot liquids, open flames, hot objects, or explosions.

🔴 Chemical burns: Arising when skin or eyes come into contact with acidic, alkaline, or corrosive substances, including industrial cleaners.

🔴 Electrical burns: Caused by heat from electrical currents.

🔴 Sun exposure burns: Occurring due to extended outdoor work in hot conditions and prolonged sunlight exposure.

As an employer, it’s your legal responsibility to make sure that the workplace is safe and that sufficient training and hazard communications have been shared with your team. Workplace accidents which cause burns are very preventable if we take the right precautions and educate ourselves about the dangers.

Let’s learn more about the types of burns we might encounter...

🔥 Thermal Burns — Thermal burns happen when heat from liquids, open flames, hot objects, or explosions injures the skin. The main focus for treating thermal burns is to promptly stop the burning and control the damage.

How to prevent them:

Wear Personal Protective Equipment
Use fire prevention tactics
Have procedures and emergency action plans related to fire detection and protection.

🧪 Chemical Burns — Chemical burns occur when the skin or eyes touch potent acids, alkaloids, or other harsh substances that corrode or damage the skin and underlying tissues. Such incidents can happen in work settings due to contact with industrial cleaners (like rust removers or drain cleaners) or exposure to chemicals in labs and manufacturing sites.

How to prevent them:

Make sure all workers are well-versed in Hazard Communication, which covers the symbols and labels that will communicate chemical risk. These labels will also include the important information on the steps workers can take to prevent burns if they come into contact with dangerous chemicals.
Ensure workers who will come into contact with chemicals have Hazard Communication training and take refresher courses as these standards can be updated often.

⚡️ Electrical Burns — Current travels through body and meets resistance in tissue, resulting in heat burn injuries.

How to prevent them:

Clearly label high-voltage areas and machinery
Identify live wires
Avoid contact with water while working with electricity
Wear the personal protective equipment necessary to avoid burns by electricity.

☀️ Sun Exposure Burns — Although they might also be classified as thermal burns, sun exposure burns deserve distinct attention.

How to prevent them:

Train employees in sun safety practices
Reduce the hours working under harsh direct sun
Seek shade if possible
Wear sun-protective work clothing, hats and sunscreen to reduce the risk of burns from sun exposure.

What can you do as an employer?

By law, employers have a responsibility to provide a safe workplace and, when it comes to burns, there are a few ways employers can help to provide safe workplaces.

Initial Training

Ensuring employees receive proper training from the start is a critical measure for employers. This training must encompass potential on-site hazards, while also imparting skills to identify previously unaddressed dangers. Furthermore, employers should ensure employees receive specialised training for their specific job roles. This includes comprehensive safety instruction regarding machinery, chemicals, and any unique hazards tied to their tasks.

Refresher Training

Beyond the initial training, employers should consistently update their training content. This practice keeps employees current with evolving standards and reinforces the essential concepts.

Hazard Communication

Employers have a responsibility to use colour codes, posters, labels, or signs to alert employees to potential hazards. These Hazard Communication tools play a crucial role in burn prevention. Workers must be well-versed in recognising symbols and other communication codes for hazards.

Remember, when it comes to safety, we can back you up across the full spectrum of risks, regulations and training. What No Safety are experts in the Health & Safety field and we take the well-being of your business, your staff, and your reputation seriously. If you need support in navigating your H&S business responsibilities, reach out to us.

abarrett@whatnosafety.co.uk | 01722 326 390

Above and Beyond: Fall Protection Strategies for Construction and Industrial Safety

Tue, 24 Oct 2023 00:00:00 +0000

Understanding the Issue

Falls from heights consistently rank as one of the leading causes of work-related injuries and fatalities. Whether it's a construction site with scaffolding, an industrial plant with elevated platforms, or even routine maintenance on rooftops, the potential for accidents is ever-present. However, with proper safeguards in place, these risks can be significantly mitigated.

Comprehensive Risk Assessment

The first step in ensuring fall protection is a thorough risk assessment. Identifying potential fall hazards and their specific characteristics is essential. This might encompass uneven surfaces, fragile roofs, open shafts, and more. Understanding these risks is the foundation upon which a comprehensive fall protection plan is built.

The Power of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE)

One of the most visible aspects of fall protection is personal protective equipment. Harnesses, lanyards, and anchors play a pivotal role in safeguarding workers at heights. Proper selection, fitting, and inspection of PPE are critical. Additionally, training in the correct use of this equipment is paramount.

Fall Protection Systems

Beyond individual PPE, fall protection systems are equally crucial. Guardrails, safety nets, and toe boards act as collective barriers against falls, providing an added layer of security for workers. These systems not only prevent falls but also alleviate the reliance on individual equipment.

Education and Training

Education is the cornerstone of effective fall protection. Workers must be well-informed about the risks associated with their tasks and the safety measures in place. Regular training ensures that employees are up to date with the latest safety procedures and equipment. Moreover, creating a culture of safety, where every worker is empowered to speak up and report potential hazards, is integral to preventing accidents.

Regular Inspections and Maintenance

Fall protection equipment is only as reliable as its maintenance. Regular inspections and timely repairs or replacements of equipment are non-negotiable. This practice not only adheres to regulatory requirements but also extends the lifespan and effectiveness of fall protection systems.

Legislation and Compliance

In construction and industrial settings, adherence to safety regulations is paramount. Compliance with regulations is not just a legal obligation but a moral duty to protect the workforce.

There is no one-size-fits-all solution. Each workplace has its unique challenges and requirements. Therefore, a tailored approach to fall protection, based on a meticulous understanding of the work environment, is imperative – and that is why at What No Safety we tailor our advice to suit your specific business’s requirements.

abarrett@whatnosafety.co.uk | 01722 326 390

Workplace Violence Prevention: Strategies to Create a Safe Environment

Mon, 27 Nov 2023 00:00:00 +0000

Develop a Comprehensive Workplace Violence Prevention Policy

The first step in preventing workplace violence is to establish a clear and comprehensive policy that outlines your organisation's commitment to safety. This policy should define:

what constitutes workplace violence

guidelines on reporting incidents

the consequences for those who engage in such behaviour

It's essential that all employees understand this policy and receive training on its implementation.

Conduct Employee Training

Educating your employees about workplace violence prevention is vital. Training programs should cover various aspects, such as:

Recognising warning signs

Conflict resolution

Communication skills

De-escalation techniques

Make sure all employees are familiar with your organisation's reporting procedures and encourage them to report any concerning behaviour promptly.

Promote a Respectful and Inclusive Work Culture

A respectful and inclusive work culture can significantly reduce the risk of workplace violence. Encourage open communication, diversity, and inclusion in your workplace. Show a commitment to treating all employees with fairness and respect, regardless of their background or position. When employees feel valued and respected, they are less likely to engage in violent behaviour.

Implement Physical Security Measures

Physical security measures are vital for preventing workplace violence incidents. Depending on your industry and the nature of your work, these measures may include access control, surveillance cameras, and security personnel. It's essential to conduct regular security assessments and make necessary improvements to ensure a safe physical environment.

Develop a Threat Assessment Team

Establish a specific team who can help identify and address potential issues before they escalate into violence. This team should consist of HR professionals, security experts, legal advisors, and other relevant individuals. They can assess reported concerns and decide on appropriate actions to mitigate potential risks.

Offer Employee Assistance Programs (EAPs)

Employee Assistance Programs (EAPs) can provide support for employees facing personal issues that may contribute to workplace violence. EAPs offer confidential counselling, stress management resources, and referrals to community services. By providing these programs, you demonstrate a commitment to the well-being of your workforce.

Monitor and Address Warning Signs

Encourage employees and supervisors to be vigilant and report any warning signs of potential workplace violence. These signs may include changes in behaviour, threats, or incidents of harassment. Timely intervention can prevent situations from escalating and causing harm.

Nurture a Positive Work-Life Balance

Workplace stress can be a significant factor in incidents of violence. Promote a healthy work-life balance by offering flexible scheduling, paid time off, and resources for managing stress. When employees feel that their well-being is a priority, they are less likely to resort to violence as a coping mechanism.

Collaborate with Local Law Enforcement

Maintaining a strong relationship with local law enforcement can be beneficial in emergency situations. They can provide guidance on improving security and respond swiftly in cases of workplace violence. Consider collaborating with local law enforcement to develop an emergency response plan.

Creating a safe work environment and preventing workplace violence is an ongoing process that requires a commitment from every level of the organisation. By developing a comprehensive prevention policy, educating employees, promoting a respectful culture, and implementing security measures, you can significantly reduce the risk of workplace violence incidents. Remember that proactive prevention and early intervention are key to maintaining a safe and secure workplace for everyone.

Safe Manual Handling: Protecting Your Team from Back Injuries in the Workplace

Mon, 11 Dec 2023 00:00:00 +0000

Assess and Acknowledge Limits

Before attempting to lift any heavy object, it's crucial to assess its weight and your own capabilities. Encourage your employees to recognise their limits and not hesitate to seek assistance if an object surpasses what they can safely lift alone.

Employ Correct Lifting Techniques

The right lifting technique significantly reduces the risk of back injuries. Emphasise the importance of bending the knees, maintaining a straight back, and leveraging leg muscles to lift. Discourage any twisting or bending of the back during the lifting process, as these actions exponentially heighten injury risks.

Secure Grip and Protective Measures

Ensure employees have a secure and comfortable grip on the object before lifting. The use of gloves can offer added protection, especially when handling items with sharp edges. Creating awareness around potential hazards and providing appropriate protective gear reinforces safety measures.

Emphasise Slow, Steady Movements

Encourage a steady and deliberate pace while lifting and transporting heavy objects. Rushing can compromise balance and increase the likelihood of accidents. Slow, controlled movements reduce strain on the body and minimise the risk of sudden injuries.

Incorporate Regular Breaks and Rest

Extended periods of lifting or carrying heavy loads can strain the body. Encourage employees to take frequent breaks to rest and stretch. Incorporating simple stretching exercises can alleviate muscle tension and prevent fatigue-induced accidents.

Prioritise Safety Over Speed

Instil a company culture that values safety over speed. Remind employees that taking the time to lift heavy objects safely is crucial for their well-being. Rushing through tasks can lead to costly injuries that not only affect productivity but also impact employee morale and long-term health.

Implementing these practices ensures we're all on the same page, protecting our backs and ensuring a healthy, productive team.

If you want to make sure you are covering all the important bases in your safety planning, get in touch with us – we’re happy to help.

abarrett@whatnosafety.co.uk | 01722 326 390

Small Spaces, Big Safety: Navigating Confined Environments

Tue, 16 Jan 2024 00:00:00 +0000

Defining Confined Spaces

Firstly, let's establish what we mean by confined spaces. These are areas not designed for continuous occupancy and have limited entry and exit points. Common examples include storage tanks, pipelines, and manholes. While these spaces may seem innocuous, they pose unique risks that necessitate specific safety measures.

Risk Assessment

Before you enter into a confined space, a thorough risk assessment is non-negotiable. Identify and evaluate potential hazards, such as atmospheric conditions, the presence of toxic substances, or mechanical hazards. This assessment provides the foundation for crafting a comprehensive entry plan tailored to the specific risks of each confined space.

The Entry Plan

Crafting a detailed entry plan is the next crucial step. This plan should outline the procedures for entry, specify the roles and responsibilities of each team member, and detail the safety measures in place. Documenting this plan not only ensures clarity but also serves as a valuable reference for future entries and training programs.

Atmospheric Monitoring

In confined spaces, the air quality can change rapidly. Implementing atmospheric monitoring is a key safety protocol. Continuous monitoring for oxygen levels, flammable gases, and toxic substances is imperative. This real-time data allows your team to respond promptly to any deviations from safe conditions.

Proper Ventilation

Ensuring proper ventilation is synonymous with ensuring a safe working environment. Adequate ventilation helps maintain acceptable atmospheric conditions within the confined space. This can be achieved through natural ventilation, forced-air systems, or exhaust systems, depending on the specifics of the space.

Personal Protective Equipment (PPE)

Equipping your team with the right PPE is paramount. Depending on the hazards identified, this might include respiratory protection, harnesses, lifelines, or other specialised equipment. Regular training on the correct use and maintenance of this equipment is essential for its effectiveness.

Emergency Response

Despite meticulous planning, emergencies can happen. Establishing an emergency response plan ensures that everyone knows what to do in case of an unexpected situation. This plan should include procedures for evacuation, communication, and first aid.

Continuous Training and Review

Regular training sessions keep your team well-versed in confined space entry procedures. This includes not only initial training but also periodic refresher courses. Additionally, after each entry, conduct a thorough review to identify any lessons learned and areas for improvement.

Compliance with Regulations

Adhering to relevant regulations is not just a legal obligation but an ethical one. These regulations are in place to safeguard your team, and compliance ensures that your business operates within the framework of best safety practices.

Prioritising safety when entering confined spaces is an investment in your team's well-being and the overall success of your business. By understanding and implementing these procedures and safety protocols, you create an environment where everyone can work confidently and securely. Your commitment to safety not only safeguards your team but also contributes to a workplace culture built on trust, responsibility, and resilience.

If you want to make sure you are covering all of the important bases in your safety planning, get in touch with us – we’re happy to help.

abarrett@whatnosafety.co.uk | 01722 326 390

A Call for Gender-Inclusive PPE | #InspireInclusion

Wed, 06 Mar 2024 00:00:00 +0000

One such challenge is the lack of access to properly fitting personal protective equipment (PPE). PPE is essential for many workers, but it is often designed based on male body types. This can lead to ill-fitting equipment that is uncomfortable and unsafe for women.

There are several reasons for this problem. Historically, industries that use PPE have been male-dominated. This has led to a focus on developing PPE based on male body proportions. Additionally, there has been a lack of data on female body measurements in many industries. This has made it difficult to design PPE that fits women well.

Here are a few ways that ill-fitting PPE can impact a person’s safety:

🟠 Reduced effectiveness: Ill-fitting PPE, like gloves that are too loose or a respirator that doesn't seal properly, can't provide the level of protection it's designed for. This leaves workers vulnerable to the very hazards the PPE is meant to shield them from.

🟠 Increased risk of injuries: Loose-fitting clothing or footwear can snag on machinery or equipment, leading to cuts, abrasions, or even amputations. In other cases, ill-fitting PPE can impede movement and dexterity, making it harder to avoid hazards or use tools safely.

🟠 Musculoskeletal disorders: Heavy or bulky PPE can cause strain and discomfort, leading to overuse injuries like tendonitis or carpal tunnel syndrome. This can not only be painful but also impact a worker's ability to do their job effectively.

🟠 Heat stress: Wearing ill-fitting or non-breathable PPE in hot environments can trap heat and moisture, leading to heat stress, dehydration, and even heatstroke.

The good news is, there is a growing awareness of the need for gender-inclusive PPE. More research is being done to collect data on female body measurements, and some companies are starting to design PPE specifically for women.

This is an important step forward. It is essential to ensure that all workers have access to safe and comfortable PPE, regardless of their gender.

Need advice on what PPE you need, for all of your staff, and why it’s important? Get in touch with us – we’re happy to help.

abarrett@whatnosafety.co.uk | 01722 326 390

Stress Proof Your Team: Invest in Wellbeing, Reap the Rewards

Mon, 25 Mar 2024 00:00:00 +0000

Why Workplace Stress Matters

Chronic stress can lead to a number of health problems, including anxiety, depression, and heart disease. It can also impair cognitive function, making it difficult to focus, think clearly, and make decisions. This can have a significant impact on employee productivity and performance.

In addition to the individual costs, workplace stress also has a negative impact on businesses. Stressed employees are more likely to take sick leave, miss deadlines, and make mistakes. They are also less likely to be engaged in their work and more likely to leave their jobs.

Creating a Culture of Wellbeing

The good news is that there are many things businesses can do to create a culture of wellbeing and reduce stress in the workplace. Here are a few practical tips:

🟡 Promote work-life balance: Offer flexible work arrangements, such as telecommuting or compressed workweeks. Encourage employees to take breaks and use their vacation time.

🟡 Create a supportive work environment: Foster open communication and collaboration. Recognise and reward employees for their achievements. Provide opportunities for professional development.

🟡 Offer stress management resources: Provide access to employee assistance programs, mental health professionals, and stress management workshops.

🟡 Encourage healthy habits: Promote physical activity, healthy eating, and mindfulness practices. Offer on-site fitness classes or healthy food options.

Practical Tips for Navigating Stress

In addition to the tips above, there are also a number of things individual employees can do to manage stress:

🟠 Set realistic goals: Don't overload yourself with work. Set achievable goals and break down large tasks into smaller, more manageable steps.

🟠 Take breaks: Get up and move around every hour or so. Take a walk outside, stretch, or do some deep breathing exercises.

🟠 Practice relaxation techniques: Try meditation, yoga, or tai chi. These practices can help to calm the mind and body.

🟠 Connect with others: Talk to friends, family, or colleagues about your stress. Social support is essential for coping with stress.

🟠 Seek professional help: If you are struggling to manage stress on your own, don't hesitate to seek professional help. A therapist can teach you coping skills and help you develop a plan for managing stress.

By creating a culture of wellbeing and implementing effective stress management strategies, businesses can help their employees thrive. This will lead to a more productive, engaged, and healthy workforce.

April is Stress Awareness Month

April is a great time to focus on stress management in the workplace. Here are a few ideas for how you can get involved:

🟢 Organise a stress management workshop or webinar.

🟢 Offer free or discounted mental health screenings.

🟢 Promote healthy habits, such as walking or yoga breaks.

🟢 Share information about stress management resources.

By taking action to reduce stress in the workplace, we can create a healthier and happier work environment for everyone. Need further advice about Health & Safety? Reach out to us...

abarrett@whatnosafety.co.uk | 01722 326 390

Top 5 Ways to Improve Your Workplace Safety Culture (in any industry!)

Mon, 22 Apr 2024 00:00:00 +0000

Leadership by Example:

Visible Commitment: Senior management must actively demonstrate their commitment to safety. This includes adhering to safety protocols, participating in safety training, and openly addressing safety concerns.

Open Communication: Leaders should encourage open communication about safety. Employees should feel comfortable reporting hazards and raising safety concerns without fear of reprisal.

Prioritise Training and Awareness:

Regular Safety Training: Invest in regular safety training programs tailored to the specific needs and potential risks of your industry.

Ongoing Safety Awareness: Keep safety at the forefront of employees' minds through regular communication, safety briefings, and visual reminders like posters and signage.

Empower Employee Participation:

Encourage Hazard Reporting: Establish a system for employees to easily report safety hazards and near misses. Investigate all reports promptly and take necessary corrective actions.

Employee-Led Safety Initiatives: Empower employees to take ownership of safety by involving them in developing and implementing safety procedures.

Foster a Culture of Continuous Improvement

Regular Safety Audits: Conduct regular safety audits to identify and address potential hazards proactively.

Embrace Feedback: Actively seek feedback from employees on safety protocols and continuously strive to improve safety measures.

Recognise and Reward Safe Practices:

Positive Reinforcement: Acknowledge and reward employees who consistently demonstrate safe work practices and report safety concerns.

Incentivise Participation: Consider implementing incentive programs that encourage active participation in safety initiatives.

Benefits for All Industries:

🟠 Reduced Accidents and Injuries: A strong safety culture directly translates to fewer workplace accidents and injuries, leading to lower healthcare costs and improved employee well-being.

🟠 Improved Productivity: When employees feel safe and valued, they are more likely to be engaged and productive.

🟠 Enhanced Employee Morale: A positive safety culture fosters a sense of trust and ownership among employees, boosting overall morale and reducing turnover.

🟠 Positive Reputation: A company known for prioritising safety attracts and retains top talent and strengthens its reputation within the industry.

Remember: Building a robust safety culture is an ongoing process. By consistently implementing these strategies and demonstrating a genuine commitment to safety, businesses of all industries can create a work environment where everyone feels protected and empowered to prioritise their well-being.

Need further advice about Health & Safety? Reach out to us...

abarrett@whatnosafety.co.uk | 01722 326 390

Demystifying Health and Safety Competence: What Every Business Owner Needs to Know

Mon, 27 May 2024 00:00:00 +0000

Competence: More Than Just Training

“Competence is the ability for every director, manager and worker to recognise those risks in operational activities and then apply the right measures to control and manage those risks.” - Judith Hackitt, Chair of HSE until 2016

As Judith Hackitt, Chair of the Health and Safety Executive (HSE), aptly states, competence goes beyond just ticking a training box. It's the ability of everyone in your organisation, from directors to managers and staff, to recognise potential hazards in their daily tasks and take the necessary steps to control them.

Here's a breakdown of what competence encompasses:

Training: Equipping your employees with the knowledge to identify risks specific to their roles.
Skills: The practical ability to apply safety procedures and use equipment correctly.
Experience: The on-the-job understanding of how to handle real-world situations safely.
Knowledge: Awareness of relevant health and safety regulations and best practices.

Why Competence Matters

Competence isn't a one-size-fits-all concept. The level of health and safety expertise required varies depending on the role and workplace. An office worker wouldn't need the same level of knowledge as someone working on a construction site. The key takeaway is to ensure your team is equipped to handle the risks they encounter most frequently, especially those with serious consequences.

Your Role in Building a Competent Workforce

As an employer, you play a crucial role in fostering a culture of health and safety. Here's how:

Risk Assessments: When conducting risk assessments, consider the competence of relevant employees. Are they equipped to handle the identified hazards?
Competent Person Appointment: It's your legal duty to appoint someone with the necessary skills and experience to oversee health and safety within your organization. This goes beyond simply being able to perform a specific task safely.
Industry-Specific Needs: Certain industries have specific health and safety regulations. Explore training and certification programs relevant to your field, such as working at heights or handling hazardous materials.

Health and Safety Passport Schemes: A Helpful Tool

These schemes can be a good starting point to check if someone working on your premises (including contractors) has received basic health and safety awareness training. However, remember – a passport is not a guarantee of competence.

The Bottom Line

Building a competent workforce is an ongoing process. By prioritising training, fostering a culture of safety awareness, and appointing a competent person, you can create a safer and healthier work environment for everyone.

Looking for more information on established good practices for managing health and safety competence in your workplace? Contact us today!

abarrett@whatnosafety.co.uk | 01722 326 390

Don't Drop the Ball: Mitigating the Risks of Falling Objects in the Workplace

Mon, 24 Jun 2024 00:00:00 +0000

Falling Object Culprits: Everyday Items Turned Hazards

A wide range of objects pose a risk of falling in the workplace. Some of the most common culprits include:

🟡 Tools and equipment: Wrenches, hammers, drills, and other tools left unsecured on ledges, scaffolding, or ladders can easily topple and injure workers below.

🔵 Building materials: Bricks, lumber, drywall, and other construction materials can become dislodged during handling or storage, especially if stacked improperly.

🟠 Inventory and stock: Loosely stacked boxes, heavy items on high shelves, and improperly secured pallets can all come crashing down if bumped or jostled.

🟢 Ceiling materials: Falling tiles, light fixtures, or suspended ceiling components can cause serious injuries, especially in areas with heavy foot traffic.

🟣 Debris and waste: Accumulated debris from construction work, overflowing rubbish bins, or loose scrap metal can create a slipping hazard and potentially become projectiles if disturbed.

Mistakes to Avoid: Building a Culture of Safety

While falling objects can seem like random events, they often stem from preventable mistakes. Some common missteps to be aware of include:

👉 Improper storage: Overloading shelves, neglecting to secure items with tie-downs, and failing to maintain safe clearance from edges.

👉 Inadequate housekeeping: Cluttered work areas, overflowing bins, and failure to clear debris create tripping hazards and increase the risk of objects falling from unstable piles.

👉 Insufficient training: Workers who lack proper training on safe lifting techniques, hazard recognition, and proper use of tools are more likely to cause accidents.

👉 Neglecting maintenance: Faulty equipment, damaged ladders, and worn-out ropes can all lead to unexpected failures and falling objects.

Building a Strong Foundation for Safety

Fortunately, there are a number of effective strategies to mitigate the risks of falling objects:

⭐️ Conduct thorough risk assessments: Identify potential hazards in your workplace and implement control measures to address them.

⭐️ Implement safe storage practices: Invest in proper shelving and storage solutions, ensure items are secured, and maintain safe clearance from edges.

⭐️ Develop a housekeeping program: Regularly clean work areas, dispose of waste properly, and address spills promptly to prevent slips and falls.

⭐️ Provide comprehensive safety training: Train workers on safe lifting techniques, hazard recognition, proper use of tools and equipment, and fall protection measures.

⭐️ Regularly inspect equipment and infrastructure: Identify and address any potential hazards related to damaged equipment, ladders, or scaffolding.

⭐️ Encourage a culture of safety: Empower workers to report unsafe conditions and promote open communication about potential hazards.

Remember, preventing a falling object accident is far easier than dealing with the aftermath. If you need support or advice in assessing your workplace for hazards and forming robust safety practises, reach out to us.

Why Electrical Safety Matters in the Workplace

Mon, 22 Jul 2024 00:00:00 +0000

What are the hazards?

“Every year accidents at work involving electric shock or burns are reported to the Health and Safety Executive (HSE). Electric shocks do not always cause lasting injury but in certain circumstances can result in death, known as electrocution. The sudden muscular contraction during the shock can result in injuries from, for example, falling. Electric current flowing through the body can cause deep burns.” – HSE, Electricity at Work

As the HSE shows, electric shocks and burns are the hazard you might think of first, but here are a few more that might not be so obvious...

🟠 Fires and Explosions. Electricity can kill or severely injure people, and cause damage to property, from the effects of fires and explosions.

🟠 Electrical arcing (sometimes called a ‘flashover’ or ‘arc flash’). Perhaps as a result of a short circuit caused by unsafe working practices, electrical arcing can generate intense heat leading to deep-seated and slow-healing burns, even if it persists for a short time. The intense ultraviolet radiation from an electric arc can also cause damage to the eyes.

🟠 Arcing, overheating and, in some cases, electrical leakage currents. These can cause fire or explosion by igniting flammable materials. This can cause death, injury and considerable financial loss.

Navigating the Dangers

Most electrical accidents occur because people are working on or near equipment that is:

thought to be dead (not electrically live or charged) but which is actually live;
known to be live but those involved do not have adequate training or appropriate equipment to prevent injury, or they have not taken adequate precautions.

Here are some key steps you can take to improve electrical safety in your workplace:

⚡️ Establish a system of rules and procedures wherever electrical work is to be carried out, or ensure that contractors brought in to do electrical work have appropriate rules and procedures. These should be written down and everybody involved must be made aware of them.

⚡️ Provide electrical safety training for all employees. This training should teach employees how to identify and avoid electrical hazards, as well as what to do in the event of an electrical accident.

⚡️ Regularly inspect and maintain electrical equipment. This includes having qualified electricians inspect all electrical equipment on a regular basis and repairing or replacing any faulty equipment immediately.

⚡️ Encourage employees to report any electrical hazards they see. By creating a culture of safety, you can encourage employees to speak up about potential hazards before they cause an accident.

Electrical safety is a serious issue, but it is also preventable. By taking steps to improve electrical safety in your workplace, you can help to keep your employees safe and healthy. If you are a manager or business owner take a look at the free resources linked below from HSE to ensure you and your team are working safely.

What are some of the biggest challenges you face in ensuring electrical safety in your workplace? If you have questions and need expert Health & Safety advice, reach out to us at www.whatnosafety.co.uk

Free Resources:

Health and Safety Executive (HSE) Electrical Safety website

Electricity at Work: Safe Working Practices Guide – HSE

Safeguarding the Future: How to Ensure Workplace Safety for Pregnant Workers

Tue, 20 Aug 2024 00:00:00 +0000

Understanding the Risks

Certain workplace hazards can pose a greater risk to pregnant women and their unborn babies. These hazards include:

Exposure to harmful substances: This can include chemicals, dust, fumes, and biological agents.
Physical hazards: Heavy lifting, awkward postures, and repetitive tasks can all increase the risk of injury or strain.
Work stress: High levels of stress can be harmful to both mother and baby.
Long working hours and shift work: These can lead to fatigue and increase the risk of accidents.
Exposure to infectious diseases: This can be a risk for some healthcare workers and those working in childcare settings.

Employer Responsibilities

The Health and Safety Executive (HSE), the UK's national regulator for workplace safety, has guidance for employers on protecting pregnant workers and new mothers. Here are some key employer responsibilities:

➡️ Risk assessment: Employers must carry out a risk assessment to identify potential hazards in the workplace that could affect pregnant workers and new mothers.

➡️ Individual risk assessment: Once a worker informs their employer that they are pregnant, a specific risk assessment considering their individual circumstances should be conducted.

➡️ Control measures: Employers must take steps to control or eliminate risks to pregnant workers and new mothers. This may involve providing alternative duties, modifying work schedules, or providing appropriate personal protective equipment (PPE).

➡️ Safe working environment: Employers must maintain a safe working environment for all employees, including measures to prevent slips, trips, and falls.

Empowering Pregnant Workers

Pregnant workers also have a role to play in protecting their own health and safety in the workplace. This includes:

Communicating with employers: It is important for pregnant workers to inform their employer as soon as they are aware of their pregnancy.
Discussing any concerns: Workers should discuss any concerns they have about workplace safety hazards with their employer.
Following safe work practices: Pregnant workers should continue to follow all safety rules and procedures in place at work.
Seeking advice: Pregnant workers can find more information and advice from their midwife or doctor.

For more detailed information on the specific guidelines and legal requirements, refer to the HSE website.

What No Safety can help businesses of all sizes develop and implement effective safety programs to protect pregnant workers and new mothers. Contact us today to learn more about our services.

What is HAVS and How Can You Prevent It?

Mon, 23 Sep 2024 00:00:00 +0000

What is HAVS?

HAVS is a condition caused by prolonged exposure to vibration from hand-held power tools. The vibration can damage blood vessels, nerves, and joints in the hands and arms, leading to pain, numbness, and reduced dexterity. Industries such as construction, manufacturing, and agriculture are particularly at risk.

Did you know that . . .

Vibration can cause long-term painful damage to your hands and fingers?
Shocks and jolts from driving certain types of vehicle can cause severe back pain?

The Dangers of HAVS

The effects of HAVS can be debilitating, impacting both the individual and the business. Symptoms may include:

🔸 Numbness and tingling in the fingers

🔸 Not being able to feel things properly

🔸 Loss of grip strength

🔸 Fingers going white (blanching) and becoming red and painful on recovery (particularly in the cold and wet, and probably only in the tips at first)

Left untreated, HAVS can lead to permanent disability and a significant reduction in quality of life.

Preventing HAVS

Fortunately, HAVS is preventable. Employers have a legal responsibility to assess and control vibration risks in the workplace. Key prevention measures include:

🔸 Reducing exposure time: Limiting the duration of vibration exposure is crucial.

🔸 Using low-vibration tools: Investing in tools with lower vibration levels can significantly reduce risk.

🔸 Providing protective gloves: Anti-vibration gloves can help to absorb some of the vibration.

🔸 Regular breaks: Encouraging workers to take regular breaks from using vibrating tools can help prevent fatigue and reduce the risk of injury.

🔸 Health surveillance: Monitoring workers' health through regular checks can help identify early signs of HAVS.

The Role of Employers

Employers play a vital role in preventing HAVS. By implementing effective control measures and prioritising worker health and safety, businesses can create a healthier and more productive workplace.

Where the risks are low, the actions you take may be simple and inexpensive, but where the risks are high, you should manage them using a prioritised action plan to control exposure to hand-arm vibration. Identifying signs and symptoms at an early stage is important. It will allow you, as the employer, to take action to prevent the health effects from becoming serious for your employee.

The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) has identified good practice controls that can help to eliminate or reduce vibration risk. HSE inspectors are promoting these controls during inspections and will expect to see evidence of the elimination or of the reduction to the lowest level that is reasonably practicable. Where vibration risks remain, inspectors will be looking for evidence that the risks are being managed adequately and that suitable health surveillance is in place

For information on established good practice for managing HAV risks in your workplace please contact us at What No Safety for expert advice and support.

Resources for Information:

Control of Vibration at Work Regulations 2005

HSE Investigations: A Business's Worst Nightmare

Mon, 28 Oct 2024 00:00:00 +0000

The Impact of an HSE Investigation

An HSE investigation can have far-reaching consequences for a business, including:

🟠 Financial Penalties: Severe breaches of health and safety regulations can result in hefty fines, which can significantly impact a company's bottom line.

🟠 Legal Action: In some cases, HSE investigations can lead to criminal prosecution, potentially resulting in imprisonment for individuals responsible for the breach.

🟠 Damage to Reputation: Even if a business is found not guilty, an investigation can damage its reputation and lead to negative publicity.

🟠 Loss of Business: Customers may be less likely to do business with a company that has been involved in a health and safety incident.

Here are a few examples of investigations which have ended in prosecutions this year:

👉 National Grid fined £3.2 Million - The National Grid was fined more than £3million after its failures left a man with life-changing injuries from working on a pylon in South Wales. He received an electric shock of 33 thousand volts and sustained burns to 40 per cent of his body. National Grid Electricity Distribution (South Wales) Plc and 4 Power Ltd both received fines in relation to the incident, which happened on 3 December 2020.

👉 D&D Commercial Services Limited fined £54,000 - An Essex-based tyre refurbishment company was fined £54,000 following a worker sustaining significant injuries after being drawn into a machine. The machine had been freewheeling to a stop after being used, when the worker was drawn into it by his t-shirt, which resulted in part of his torso being shredded. The incident happened on 19 August 2021.

👉 Dawn Holliday, Landlord, sentenced and fined - A landlord was given a suspended sentence of 26 weeks and electronically tagged for 4 months after putting the lives of her tenants at risk by not maintaining gas appliances at a property in Kent. The HSE was awarded £750 in costs. Despite the Improvement Notice served on the landlord to undertake gas safety checks, she ignored this and further requests from HSE. She also claimed the tenants had moved out and had not been paying rent, and the investigation found this claim to be completely untrue.

Preventing Accidents with H&S Best Practices

To avoid the potential consequences of an HSE investigation, it's essential to implement robust health and safety best practices. Here are some key strategies to consider:

🟢 Risk Assessment: Conduct regular risk assessments to identify potential hazards and assess the likelihood and severity of accidents.

🟢 Safe Systems of Work: Develop and implement safe systems of work to prevent accidents and injuries.

🟢 Training and Education: Ensure that all employees receive adequate training and education on health and safety matters.

🟢 Emergency Preparedness: Develop and test emergency plans to respond effectively to accidents and incidents.

🟢 Regular Inspections: Conduct regular inspections of the workplace to identify and address potential hazards.

🟢 Consultation with Employees: Consult with employees on health and safety matters to ensure their concerns are addressed.

Being investigated by the HSE can have a devastating impact on a business. By implementing robust health and safety best practices, however, companies can significantly reduce the risk of accidents and minimise the potential consequences of an investigation. If you're looking for expert guidance on health and safety, consider partnering with a reputable consultancy firm like What No Safety. We’ll ensure your workplace health and safety policies and procedures are solid, and if an accident should happen, we’ll be there to help you navigate the process.