4
Nov, 2021
What is the difference between workplace inspections and health and safety audit?

What is the difference between a Workplace Inspection and a Health and Safety Audit?

The terms are often used interchangeably but mean different things. So, what is the difference between a workplace inspection and a health and safety audit?

Generally speaking, a workplace inspection looks for the hazards present in the workplace and how they are controlled, and a health and safety audit looks at systems and procedures we have in place for managing safely.

What is a Workplace Inspection?

A workplace inspection looks for hazards and potential harmful practices in the workplace. It looks at all the physical equipment needed for getting a job done safely and for maintaining a safe working environment.

Magnified word inspection to illustrate article What is the difference between a Workplace Inspection and Health and Safety Audit?

Typical things looked at in a workplace inspection include:

  • General arrangements for building access
  • Fire protection measures, like fire alarm points, records of fire evacuation practices, signage, provision of extinguishers, etc.
  • Provision of first aid equipment and trained first aiders
  • Welfare arrangements such as access to toilets, eating areas, changing rooms, etc
  • Condition of the building, including lighting, heating, walkways free from obstruction
  • Condition and use of machinery
  • Condition, maintenance, and inspection of electrical systems and testing of electrical equipment
  • Provision and use of PPE in the workplace
  • Control and use of hazardous substances

…..and any other health and safety issues that you needs to keep an eye on to ensure compliance with regulatory requirements applicable to your workplace.

A workplace inspection is usually carried out using a checklist with questions framed with a ‘yes / no’ answer – either things are ok or they’re not and need addressing. A generic workplace inspection checklist can be used but you must be aware of any areas or activities in your workplace that are not included in the checklist and make sure they are looked at separately.

I recommend starting off with a generic template, then adapting it to make it specific for your organisation. That way you know that it doesn’t matter who carries out the inspection, all the areas that need to be looked at will be covered.

That brings me on to my next point – workplace inspections can be carried out by anyone in the organisation. In fact, it is beneficial to get everyone involved in carrying out inspections, that way it raises the awareness of what is needed to keep the workplace safe amongst your people. Inspections can be carried out by a small group with a H&S professional involved if needed.

Workplace inspections should be carried out frequently, with good records kept and any improvement addressed as quickly as possible. Remember if you find any defects on a workplace inspection, you have potential uncovered an area where you are not compliant with H&S regulations.

What is a Health and Safety Audit?

An audit is a look at your health and safety systems and procedures, checking to see if they are serving you well.

Highlighted word Audit to illustrate article What is the difference between a workplace inspection and a health and safety audit?

All businesses manage health and safety, whether they have a formalised Health and Safety Management System or loosely bound procedures integrated into day-to-day activities. The purpose of those systems is to make sure you are keeping your people and your business protected, and you are meeting your legal requirements. A health and safety audit lets you take a step back and look at how effective those systems are. You set your intentions and your goals; an audit tells you whether you are meeting them.

There are some formalised Health and Safety Management Systems out there, such as ISO 45001, and as part of your accreditation you will need to undertake both internal audits (ie you looking at your own systems and procedures) and external audits (typically the accrediting body coming in and having a look).

For organisations without any formal accreditations, you can still carry out health and safety audits. You could be audited against guidance such as HSG 65 Managing for health and safety to see how what you are doing compares to recommended best practise. You can also be audited against your own procedures, For example, taking your health and safety policy and checking to see if the responsibilities and arrangements set out in the policy are actually being implemented through the workplace.

Because you are checking your own systems, it can be difficult to have generic checklists to drive the audit process. Where you are auditing against a standard (eg HSG 65) it is easier to have a checklist to guide you, but when you are auditing against your organisations specific procedures you will need to identify the pertinent requirements of the procedure and generate your own audit checklist.

Audits should be planned and carried out at a frequency depending on the needs and risk profile of the business. Some organisations choose to carry out a health and safety audit once per year, but this can lead to a flurry of activity over a short period of time where H&S matters are addressed and then forgotten about for the rest of the year. I suggest an annual overall management system audit, and then picking out some critical procedures related to managing health and safety and having a closer look at those during the year.

How to use workplace inspections and health and safety audits in your workplace

Ensuring the health and safety of ourselves and others affected by our activities is a basic requirement for all businesses. We can set off with the best of intentions when it comes to managing health and safety, but we all know that those intentions can slip. Work pressures, competing priorities, and delivering for our business can mean that we take our eyes of the ball when it comes to protecting ourselves and others.

By engaging in a planned programme of workplace inspections and health and safety audits, and just as importantly, following up and completing any actions to address any shortcomings, you can make sure you are meeting your legal requirements and doing all you can to keep people safe.

  1. Have a plan for carrying out both workplace inspections and health and safety audits – make sure that people and resources are allocated to get them done. Involve people from all levels of your organisation.
  2. Communicate the plan to all the relevant people, and make sure that everyone in your workplace understands the purpose of the inspections and audits. Be careful to address any concerns about ‘the management’ looking for stuff that is being done wrong and looking for people to blame.
  3. Give your nominated inspectors and auditors time to carry out their inspections and audits. If needed, deliver training for your inspectors and auditors so that they are confident in carrying out their tasks.
  4. Make sure each inspection and audit has an action plan to address any shortcomings identified. Follow up on this plan and ensure all actions are completed by the responsible people by the due date.
  5. Arguably the most important step – communicate your findings with everyone in the workplace. Tell people what they are doing well and support them where changes are needed.

One person in your organisation to needs to be appointed to manage the inspection and audit programme (from planning to completion, monitoring actions and communicating findings). This person should be of a senior enough level to have the authority to drive the inspection and audit programme forward.

Want to chat more about workplace inspections and health and safety audits?

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30
Sep, 2021
Who is your Health and Safety Hero?

Who is your Health and Safety Hero?

When looking for role models and examples of best practise, who is your health and safety hero?

We all need people to admire, to look up to, to take a lead from in all walks of life. It helps us to strive to be better, to push ourselves forwards and grow – the world of health and safety is just the same.

The launch of the British Safety Council International Safety Awards 2022 campaign on the 30th September 2022 will showcase some of the organisations and people who work continuously to improve the health, safety and wellbeing standards in their workplace, and recognise the heroes who are looking after our health and safety.

But you don’t need to win awards to be a health and safety hero – there are many unsung heroes out there doing the right thing and keeping us all safe and well.

Great examples of Health and Safety Heroes

Cartoon drawing of a health and safety hero

In my job as a H&S Consultant I get to talk to, and work with, many fabulous people and organisations. There are lots of people in my professional and personal networks that I view as Health and Safety Heroes, even though they are ‘just doing their jobs’.

Some examples I can think are given below – and some of my clients and contacts may actually recognise themselves from my descriptions, but I can’t sit and list all the great things everyone I know is doing so if you know me and I missed you out, I’m sorry!

Examples of my H&S heroes are:

  • the owner of a brand new business who wants to integrate managing health and safety into everything they do from day one, and holds managing safely as one of the core values of their business.
  • the Managing Director who wants to rip up the old Health and Safety Policy and Handbook that is written in stuffy, corporate language and replace it with a new policy and handbook that is written in the company voice so that it better reflects the companies values and makes it more accessible and meaningful to their people.
  • the organisations that recognise that the last 18 months have been really tough through the Covid-19 pandemic, and are allowing people to continue to work flexibly (where the job role allows) and take steps to give reassurance and ease any anxieties about a return to the workplace.
  • the operations director who want to make sure all the equipment, work areas and storage systems are all in great shape before a new big job starts and the workplace becomes very busy
  • the financial advisor who has started visiting their clients in their own home again, who has a Covid-19 protocol that they send to clients before the visit so the clients are reassured that risks around Covid-19 transmission are minimised
  • the bosses who makes sure they don’t overload their people with tonnes of work, or ask them to carry out work they are not trained for
  • the worker who see’s one of their workmates about to do something that is not quite right and steps in to help make sure the job is done in the safest way

I could go on forever with examples of great practice that makes loads of people my health and safety hero, but I think you get the idea by now.

Be your own Hero

Cartoon image of man looking in a mirror and seeing a superhero reflection to illustrate article who is your health and safety hero.

So, apart from wearing your underpants outside of your trousers, how do you become your own health and safety hero?

There are loads of small ways that stack-up for you be a hero.

  • hold keeping you and others safe and well as a core value – it is part of everything you are and everything you do.
  • set the standards you want to see – make sure you expect the same standards of yourself as you do from others
  • remember that you accept the standards that you are prepared to walk by – in other words, if you see an unsafe act, unsafe behaviour or unsafe situation and you do nothing about it you are saying that it is acceptable.
  • include talking about health, safety and wellbeing in all aspects of your working life – it’s not a separate subject, its just part of who we are and how we act.
  • use clear, jargon-free, simple language. You don’t even have to use the dreaded words ‘health and safety’
  • make sure you have two-way conversations about peoples health, safety and wellbeing. Nobody likes safety being ‘done to them’, allow people to have a voice, and if they do raise concerns and questions make sure you follow them up with meaningful answers.

The list can go on and on…….. I’m sure you’ve got some great examples of being your own hero.

And never forget, if you have any questions or concerns, you can always talk with your friendly health and safety professional for advice and support – not all heroes wear capes, sometimes we wear hi-vis!

Want to talk to your friendly health and safety professional?

Get in touch!

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23
Sep, 2021
Title image for article taking care of fire doors

Taking care of fire doors

Fire doors are a vital bit of safety kit in our buildings, but many of us don’t pay them much attention. They are just there, get walked through every day, get bashed about a bit, propped open when they shouldn’t be and generally get neglected. Fire doors should be looked after – they may be our last line of defence against smoke, heat and fire in a burning building. We need to show them a bit of love, so what do you need to know when taking care of fire doors?

What do fire doors do?

It is a legal requirement for all non-domestic properties (eg businesses, commercial premises and public buildings) to have fire doors, but do you know why?

The Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 places a duty on those responsible for premises to manage fire safety precautions. The responsible person will need to make sure that a fire risk assessment is in place and suitable controls measures put in place. Fire doors form part of that overall protection.

Fire doors are a passive safety measure, they protect you just by being there! But to get the level of protection intended we need to make sure they are used properly, and that we take care of them.

They key function of a fire door is to:

  • slow down the spread of fire within a building
  • slow down the spread of smoke, heat and fire onto escape routes
  • protect particularly vulnerable areas of the building, eg server rooms or storage rooms containing combustible materials
  • create compartments within the building, and provide a minimum of 30 minutes resistance to fire in a compartmentalised area

What are common faults with fire doors?

Fire doors need to form a barrier between different areas of a building. To do that, they need to be of sound construction, form a good seal in the frame and be used in an appropriate manner – ie not propped open (often with a fire extinguisher!).

Common faults to look out for on fire doors are:

  1. If seals are fitted (often not found on older fire doors) they can be damaged, installed incorrectly or not filling the gaps.
  2. no mandatory signage identifying the fire door
  3. excessive gaps between the door and the frame
  4. unsuitable or damaged hinges
  5. damage to the door itself

What do I need to do to take care of fire doors?

Your fire risk assessment will determine what controls you need to put in place to manage fire protection in your premises. One of those controls should be to regularly inspect your fire doors. This will allow you to spot any defects quickly and get them rectified so that you can rely on the protection in the event of a fire.

When deciding how often to check the fire doors, you need to pay particular attention to those doors on high traffic routes and those most likely to suffer damage. You can carry out regular checks yourself (on a weekly or monthly basis, for example) but you must periodically have the fire doors inspection by a trained and competent person. Again, your fire risk assessment will guide you on the frequency of a fire door inspection, but I suggest it is done at least annually, or more frequently if needed.

What do I need to look at when checking fire doors?

  1. Check the gaps around the top and sides of the door are less than 4mm when closed.

2. Check the door has a working door closure system, and closes correctly

3. Check that intumescent seals (if fitted) are intact with no sign of damage

4. Check the door has 3 hinges, and they are in a good state of repair.

5. Check any vision panels are free from damage.

6. Check the door furniture allows the door to close firmly into the frame.

7. Check the door has correctly fitted mandatory signage.

Remember – your fire doors will only protect you if you show them a little love!!

If you need any further help in taking care of your fire doors or managing fire safety in your premises, then please get in touch.

Get in touch

This article was published as part of Fire Door Safety Week 2021

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  1. Burning facts about fire risk assessments
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16
Sep, 2021

What are RAMS?

What are RAMS in the world of Health and Safety?

If we were in the land of Clarkson’s Farm (anyone watched it? I love Wayne Rooney and Leonardo DiCaprio) then we would know that RAMS look like this:

Ram to illustrate the article What are RAMS?

When talking health and safety, RAMS stands for Risk Assessments and Method Statements.

Risk assessments and method statements are two separate process that, when used together, form a basis for your safe systems of work. They are used together widely when managing health and safety, particularly in high hazard industries like Construction.

But even if you don’t work in construction, you have more than likely used RAMS – just ask the Green Cross Code Man.

So, what are risk assessments and method statements?

What is a Risk Assessment?

A risk assessment, simply put, is a methodical way of identifying what might go wrong when carrying out a task or activity. We use them to foresee how people might get hurt and what we can do to protect them and keep them safe from harm.

We are required by law to carry out risk assessments for our activities, and if our business has 5 or more employees then it is a legal requirement to make a record of your risk assessments. These requirements are set out in the Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999.

There are many different types of risk assessment covering a huge range of work activities, tasks and situations. The basic method for carrying out these risk assessments always stay the same. The five steps to risk assessment are:

  1. Identify the hazards
  2. Estimate the risk by understanding who might be harmed, the likelihood of harm and the potential consequences
  3. Evaluate the risk and, where needed, put additional controls in place to reduce the risk to an acceptable level
  4. Record the significant findings of the assessment
  5. Review your assessment periodically or if anything the risk assessment is based on changes.

What are Method Statements?

Method Statements are typically used in high hazard industries (e.g. Construction) and gives us the step-by-step instructions for completing a job safely. There is no legal requirement to provide method statements, but they can play a significant role in ensuring we provide a safe system of work.

A method statement is usually accompanied by the risk assessment for the task or activity it covers. The risk assessment tells you what the risks are and the controls to be used to reduce the risk to an acceptable level. The method statement gives you instructions on how to carry out the work, with each step set out sequentially detailing exactly what needs to be done. The method statement will refer to the risk assessment and will include the steps needed to make sure the controls detailed in the risk assessment are put in place.

Method statements usually contain the following details:

  • Project details – including key contact information for people in control of the works
  • Description of the specific work the method statement covers
  • Date and duration of work
  • Step-by-step instructions for carrying out the works
  • PPE requirements
  • Management arrangements
  • Monitoring requirements
  • First aid provision
  • Welfare provision
  • Emergency procedures

Method statements are much more detailed than risk assessments; where a risk assessment tells us what we need to work safely a method statement will tell us how to do it.

What does this have to do with the Green Cross Code Man?

We all have experience of working with RAMS, even if you don’t realise it. One of the first forms of risk assessments and method statements we learn as a kid is the Green Cross Code. We learn the systematic way to identify the hazards (moving vehicles), assess the risks (is the vehicle speeding towards us) and put controls in place to reduce the risk (find a safe space to cross). We also learn the step-by-step method statement that we need to cross the road. We are taught to Think, Stop, Look and listen, Wait, Look and listen again, arrive alive.

Picture of the Green Cross Code Man to illustrate the article What are RAMS?

When we are young and learning the green cross code, we get taught to break the complicated, risky and scary task down into an easy to follow step-by-step process. That what RAMS do for us in the workplace, they take high hazard, complicated, risky jobs and break them down in to simple to follow steps with all the things we need to do to stay safe set out and integrated into the job.

So, the next time you are asked ‘What are RAMS?’ you’ll be able to point people in the direction of the green cross code!

Do you need any help in preparing your RAMS?

Get in touch

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3
Sep, 2021
Why choose DanumBS?

Why choose DanumBS?

There are many Health and Safety Consultants out there, so why choose DanumBS?

Managing health and safety in your business is not only a legal requirement, it’s the right thing to do to protect your people, assets, reputation and finances. Working with the right consultant, who takes time to know and understand your business, can help you protect your people and business easily and effectively.

Why work with a Health and Safety Consultant?

Have you had a look at the HSE website recently? There is a tonne of useful information and guidance on there to help businesses of all sizes to manage health and safety successfully in their organisation. If you have the time to deep dive into the website, you can find everything you need to meet your legal requirements.

But how do you know what you need? Can you be sure you have covered all the bases? And do you have time to sit and digest loads of guidance to find the nugget of information you need?

It is a legal requirement for every employer to appoint a competent person to assist them with their health and safety undertakings. This doesn’t automatically mean that you must use an external H&S Consultant, but if somebody within your organisation is appointed as your competent person you need to ensure they have enough time to carry out their H&S duties, and that the person(s) have the right skills, knowledge, attitude, training, and experience to meet the needs of the business.

Many SME’s will not have the need to appoint a full-time health and safety employee, or anyone within the organisation with the right knowledge and experience to meet the businesses H&S needs as well as fulfil their own job-role.

Working with a H&S Consultant brings you the expertise you need, when you need it, with the added value of getting access to somebody who works across a number of businesses and sectors. This means you get the benefit of your H&S Consultant learning and knowing what works well for different organisations.

Why choose DanumBS for health and safety support?

Tracy Cartwright Why Choose DanumBS

Here at DanumBS you get me – Tracy – and I believe that Health and Safety is not your number one focus or priority in your business. For me, health and safety is a value. Much like honesty, simplicity, and reliability. Its non-negotiable, and part of everything I do.

The reason for this? Areas of focus and priorities change, depending on what is going on in the business on any given day. Values are embedded, while priorities can change.

When working with me you get those same values brought into the heart of your business. My job is to give you the clear advice and support you need to enable to go about your day-to-day work, knowing you are doing all you need to do to keep people safe.

I’ve worked around H&S all my career. I started off working at a large consultancy as a Chemical Engineer designing safety systems for chemical plants to make sure they didn’t go bang. I then worked as a Quality, Health, Safety and Environmental Advisor for the same Consultancy (with the longest job title I’ve ever had). This is where I fell love with the idea of putting management systems, procedures and steps in place that are meaningful and easy to use on a day-to-day basis. There is no point in writing risk assessments, procedures, etc if they are overly complicated and never going to be followed in ‘real life’. You don’t get death by clipboard and red-tape with me! I moved from the Consultancy role to work on a chemical manufacturing site. In this job I had both process safety and occupational health and safety to look after. From meeting regulatory requirements, emergency planning, daily H&S matters, projects to improve standards, working with site staff and contractors, and looking after a construction project on a live chemical plant this was a job with a huge scope and a great experience. Now I have my own H&S Consultancy, DanumBS, where I get to work with some brilliant clients of all sizes in all kinds of industries (from Covid testing labs, medical charities, woodworking factory and telecoms to name a few!).

Why am I telling you all this? So you know that I understand what it’s like to be in your shoes. Businesses have all kinds of competing pressures, you have to meet the demands of your customers, keep your people happy, earn enough money to be financially viable and many other things besides. You want to make sure you are keeping your people safe and protecting your business in a way that is integrated into everything you do, so that that safety is ‘baked-in’ to all of your activities and processes and in a simple, cost-effective way. I can help you achieve that, giving you peace of mind and a happy, healthy workplace.

Whether I am working with you on a specific project, for example developing your risk assessments, or working with you on a longer term basis as your appointed Competent Person (check out my Safe Business Solution tailored for your business) you get the same approach from me. I love to take time to build up a great working relationship with clients, to really understand their business and their culture, and to find out who makes the best coffee!

My current favourite mug for article why choose DanumBS?

When you choose DanumBS as your trusted health and safety partner, you know you will get top-notch technical advice delivered in an understandable and easy to implement way,

Want to have a chat and start getting to know each other?

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7
Jun, 2021

Burning facts about Fire Risk Assessment

Fires have a devastating effect on businesses, with even small fires leading to huge consequences. As well as the immediate effects of fire (injury or fatality, damage to premises and work equipment), the recovery from fire can be extremely challenging. Even with insurance in place, some businesses will never recover from the loss of production, potential loss of documentation and client data and damage to their reputation.

Making sure your business is protected from fire is not only a legal requirement, but a fundamental of health and safety management. Nobody wants to see everything they have worked for go up in smoke!

When do I need a Fire Risk Assessment?

If you have any non-domestic premises, then you are required by law to carry out a fire risk assessment. Non-domestic premises include all workplaces and commercial premises, all premises the public have access to and common areas of multi-occupied residential buildings.

In England and Wales the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 (RRFSO) requires that every business undertakes a fire risk assessment, and that if there are 5 or more employees a record of the risk assessment must be made.

The RRFSO does not set out how often you need to carry out a fire risk assessment, but it does say you need to review it periodically. It is usual to review your fire risk assessment annually, or sooner if any of the following circumstances apply:

  • Changes to the structure of the building or premises
  • Major changes to the function or purpose of any part of your premises
  • Any new hazardous substances are introduced to your premises
  • Following any fire related accident or incident
  • If you see any damage or faults with fire safety equipment
  • Changes to the number of people on the premises (increase or decrease)
  • If you take on new employees with any disabilities that may have an impact on their ability to evacuate independently in the event of a fire

Who is responsible for carrying out a Fire Risk Assessment?

There are two distinct duties here:

  1. Responsible person – the person defined in legislation as being responsible for ensuring a fire risk assessment is carried out and that fire precautions are adequate

2. Fire risk assessor – person who has the competence to carry out a suitable and sufficient fire risk assessment.

The responsible person can also be the fire risk assessor, providing they are competent to carry out the assessment, but it is more usual for the responsible person to appoint an assessor either from within their own organisation or an external consultant.

What does a Fire Risk Assessment cover?

 Fire Hazard – a source, situation or act that has potential to result in a fire

Fire Risk – the combination of the likelihood of a fire and the consequences (fatalities, injuries or damage) likely to be caused by the fire.

There are 9 steps to Fire Risk Assessment – it sounds a lot, but it is relatively straightforward. These steps are:

Information about the premises, occupants, and the processes – details of the physical structure and layout of the premises, occupancy levels, details of any occupants with any disabilities that may make them more vulnerable in an evacuation, details of what works and processes are carried out on the premises and details of any previous fires on those premises or others of similar nature.

Identification of fire hazards and means for their elimination or control – identify sources of ignition (such as electrical faults, cooking, hot work, malicious ignition), unsafe conditions (such as poor housekeeping leading to increased fire loading) and unsafe acts that could lead to the development of a fire.

Assessment of the likelihood of fire – a determination of the overall likelihood of fire in the current circumstances, usually given as high, medium, or low.

Assessment of fire protection measures – look at the physical measures in place to mitigate the consequences of fire such as fire detection and warnings, means of escape, signs, emergency lighting, firefighting equipment, structural design to limit the spread of fire and any other appropriate measures.

Assessment of fire safety management – the policies and procedures in place to prevent the occurrence of fire and identify special responsibilities in the event of a fire. This includes arrangements for training and fire drills, use of firefighting equipment, liaison with fire and rescue services, routine inspections of the premises and fire precautions, testing and maintenance of fire protection systems, and sharing information with other stakeholders (e.g. in the case of shared premises).

Assessment of consequences of fire – consider the number of people that can be injured, and the likely extent of their injuries, usually given as slight harm, moderate harm or extreme harm.

Assessment of consequences of fire – consider the number of people that can be injured, and the likely extent of their injuries, usually given as slight harm, moderate harm or extreme harm.

Assessment of fire risk – a combination of the likelihood of fire and its potential consequences from earlier steps. An example of a risk matrix is given in the table below.

 

Consequences of Fire

Likelihood of Fire

Slight Harm

Moderate Harm

Extreme Harm

Low

Trivial Risk

Tolerable Risk

Moderate Risk

Medium

Tolerable Risk

Moderate Risk

Substantial Risk

High

Moderate Risk

Substantial Risk

Intolerable Risk

Action plan – detail all actions needed to reduce and / or maintain the risk at a tolerable or trivial level. It should address physical measures and managerial issues that need to be addressed, and the urgency with which each action should be carried out.

Periodic review of fire risk assessment – set a date by which the next periodic review should be carried out, if not reviewed before because of a change in circumstances in which the original FRA was based. Any actions plans from previous FRA’s need to be reviewed at the same time.

Fire safety management

Your fire risk assessment is a living document, having it nicely written up and tucked away in a filing cabinet does not protect your people and your premises. You need to make sure the precautions, arrangements and actions detailed in the FRA are in place and remain effective. Your insurers and local Fire and Rescue Service may want to see evidence of your risk assessment and its implementation to make sure you are doing all you can to keep your people safe.

So, what’s the key message to take away?

Every business that has premises needs a fire risk assessment, and if that business employs five or more people then the risk assessment must be documented. You need to make sure the measures and controls identified to minimise the risk and consequences of fire are in place, and that defined responsibilities in the event of fire are assigned and understood. If you have any significant changes to your building, your people or what you do there, then you will need to review your fire risk assessment to assess the impact of the changes and take actions if needed.

Got any questions about Fire Risk Assessments?

Get in touch!

12
May, 2021

Working at Height

Working at height can be a risky business! With 29 fatalities associated with working at height recorded in 2019/2020, it was the biggest cause of fatalities in the workplace in that year. And while work at height is not the biggest cause of non-fatal RIDDOR reportable incidents, the injuries that result from a fall from height are often life changing.

Employers a have a duty to protect their workers from harm in the workplace, and what you need to do to is set out in the Work at Height Regulations 2005.

What is work at height?

Work at height means any work in any place where, if precautions were not taken, a person could fall a distance liable to cause personal injury.

You are working at height if you:

  • work above ground / floor level,
  • could fall from an edge, through an opening or fragile surface,
  • could fall from ground level into an opening in a floor or hole in the ground.

What do I need to do to comply with the Work at Height Regs?

The purpose of the Regs is to make sure that the risks when working at height are removed or reduced as far as possible. They are not there to prevent people working at height, but to make sure that they do it safely. These are five steps to make sure you comply with the Work at Height regulations:

  1. Make sure that you identify tasks where people are working at height, and that they are properly planned and organised.
  2. Assess the risks involved with work at height and make sure appropriate work equipment is selected and used.
  3. Make sure that everyone working at height understand the risks and the measures in place to protect them. They also need to know how to use the equipment, and what checks to make to spot any problems or defects before or during use.
  4. Ensure the risk of working on or near fragile surfaces are identified and managed.
  5. Have systems in place to make sure any equipment used for work at height is properly inspected and maintained.

How to keep safe when working at height

The HSE guidance has a great flowchart that guides you through the decision process for deciding if you should work from height, and if you are what measures you need to consider putting in place.

The key steps in the guidance are:

Step 1:    Avoid work at height wherever reasonably practicable. Reasonably practicable is a key phrase here, it means when the time, trouble, cost and physical difficulty of avoiding working at height does not far outweigh the benefit of carrying out the work at height.

Step 2: Prevent falls by using an existing place of work that is safe, or the right type of equipment to access the work area. When decided what equipment and protective measure you put in place, prioritise collective protection over personal protection.

Collective protection – does not require the person working at height to be effective, for example putting permanent or temporary guard rails in place.

Personal protection – requires the individual to act to be effective, e.g. using a safety harness.

     

Step 3: Minimise the distance and consequences of a fall by using the right equipment when the risk cannot be eliminated.

The regs do not ask you to go overboard with safety precautions, but to take a common sense approach to considering work at height and how you control the risks.

What do you need to think about when you are working at height?

So you’ve done your risk assessment, planned the work, got the equipment in place and people are aware of what they are doing and how…….now you’re ready to go!

But you need to keep and eye on things while you are doing the job. Things to look out for might be:

  • Weather conditions – wind, rain, hail and snow can all pose a problem when working outside, even more so if you are working at height. If weather conditions are bad or deteriorate to a point where the job is unsafe then stop work. Make sure you check any ladders, scaffolds etc before use again.
  • Alongside your formal inspection regimes, make sure people know to have a quick check of all work at height equipment and job areas before each use.
  • While working at height, prevent materials or equipment from falling, and if you can’t then put an exclusion zone in place so that items that fall cannot harm anyone below.
  • Store any materials or objects safely so that they won’t cause harm or damage if they fall or collapse.

And possibly the most important thing to remember – make sure you have emergency rescue plans in place before work at height starts. The wrong time to try to come up with a plan is in the middle of a crisis!

Can I use ladders at work?

Since the introduction of the Work at Height Regs, there has been a myth doing the rounds that all work from ladders is banned. The HSE even have a section on their website to address this myth, but it still seems to keep doing the rounds.

The answer to ‘Can I used ladders at work?’ is YES – as long as it is appropriate for the task at hand.

Ladders and stepladders can be the most sensible and practical solutions for working at height. If the work is of short duration and low risk, there are no other options available, and it is not reasonably practicable (remember the time, trouble, cost and difficulty) to do the work any other way then ladders and stepladders are the way to go.

Another common myth is that you need to be formally ‘qualified’ to use a ladder. There is not a requirement for a qualification to work from a ladder, the person does need to be competent and trained though and often on-the-job training and supervision is all that is needed.

A note about stepladders – another myth is that you need to maintain three points of contact by always using both feet and one hand when using a stepladder. If you need both hands to carry out a task, you can maintain three points of contact by using your knees or chest to help with stability.

So, what is the key message to take away?

Falls from height are a major factor in fatalities and injuries in the workplace, so the risks associated with working at height need to be eliminated or minimised. Guidance sets out a hierarchy of control that you need to think about when planning work at height, from avoiding it all together, preventing falls, and minimising the consequences of any fall. Any work at height needs to be properly planned, supervised and the people trained and competent to do the tasks at hand.

Got any questions about managing the risks of working at height?

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5
May, 2021

How do you manage PPE in your workplace?

Do you understand what PPE is, how to choose the correct type, who is responsible for it and how to look after it?

PPE, or Personal Protective Equipment, is used across most industries and settings. PPE is our last line of defence against hazards, so it is important that it is selected, used and maintained correctly.

There are a specific set of regulations that cover the use of PPE, these are the Personal Protective Equipment at Work Regulations.

What is PPE?

Personal Protective Equipment is exactly what it says – it is equipment designed to be worn or used on the person to protect them from specific hazards.

While PPE can be vital in keeping people safe, it shouldn’t be the only thing we consider as a protection measure. A big failing of PPE is that it protects only one person, not many, and it is open to misuse or disrepair which will have an impact on any protection factor.

As you are assessing risks and looking at ways to control hazards, relying on PPE should be your last choice of control. You must first try to eliminate the hazards, use engineering controls and put a safe system of work in place to minimise the risks. Only once you have gone as far as you can with these controls, can you start considering the use of PPE to protect the individual.

Most of us have used PPE in some form or another, if only by wearing a pair of marigolds when doing the washing up to stop the skin on our hands drying out. The table below shows the most common types of PPE and the hazards they offer protection against.

Common types of PPE

TypeExample hazards it offers protection against

Head Protection

Wear hard hat symbol - Head Protection - Personal Protection - Health & Safety

Safety Helmets

Bump Caps

Firefighters Helmets

Impact on low level / head height objects

Falling plant or equipment from lifting operations, conveyors, machinery, elevated work places (e.g. scaffold)

Falling branches from tree felling

Flying debris from blasting operations

Eye & Face Protection

Duty to wear safety spectacles: we'll clear things up | blog | uvex safety

Safety Specs

Goggle

Full-face Visors

Liquid or chemical splashes

Chippings or dust from use of power tools

Dust, gas, liquid or mist formed during cleaning operations

Intense light or radiation, e.g. welding

Hand & Arm Protection

Gloves Symbol | Safety Signs 4 Less

Gloves

Gauntlets

Sleeving / Arm Protection

Cuts and abrasions from rough or sharp surfaces and edges

Contact with chemicals (note gloves need to be rated for the specific chemical hazard you are protecting against)

Keep hands warm when operating machinery that causes vibration

Extreme hot or cold temperatures / materials

Radioactive materials

Electrical hazards

Foot Protection

100mm x 100mm Wear Safety Boots Sign [Sticker Self Adhesive Vinyl] Workshop Office Personal Protection Safety: Amazon.co.uk: Kitchen & Home

Safety Boots or Shoes

Wellingtons

Crush injuries from object falling on feet or toes

Extreme cold environments

Electrical hazards

Chemical spills (boots must be rated for specific chemical hazard you are protecting against)

Explosion risk – antistatic footwear used in potentially explosive atmosphere

Wet environments when using water sprays

Hi-Vis Clothing

Hi Vis Jacket Symbol

Waistcoats

Jackets

Trousers

Coveralls

Hazard is person not being seen in the work environment that may lead to collision or trapping injury.

 

Typical places hi-vis is worn are:

  • Construction sites
  • Factories
  • Warehouses
  • Railways
  • Highways

Other types include:

  • Protection clothing, e.g. cut resistant chain mail apron
  • Drowning protection, e.g. buoyancy aids and life jackets
  • Personal fall protection, e.g. rope access systems
  • Respiratory Protective Equipment (RPE), e.g. respirators and breathing apparatus

A note about hearing protection: the PPE regs do not apply to hearing protection, other than to say that any hearing protection used must be compatible with other PPE. The use of hearing protection is covered by the Control of Noise at Work Regulations.

PPE is not

  • Ordinary work clothing or uniforms
  • Clothing provided for food hygiene purposes
  • Equipment used in competitive sports
  • Bike or motorcycle helmets
  • Personal radiation and gas detectors

What do you need?

The need to use PPE will typically be identified through the risk assessment process, for example from COSHH assessments, general workplace assessments, task-based assessments, etc.

Once you have identified the need for PPE, you then need to select the correct type to protect against the specific hazards. You need to also make sure that it does not increase any risks to the user, and the aim is to select PPE that gives the maximum benefit for the user while causing the minimum discomfort – uncomfortable PPE will not be used properly.

All PPE must carry a CE mark that shows it meets the requirements of the Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) Directive 89/686/EEC. PPE could carry a CE mark from other Directives, so you need to make sure that any CE mark is specifically for the PPE Directive. This information is readily available from your supplier.

When using more than one item of PPE, you must make sure that they are compatible. For example, the use of a full-face respirator that does not allow you to wear a safety helmet at the same time would not be suitable for an environment where a safety helmet is needed.

The PPE Regulations are supported by guidance L25 Guidance on the Personal Protective Equipment at Work Regulations, where further information about correct selection is given in Part 2 Selection, use and maintenance of personal protective equipment.

If you need help on selecting the right PPE, then talk to your Health and Safety Consultant or specialist suppliers who will be happy to guide you.

Who is responsible?

Employers duties

Employers are responsible for identifying PPE needs, and making sure there is a readily available supply. Most PPE is supplied on an individual basis – you would not ask people to share hard hats, boots, gloves, etc. but some items such as breathing apparatus can be shared. Where it is shared, employers must have a process in place to make sure it is properly cleaned and decontaminated between uses.

For agency workers, the site operators (eg a Construction site) might provide appropriate PPE so they know the workers are protected. In this case, the agency employing the workers does not have to provide additional PPE although they do have a duty to ensure that the it has been provided.

An employer cannot charge any employee or agency worker for the provision of PPE, nor should an employee be asked to pay a returnable deposit.

When issuing PPE you need to make sure the users know the correct way to use it. The employer is responsible for providing suitable information, instruction, and training for their people so that they can use it effectively. Training should be appropriate to the intended use of the PPE – you don’t need a day long training course on how to wear a safety helmet, but training in the use of rope access systems will take a little while!

Make it clear in your workplace where PPE is needed by displaying safety signing at entry points to areas with particular hazards.

Employees duties

Employees need to take care of any PPE issued to them, and they must not use it until they have received suitable training.

PPE should be checked before each use, and any defects reported to the employer so that it can be repaired or replaced.

If employees have any concerns about the use, suitability or state of PPE they should raise their concerns immediately with their employer or any employers representative.

What do you need to do to look after PPE?

Once PPE has been issued, it needs to be looked after to make sure it continues to offer the correct level of protection. A documented system to manage PPE helps here, with records of what equipment has been issued to who, and any periodic maintenance, inspection or enquiry dates recorded and a system in place for recall of items when needed.

Your management system should include the following:

  1. Examination – checking for faults, damage, wear and tear, etc.
  2. Testing – to ensure it is operating as intended.
  3. Ready for use – making sure when PPE is returned it is made ready for use before being issued again.
  4. Cleaning arrangements – including disinfection and decontamination where necessary.
  5. Repair
  6. Replacement

You should also make suitable arrangements for the storage of PPE, taking care to store clean and dirty items (awaiting cleaning) separately to prevent any cross-contamination.

So, what is the key message to take away?

PPE is always a last line of defence against any potential hazard because it protects only the individual (not the workforce collectively) and can be subject to misuse or disrepair. You should only look to use PPE where all other hazard control measures have not reduced the risk to an acceptable level. You must be careful to select the right PPE to make sure it is protecting against the identified hazards, and it must be comfortable and easy to use. PPE only protects the individual if it is well maintained and used correctly, so make things as easy and as comfortable as possible to get the best compliance with your PPE policies.

Got any questions about PPE or need any guidance?

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