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?

Get in touch

Related Posts

  1. Managing Health and Safety for small businesses
  2. What does competence mean for Health and Safety?
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?

Get in touch

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?

Get in touch
13
Apr, 2021
Two Lego Stormtroopers carrying another lego stormtrooper on a stretcher to illustrate first aid at work blog

What do I need to know about First Aid at Work?

All employers, no matter what size of business or what kind of activities they carry out, have a duty to provide first aid care to look after their workers if they are taken ill or have an accident in the workplace.

The Health and Safety (First Aid) Regulations 1981 says that employers need to have adequate and appropriate facilities, people and equipment in place to give immediate and effective assistance if somebody is taken ill or is injured. You also have a duty to tell your workers about the first aid arrangements in place in their workplace.

But how do you know what is ‘adequate and appropriate’ first aid provision? First aid needs will be different for all workplaces, depending on a number of factors.

As with all things Health and Safety, it all starts with an assessment – your first aid needs assessment.

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2
Nov, 2020
Managing health and safety

Managing Health and Safety for small businesses

Every employer has a duty to look after the health and safety of anyone who may be affected by their business activities. The duties for small businesses are just the same as those for larger businesses. This may seem overwhelming, but getting things in place for small businesses might be a lot easier than you think.

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