HSfB Articles - Health and Safety for Beginners

New Articles Added by Leading Law Firm - McGrigors LLP

2009-10-17T15:28:00.000Z

HSfB has been given permission to publish the following articles and e-bulletins from the leading law firm McGrigors LLP.

We would like to thank McGrigors LLP for this fantastic contribution and we hope you will find the articles both helpful and interesting.

17 October 2009

New articles added to Your Articles by McGrigors LLP.

Our guide to health and safety in the kitchen

2009-06-08T20:24:00.001Z

The kitchen is the focal point of the British home; the social hub of a party; the place where culinary delights are created; and the location for families to exchange dinnertime stories. It is a well known fact that the majority of accidents happen in the home, and it is no surprise that most of these occur in the kitchen. The elderly and children are particularly susceptible when navigating around the various surfaces, often greeted with unstable objects and protruding corners.

Whichever relates to you, health and safety in the kitchen applies to everyone. If you have a kitchen at work, you are constantly reminded of the potential hazards with the help of animated signs, reinforced by the HR manager. Unfortunately, these guidelines do not exist in the average home, so we all have to be more vigilant of the dangers that can happen in the kitchen in order to enjoy our time in it.

Your kitchen should be ergonomically designed to reduce unnecessary movement and awkward manoeuvres. This applies particularly to the hob and oven area. Burns and scalding usually occur as a consequence of distraction, but there is some further protection if you use triple-glazed or cooling system ovens. These have a low surface temperature as they operate, and so prevent burning through accidental touches or leaning by children.

Hob areas are the most potentially dangerous, though they should all now have an automatic cut off installed so that the gas stops if the flame accidentally goes out. The hob should never be placed in front of a window precisely to prevent this from happening, and also to prevent curtains or blinds flapping dangerously near naked flames. When cooking, ensure that pan handles are not receiving heat from another hob or ring, and that you do not leave the handle hanging over the edge.

Always allocate sufficient space around the cooking surface. You will need an amount of worktop by the oven and hob so that hot and heavy items can be put down quickly. Fit plug sockets on either side of the hob so that appliances and their leads won't need to be pulled across the hot surface. Lastly, always position the hob near to the sink so that it won't be necessary to carry full pans very far and never put the units either side of a door. You do not want to collide with someone coming in whilst you are carrying boiling water.

Store your kitchen items wisely to minimise the risk of accidents. Heavy items and awkward pots and pans should be stored in the lower cupboards, while glassware and other lighter goods can be stored in wall cupboards. If items are exposed, they musty be positioned on a level worktop and so it cannot be dislodged.

Kitchens can easily become the dirtiest room in the house, but it is vitally important that they are also one of the most hygienic. Using certain materials in your fittings can make the kitchen easier to clean; granite and quartz worktops for example, are smooth, seamless and stain resistant. A well designed kitchen will try to avoid the common dirt and grime traps such as the joins around the sink and between worktops.

Changing your kitchen work surfaces is not only a good way to improve overall heath and safety, but one of the simplest methods of upgrading without being a major upheaval. John Porter worktops and kitchens understand the significance of health and safety, and offer a comprehensive range of quality kitchen worktops that guarantee peace of mind for their customers.

“Health and safety in the kitchen can and does get forgotten, particularly when rushing in back from work, or preparing a stressful dinner for the family, so we try to ensure that our worktops are fitted to the highest standard,” says John Porter. “This is why we recruit expert fitters, use the finest materials and adhere to the rigorous safety standards that are set. If all of this is achieved, then we know our customers are receiving the best possible service.”

So remember, the kitchen can be safe place to inhabit, we just need to be aware that accidents can and do happen. That reminds me, I have a dinner party next weekend….

Matthew Crick

Your Guide to Smoke Detectors and Fire Alarms

2009-06-08T20:23:00.000Z

Smoke detectors and fire alarms give you vital extra time to escape from a building if a fire breaks out. Most businesses and institutions have a combination of smoke and fire alarms to alert people of a fire. Whether you run a business from a tiny office or if you’re responsible for the safety of an entire school, you need to be sure that you have the correct smoke detectors and fire alarms fitted in the building. Below is a quick guide to smoke detectors and commercial fire alarms.

What types of smoke detectors are available?

The type of smoke detector you require will largely depend on the size and type of your premises. The cheapest type of smoke detectors are ionisation detectors which can detect small particles of smoke before the smoke gets too dense. Ionisation smoke detectors are not ideal at detecting substances which are slow to burn but are quick to detect high flaming fires such as liquid fires so they are a good choice for workshops, garages and kitchens.

Optical smoke detectors are better for detecting slow burning fires which produce larger smoke particles. Optical smoke detectors are a good choice for rooms or buildings which have a lot of wiring such as server rooms or computer suites as these substances can create a lot of smoke during a fire. Combined smoke detectors will be triggered by slow burning and high flaming fires so are a good all round choice.

What types of fire alarms are available?

There are many different types of commercial fire alarms available which means you will be able to find the right system for your building, whether you are upgrading or installing a system for the first time. A conventional fire alarm system would be suitable for smaller premises such as shops, small offices and bed and breakfasts. These conventional systems have detection zones which are connected to a number of fire alarm smoke detectors and break glass units.

Addressable fire alarm systems transmit data to a panel which allows you to see exactly where the fire is in the building which makes them a good choice for larger premises. Wireless commercial fire alarms offer the most flexibility and are ideal for premises which are spread out over a number of buildings such as schools or university campuses. Wireless commercial fire alarms can be fitted without any disruption and are installed without wires so they are also a good choice for busy offices, stately homes and public buildings such as libraries and museums.

Make sure you have the correct smoke detectors and commercial fire alarms fitted in your workplace so that you know the people who use the building will have enough time to escape in an emergency.

This article was written by Assured Fire & Security for Health and Safety for Beginners.

Common causes of an office fire

2009-05-09T19:16:00.000Z

The acute “beep, beep, beep, beep...” of the office fire alarm resonates around the room and a momentarily look of concern presents itself on every face that has risen in unison. This, for the incalculable time, is a test alarm and one that arrives each week with wonderment. We are all aware, however, that this scheduled blast has a serious agenda; a job that we can’t resent and a role that could save our lives. The fire alarm is possibly the most understated colleague in any office.

For anyone who’s experienced the horror of a real-live, raging fire – whether in the office or at home – it is something I’m sure they will not want to experience again. Businesses across the UK have introduced additional safety equipment, upgraded facilities and implemented more coherent training for their personnel to prevent such incidents meaning fire safety in the work place has never been more prominent, with more vigorous checks being recommended by fire officials to make properties impervious to fire.

The First Statistics Monitor, which is published quarterly by Communities and Local Government, encompasses provisional figures on fires, fire fatalities, injuries and false alarms. During 2007/08, The UK Fire and Rescue Services attended 799,000 fire and false alarm incidents (at both domestic and commercial properties) – noting an 8 per cent decrease on the previous 12 months. The total number of UK fires fell by 11 per cent to 382,000 and are at their lowest since 1988. The figure for UK fire deaths, however, increased by 8 per cent to 500, and embedded within this statistic, 373 deaths occurred in England; the latter being contrary to the long term downward trend.

In July 2003, over 100 fire fighters spent hours contending with a fire that broke out in a prodigious office block behind Paddington Station. Resilient fire crew tackled the blaze continuously for two days, and five were treated in hospital for injuries. It later emerged that the building had recognised electrical problems and insufficient fire safety appliances, mainly fire extinguishers and blankets. Five floors of the structure were lost that day, but fortunately no lives.

In May 2007, Council headquarters in Leicestershire were obliterated by a fire which was caused by an electrical fault on a light fitting. The building hosted over 150 staff, and although every staff member was safely evacuated successfully, over three quarters of office space was lost. Local emergencies praised the speed in which everyone left the building and the manner and organisation they did so. After a rigorous post-mortem check of the buildings smouldering carcass, fire officials applauded the overall safety equipment that was in place at the time. Malise Graham, Leader of Melton Borough Council, made the irrefutable point: “We may have lost most of the office, but we still have all our staff in one piece. I’m glad that we can plan for a new building and not for human loses.”

The office is a perfect breeding ground for a fire. Electrical equipment such as fax machines and photocopiers are both potential heat-generating threats, and although there are constant warnings about monitoring and upgrading fire safety devices, often old or defective machines like the humble photocopier can be fire hazards. Even a kettle or fridge should be considered and documented.

“Appropriate fire training for all staff is essential to ensure that the correct action is taken in the event of a fire,” says Active Fire Management, who provide a professional fire consultancy service for all aspects of fire safety and training requirements. “ The Fire Safety Order 2005 requires timely and effective training for all personnel. Any training provided should also be repeated at regular intervals. Organisations should ensure that details of training and names of those who have received it is recorded in the fire log book.”

Combustible objects such as books, magazines and bags of materials waiting to be recycled act like fire lighters on a log fire, and should be stored properly and not piled up around the office. All storage areas should be adequately located away from heat sources, for example; servers, computers and plugs. Be extra conscious of having excessive electrical outlets and try to reduce the amount of extension cables that weave across the floor.

“Effective management of electrical cables in the workplace is essential in order to avoid trip hazards to staff, but also to reduce the possibility of an unwanted fire,” continues Active Fire. “Ensure that all electrical equipment undergoes a regular PAT test and maintain appropriate records.”

If you are sat at your desk as you finish reading this, take a few minutes out of your busy day to distinguish who is one of the most undervalued team mates in the office. The fire alarm? And let’s not forget your other assistants: fire safety equipment. All of you are in the same team and one day may really depend on each other.

For more information visit www.activefiremanagement.co.uk

Words by Matthew Crick

HSfB in the Beginning...

2009-01-04T18:07:00.001Z

After suffering a back injury at work in 2002 where I slipped two discs lifting heavy machinery parts, I spent the next 2 ½ years virtually housebound living on Incapacity Benefit. Naturally this placed incredible strain on home life for my wife and young daughter (two years old at the time), not only in monetary terms, but simple things like going shopping, visiting friends and family, pulling up socks, or even lifting a full kettle. All the things many people take for granted. The hardest part of these years was not being able to lift, carry or play properly with my young daughter who had no concept of why her mum could and I couldn’t. Kids are amazing creatures though; she was OK with the limited physical activities we could do together.

Over time and after being diagnosed with having ‘the back of an old man’, I then realised I could no longer have a career which involved any sort of manual labour; I would need to put my brain to good use to pay the bills! With time on my hands during these years, I began asking questions as to why I was allowed to go to work perfectly healthy one day, then the next day how my work could have been allowed to place such a dark cloud over my life. Armed with these questions, I sought careers advice and self funded my way through the NEBOSH General Certificate at the Falkirk College and the Diploma in Health and Safety Management at Glasgow’s Caledonian University. My passion for keeping people safe and healthy at work had been ignited.

After completing the NEBOSH General Certificate, I attempted to share a single electronic file with a student friend. Sharing files was all very new to me, especially when the file was too large for email! I had to learn how to use the free web space allocated as part of my internet service provider’s package. My learning started with two websites – www.google.co.uk and www.boogiejack.com. In the process over a few weeks, more and more files found their way onto my web space and I accidentally created a website called Health and Safety for Beginners (HSfB). The sole purpose of the website was originally to provide a completely free resource where students could easily find and share study materials using one large central point. I personally found information like this scarce on the internet and was convinced that there was a gap ready to be filled.

Discussion Forums

Not long after the birth of HSfB and whilst using an H&S discussion forum (which stopped operating some months later), I began chatting online to a user of that particular forum called ‘Ippy’. One comment to me that Ippy made changed HSfB forever….”why don’t you start a discussion forum of your own?” The rest as they say is history. Our discussion forums are an incredibly welcoming and friendly place to be, where everybody is treated with respect and where every single question is also treated with respect, hence the reason our tag line became - There is no such thing as a "stupid" or "daft" health and safety question!. After all, everybody in our profession is simply working towards keeping people at work safe and healthy.

Since those early months, the website has grown into a valuable practical resource for students and professionals alike. The website allows the sharing of information, resources and discussions to take place between likeminded people with realistic and practical solutions for day to day challenges.

Not Just for Beginners

Although the name of the website suggests it is a tool for beginners, the site equally caters for experienced professionals at the same time. In fact, many of the beginners who have used the site in the past are now actively participating in the site daily as experienced professionals and offering their experience as advice. This is basically the HSfB circle of life where beginners gain so much from the site, they then want to put something back through their own learning and experience.

Another objective for HSfB is to assist beginners and professionals with their personal development, whether that is by providing the resources on the site or by providing subsidised learning in partnership with a variety of training providers through prize draw competitions. This particular concept resulted in the site winning the prestigious Lord Cullen Award for Safety Innovation and the Fife Regional Council Shield in 2007. In total, over 350 hours of training were subsidised for winners of the free prize draw and the total value of prizes given away was worth over £7,250.

The prize draw competitions have now become a permanent fixture on HSfB and in late 2008, a dedicated prize draw website was created – www.prizedraw.healthandsafetytips.co.uk. Now, instead of a one-off competition, people registered to receive our monthly newsletter are automatically entered into our monthly prize draws.

It all Falls into Place

Looking back on my H&S career, my passion grows from the first hand experience of being injured at work and the belief that injuries like these, or worse, are completely preventable.

As with many others starting out with their H&S career, it was a catch-22 situation. I had the qualifications (NEBOSH Certificate), but without experience employers were reluctant to take me on. Even after I started the Diploma in Health and Safety Management at Glasgow’s Caledonian University getting my foot on that first rung of the ladder was difficult, and very frustrating!

It took over a year to finally find an employer who would give me the start I needed, and even that was not 100% dedicated to H&S. I secured a job with a small disability access consultancy which lasted one year until the consultancy was forced to close due to late payments from large organisations (something many small business have to contend with regularly).

Amazingly, my second break came from one of our discussion forum’s members! He read about my job with the consultancy coming to an end and to cut a long story short, he persuaded (and helped) me to start my own H&S and disability access consultancy giving me my first paying job. I handed in my completed disability access reports to him on a Friday and during our close-out meeting, he offered me a full-time H&S advisors position working for him in a large oil and gas manufacturing firm in Dunfermline. I started the following Tuesday (it was my daughter’s seventh birthday on the Monday) and my consultancy ended almost exactly one month after its launch.

The amazing thing that stands out for me is that without my injury, I would not have began asking questions as to why people get injured at work, I would not have chosen a career in H&S and HSfB would never have started. My injury and the people I have met through HSfB have changed my life forever, and I know for a fact that I am not the only one.

John Johnston MIIRSM GradIOSH

www.healthandsafetytips.co.uk

www.healthandsafetytips.co.uk/forums

Learn Your Germs

2008-12-31T21:23:00.000Z

So, I’m at work and starting to resemble an extra for Night of the Living Dead. I’ve just completed my routine self-diagnosis and scanning the office I see, thanks to me perhaps, an assortment of my colleagues sniffling and coughing. My desk is gradually sinking between dripping drifts of used tissues and I can’t answer the phone for fear of permanently alienating a vital business contact with my erratic nasal sounds.

I am only half ill, and although I have been doing a decent impression of a person with an impending cold, I have a friend who currently has an unspeakable substance pouring from his head – a cold that has turned into what a trained medical professional would describe as “one hell of an ear infection”. Let’s forget, just for a second, hosing down hospitals; if you want to fight infection then the battle commences in the office.

The average office hosts hundreds of times more bacteria than a toilet seat. Yes, I said a toilet seat. As we all sit here, stewing in our own putrescence while the army of microbes have us at their mercy, they are also throwing meet-and-greet parties all over our office. Parties that we’re not invited to and are monumental in size.

To put their banquet in perspective, around 21,000 germs per square inch are found on work desks. A population that is hard to quantify when you consider the size of a desk. We are constantly and unintentionally adding to this community with the 1,500 germs per square centimetre that congregate on our hands.

Dr. Chuck Gerba, a renowned microbiologist from the University of Arizona, is a leading expert on home and work hygiene. “Clutter doesn’t necessarily mean a lot of germs,” he says. “To a large degree it’s the amount of activity and the number of people that occupy an office.”

Here’s the controversial bit: women spread more germs in the work place than men, according to Gerba. But, before there is unanimous uproar, the higher germ concentration is proof that women have healthier diets than men. “Women tend to store apples, bananas and other biodegradable, healthy food at their desk,” he continues. “Men appear to opt for less nutritious provisions at work, such as gum and crisps.”

Over the last two years, Gerba and his team placed a normal office environment under their microscope and the results were astonishing to say the least. The office, in Arizona, consisted of 15 employees, each with their own desk, a communal kitchen and two separate toilets. Gerba found hundreds of thousands of bacteria on ‘hot spots’ such as a printer button, a mouse and, in even larger amounts, keyboards.

“Among the bacteria we found coliform – intestinal bacteria generally found in human waste – on bathroom handles, in the kitchen sink and on several keyboards,” says Gerba. “This indicated that people were not washing their hands after leaving the bathroom. But, surprisingly, the desks that were cluttered hosted the least bacteria. The proud, office clean freaks generally had a filthy keyboard.”

Elizabeth Scott, a professor at the Simmons Centre for Hygiene and Health in Boston, adds: “Office workers touch their hands to their faces on average 18 times an hour. When we touch our faces, we bring all the collected gunk of our desktop or keyboard directly to our respiratory and digestive system every three and half minutes. Bacteria and viruses couldn’t ask for a better transportation network.”

So, germs could be regarded as the consummate commuter. Unlike most humans, they enjoy travelling in dense crowds, over long distances and once they get to their destination they live is complete harmony; celebrating their arrival with a veritable feast – our office.

We do make their trip easy for them though. Around 71% of office workers believe their workspace makes them regularly ill, with ‘hot desking’ being a major culprit for spreading bacteria and bugs. What’s more, 80% admitted to sharing their workstations, including telephone and computer, while being ill. The migration of the germ has just been upgraded to a free, first class ticket to paradise.

While most of the bacteria that lurks and thrives at our workplace aren’t life-threatening, it does explain why we can feel, well, under the weather sometimes. We can disinfect our desks and office equipment as frequently as time allows us to. The battle to conquer germ domination may be ending, but the war is just beginning.

One way to guarantee the office remains a defiant ‘no germ zone’ is to contact a commercial cleaning company. Albany Facilities is one of the leading office hygiene specialists in the UK who know how to tackle our office organisms.

“Most people have heard of ‘sick building syndrome’, but don’t realise the impact it can have on a business,” says Albany’s Managing Director, Mike Burton. “The term describes a range of symptoms that office workers suffer from, including; headaches, fatigue, difficulty concentrating and respiratory problems. High levels of bacteria and funghi in air ventilation systems could be to blame so companies should ensure that air ducts are regularly deep cleaned.”

The next time you’re sat in front of your desk, devouring your lunch that you’ve been looking forward to all morning, remember one thing: you are the oblivious host to the biggest dinner party of your life!

Matthew Crick

Albany Deep Clean Services

Your Articles - 5 September 2008

2008-09-05T14:58:00.000Z

A week in the life of...

This feature gives you the opportunity to write a short diary of your typical week as an health, safety or environmental professional and have it published here and in our Newsletter. Your diary articles will give a great insight into the world of HS&E, allowing professionals and beginners alike the chance to see how others operate.

If you would like to take part in this feature simply download the template and return the completed form to us - Contact Us. Further information on the feature can be found on our Discussion Forums

Click the link to download our latest addition...

A Week in the Life...Self-Employed Health and Safety Consultant

Your Articles - A Week in the Life of...

2008-08-09T14:01:00.000Z

Your Articles

A week in the life of...

If you would like to take part in this feature simply download the template and return the completed form to us - Contact Us. Further information on the feature can be found on our Discussion Forums.

Exam Tip – Take Your Personal Advisors with You!

2008-07-06T19:33:00.000Z

Do nerves get the better of you under exam conditions and your mind goes blank?

Do you dread your mind going blank and worry about it for days, even weeks or months before your exams?

Has anybody ever told you that you will know the answer and all you need to do is to simply dig deep into your mind and unlock it?

This article will give you the tools to unlock those answers, but only if you let it work for you. If you don’t have an open mind for trying something new, this article really isn’t for you and you shouldn’t waste your time reading any more. Carry on to our home page if you don’t wish to try this out – www.hsfb.co.uk. Otherwise, read on…

This article was created using a technique learned from Jack Black after one of his MindStore for Business courses - https://www.mindstore.com/index.php

Design Your Board Room

Imagine yourself sitting in a large senior executive Board Room. The Board Room is on the top floor of a large office block overlooking the most fantastic view you have ever seen, peaceful and whatever you want it to be. The Board Room is furnished to the highest specification possible with leather executive chairs, modern art décor, plenty of natural light, the temperature is just right and there are plenty of indoor plants and flowers giving off a pleasant calming scent. No expense spared.

You are sitting at the head of the table with a dozen executive places around the plush solid Oak Board Room table and you are in complete control of who enters your Board Room to become your personal advisors.

Call Upon Your Personal Advisors

The trick to successfully answering exam questions using this technique is quite simply to have the right people sitting at your Board Room table advising you. For example, if you were asked a question on health and safety law and you weren’t quite sure of the answer, who would you turn to for the answer if you had the chance? Would it be a previous lecturer from your NEBOSH General Certificate? Would it be a colleague from a local IOSH branch group? Would it be one of HSfB’s discussion forum members? Would it be your mentor or boss? It doesn’t matter who it is. Just make sure you think of the person you feel can answer you instantly on the particular topic and place them in your Board Room sitting in one of the plush leather executive chairs.

Then, when the question comes up under exam conditions (or during every day life), simply ask your health and safety advisor and let them give you the answer. They will give you the correct answer every single time, without fail (as long as you have studied the subject that is).

Use this technique to fill your Board Room with people you trust to give you good solid advice on any topic you like, from COSHH, fire, construction, occupational health, work at heights, confined spaces or even the NEBOSH action verbs! It’s your Board Room and you are in control of who enters it to become your personal advisors.

Use Your Imagination

If you feel your Board Room is beginning to bulge at the seams with advisors, that’s just fantastic. The more the merrier! Simply make your Board Room bigger!

This technique doesn’t just work under exam conditions, it can work in your every day lives if you are simply looking for advice on a decision that lies ahead of you. It’s a simple case of asking yourself - “what would ______ have said in this situation?”

The technique works because psychologically even if you make yourself believe you can’t remember, or if you are unsure of how to decide on something, you will simply have faith in your advisors not to forget and to say the right thing, then you will get your answer.

Tell yourself often enough that you can’t remember and guess what? You won’t remember!

Tell yourself you will remember, or your advisors will help you to remember, and guess what? You will remember!

It only works!

John Johnston MIIRSM Grad IOSH - HSfB

One Day...

2008-03-29T19:13:00.000Z

One Day...

I work for one of the country’s leading waste management, recycling and energy- from waste-companies. We operate across the country, providing expert services in the collection, recycling and disposal of waste as well as municipal cleansing. Our businesses stretch from Kent and London to as far north as Merseyside and as far south as Cornwall. Our transfer stations are based in London and Cirencester. In all we have thirty three sites.

I am based in the Essex office and work for Compliance also known as Health & Safety. I am a compliance officer and work in a team of 10 people. We carry out Compliance work on the behalf of our businesses .We assist and guide the staff and management with their health, safety and environmental issues.

Cory Environmental is the only company that transfers waste on the River Thames, keeping over 100,000 HGVs off the capital’s already congested roads each year. The rubbish is compacted on our transfer stations then collected and transferred down the river by container barges to our landfill site which is appropriately named Mucking down in Essex.

The full article, including photos of the waste transfer operation, can be downloaded in pdf format by clicking the following link.

One Day...

Rochelle of Cory Environmental

HSfB Owner Runs the Edinburgh Marathon for CHAS - 16 March 2008

2008-03-16T19:46:00.001Z

Site News

John Johnston, the owner of Health and Safety for Beginners and employee of FMC Technologies, will run the full Edinburgh Marathon on 25 May 2008 with two other colleagues from FMC Technologies - Alan and Sheena - in aid of The Children's Hospice Association Scotland (CHAS). The team building event, which is being backed by FMC Technologies, began in November 2007.

Alan, Sheena and John form the HSE Group at FMC Technologies and are aiming to help raise awareness for healthy living for the 600 strong workforce as well as raise money for a worthy cause.

CHAS is a Scottish charity established to provide hospice services in Scotland for children with life-limiting conditions. The hospice offers professional care, practical help and emotional support to the whole family from the day they are referred until the death of their child and beyond.

A blog has been set up to keep track of the event called First Time Marathon - http://www.firsttimemarathon.blog.co.uk/

The target for fundraising has been set at £3,000. If you would like to make a donation to help meet the target, you can donate securely online using the dedicated fundraising page at JustGiving - http://www.justgiving.com/firsttimemarathon

The First Time Marathon team would like to thank you for your support.

Health and Safety for Beginners Time Management Tool

2008-03-07T21:17:00.000Z

Health and Safety for Beginners Time Management Tool

Published on HSfB 7 March 2008

If like me you try to juggle 101 things in the air at the same time, it won’t be too long before you begin to forget important things at your work or in your studies. Your stress levels begin to build up and you start to get overwhelmed with tasks, even small incidentals. Then one day something undoubtedly gives way or you simply plod along aimlessly trying to cope and never really get anywhere.

Sound familiar?

This time management tool is one of many methods you can use to help take control of your daily and weekly tasks, both at work and in study. It will help you to prioritise and arrange tasks in a logical manner and will also help you to become much more productive as a direct result. All you need to do is simply follow these three easy steps using the planning sheets provided.

Download the time management planning sheets and guide here - HSfB Time Management Tool

Step 1

First, use the Time Management Journal – Step 1 document for the first full week. Use a separate sheet for work and home life.

The journal in this step is an honest and accurate account of your use of time each day. When you start a task, fill in the start time, end time, a description of the task and any interruptions you have during the task. Interruptions can be your boss asking you to do something for him/her, or it could be an accident investigation, or even a toilet break/ciggie break etc. Write them all in the interruptions column and analyse the results at the end of the week.

By the end of the week, you will see the common interruptions and obviously the interruptions you have no control over, which will happen every week and that's ok. Deal with those interruptions! If the interruptions are people just having a chat, then have a chat with them, but be ready to explain to them that you need to get on with your work and they should leave you in peace! Be nice though ;) You may also uncover various patterns of your work colleagues where they could perhaps improve their own productivity at work.

Step 2

Next is to use the Time Management – Task Planning – Step 2 document.

There are three key priorities to use in this document –

A – Jobs that must be done.
B – Jobs that ought to be done but can be delayed if necessary.
C – Jobs that are easy/enjoyable but don’t directly achieve objectives.

You should complete this sheet on a weekly basis and update it as the week progresses and tasks are completed or progressed.

Add in your task description, give it a priority, update the status and add in a time you think you will need to complete the task. This helps to focus your mind on the task and is your living document that helps you psychologically.

All these things are in your head all at once, which makes your stress levels increase as you feel you never get near the end of the list. But, if you write them down and show your progress, even minor progress, you begin to see and feel the positive effects of your efforts, which is an amazing feeling.

Step 3

Next is to use the Time Management – Daily Plan – Step 3 document. This is your daily plan for your tasks. First thing in the morning, set your plan of action for the day and try to stick to it as best you can. Don't try to fill each slot of time with something to do, give yourself some floating time in there as things rarely go to plan, but again it helps you focus. Each day, start a new sheet and refer back to the previous day's sheet to see what jobs still need attention.

Refer to the task planning document from step 2 and allocate time to your top priority tasks (and lower priority jobs if you can). For example, if you need to do risk assessments on four machines and you think it will take you about 5 hours in total, allocate 1 or 2 hours to the task for that day, then move on to something else of high priority. Unless of course the task needs to be carried out until complete. Only you can decide how much time to give each priority, but remember there are only so many hours in a day for work/study and you can only do so much. You are only human!

Hints and Tips

The biggest challenge to start with is to find the time to populate your time management sheets! Once you do start and you see the benefits, you will be amazed at how much it helps and how much you will rely on the sheets to help you focus.

Archive all of your sheets when finished with them and look back now and again to see how they have helped you manage your time. It helps keep you focused.

I have attached another sheet which is a study planning sheet and is used purely for study time. Wherever you can steal time for studying, at work or home, fill in your study sheet and stick to it as best you can using the principles explained in this guide.

Be realistic.

When using the tool for study, work out what time you have available for study and don’t forget to make time for sleeping, eating, recreation, etc. You still have a life.

Try to plan ahead - do not leave everything to the last minute, remember assignments and reports need research time, so start early.

Prioritise - do not do the easiest task first, but the one that really needs to be done first.

Set objectives which are reasonable, and make sure that they are somewhere you can see them. You could keep a wall planner chart if you have a spare wall.

Break large tasks into manageable sub-tasks and set target dates against each sub-task i.e. for an assignment: research; research evaluation; draft copy; and final copy.

Try doing the most difficult things when you feel at your best.

Remember the unexpected always happens, so be flexible and don't get angry when plans have to change. Just change them ;)

REMEMBER YOU ARE IN CONTROL!

Download the time management planning sheets and guide here - HSfB Time Management Tool

HSfB - Important Site News 6 January 2008

2008-01-06T20:53:00.000Z

6 January 2008

New Health and Safety Discussion Forums Launched

We are proud to announce that on Thursday 20 December 2007, HSfB launched its new look health, safety and environmental discussion forums which you can view here - Health and Safety Discussion Forums

The new discussion forums are based on the phpBB style which has been vastly improved in many ways by the phpBB team. Both security and functionality have been improved giving our members and visitors an excellent online experience.

A list of new features can be found on the phpBB website here - phpBB3 Gold Features

Here is just a sample of some of the new features and options now available to our members -

User preferences offering a wide range of user defined customisations.
Private messaging system which can be fully managed by users, including creating new folders and moving saved messages.
Various anti-spam techniques have been added to allow administrators to keep our forums a nice place to be, including; CAPTCHA Visual Confirmation; blacklists; banning; warnings; user logging and many more.
Users can now report individual posts to the moderator team at the touch of a button.
Users can now attach multiple files to their posts.
Users can save a draft of their posts allowing the post to be completed at a later time.
More advanced search facility.
Unread post flags are not lost after closing browser or logging off.
Users can bookmark individual topics for future reference.
Print topic functionality added.
Email topic to a friend functionality added.
Add friends/foes to user control panel.
Users can manage private message and draft posts.
And many more...

One side effect of the new upgrade is that members may have some difficulty in logging on to the new forums for the first time due to incorrect passwords. This is a known bug with the conversion/upgrade software. If you are affected by this unavoidable side effect, please Contact Us to have your account manually reactivated. We apologise for any inconvenience caused.

Another side effect is that our discussion forums RSS feed is temporarily unavailable for the time being.

All that remains for us to say is thank you for your continued support and we hope you enjoy your new health, safety and environmental discussion forums.

HSfB - Site News 30 September 2007

2007-09-30T13:45:00.000Z

Site News

Health & Safety for Beginners had entries to be posted on their website forum www.healthandsafetytips.co.uk that cans of Evo-Stik Expanding Foam, produced by Bostik Limited, are bursting for no reason or when shaken. Bostik has informed Health & Safety for Beginners that their product does not burst for any reason and therefore the forum discussion may wrongly give the impression that this was the cause of a fatal accident.

Health & Safety for Beginners are not responsible for the forum entries and do not endorse their content.

Health & Safety for Beginners has been subsequently informed by Bostik that the product is safe to use when the user follows the instructions on both the pack and the accompanying safety data sheets. The cans do not just burst of their own volition.

The fatal accident is currently being investigated by HSE who have not released a statement. Any safety alerts that you may have seen have not been endorsed by the HSE.

Hearth & Safety for Beginners acknowledge Bostik's assertion that Evo-Stik Expanding Foam is not a faulty product. The manufacturers have asked us to take this opportunity to remind all members to ensure full compliance with the instructions and guidance booklets contained in any products before use. Members should be highlighting to all employees and contractors the importance of reading fully the instructions for use, if they fail to do so there may be serious potential consequences if these instructions are not adhered which could include personal injury and or even a fatality.

Fake HSfB Email Alert - Press Release

2007-09-05T21:18:00.000Z

Fake HSfB Email Alert - Press Release

Fake HSfB Email Alert

It has come to our attention that fake emails are circulating the internet claiming to be from healthandsafetytips.co.uk. These emails appear to come from our website, but we can assure you that they do not. The fraudulent spammers are using a technique which allows their email to disguise itself as another domain name, i.e. healthandsafetytips.co.uk.

Examples of the email will include the following (there may be more we are not aware of).......

Possible subject headings of - 'awels' or '*DETECTED* Online User Violation' or 'Warning Message: Your services near to be closed' or 'You have successfully updated your password' or 'WARNING MESSAGE: YOUR SERVICES NEAR TO BE CLOSED' or 'SECURITY MEASURES' or 'Important Notification' or a series of random letters.

The message content of the emails will be similar to the following:

Dear user andrew,

You have successfully updated the password of your Healthandsafetytips account.

If you did not authorize this change or if you need assistance with your account, please contact Healthandsafetytips customer service at: support@healthandsafetytips.co.uk

Thank you for using Healthandsafetytips!
The Healthandsafetytips Support Team

+++ Attachment: No Virus (Clean)
+++ Healthandsafetytips Antivirus - www.healthandsafetytips.co.uk

The emails will contain a zipped attachment which contains the virus - W32.Mytob.EA@mm and when opened it will infect your pc.

Please delete these emails.

HSfB will never send you emails with attachments unless we have prior consent from you first. Only open emails from HSfB containing attachments when you expect us to send you an attachment.

On the plus side, if you have your anti virus software up to date and set to scan incoming emails, then this virus should get picked up and deleted straight away.

NEBOSH General Exam Tips by Phil

2007-07-09T19:20:00.000Z

General Exam Tips

ARRIVE ON TIME AND RELAXED

Don’t rush into the exam room with minutes to spare. Make sure you have had a good nights rest, eaten well and don’t have a hangover.

BE PREPARED

The old scouts motto. Don’t turn up with one dodgy biro. It WILL run out before you get your name on the paper.

GET A GOOD POSITION IN THE EXAM ROOM

Don’t grab a seat too close to the heaters, halfway through the exam you will wish you had picked somewhere cooler. Similarly seats by the window can be too hot or cause glare in the summer, too cold in the winter and cause distractions. Get a comfortable table with good lighting.

READ THE QUESTIONS

Read the questions carefully. Pay particular attention to the action verbs …

Define, Describe, Explain, Give, Identify, List, Outline, Sketch and State.

… learn what they mean. These will identify the depth you should go into with your answer. There are no extra points for providing an in-depth essay answer to a request for a list.

BE AWARE OF HOW MANY POINTS ARE AVAILABLE

Don’t give an in-depth answer to a 2 point section of the question and skim over the part with 6 points on offer.

READ THE QUESTION AGAIN

Make sure you answer the question they ask, not what you would like it to ask.

Some questions will give you a scenario. These scenarios may or may not be relevant to the question asked. Make sure you know which.

If the question asks for mechanical hazards providing information on other types of hazards will not get points

If a question starts with ‘Other than’ it means other than. Don’t include anything in your answer that is excluded in the question.

READ THE WHOLE QUESTION

If it is a two-part question read all of it. There have been questions where the first part asks you to simply list something while the second part asks you to go into more depth on the items you have just listed. If you listed something you don’t know a lot about you will have to go back and change your answer to the first part.

DON’T ANSWER ANY MORE THAN THE QUESTION ASKS

If the question is on Sanitary and washing facilities write about toilets, sinks and soap etc. They don’t want information on drinking water, lockers or first aid kits.

ALL WORDS ARE THERE FOR A REASON

If the question mentions ‘storage and handling of small containers of flammable solvents‘ you can be pretty sure that an essay on manual handling is not what they are looking for. If the question refers to precautions don’t just list the hazards.

Don’t confuse similar words like employee’s and employer.

DON’T USE VAGUE TERMS

One of the diseases caused by asbestos is Lung Cancer. You would not get a mark for simply putting Cancer. Similarly do not refer to airborne pollutants simply as pollution. Try and use the correct terminology.

MANAGE YOUR TIME

Be aware of how many marks are available for each question and plan your time around it. Don’t spend too much time trying to squeeze every last mark out of a question.

Answer the questions you know first. Don’t sit and ponder a question for ten minutes then realise that the answer isn’t going to come to you. Go to one you can answer and come back to the original later.

If you have 100 marks available in the 2 hour exam and spend the 30 minutes recommended on the long question (20 marks) you are left with nine minutes each for the other ten questions.

ATTEMPT ALL THE QUESTIONS

If time allows try and get an answer down for all the questions. Every mark counts. If you are very short of time get the main points down. There are no marks for things you knew but didn’t write.

WRITE LEGIBLY

Nobody is expecting illuminated manuscripts but you could provide perfect answers to all the questions and it would come to nothing if your handwriting cannot be deciphered.

USE ALL THE TIME AVAILABLE

If by some miracle you find you have finished the exam with time to spare don’t flee the exam room. Go over your answers and see if there are any you could improve or anything that you have missed (If you do finish before time you have probably missed about three questions).

DON’T PANIC

You do know the answers. It’s just a question of getting them out of your head and onto the paper in a form the examiner will recognise.

Phil

Passing NEBOSH Diploma Exams

2007-06-02T22:14:00.000Z

Introduction

There is a certain degree of stigma attached to NEBOSH exams, which is certainly not helped by the notoriously low pass rates. It cannot be denied that they are very demanding, but would the qualifications be worth obtaining if assessment were via a simple multiple-choice exam? Whatever the merits of other health & safety qualifications, it cannot be argued that NEBOSH awards are still the number one choice of most prospective employers.

Despite what some say, it is not possible to learn the course material parrot fashion for the final exam. However, with hard work and an understanding of key concepts and basic principles, there is no need for any exam paper to be the cause of nightmares. Everyone studies in their own way, but the following are some general guidelines that just may make the difference between a referral and a pass with flying colours.

The “Blue Book” (Guide to the NEBOSH Diploma)

The “Blue Book” is vitally important as it details the syllabus of the NEBOSH Diploma. It should be used to guide your studies AND revision. Your ultimate aim should be to be able to talk a little about every section of the contents. Note that we said “talk about”, not write an essay on!

Exam questions are based on the expected learning outcomes detailed in the blue book, so if it’s in the book, it could be in the exam.

Making Notes

When working through the course notes, you should ideally (time permitting) be making your own notes as well. Do not rewrite the course notes in full! This makes your studies become a chore to be dreaded and page after page of unbroken text will be next to useless as a revision tool. Try and make your notes light-hearted, easy to read and brief - use as many diagrams, pictures and real life examples as you can think of.

You should be using the blue book as a guide to note making – remember it details what you are expected to learn from each study unit.

Revision

If you have made good quality notes when working through the course notes, they will be invaluable when you are revising for your exams. Don’t worry if the notes you made are too brief – if there’s a section you don’t understand, just reach for the course notes and re-read the relevant parts.

It will help things sink in if you do some “active” studying rather than just reading. Try talking things through with colleagues, making Powerpoint presentations (see picture) or making your own databases e.g. case law, disasters or legislation.

Identifying Weaknesses

Although it may be a painful exercise, work your way through the blue book and try to identify all your weak areas. If you know a subject well, you will still know it when the exams come. When you know what you’re weak areas are, you can start working on improving them, so should the worst happen and an exam question appears, you’ll at least be confident enough to have a go.

Exam Question Practice

The best way of preparing for what you will have to face on exam day is by practising exam questions. You can work under exam conditions if you wish, but it will be of great help to just get to know what the examiners are looking for and how to go about structuring your exam questions.

NEBOSH produce examiners reports for many exam sittings, which detail exam questions, expected answers and where many candidates went wrong. It is fair to say that certain questions (and types of question) often reappear in exams – good preparation may give you a vital head start.

If you want to have a go at some exam questions, but don’t have suggested answers, many tutors will be prepared to have a look at them and give you some feedback – contact your tutor for advice.

A word of warning – don’t let exam day be the first time you attempt an exam question!
.

Exam Technique

Finally, onto exam techniques itself. All NEBOSH questions have an “action verb” and this provides a tip to how much detail should be included in the answer:

Questions starting with “Outline”, “Identify” or “List” indicate that little depth is required. Even so, there is a difference between the instructions. If you provide a simple list when an outline was asked for, you will be unable to pick up maximum marks.
Questions starting with “Describe” or “Explain” require much greater depth – a “bullet-point” answer will probably not be detailed enough to gain full marks.
Occasionally, exam questions will give you a specific instruction e.g. draft a management brief. In this case, marks would be available for explaining and justifying your arguments so that a person unfamiliar with health & safety would be able to understand.

For the longer questions (20 marks and above), it is important to start your answer with some sort of plan – this might be a table, flow chart, mind-map etc. It will help you make sure you cover all the points in your answer. When you are ready to start your answer, just draw a line under your plan and carry on. Don’t cross the plan out – you may get some marks for it if you miss something out of your answer.

Depending on the exam you are taking, you will be allowed a certain time limit. Before you sit the exam, work out how much time this allows you for each question and STICK TO IT. Don’t be tempted to keep writing and writing because you know a subject well – there are no marks for “star quality”, like knowing when Lord Robens’ birthday is. The majority of the marks you pick up will be in the first few sentences. Similarly, if you don’t know a question, don’t leave it blank. Give yourself the time you have allowed, think through it and try to structure an attempt at an answer – those 2 or 3 marks you manage to grab here might just make the difference.

Phoenix Health & Safety
T: 0845 500 8811 E: info@phoenixhsc.co.uk
www.phoenixhsc.co.uk

Nick Higginson MSc CMIOSH Dip2.OSH SpDipEM MIIRSM

HSfB Wins Fife Regional Council Shield - Press Release

2007-05-30T19:44:00.000Z

HSfB Wins Fife Regional Council Shield - Press Release

HSfB Wins Fife Regional Council Shield

John Johnston, creator of the website Health and Safety for Beginners (HSfB) - www.healthandsafetytips.co.uk, has had his commitment and passion for health and safety recognised after being awarded the Fife Regional Council Shield for his safety innovation. The award was presented by Dr Karen McDonnel from RoSPA at a ceremony held at the Dunfermline Building Society, during the annual general meeting of the Fife Chamber of Safety (now known as Safety Group - Fife) on Monday 14 May. The trophy was awarded to John for his web site initiative which provides many free tools for health and safety professionals and learning materials for students across the UK and internationally through downloads, discussion forums and a unique prize draw.

Speaking of the award, John said: “This is the second award in as many months and I am absolutely delighted to have won the Fife Shield. Safety Group - Fife is a big part of my life now and I am extremely proud to have been recognised by the group for this award."

Other awards at the AGM went to:

UDV Shield - Exxon Mobil
Raithian Quaich - Dryburgh Associates
Nairn Trophy - Fife Council Intervention Team
A special award was made to Sam Dimeck in recognition of his long service and recognition to the Chamber over the last 20 years.

John added: “after suffering a serious back injury in 2000 and knowing how difficult it was to fund my own NEBOSH general certificate training, I wanted to find a way in which I could help others develop a career in health and safety. Thanks to the website, and the generosity of the training providers and professionals who donated the prizes, this has been achieved.”

The training materials were given away as part of a free prize draw which featured on John’s website Health and Safety for Beginners (HSfB) - www.healthandsafetytips.co.uk The winners were announced at the Leicester-based headquarters of the National Examination Board in Occupational Safety and Health; NEBOSH in February 2007.

View our press release on the prize draw here - Health and Safety for Beginners Prize Draw Results

View our press release on John's first award here - HSfB Wins Lord Cullen Trophy for Safety Innovation

Donations for the prize draw came from health and safety training providers after they found out about an initiative John launched in November 2006, which saw him personally fund a prize (using money gained from selling advertising space on his website www.healthandsafetytips.co.uk) for a site user to undertake a NVQ level 4.

Hugely impressed with John’s commitment and dedication to improving health and safety in the workplace, training providers soon stepped forward and offered a variety of different prizes to add to the draw including a range of NEBOSH e-learning training courses, residential training courses, guided tours of high performing organisations as well as reference materials so that more people could benefit.

The prizes and donating organisations were:

NEBOSH National General Certificate – e-learning - RRC Training
NEBOSH Certificate in Fire Safety and Risk Management - e-Learning - RRC Training
NVQ Level 4 OR NVQ Level 5 - She Knows Health & Safety
IOSH Working Safely for up to ten people in Manchester - Smart Training Solutions
Radiation Protection Supervisor (RPS) Training Course (2-day residential) - Ionactive Consulting
Guided Tour of a large multi-national organisation - Express Park
The Handbook of Health and Safety Practice by Jeremy Stranks - HSfB
The Principles of Health and Safety at Work by Allan St John Holt - Safetyphoto

HSfB Wins Lord Cullen Trophy for Safety Innovation - Press Release

2007-05-09T22:13:00.000Z

HSfB Wins Lord Cullen Trophy for Safety Innovation - Press Release

HSfB Wins Lord Cullen Trophy for Safety Innovation

John Johnston, Health and Safety Advisor at FMC Technologies, Dunfermline and a member of the Fife Chamber of Safety has had his commitment and passion for Health and Safety recognised after being awarded the Lord Cullen Trophy for Safety Performance. The award was presented by Lord Cullen, president of the Scottish Chamber of Safety (S.C.O.S), at a ceremony held in Dunblane, by the S.C.O.S on Wednesday 4th April. The trophy was awarded to John for an initiative which will see health and safety professionals from across the UK benefit from free health and safety training and learning materials.

Speaking of the award, John said: “I am absolutely delighted to have won the Lord Cullen trophy for safety innovation. It was something that had never crossed my mind when I first started my website – www.healthandsafetytips.co.uk. I am also very proud to bring the trophy back to the Fife Chamber of Safety for another year.

“After suffering a serious back injury in 2000 and knowing how difficult it was to fund my own NEBOSH general certificate training, I wanted to find a way in which I could help others develop a career in health and safety. Thanks to the website, and the generosity of the training providers and professionals who donated the prizes, this has been achieved.”

Speaking of John’s work, David Currie, Managing Director of FMC Technologies said: “John is absolutely deserving of this award and I, on behalf of FMC congratulate him. Health and Safety is at the core of everything we do and we fully appreciate John’s expertise and contribution in this area. His personal commitment is an example to us all.”

The training materials were given away as part of a free prize draw which featured on John’s website Health and Safety for Beginners - www.healthandsafetytips.co.uk The winners were announced at the Leicester-based headquarters of the National Examination Board in Occupational Safety and Health; NEBOSH in February 2007.

View our press release on the prize draw here - Health and Safety for Beginners Prize Draw Results

Donations for the prize draw came from health and safety training providers after they found out about an initiative John launched in November 2006, which saw him personally fund a prize (using money gained from selling advertising space on his website www.healthandsafetytips.co.uk) for a site user to undertake a NVQ level 4.

Hugely impressed with John’s commitment and dedication to improving health and safety in the workplace, training providers soon stepped forward and offered a variety of different prizes to add to the draw including a range of NEBOSH e-learning training courses, residential training courses, guided tours of high performing organisations as well as reference materials so that more people could benefit.

The prizes and donating organisations were:

NEBOSH National General Certificate – e-learning - RRC Training
NEBOSH Certificate in Fire Safety and Risk Management - e-Learning - RRC Training
NVQ Level 4 OR NVQ Level 5 - She Knows Health & Safety
IOSH Working Safely for up to ten people in Manchester - Smart Training Solutions
Radiation Protection Supervisor (RPS) Training Course (2-day residential) - Ionactive Consulting
Guided Tour of a large multi-national organisation - Express Park
The Handbook of Health and Safety Practice by Jeremy Stranks - HSfB
The Principles of Health and Safety at Work by Allan St John Holt - Safetyphoto

In total, John managed to raise over £7250 worth of training and learning resources, and over 350 training hours (not including the NVQ) which had the potential for 17 lucky health and safety professionals to take their career to the next level.

Asked about what he is going to do next, John said: “More of the same next year, if my nerves can stand it”.

Pictured above – John Johnston holding
the Lord Cullen Trophy at FMC Technologies, Dunfermline

The Regulatory Reform Order 2005

2006-10-07T14:03:00.000Z

The Regulatory Reform Order 2005

The Regulatory Reform Order 2005

Created October 2006, published 2 October 2006

The Regulatory Reform Order 2005

Now that fire legislation has changed and the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 is now in force, the responsible person for a building (all non domestic) will have to conduct a fire risk assessment.

All existing fire legislation has now been repealed or revoked, which includes the Fire Precautions Act 1971, the amended 1997 Fire Precautions (Workplace) Regulations plus 100 other pieces of fire related legislation. Fire certificates are no longer valid.

The Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 is a fire risk assessment based approach where the responsible person(s) for the premises or area where they have control must decide how to address the risks identified, while meeting certain requirements.

By adopting a fire risk assessment, the responsible person(s) will need to look at how to prevent fire from occurring in the first place, by removing or reducing hazards and risks (ignition sources) and then at the precautions to ensure that people are adequately protected if a fire were still to occur. Therefore the main emphases of the changes are to move towards fire prevention.

The fire risk assessment must also take into consideration the effect a fire may have on anyone in or around your premises plus neighbouring property. The building fire risk assessment will also need to be kept under regular review (it is a living document).

The Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 will apply to all non-domestic properties, including voluntary organisations and will be subject to monitoring and, where appropriate, enforcement by the Local Authority Fire Service (LAFS).

Summary of the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005

All existing fire legislation has now been repealed or revoked, which includes the Fire Precautions Act 1971, the amended 1997 Fire Precautions (Workplace) Regulations plus 100 other pieces of fire related legislation.
Fire certificates have been abolished and are no longer issued or in force.
Responsible person(s) will be responsible for fire safety. They must conduct a fire risk assessment regardless of the size of the risk.
The identified responsible person(s) would take full corporate liability.
Extended scope of consideration now to include property safety, fire fighter safety and the environment around the site. The responsible person(s) would have a duty to protect all risks.
Unlike the amended 1997 Fire Precautions (Workplace) Regulations, the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 places emphasis on business continuity and containing and preventing the spread of small fires.
Protection is explicitly extended to all occupants, which would include employees, visitors, contractors and passers-by who would all have to be considered in the fire risk assessment.

Who is the responsible person(s)?

Employer with control of a workplace

Failing that or in addition;

Person with overall management of a building,
Occupier of premises,
Owner of premises (i.e. empty buildings),
Landlords (multi occupied buildings).

Question?

What is the difference between a fire risk assessment and a health & safety risk assessment?

Answer!

Absolutely nothing.

Why?

Because the aim of both is to:

Identify hazards,
Reduce the risk of those hazards identified,
To decide what physical precautions and management arrangements are necessary to ensure the safety of people.

So with any fire risk assessment you will always:

Identify the hazard,
Identify who is at risk,
Evaluate, remove, reduce and protect from risk,
Record, plan, inform, instruct and train,
Review.

It is important, if you carry out your fire risk assessment yourself, that you do it in a practical and systematic way. It must take the whole area of your responsibility into account, including outdoor locations and any rooms and areas that are rarely used.

If your responsible area in a building is shared with others, you and all the other occupiers and any other person(s) who have control of any other part of the premises will need to discuss yours and theirs fire risk assessment.

In a shared building it is imperative and a requirement that all responsible persons;

Communicate, Co-operate and Co-ordinate their findings with their fire risk assessments.

When you conduct your fire risk assessment you must:

Identify who is at risk,
Eliminate or reduce potential ignition sources,
Ensure there are suitable means of detecting & raising the alarm in the event of fire,
Ensure there are adequate emergency escape routes & exits,
Ensure there are appropriate type & sufficient quantities of fire fighting equipment,
Ensure there are the correct type & sufficient quantities of fire signs & notices,
Ensure there are provisions for the correct maintenance of installed fire equipment,
Ensure that there are suitable provisions for the protection of Fire Service personnel,
Ensure that building occupants receive the appropriate instruction / training in, e.g. actions to be taken in the event of fire and fire evacuation drills,

Please note, that if your organisation employs five or more people or the premise are licensed or an alterations notice is in force, you must record any significant findings and the actions you have taken.

In addition to the above, the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order stipulates that:

¹You must appoint one or more competent persons, depending on the size and use of your premises, to carry out any of the preventive and protective measures required (you can nominate yourself for this purpose). A competent person is someone with enough training and experience or knowledge and other qualities to be able to implement these measures properly.

You must provide your employees with clear and relevant information on the risks to them identified by the fire risk assessment, about the measure you have taken to prevent fires, and how these measures will protect them if a fire breaks out.

You must consult your employees (or their elected representatives) about nominating people to carry out particular roles in connection with fire safety and about proposals for improving the fire precautions.

You must, before you employ a child, provide a parent with clear and relevant information on the risks to that child identified by the risk assessment, the measures you have put in place to prevent/protect them from fire and inform any other responsible person of any risks to that child arising from their undertaking.

You must inform non-employees, such as temporary or contract workers, of the relevant risks to them, and provide them with information about who the nominated competent persons are, and about the fire safety procedures for the premises.

You must co-operate and co-ordinate with other responsible persons who also have premises in the building, inform them of any significant risks you find and how you will seek to reduce/control those risks which might affect the safety of their employees.

You must provide the employer of any person from an outside organisation who is working in your premises (e.g. an agency providing temporary staff) with clear and relevant information on the risks to those employees and the preventive and protective measures taken. You must also provide those employees with appropriate instructions and relevant information about the risks to them.

If you are not the employer but have any control of premises which contain more than one workplace, you are also responsible for ensuring that the requirements of the Order are complied with in those parts over which you have control.

You must consider the presence of any dangerous substances and the risk this presents to relevant persons from fire.

You must establish a suitable means of contacting the emergency services and provide them with any relevant information about dangerous substances.

You must provide appropriate information, instruction and training to your employees, during their normal working hours, about the fire precautions in your workplace, when they start working for you, and from time to time throughout the period they work for you.

You must ensure that the premises and any equipment provided in connection with firefighting, fire detection and warning, or emergency routes and exits are covered by a suitable system of maintenance and are maintained by a competent person in an efficient state, in efficient working order and in good repair.

Your employees must co-operate with you to ensure the workplace is safe from fire and its effects, and must not do anything that will place themselves or other people at risk.”

Note. If you were already complying with the revoked amended 1997 Fire Precautions (Workplace) Regulation and the 1971 Fire Precautions Act (fire certificate if issued), you will only have to make adjustments to your existing fire risks assessments. If, however, you have not conducted a fire risk assessment of your area of responsibility you must do so now.

The Government have produced 11 guides to assist the responsible person(s) with their responsibilities, to view these guides visit www.communities.gov.uk. These guides have been written to assist you to carry out a fire risk assessment within your area of responsibility. If you read the guides and decide that you are unable to apply the guidance, then you should seek expert advice from a competent person. More complex premises will probably need to be assessed by a person who has comprehensive training or experience in fire risk assessment.

If required, Fire Safety Service can assist you in the implementation and management of the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005. For further details contact us at www.firesafetyadvisor.co.uk/ or telephone 01865 890085.

¹ Extract from Government guidance document’s to the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005

Asbestos – for the Health and Safety Beginner.

2006-07-16T19:28:00.000Z

Asbestos – for the Health and Safety Beginner.

Asbestos is one of those words H & S professionals don’t like to hear. To most people it means Lung Cancer, Compensation or Expensive removal work.
In the maze of H & S regulations, this one often gets forgotten….or worse…some people really believe their building has NO Asbestos, so why bother…even though their building was built pre 1999 (when Asbestos use in building materials was finally banned ). What needs to be realised is that asbestos was incorporated into over 3000 products, including floor tiles, artex, pipe insulation, cement, cavity wall insulation, …..heck they even put it into toilet seats….

The fact is …you have a duty in LAW under the ‘Control of Asbestos at Work Regulations 2002 (CAWR 2002) Regulaton 4 The Duty to Manage’, to produce an Asbestos Management Plan and Asbestos Register detailing the locations of any Asbestos Containing Materials (ACM’s) and to continue to manage any positive areas.

Why?

The object of the register is to provide information relating to the building and the whereabouts of ACM’s. This allows tradesmen to plan and carry out any remedial or improvement works safely. Would you want to be sitting in your office while the maintenance man drills into a wall to put up a shelf ….only for you to hear him say… “hey, I’m sure this wall is Asbestos Board”? or for your boss to say “someone is suing us for exposure to asbestos, where’s the register, I’ll prove it wasn’t” and your answer is “what register?”

So what do you do?

Firstly don’t panic…..if you have had an asbestos register done previously, check it to establish when it was last updated, you may need another survey. Registers should be updated on a yearly basis or earlier if damage is reported, along with the measures taken as a result of this report.

Things change over time, sometimes these changes are not recorded and no one has any idea who did what or when!.

A Competent person will need to do a visual re-inspection to establish that areas found to contain Asbestos are damage free and still in good condition, and will need to document the findings, Its no use going around the building checking if you have no proof you have done it! Or get an Asbestos Surveyor to do the re-inspection, many companies choose this route because Asbestos Surveyors are qualified and insured to do this specific type of work.

If you have not had a register done previously, you need to assess the probability of your building containing Asbestos.

All buildings must have a register, if your building was built after 2000 a letter from the architect detailing that materials were sourced which do not contain Asbestos will suffice, file it and relax.

If your building was built before 2000 you need to survey. For many this is done through a surveying company.

Most importantly you need to sit down and plan how you will survey, what type of survey you need, who needs access to the survey results and how will they will be accessed ( hard copy, electronic database) and also how you will manage the survey results in the future.

Most dutyholders use asbestos surveying companies to produce their asbestos report.

Surveying costs vary with the size of site and the type of survey required and can be expensive, however it doesn’t always pay to go with the cheapest company, whoever you decide to employ, remember the following.

Asbestos survey companies have qualified surveyors. Asbestos qualifications are specific, a surveyor must hold a minimum qualification of BOHS P402, a senior surveyor S301 and a consultant will hold a Certificate of Competence in Asbestos (CCP) this is the highest qualification you can get in the Asbestos industry. Ask to see copies of your surveyor’s qualifications.

Check that the surveying company you use has adequate insurance cover, some surveying companies are not insured for type 3 surveys.

The main thing is communication with the surveyor, tell the surveyor what you want the survey to achieve, and any areas you specifically want surveyed. If the building is to be demolished or undergo major refurbishment your needs will be different to a building that isn’t, a good surveyor will tell you what is and isn’t possible during a survey and what areas you need to take into consideration.

Ask to see a copy report, a survey report is no good if it is written or presented in such a way that you or your tradesmen don’t understand it!

Ask for references…and check them, ask the customer if they were happy with the service…and the after sales service.

Does the company have a database system that allows your results to be accessed on line by authorised personnel? This is a particularly useful management tool for companies who manage more that one site eg housing authorities.

There are 3 different survey types, which one do you need

Type one: Location and assessment survey (presumptive)

Type 1 surveys are designed to locate, as far as reasonably practical, any ACMs and assess the risk and are used when sampling is not a suitable option. All areas of a building are accessed but as materials are only presumed to contain asbestos they rely heavily on the experience and knowledge of surveyor. Samples would have to be taken before maintenance work started to confirm the presence or absence of Asbestos.

Type two: Standard Sampling, identification and assessment survey (sampling survey)

The purpose and procedures of a type 2 survey are as for a type 1 survey but includes the sampling of suspect ACMs to confirm the surveyors’ judgment. The samples are analysed by an accredited laboratory and the resulting report informs exactly which materials in the building are or are not asbestos containing. This is the most commonly utilised survey for asbestos management plans.

Type three: Full access sampling and identification survey (pre-demolition/major refurbishment survey)

Type 3 surveys are used to locate all ACMs, as far as reasonably practicable within a building and its structure and may involve destructive inspection techniques. These surveys are designed to estimate quantity of asbestos rather than condition to allow tendering of asbestos removal prior to demolition or refurbishment.
On some larger sites a mixture of the above survey types can be used if different parts of the site have varying requirements.

How will you manage the survey in the future?

Once the survey is completed you need ongoing management of the data. Put procedures in place for responsibility and timescales to make sure the information is updated and re-inspections are carried out.

Finally……. train all employees on Asbestos Awareness and put in place a contingency plan in case asbestos is found or accidentally damaged.

A good effective asbestos management plan will satisfy the HSE and your insurers.

Remember, the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) take the enforcement of asbestos legislation very seriously – ignorance it not a defence! http://www.hse-databases.co.uk/prosecutions/

The HSE website www.hse.gov.uk/asbestos and www.etonservices.co.uk - Eton Environmental Services Ltd. Eton, Windsor, Berkshire | Asbestos Consultancy Service are a great place to start to get free information on asbestos.

Risk Assessments and Health and Safety

2006-07-16T19:26:00.000Z

Risk Assessments and Health and Safety

One area that really needs to be enforced in schools is risk assessments. Not just by the caretaker, but by every member of staff. Everyone working in a school has a responsibility to those they work with and teacher to ensure they work in a safe and healthy environment.

TeachersTV has recently made a film about the importance of completing risk assessments and Health and Safety. The film highlights some of the main points that you need to address.

Proper Storage

Schools are busy places. Equipment left out can be a cause of accidents. As part of the risk assessment, you should identify areas where there is a need for correct storage. This can be cupboards for equipment or lockers for pupils. Busy corridors and fire exits are places that equipment should never be stored.

Manual Handling

Many staff will attempt to place items for storage above head height or try to work on noticeboards or display boards above head height. These areas of risk should be identified within the risk assessment. Staff should be given clear instructions and told not to use chairs, tables or even pupils to gain that extra height. Step ladders should be provided. Within the instructions, staff should be aware that when using step ladders, another member of staff should be present to steady the steps and you should not carry items up the steps yourself, but have them passed to you when you are at the correct height.

Employers have a duty to provide you the correct equipment.

Lifting and Carrying

All staff should be aware of the techniques for lifting and carrying. Within the risk assessment, items like Briefcases, books, Over Head Projectors (OHPs) and laptops should be highlighted. It's often these small but bulky items that get overlooked.

Always bend at the knees keeping your back straight. When you finish the lift, straighten your knees, always keeping your back straight.

Keeping corridors safe

All school should have strict rules of conduct in corridors. Pupils should be aware of the dangers of pushing, shoving or running in corridors. Pupils should be aware of the reporting process if they find spillages or loose tiles in corridors. Corridors should be kept clear at all times, this includes pupils. Do not let pupils hang around in corridors (eg breaktimes). Do not place chairs or tables in corridors. Corridors are also the main fire exit within schools. If a panic was to happen during a fire, a chair or table could cause a serious problems.

These are just some of the issues the 15 minute film covers.

To watch the film provided by TeachersTV now, CLICK HERE to be taken to the Caretakers' Website hosting the film. You will need a broadband connection to stream this (35mb) media and Windows Media Player.

Written by thecaretaker of The Caretakers' Website

Changes to the Rule for Training of Drivers of Vehicles carrying Dangerous Goods

2006-07-16T19:23:00.000Z

Changes to the Rule for Training of Drivers of Vehicles carrying Dangerous Goods

Currently drivers of vehicles with a permissible maximum mass exceeding 3.5 tonnes have to posses an ADR training certificate.

From 1st January 2007 the exemption for drivers of vehicles less than 3.5 tonnes expires. From that date drivers of all vehicles that carry dangerous goods will be required to hold a vocational training certificate (ADR).

General Training Requirements

Since 1999 all persons (not only drivers) such as consignors, carriers, packers and container operators, whose duties concern the carriage of dangerous goods require some form of training. They have to receive training appropriate to their responsibilities and duties. This training is usually an awareness course.

The awareness course must cover the following subjects:

General Awareness Training
Function-specific Training &
Safety Training

Driver Training from 1st Jan 2007

When would a driver require an ADR certificate?

There will be some exemptions that can still be claimed for the driver to have an ADR. These can be found in section 1.1.3.1 – 1.1.3.6.4 of ADR. Some examples are:

1) If the vehicle is being used for private use

2) Carriage of machinery or equipment

3) If package meet the requirement of Limited Quantities

There is an additional exemption where the quantity of dangerous goods carried does not exceed the values set out in table 1.1.3.6. of ADR. To know if this exemption can be claimed, you first need to establish what transport category the goods belong to. This information should be available from the consignor. The second piece of information required would be the quantity of dangerous goods on the vehicle.

If the quantity of dangerous goods carried does not exceed the value indicated for the given transport category the carrier can then claim exemption for the requirement of the driver for having an ADR certificate.

For example:

For Transport Category 0 there are no exemptions

For Transport Category 1. The exemption applies until the quantity carried exceeds 20 (kilograms or litres)

For Transport Category 2. The exemption applies until the quantity transported exceeds 333 (kilograms or litres)

For Transport Category 3. The exemption applies until the quantity transported exceeds 1,000 (kilograms or litres)

Although the driver is exempt from an ADR certificate he would still be required to have awareness training. Where these values (or values for mixed loading in 1.1.3.6.4) are exceeded then the driver would be required to have an ADR.

How the changes came about

August 2002

The Government of Liechtenstein proposed mandatory training for drivers carrying dangerous goods regardless of the permissible maximum weight of their vehicle.

November 2002

Opinions at the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe were divided on the proposal. Some delegates noted that these vehicles were regularly able to carry goods in quantities greater than the exemption limits of 1.1.3.6 and those vehicles were increasingly being used to carry dangerous goods since they were subject neither to the same speed limits as heavy vehicles nor to weekend travel restrictions (for certain countries).

Others considered that in view of the number of drivers concerned, a measure of this nature would have considerable economic consequences and that the cost for carriers should be carefully evaluated with a view to the benefits in terms of safety, which needed to be supported by accident statistics. It was also noted that the drivers of these vehicles were in any case subject to the general company training requirements of Chapter 1.3.

The representative of Liechtenstein was asked to submit a new proposal for the next session, which would take into account the necessary consequential amendments.

May 2003

Liechtenstein resubmits it proposal but this time with support from other countries: Austria, Norway, Poland and most notably Germany

Some delegations said that the proposed obligation concerning the training of drivers of vehicles with a permissible maximum mass not exceeding 3.5 tonnes would involve a very large number of drivers and would therefore have considerable economic repercussions.

Other delegations stressed that training requirements had caused a significant increase in the production cost of the transport of dangerous goods, and that in order to avoid it, the industry was more and more resorting to using vehicles not exceeding 3.5 tonnes, which were increasingly effective in power and speed but fell short of numerous safety requirements.

The representative of Italy proposed that the decision on this proposal should be deferred, so as to give Governments time to collect accident statistics and assess safety advantages in relation to cost. After a vote resulting in equal numbers for and against, the proposal was not accepted.

The Working Party finally decided to adopt the proposal by Liechtenstein to the effect that all drivers of vehicles carrying dangerous goods, irrespective of the permissible maximum mass of the vehicle, subject to the exemptions set out in 1.1.3, must be trained in accordance with 8.2.1. This measure would take effect on 1 January 2007 at the latest (see annex).

So industry has not only had the usual six month introductory period but it has had over 2 years to get ready.

It is unlikely that there will be any extension or exemption as the view is that industry has already had two years to adapt. If they have not adapted by now then they have only themselves to blame.

Although spot checks will not be carried out on January1st 2007, I have been assured that enforcement will be taking place as of the 2nd of January.

Are you ready?

www.ritchiestraining.com

Further information on the exemptions that can be made can be found in the following Microsoft Publisher file:

Exemption Book A4 Size (PDF 296KB)

Hospital Equipment and Supplies

2006-05-01T22:49:00.000Z

Hospital Equipment and Supplies

Clinical Waste Discussion Forum – a new resource

Clinical wastes are notoriously variable in composition. They comprise potentially infectious used swabs and dressings, syringes and needles, blades and other “sharps”, laboratory and pharmaceutical wastes, and many sanitary wastes. Disposal is a complex undertaking, and is inevitably costly. The complexity of regulations governing disposal present can be overwhelming, while the risks to health & safety, hospital hygiene, and to infection control present an often profound challenge.

Public, political and professional concerns about environmental protection, and the rising infection rates and standards of hygiene in hospitals, drive improvement in the management of clinical wastes. Deficiencies undoubtedly exist. Waste segregation in hospitals is often inadequate, in breach of the Hazardous Wastes Regulation 2005, and incurring additional cost in disposal. Bulk waste carts are located in insecure areas accessible to the public. Waste carts obstruct fire exits. Though official guidance is available, this generally lacks the detail necessary to ensure an adequate standard of performance. An impending revision of clinical waste management procedures across the NHS proposes considerable change to the segregation, packaging and processing of wastes, and the introduction of additional colour schemes for the identification of “new” waste streams. These proposals, if accepted, will dramatically increase costs. Waste containers and their holders will require replacement to support new colour coding schemes; additional signage will be essential, as part of a comprehensive retraining process to ensure change is managed effectively. But how might this be managed? What are the wider ramifications for waste contractors and the manufacturers of key equipment and supplies? And what about the often critical space constraints in clinical areas that may have to accommodate additional coded waste containers? Of the greatest concern is the possibility that the NHS proposals, and the Hazardous Waste Regulations 2005, may undermine the CDC Universal Precautions since this will have profound Health & Safety implications and increase the risks to all those handling clinical wastes.

Though considerable expertise exists throughout the disposal chain, there is a tendency for professional groups to work largely in isolation. In the commercial sector, issues of confidentiality and market sensitivity have a negative impact and impede development at the expense of market sector advantage. Customer representation is almost unknown, and waste producers have neither a voice to express their concerns, nor an opportunity to learn from the experience of the commercial sector. As regulatory bodies, the Environment Agency and the Health & Safety Executive, together with the Department of Health and the Department for Environment Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA), sit largely apart from waste producers and waste disposal contractors, having their own agendas that impact on or dictate policy, though not always in conformity with essential waste management practice. Clearly, there is need for more effective information interchange, to share knowledge and opinion, news and views, among sometimes disparate groups, and this has prompted the creation of the Clinical Waste Discussion Forum. Accessible at http://www.ianblenkharn.com, the Forum is free, independent and non-commercial, with a fully open editorial policy. Participation is invited from all those involved in the management of clinical wastes, the designers, manufacturers and suppliers of waste disposal equipment and consumables, and from the legislators and representatives of regulatory bodies. Of equal importance are the patients’ organisations, and those who feel they are affected by clinical waste issues in their community since these individuals have almost no voice at all.

Funded by a generous development grant from Cliniserve Limited, a specialist clinical waste management company operating across the UK (Cliniserve Limited, Chichester PO20 6QH, http://www.cliniserve.co.uk), the Forum seeks to bring together a range of views, concerns, opinions and expertise not available within any one discipline or professional organisation. This should become a key resource for those who share our aims, to ensure the widest possible exchange of information, and bring together people from many different disciplines in order to develop and promote best practice. Though in its infancy, items posted to the Forum include issues of waste security in hospital premises, clinical waste composition and the suitability of different disposal technologies, and the application of new packaging technologies to replace the ubiquitous yellow waste sack. It is, intentionally, a multi-disciplinary forum that seeks to bring together producers, contractors, legislators and others. We invite everyone to take part in discussions, to share information, use the Forum as a sounding board for new ideas, ask a question, or offer answers to assist others. Visit the Forum, bookmark the site, and come back regularly to share thoughts and experiences with others.

Ian Blenkharn is an independent healthcare and environmental microbiologist specialising in clinical wastes management, bio-safety, hospital hygiene and the prevention of healthcare-associated infection. He is moderator of the Clinical Waste Discussion Forum, which is accessible at http://www.ianblenkharn.com

Ian Blenkharn MSc CBiol MIBiol CSci FIBMS GradMCIWM AIIRSM

Everything You Need to Know to Pass the NEBOSH A1 Management Paper

2006-03-18T16:34:00.000Z

Everything You Need to Know to Pass the NEBOSH A1 Management Paper

Everything You Need to Know to Pass the A1 Management Paper

HEALTH AND SAFETY AT WORK ETC ACT 1974

Part 1 relates to HW&W at the workplace
Part 2 relates to EMAS
Part 3 relates to Building Regs
Part 4 contains misc. & general provisions

PRACTICABLE – capable of being carried out or feasible (given current knowledge, finance, information etc.)

REASONABLY PRACTICABLE – must be technically possible, and the risk assessed against the cost. Where cost is disproportionately high, can be deemed not to be reasonably practical.

H&S Inspectorate powers include: Investigation, Advisory, Enforcement (Imp. Not, Pro. Not, Seize/destroy substances/articles, Prosecute)

PART 1 HSWA

DUTIES OF EMPLOYERS
Section 2(1)
Employer must protect the HS&W at work of all their employees
Section 2(2)a
Provide & maintain plant & systems of work that are safe & without risk to health
Section 2(2)b
Ensure safety and absence of risks in the use, handling, storage and transportation of articles and substances
Section 2(2)c
Provide information, supervision & training to ensure the H&S of employees
Section 2(2)d
Provide safe place of work, safe access/egress, safe working environment
Section 2(2)e
Provide adequate welfare facilities and arrangements
Section 2(3)
Produce written H&S policy where 5 or more persons employed
Section 3(1) & 3(2)
Ensure that activities do not endanger persons NOT in their employment who may be affected by their operations
Section 2(4), (6) & (7)
Consult union safety reps & establish safety committee when requested by 2 reps
Section 9 Do not levy charge for anything provided in pursuance of the statutory provisions

DUTIES OF SELF-EMPLOYED
Section 3(2) & (3)
Same general duties as Employers through a general duty to ensure as far as reasonably practical that they and other persons are not exposed to risks to H&S

DUTIES OF EMPLOYEES
Section 7(a)
Exercise reasonable care for the H&S of themselves and others who their actions may affect
Section 7(b)
Co-operate with the employer
Section 8
Not to interfere with anything provided in the interests of HS&W

DUTIES OF MANUFACTURERS, DESIGNERS, IMPORTERS AND SUPPLIERS
Section 6(1)
Articles to be safe and without risk to H&S
Section 6(2)
Carry out tests, research etc. to provide adequate info on conditions to ensure its safety when in use
Section 6(3)
Similar as above but for installers and erectors
Section 6 (General)
Info on noise levels

SECTION 2 – Duties of employers to employees
SECTION 3 – Duties of employers to others
SECTION 4 – Duties of persons concerned with premises to others
SECTION 5 – Duties to control harmful emissions into the atmosphere
SECTION 6 – Duties of those producing articles for use at work
SECTIONS 7-9 – Duties that affect employees

Breaches of HSWA can lead to:
Max. £20K fine and/or 6 months imprisonment (Summary Conviction – Magistrates Court)
Unlimited fine and/or 2 years imprisonment (Indictable Offence –Crown Court)

Civil Law – Prosecution on Balance of Probabilities (Civil Law established by case precedence)

Criminal Law – Prosecution beyond all reasonable doubt (Statute & legislation)

THE SIX PACK REGULATIONS
Management of Health and Safety at Work Regs 1999 (MHSWR)
Workplace (Health, Safety and Welfare) Regs 1992 (WHSWR)
Health and Safety (Display Screen Equipment) Regulations 1992 (DSE Regs)
Personal Protective Equipment at Work Regulations 1992 (PPE Regs)
Manual Handling Operations Regulations 1992 (MHOR)
Provision and Use of Work Equipment Regulations 1998 (PUWER)

MANAGEMENT OF HEALTH AND SAFETY AT WORK REGS 1999
Regulation 3 Risk assessment (significant risks to be recorded)
Regulation 4 Implementation of protective or preventive measures:
1. Avoid risk
2. Evaluate risk
3. Combat risk at source
4. Adapt the work of an individual
5. Adapt to technical advances
6. Replace dangerous with non/less dangerous
7. Develop policy which influences the factors relating to working environment
8. Give collective measures priority
9. Give appropriate instructions to employees

Regulation 5 Make proper arrangements for all aspects of H&S
Regulation 6 Health surveillance (where appropriate)
Regulation 7 Appointment of competent persons
Regulation 8 Procedures to be developed for particular dangers which may arise (ie: fire)
Regulation 9 Information for employees
Regulation 10 Information to be provided to employees for:·
Identified risks·
Preventive/protective measures·
Procedures and name of nominated responsible person as required under Fire Precautions (Workplace) Regs 1997
Regulation 11 Where more than one employer, they must co-operate over H&S matters
Regulation 12 Working on other peoples premises – must provide them with info and details of risks etc.
Regulation 13 Employers to take into account employees capabilities
Regulation 14 Employees responsibilities to use tools and equipment etc safely
Regulation 16-18 New & expectant mothers
Regulation 19 Young persons

MANUAL HANDLING OPERATIONS REGULATIONS 1992
Injury
Includes muscoskeletal, cuts, bruises, broken toes etc.
Load
Anything to be moved (except tool when in use)
Manual Handling
Transporting, lifting, supporting, pushing, pulling, carrying, loading by hand or bodily force

Regulation 4 Requires employers to avoid manual handling and to undertake risk assessment
Regulation 5 Duty on employees to make full and proper use of all equipment provided

PROVISION AND USE OF WORK EQUIPMENT REGULATIONS 1998
Regulation 4 Equip to be suitable
Regulation 5 Properly and effectively maintained
Regulation 6 Inspections and recording of inspections
Regulation 7 Identified specific risks
Regulation 8 Information & instruction
Regulation 9 Training
Regulation 11-20 Deal with machine guarding – basically requires all dangerous parts of any machine or piece of equipment to be effectively and properly guarded at all times
Regulation 21 Suitable and sufficient lighting
Regulation 22 Must be Safe to maintain
Regulation 23 & 24 Markings an warnings
Regulation 25 to 30 Deal with plant and plant safety

PERSONAL PROTECTIVE EQUIPMENT AT WORK REGULATIONS 1992
Regulation 4 Provision of PPE (Employers to ensure it is available and is suitable)
Regulation 5 Compatibility
Regulation 6 Assessment/Suitability – with regards to the nature of the task
Regulation 7 Properly maintained, cleaned or replaced; and that
Regulation 8 Suitable accommodation is provided
Regulation 9 Employees are provided with all necessary information, instruction and training
Regulation 10 Employees to use in accordance with training provided
Regulation 11 To report any loss or defects

THE HEALTH & SAFETY (DISPLAY SCREEN EQUIPMENT) REGS 1992
Regulation 1 Definitions (user – someone who habitually uses DSE)
Regulation 2 Risk Assessment of workstations
Regulation 3 Specific workstation requirements (ie: adjustable chairs, screens etc)
Regulation 4 Rest breaks
Regulation 5 Eyes and eye tests
Regulation 6 Training
Regulation 7 Provision of information

THE WORKPLACE (HEALTH, SAFETY AND WELFARE) REGS 1992
Regulation 5 Maintenance of the workplace
Regulation 6 Ventilation
Regulation 7 Temperature
Regulation 8 Lighting
Regulation 9 Cleanliness
Regulation 10 Room dimensions and space (11m3 per person excluding area above 3m)
Regulation 11 Workstations and seating
Regulation 12 Condition of floors and traffic routes
Regulation 13 Falls or falling objects
Regulation 14 Windows and translucent surfaces
Regulation 15 Windows, skylights and ventilators
Regulation 16 Ability to clean windows etc safely
Regulation 17 Organisation of traffic routes
Regulation 18 Doors and gates
Regulation 19 Escalators and moving walkways
Regulation 20 Sanitary conveniences
Regulation 21 Washing facilities
Regulation 22 Drinking water
Regulation 23 Accommodation for clothing
Regulation 24 Facilities for changing clothes
Regulation 25 Facilities to rest and eat meals

AFR = No of lost time accidents x 100,000/No of man hours worked

AIR = No of work related injuries x 1000/Average No of persons employed

Severity Rate = No of Days lost x 1,000/Total No. of man hours worked

Mean Duration Rate = Total No of Days Lost/Total No of Accidents

Duration Rate = No of Man hours worked/Total No of accidents

4 C’s
Competence
Control
Co-operation
Communication

5 Steps to Successful Safety Management: (HSG65)
1. Policy
2. Organisation
3. Planning and implementation
4. Measure performance
5. Audit and Review

Risk Assessment (5 Steps)
1. Identify Hazards
2. Identify Persons Exposed (particular attention to high risk groups – young persons, pregnant workers, disabled)
3. Evaluate Risks (Consider likelihood and severity) & Controls
4. Record the findings
5. Review and Revise

TYPES OF HAZARDS: CHEMICAL, BIOLOGICAL, PHYSICAL, ERGONOMIC, PSYCHO-SOCIAL

Job Safety Analysis (JSA) SREDIM

Process of identifying hazards in each component part of a job in order to assess the risk and decide on control measures for a SSW.

Stages are:
1. Select the job/task to be reviewed
2. Record – Identify and record the sequence of steps and/or
components in the process
3. Examine each component part of the job to identify the hazards/risks
4. Develop control measures
5. Install SSW/Control measures
6. Maintain. Carry out regular reviews.

LEGAL ECONOMIC MORAL
Planned Preventative Maintenance:
Frequency of maintenance
Statutory requirements
Manufacturers Recommendations
Operating Environment
Age and Condition of Machinery
Breakdown history
Frequency of use/operation
Critical components (effects of component failure)
Effect of failure
Timing of the works (ie: during shutdown periods)
Disruption
Maintenance staff competence
Cost benefit

Negligence:
It is a common law tort
Summarised as Careless Conduct/Breach of Duty of Care

Tests to be satisfied:
That a duty of care was owed
That there was a breach of that duty
That the breach led directly to the harm

Mechanical Hazards: Crushing, Shearing, Cutting/Severing, Entanglement, Drawing In, Ejection of Material, Abrasion, Stabbing/Puncturing

Non Mechanical Hazards: Noise, Temperature, Vibration, Electricity, Radiation, Hazardous Substances, Ergonomic Factors (inc. Manual Handling), Psycho-Social (Bullying, assault)

Noise at Work Regulations 1989
Leq – Continuous Daily Equivalent Noise Level (8hrs)
Lep,d – Daily Personal Exposure
A Weighting Scale –
Most commonly used, recognises that the human ear is less sensitive to low frequencies
Gives greater importance to frequencies sensitive to the Human Ear

Regulation 4 Assess Noise
Regulation 5 Competent person to complete the assessment
Regulation 6 Employer to reduce risk of hearing damage to lowest reasonably practical level
Regulation 7 Take steps to reduce noise exposure as far as reasonably practicable
Regulation 8 Provide suitable protective equipment
Regulation 9 Identify hearing protection zones and erect appropriate signage
Regulation 10 PPE to be repaired and maintained & PPE provided to be used
Regulation 11 Information, Instruction and Training
Regulation 12 Specifies action levels

COSHH Assessments:
Type of substance (Toxic/Harmful/Sensitiser/Irritant)
Chronic (prolonged exposure, long term effects)
Acute (Short term exposure, immediate effect)
Routes of entry into body (Absorbtion/indegstion/inhalation)
Concentration in relation to exposure limits
No of persons exposed (identify vulnerable persons)
Duration of exposure
Adequacy of control measures
Compliance with control measures

Hierarchy of Control:
Elimination by design
Substitution with less hazardous substance
Automation of process
Reducing exposure by process change
Engineering controls (ie: LEV)
Minimising exposure
PPE
Monitoring/Health surveillance

Permit to Work:
Permit title
Reference No.
Job location
Plant/Task identification
Description of work and any limitations
Identified hazards
Necessary precautions
Protective equipment
Authorisation
Acceptance
Extension
Hand back/completion
Cancellation

Risk Assessment: PEME
People, Equipment, Material, Environment

Develop a system: ERIC PD
Eliminate, Reduce (by Monitoring Substitution), Isolate, Control, PPE, Discipline

Human Factors: SPAME
Skill Personality Attitude Motivation Experience

Machine Hazards: ENTICCE
Entanglement Nips Traps Impact Contact Cutting Ejection

Manual Handling: TILE
Task Individual Load Environment

Machine Guarding: FIAT
Fixed or fixed distance Interlocks (elect, air, mech, hydr) Automatic Trip

Training: IITS
Instruction Information Training Supervision

Accident Factors: relate to Domino Theory
Attitude Fault Unsafe Accident Injury

Safety Management Systems (SMS) – HSG65

1. Policy – written statement of policy, procedures and commitment to HSW. Assigns responsibilities and explains duties etc.

2. Organising – structures to assist in:
- Control
- Co-operation
- Communication
- Co-ordination
- Competence

3. Planning and Implementation – establish, operate and maintain systems that:
- Identify objectives and targets
- Set performance standards
- Consider and control risks
- Document performance
- React to change
- Sustain positive safety culture

4. Monitoring – Active and Reactive systems:
Active: Measuring achievements against specified standards before things go wrong. Ensures controls are working correctly.
Reactive: Collection of information about failures. Involves learning from mistakes.

5. Review and Audit – Ensures policy is being carried out and is having the desired effect.

HAZARD PREVENTION
1. Eliminate the hazard
2. Substitution
3. Use of barriers (Isolation/segregation)
4. Procedures (SSW/Dilution)
5. Warning systems (Instruction/Training/Signs/Markings)
6. PPE

5 STEPS IN DEVISING A SSW (AIDIM)
1. Assess the task
2. Identify the Hazards and assess the risks
3. Definition of the Safe Method
4. Implementation of the SSW
5. Monitoring the System

MAINTENANCE ACCIDENTS CAUSED BY:
1. Poor Design
2. Poor perception of risk
3. No SSW
4. Poor communications
5. Failure to brief and supervise contractors

MAINTENANCE ACCIDENTS CAN BE PREVENTED BY:
1. Planning
2. Evaluation
3. Controls
4. Monitoring

Audit – looks at systems and the way they function in practice
Inspection – looks at physical conditions

6 PART STRATEGY TO CONTROLLING CONTRACTORS
1. Identify suitable contractors
2. Identification of hazards within specification
3. Contractor competence & selection
4. Contractor acceptance of H&S Rules
5. Control of contractors on site
6. Completion checks

SAFETY CULTURE (KEY ELEMENTS):
Good communications between and with employees and management
Ensuring a real and visible commitment to high standards by senior management
Maintaining good training standards to achieve competence
Achievement of good working conditions

WORKPLACE ISSUES
Ventilation: / 5l/s/person for mechanical systems
Temperature: 16-30oC (13oC for physical work)
Windows: Glass below shoulder height – safety glass
Cleanliness:
Working Space: 11m3
Seating: Ergonomic and adjustable
Slips/Trips/Falls:
Traffic Routes:
Welfare Facilities:
Toilets – Privacy/Ventilation/lighting/cleanliness/location/quantity
Washing facilities
Drinking water
Accommodation for clothing
Rest Facilities

WORK EQUIPMENT
1. Suitable for the purpose
2. Installed, located and used so as to reduce the risk to operators & others
3. Substances – safe supply and/or removal
4. Maintained
5. Inspected by competent persons
6. Information, instruction and training

TYPES OF GUARDS
Fixed
Interlocked
Control
Automatic
Distance guard
Adjustable
Self adjusting
Trip devices
Two handed devices

GUARD MATERIAL DEPENDS ON:
Strength/stiffness/durability
Effects on reliability (eg: closed guard causing M/C to overheat)
Visibility
Need to control secondary hazards (ie: Noise)

Hope this is of some use to all you NEBOSHers out there
Enjoy

Otto.

HSfB Articles - Health and Safety for Beginners

New Articles Added by Leading Law Firm - McGrigors LLP

Our guide to health and safety in the kitchen

Your Guide to Smoke Detectors and Fire Alarms

Common causes of an office fire

HSfB in the Beginning...

Learn Your Germs

Your Articles - 5 September 2008

A week in the life of...

Your Articles - A Week in the Life of...

A week in the life of...

Exam Tip – Take Your Personal Advisors with You!

Design Your Board Room

Call Upon Your Personal Advisors

Use Your Imagination

One Day...

HSfB Owner Runs the Edinburgh Marathon for CHAS - 16 March 2008

Health and Safety for Beginners Time Management Tool

Step 1

Step 2

Step 3

Hints and Tips

HSfB - Important Site News 6 January 2008

New Health and Safety Discussion Forums Launched

HSfB - Site News 30 September 2007

Fake HSfB Email Alert - Press Release

Fake HSfB Email Alert

NEBOSH General Exam Tips by Phil

General Exam Tips

ARRIVE ON TIME AND RELAXED

BE PREPARED

GET A GOOD POSITION IN THE EXAM ROOM

READ THE QUESTIONS

BE AWARE OF HOW MANY POINTS ARE AVAILABLE

READ THE QUESTION AGAIN

READ THE WHOLE QUESTION

DON’T ANSWER ANY MORE THAN THE QUESTION ASKS

ALL WORDS ARE THERE FOR A REASON

DON’T USE VAGUE TERMS

MANAGE YOUR TIME

ATTEMPT ALL THE QUESTIONS

WRITE LEGIBLY

USE ALL THE TIME AVAILABLE

DON’T PANIC

Passing NEBOSH Diploma Exams

Introduction

The “Blue Book” (Guide to the NEBOSH Diploma)

Making Notes

Revision

Identifying Weaknesses

Exam Question Practice

Exam Technique

HSfB Wins Fife Regional Council Shield - Press Release

HSfB Wins Fife Regional Council Shield

HSfB Wins Lord Cullen Trophy for Safety Innovation - Press Release

HSfB Wins Lord Cullen Trophy for Safety Innovation

Pictured above – John Johnston holdingthe Lord Cullen Trophy at FMC Technologies, Dunfermline

The Regulatory Reform Order 2005

Summary of the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005

Who is the responsible person(s)?

Question?

Answer!

Why?

Asbestos – for the Health and Safety Beginner.

Asbestos – for the Health and Safety Beginner.

Why?

So what do you do?

There are 3 different survey types, which one do you need

How will you manage the survey in the future?

Risk Assessments and Health and Safety

Risk Assessments and Health and Safety

Proper Storage

Manual Handling

Lifting and Carrying

Keeping corridors safe

Changes to the Rule for Training of Drivers of Vehicles carrying Dangerous Goods

Changes to the Rule for Training of Drivers of Vehicles carrying Dangerous Goods

General Training Requirements

Driver Training from 1st Jan 2007

How the changes came about

Pictured above – John Johnston holding
the Lord Cullen Trophy at FMC Technologies, Dunfermline