When is it too cold to work outside?

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Following the extreme cold  weather #BeastfromtheEast  across the UK last week, when is it too cold to work outside?

If  your daily job consists of working outdoors, this could create extremely dangerous conditions for your health and well-being.

Your employer must take precautions to keep you from harm no matter what the weather.

The Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999 states employers should ‘assess the risks to health and safety and act where necessary (i.e. if the workplace temperature drops below the minimum guideline or if it is felt the temperature is too high)

Ideally, when weather outside is extremely cold, the temperature gauge in your workplace should not fall below 16C and if the work involves rigorous physical effort, the temperature should be at least 13C, although this relates to indoor work.

The employer has a ‘duty to determine what reasonable comfort will be in the particular circumstances’, according to Health and safety Executive.

Employers must stick to health and safety at work including keeping the temperature at a comfortable level and providing clean and fresh air.

The regulations means employers have a responsibility to take all reasonable steps to ensure the safety of their workers.

Although there is no strict guide when it is too cold to work outside, and no laws on maximum and minimum temperatures, these regulations require employers to make a suitable assessment of the risks to the health and safety of their employees. A risk assessment requires employers to make a suitable assessment of the risks to the health and safety of their employees as well as the possible impact of rain, snow and ice during low tempreatures

When working in cold environments employers need to ensure that  protective equipment is issued. (The Personal Protective Equipment at Work Regulations 1992); provide mobile facilities for warming up, encourage the drinking of warm fluids such as soup or hot drinks, introduce more frequent rest breaks, or consider delaying ther work.

Kidde Recall 40m Fire Extinguishers

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Manufacturer Kidde has launched one of the largest product recalls in history amid concerns that fire extinguishers might not work in an emergency. Although Kidde is an American brand, they do export to the UK, so there could be faulty devices in your workplace.

What is the problem?
Following investigation that some customers reported extinguishers failing to function as they should, it was revealed that the extinguishers become clogged over time, leading to two serious consequences. The first is that they fail to spray and are therefore useless for fighting a fire. The second is that the clogging effect causes a build-up of pressure, resulting in the nozzle flying off with enough force to cause injury.

Which extinguishers are affected?
The potentially affected extinguishers all have plastic handles. No extinguishers with metal handles are affected. If the extinguisher has a plastic handle and NO pressure gauge, then it is also affected. Extinguishers with plastic handles and a pressure gauge are affected if the part number is 44162 (model numbers: H110G, FA110G, FC110, FS110, M110G, M110GM).

Part Number: 4004000 – Model Number – KK2, 100D
Part Number: 440196 – Model Number – KK2, 100D
Part Number: 466340 – Model Number – AUTO 5FX, M5P, M5PM, 21OD
Part Number: 440162 – H110G, FA110G, FC110, FS110, M110G, M110GM

The above information can be used to assist you in identifying your extinguisher. You can find your model code in the bottom left of right of the label. You will then be able to register your affected product for replacement by calling the UK Recall Hotline: 0-800-0885513

1st NPORS Paperwork Audit

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Passed with flying colours.

Go us!

Is PAT Testing a Legal Requirement?

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There is currently no legal requirement for PAT Testing. The Government however has put Regulations in place that pertain to the maintenance of electrical appliances and the most effective way to ensure that these Regulations are met is through PAT Testing.

The UK Health and Safety Executive along with Insurance Companies will expect you to perform PAT Testing to ensure that you are compliant with certain Regulations including:

  • Health and Safety at Work Act 1974
  • The Electricity at Work Regulations 1989
  • The Provision and Use of Work Equipment Regulations 1998 (PUWER)
  • The Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999

Non compliance with the above mentioned Regulations can result in fines of up to £5,000 and/or six months imprisonment. Fines have been seen to go as high as £20,000 and offences heard in Crown Court have carried sentences of more than 2 years imprisonment in addition to unlimited financial penalties.

So even though PAT Testing itself is not legally required. It simply helps you to protect yourself by ensuring that you are complying with these Regulations.