Tag Archive for: Health & Safety

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

Common Work at Height Myths

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Falls from height are one of the biggest causes of workplace fatalities and major injuries. Work at height means work in any place where, if there were no precautions in place, a person could fall a distance liable to cause personal injury. Common causes are falls from ladders and through fragile roofs.

This brief guide is designed to clear up the confusion associated with the Work at Height Regulations

HSE have banned the use of ladders on building sites

NO, this is not the case. Ladders and step ladders can be a sensible practical option. They can be used for work at height when the use of other work equipment is not justifies because of the low risk and short duration (short duration means working on a ladder for no more than 30 minutes at a time), or when there are existing workplace or site features which cannot be altered.

You need to be formally qualified before using a ladder at work

No, you do not. You need to be competent. This means having the necessary skills, knowledge and experience to use a ladder properly for the work you will carry out, or, if you are being trained, you work under supervision of somebody who can perform the task competently. Training often takes place on the job and does not always have to take place in a classroom. What matters is that an individual can apply what they have learned in the workplace.

I am working at height if I’m walking up and down a staircase at work

No, you are not. Work at height does not include walking up and down a permanent staircase in a building.

You need to have two feet and one hand on a stepladder at all times when carrying out a task

No, this isn’t true. when you need to have both hands free for a brief period to do a job using a step ladder (eg putting a box on a shelf, hanging wallpaper, installing a smoke detector on a ceiling) you need to maintain three points of contact at the working position. This is not just two feet and one hand, it can be two feet and your body (use your knees or chest to help with stability) supported by the stepladder. Ensure a handhold is available to steady yourself before and after.

HSE has banned the use of ladders to access scaffolds and you will be fined if you ignore this ban

No, this isn’t true. Ladders can be used for access as long as they are the right type (ie, a suitable grade of industrial ladder), in good condition and effectively secured (tied) to prevent movement. You should ensure they extend at least one metre above the landing point to allow for a secure handhold when stepping off.

What do I need to do to comply with the Work at Height Regulations 2005?

The Regulations apply to all work at height, where there is risk of a fall liable to cause personal injury. They place duties on employers, and those who control any work at height activity (such as facilities managers or building owners who may contract others to work at height)

As part of the Regulations, you must ensure:

  • all work at height is properly planned and organised.
  • those involved in work at height are competent.
  • the risk from work at height are assessed, and appropriate work equipment is selected and used.
  • the risks of working on or near fragile surfaces are properly managed.
  • the equipment used for work at height is properly inspected and maintained.

When is a ladder right for the job?

The law says that ladders can be used for work at height when a risk assessment has shown that using equipment offering a higher level of fall protection is not justified because of the low risk and short duration of use. Short duration is not the deciding factor in establishing whether an activity is acceptable or not – you should of first considered the risk, As a guide, if your task would require staying up a leaning ladder or a step ladder for more than 30 minutes at a time, it is recommended that you consider alternative equipment. You should only use ladders in situations where they can be used safely, eg where the ladder will be level and stable, and where its reasonably practicable to do so, the ladder can be secured.

What’s the definition of a working platform?

The work at Height Regulations 2005 changed the meaning of working platforms, which were traditionally seen as fully-boarded platforms with handrails and toe boards. A working platform can now be virtually any surface from which work can be carried out, such as:

  • a roof
  • a floor
  • a platform on a scaffold
  • mobile elevated work platforms (MEWPs)
  • the treads of a stepladder.

What do the Regulations say about guard rails in respect of working platforms?

The Regulations require that, for construction work, handrails have a minimum height of 950 mm, and that any gap between the top rail and any intermediate rail should not exceed 470 mm. The Regulations also require toe boards to be suitable and sufficient (eg a toe board of a minimum 100 mm height would be acceptable).

What do I need to know about using a Mobile Elevating Work Platform (MEWP)?

If you are thinking of using a MEWP, consider the following questions:

  • Height – How high is the job from the ground?
  • Application – Do you have the appropriate MEWP for the job? (if you’re not sure check with the hirer or manufacturer).
  • Conditions – What are the ground conditions like? Is there a risk of the MEWP becoming unstable or overturning?
  • Operators – Are the people using the MEWP trained, competent and fit to do so?
  • Obstructions – Could the MEWP be caught on any protruding features or overhead hazards, eg steelwork, tree branches or power lines.
  • Traffic – Is there passing traffic and, if so, what do you need to do to prevent collisions.
  • Restraint – Do you need to use either work restraint (to prevent people climbing out of the MEWP) or a fall arrest system (which will stop a person hitting the ground if they fall out)? Allowing people to climb out of the basket is not normally recommended – do you need to do this as part of the job?
  • Checks – Has the MEWP been examined, inspected and maintained as required by the manufacturer’s instructions and have daily checks been carried out?

What should I do when using a Mobile Access Tower (Scaffold Tower)?

If you are thinking of using a tower, you need to be competent to build, inspect, use and dismantle a tower.

The following are all essential safety features that should be supplied upon purchase or hire of a tower:

  • purpose built platforms with trapdoor entry and exit. There must be enough platforms so that they can be installed at 2m height intervals during assembly and dismantling.
  • guardrails fitted all the way around every platform at a minimum height of 950mm and with a maximum 470mm vertical gap between the guardrails and the platform.
  • a built in access ladder or staircase for safe ascent and descent.
  • 4 stabilisers of the correct size and height of the tower.
  • toe boards to prevent the fall of any materials.
  • user instructions which show one of the two recognised safe assembly and dismantling method

The 2 recognised methods are:

  1. . Guardrail side frames are put in place in advance of anyone getting on the platform. They are put in place from ground level  for the first platform level, and from the protected position of a platform below for the higher platform levels.
  2. Through the trap (3T). Guardrails are put in place before stepping onto the platform. The operator positions themselves within the open trap door, seated on the platform, from where they install or remove the guardrails.

How do you decide if someone is competent to work at height?

You should make sure that people with sufficient skills, knowledge and experience are employed to perform the task, or, if they are being trained, that they work under supervision of somebody competent to do it. In the case of low-risk, short duration tasks involving ladders, competence requirements may be no more than making sure an employee receive instruction on how to use the equipment safely (eg how to tie a ladder properly) and appropriate training. When a more technical level of competence is required, for example drawing up a plan for assembling a complex scaffold, existing training and certification schemes drawn up by trade associations and industry is one way too help demonstrate competence.

 

Slinger Signaller Training

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The job of a slinger signaller is one of the most important jobs on site. Working alongside crane operators to provide safe direction and supervision. It requires skill, diligence and concentration.

The slinger signaller will act as the eyes and ears of the crane operator, who is likely to have an obstructed view of their  surroundings. This obstructed view increases the risks involved with loading, lifting and generally operating the crane, and so they need a slinger signaller to communicate via a series of hand signals to assist with manoeuvres.

As with any job that involves work equipment, slinger signallers must be trained to the required legal levels and competent to carry out their job safely and effectively.

GAR Training Services Ltd will provide training that is comprehensive, thorough and will provide the candidate with a full understanding of:

  • The regulations affecting their job
  • The operational requirements of the lifting task.
  • The features and safe use of the equipment and machinery.
  • The legal responsibilities of a slinger signaller.
  • The correct procedures for manoeuvring equipment.
  • The approved and pre-arranged hand signals for communication.

To find out about training as a slinger signaller for yourself or for your employees, simply get in touch with us at info@gar-trainingservices.co.uk

Landscaping Company fined after Teenager looses finger

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Do you have or are you thinking of employing an apprentice??

A landscaping company has admitted to failing to properly train and supervise work on a dangerous machine after a teenage boy on work experience had a finger amputated while working unsupervised on a log splitter.

A fine of £6,000 and costs of £1,017 was passed down after the company owner pleaded guilty to offences under section 2(1) of the Health & Safety at Work Act 1974.

The incident happened after the apprentice was shown how to work the log splitter and then left alone on site. While operating the log splitter unsupervised he held a log in place and started the machine. The hydraulic blade of the log splitter came down onto the log and severed his finger. The boy being isolated made the situation worse when there was no one to on site to issue first aid to him after suffering this “life changing injury”.

Apprentices must be able to learn new skills in a safe environment. Apprentices of any age are especially vulnerable to health & safety risks as they are working in unfamiliar environments, often with unfamiliar equipment. Risks to apprentices are increased where employers look to misuse the apprenticeship programme for “cheap labour” rather than offer a young person a supportive, high quality training experience. The Health & Safety (Young Persons) Regulations 1997 state employers must protect young persons from any risks to their health & safety which are associated with the young persons lack of experience, lack of awareness of existing risks, or maturity.

 

Risk Assessment Recording

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The Health & Safety Executive (HSE) plans to update its basic guide to risk assessment to allow duty holders to use documents such as safety data sheets as written evidence of an assessment.

The proposed change is part of the HSE’s attempt to protect businesses from so-called “blue tape” in which customers, insurers or consultants insist on dedicated forms for all assessments. The executive plans to insert two new paragraphs in its leaflet INDG163: Risk Assessment: a brief guide to controlling risks in the workplace. These suggest duty holders should resist pressure to create unnecessary assessments and may contact its Myth Busters Challenge Panel if they are asked to exceed legal requirements. The panel was set up in 2012 to rebut unfounded claims that measures were required by health & safety law.

On its website, the HSE says the requirements for employers with more than five employees to record significant risks can be satisfied in documents such as workplace housekeeping rules, manufacturers’ instructions, training materials, method statements and safety data sheets for chemicals.

“A risk assessment is not about creating huge amounts of paperwork,” said the HSE. “It is about identifying sensible measures to control the risks in your workplace. We want to put more emphasis on controlling risks and less on written assessments without reducing standards.”

The proposed additions to INDG163 are expected early this year.

UK Director Prosecutions Triple in 12 Months

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The number of Company Directors prosecuted for health & safety offences was three times higher in the 12 months to April 2016 than in the previous 12, according to data from the Health and Safety Executive (HSE). 46 Company Directors were prosecuted by the HSE in the 12 months to 31st March 2016. Around three-quarters (34) of the 46 people prosecuted were found guilty and this resulted in 12 prison sentences, the longest of which was 2 years.

While the majority of Director prosecutions relate to small and medium-sized businesses due to there typically being some form of proximity or nexus with the Director, the new game-changing sentencing guideline for health & safety breaches with turnover-related fines has created a new set of worries for Directors of all-sized businesses.

After decades of relatively stable and predictable fines, the tide is now rising rapidly as the new guideline is applied by the criminal court. The worrying thing for Company Directors is that fines are now hitting the £1 million mark for non-fatal offences and even those where nobody has been injured, meaning that any breach of the Health and Safety at Work Act is now potentially a serious threat to a Company’s bottom line

CDM failing costs £800k

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Crest Nicholson Operations, the principal contractor of a large housing development project in Surrey, has been fined after a worker was run over by a heavy goods vehicle (HGV).

Reading Crown Court was told that Crest Nicholson had failed to effectively plan and manage the workplace transport. The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) said the accident could have been avoided had the company ensured workers stayed behind the pedestrian barriers and did not walk on the road, and prevented HGVs reversing hundreds of metres at once.

Crest Nicholson pleaded guilty to breaching reg 36(1) of the Construction (Design and Management) Regulations 2007, which states that pedestrians and vehicles must be able to move around a construction site without risks to safety. It was fined £800,000 plus £10,984 costs.

HSE inspector John Berezansky said: “David Cole suffered life-changing injuries because Crest Nicolson did not properly manage and monitor the workplace transport of their construction site.”

Chainsaws, are you workers safe?

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Tree work can be a high-risk activity. Effective training is an essential requirement for ensuring this work is carried out both safely and efficiently.

All workers must be adequately trained and competent to carry out their job safely. The Health and Safety at Work Act 1974 places general duties on employers and the self-employed to provide Health and Safety training and information.

The Approved Code of Practice, Safe Use of Work Equipment, supporting regulation 9 of The Provision and Use of Work Equipment Regulations 1998 (PUWER 98) sets a minimum standard of competence for people using chainsaws in tree work, stating that all workers should have received appropriate training and obtained a relevant certificate of competence or national competence award.

The Management of Health and Safety at Work Act 1999 requires employers to provide Health and Safety Training for workers when:-

  • They first start work, ie induction training
  • They are exposed to new or increased risks
  • They require refresher training – this is recommended at specific intervals for certain high-risk activities
  • A specific weakness is identified in an operators ability

Workers new to a task should receive adequate information and training to do their work safely and effectively. Dependant on the nature of the work, the training may vary from simple instruction through to nationally recognised courses providing comprehensive basic training.

For more specific advice or training requirements, please contact via the website

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.