POCKET HEALTH & SAFETY GUIDE
INTRODUCTION The College is committed to ensuring that all activities undertaken on its premises, or by staff working off site i.e. educational visits, are carried out to the highest possible standards of health and safety. We want everyone to remain safe and healthy, regardless of whether they are an employee, a student or a visitor. As stated in the Health & Safety Act 1974 everybody has a responsibility to protect the health and safety of themselves and others when carrying out any activity. Please take a few minutes to read this booklet and to familiarise yourself with the College’s rules and emergency procedures. More detailed information is available from the Health & Safety page of the student intranet. If you have any questions, or are unsure of anything contained in this booklet, please speak to your Course Leader, Course Tutor or your Health & Safety Officer.
FIRE Fire causes hundreds of deaths and thousands of injuries every year. Fire precautions are in place for your protection and your conduct is an important factor in preventing or minimising the causes and effects of fire. Once started, fires can spread rapidly and often it is the smoke and toxic gases produced that cause fatalities. Even a small fire can result in significant damage. IMPORTANT NOTE: misuse of or tampering with fire extinguishers, alarms, smoke detectors or other emergency equipment; which is provided for the safety of yourself and others, IS A CRIMINAL OFFENCE Therefore, please:
DO Familiarise yourself with fire exits. Co-operate at all times with fire drills and other practices. Treat all alarms as real emergencies. Follow the correct procedure: get out, shut the door, raise the alarm and stay out until you have been told it is safe to return.
DO NOT Misuse or tamper with fire extinguishers, alarms, smoke detectors or other emergency equipment provided. Obstruct escape routes with stored items. Misuse or tamper with the electricity supply. Use faulty electrical equipment. Cover light fittings with paper or other material. Delay escape to collect possessions in the event of an alarm sounding. A final word on fire alarms. Unwanted alarms occur through a range of circumstances, e.g. malicious tampering (a criminal offence which can result in fines and even imprisonment), cigarette smoke, steam, aerosol sprays, burnt toast etc. Frequent false alarms may cause a
genuine alarm to be ignored, putting people at increased risk, as well as wasting Fire Brigade resources and causing general inconvenience and disruption.
ELECTRICAL SAFETY Your equipment must be safe for others as well as for yourself. Please ensure it doesn’t become a hazard for them. Therefore, please:
DO Visually check all electric equipment before use. Disconnect electrical equipment before attempting to move it. Switch off equipment if not in use.
DO NOT Touch anything electrical with wet hands. Try and repair electrical equipment. If you think it is faulty, report it. Overload circuits. Use block adapters (they can cause a fire) - use a fused multi-socket board instead. If in doubt, always ask for advice from a member of staff.
PORTABLE APPLIANCE TESTING The College makes regular inspections of electrical equipment to ensure that it is safe and fit to use. Each piece of equipment should have a label on it which details the date that the equipment was last tested and the date when the next test is due. All personal electrical items brought into College should also be tested. If an item does not have a label on it or is out of date then it needs to be tested before you continue to use it.
PERSONAL SAFETY You should report any unwelcome and unauthorised visitors to either Reception, a member of the Buildings team or the Health & Safety Officer. In a serious situation it may help to set off the fire alarm, using the break glass points.
GENERAL BEHAVIOUR Whilst at the College, you must not behave in a manner that puts you, or anybody else, at risk. In addition to the above:
DO Obey all safety warning signs and notices. Comply with health and safety instructions given. Report all near misses, incidents and accidents. Behave in a considerate manner.
SAFETY IN DEPARTMENTS Should any health or safety problem arise from your activities, discuss this with your Course Leader or a member of staff first. If you cannot resolve the matter, you can contact the Health & Safety Officer. A health and safety workshop induction will be provided for each area. Information and training will be provided when using substances hazardous to health. Practical work may involve risk to yourself or others if safe procedures are not followed. If in doubt, ASK.
HAZARDOUS SUBSTANCES A job specific health and safety workshop induction will be provided for each area. This will enable you to undertake work involving any substances hazardous to health. Copies of COSHH records and data sheets are kept for reference purposes and are updated on a regular basis.
REPORTING If you have an accident, you must report it. This is in everybody’s interest, including your own, so that every measure possible can be taken to avoid a recurrence. Near misses, potential hazards and any damage must also be reported immediately to your Course Tutor, Course Leader or the Health & Safety Officer. The accident will be recorded in the accident book which is a confidential document. This is can be found in the Health & Safety page of the student intranet.
FIRST AID First aiders and first aid provision is provided at strategic locations throughout the College. A first aid contact list can be found on the student intranet or by dialling ‘0’ for reception. If an emergency occurs outside of hours then please call the emergency services by dialling (9) 999.
DISPLAY SCREEN EQUIPMENT The majority of you now use computers whilst studying. It is important to sit correctly especially when sitting for substantial periods of time. Take regular breaks and report any equipment problems.
MANUAL HANDLING Wherever possible manual handling should be avoided or reasonable steps taken to use mechanical means. If heavy or bulky objects have to be handled, care should be taken to only lift or move what you can easily manage.
ASBESTOS Some of the College’s premises were built when asbestos was a common construction material. When in good condition, asbestos does not pose a threat to health or safety. Under no circumstances should you break into the fabric of the building (including simple drilling). Please contact your Course Leader or Health & Safety Officer before undertaking any such work.
SAFETY SIGNAGE Red and White - Prohibition Blue and White - Mandatory Yellow and Black - Warning Green and White - Safety
PERSONAL PROTECTIVE EQUIPMENT The wearing of personal protective equipment for certain activities is a mandatory legal requirement and therefore must be adhered to at all times.
INFORMATION AND WHERE TO FIND IT More detailed information regarding health and safety is available from the Health & Safety page of the student intranet. Additionally you can contact the Health & Safety Officer on: Tel: 0113 2028167 (internal tel. ext. 8167) Mobile No: 07900893758 Further information can also be found on HSE website http://www.hse.gov.uk/.