Tel 01204 772977 or 07792 400 503
Comply at Work Upcoming courses
P2-3
Night Shifts Don’t Cause Cancer
P4
Sitting For Too Long Is Dangerous
P5
Must You Train Staff to Use Defribullators
P6-7
Your Email Lasts Longer Than Your Mood
P8-9
Risk Assessment - HSE Suggests You Can Cut The Paperwork P10-11 In the spotlight
P12
November 2016
P2 | Safety Snippets
Tel 01204 77 29 77 mobile 07792 400 503
Comply at Work OUR UPCOMING TRAINING COURSES…. Ask us about our special offers: Pick n mix sessions, free seminars and discounts for retained clients. Monday 21 November Emergency First Aid at Work £85.00 + VAT pp Friday 2 December CDM Awareness half day course £149.00 + VAT pp Friday 16 December Emergency First Aid at Work £85.00 + VAT pp Thursday 8 December CIEH level 2 Award in Health and Safety £120.00 + VAT pp For Manual Handling, Asbestos Awareness and Face Fit testing – please enquire for details. Places are limited on all these courses. Please contact us on 01204 772977 now to register your interest.
e-mail info@complyatwork.co.uk www.complyatwork.co.uk
Safety Snippets | P3
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Night shifts don’t cause cancer
New research, which was part funded by the HSE, has confirmed that working night shifts does not increase the risk of breast cancer. What’s to know? Ongoing story. Links were being made between working night shifts and breast cancer. At the findings of the research weren’t conclusive. We were not alone. The HSE wasn’t convinced of the link either so, together with Cancer Research UK and the UK Medical Council, it commissioned some studies. The study. In total, 1.4 million women from the UK, US, China, Sweden and the Netherlands were questioned. Participants ranged from those who had worked infrequent night shifts to those on unsociable hours for up to 30 years.
The conclusion. This research is more conclusive than the previous studies. The summary of the findings stated “This study is the largest of its kind and has found no link between breast cancer and working night shifts”. As this has come from the HSE, you can take it as the official line on the subject. Although the HSE was keen to give the good news on the cancer risks, it was just as quick to remind employers that there are still other known risks with shift work, such as fatigue and sleeping difficulties, confirming that employers must take these into consideration.
Tip. Manage the risks associated with working night shifts by asking your staff to complete a night workers health assessment annually. If you need a template for this, we would be happy to help and send one on.
Source: Indicator
P4 | Safety Snippets
Tel 01204 77 29 77 mobile 07792 400 503
Comply at Work
Sitting for too long is dangerous Chronic risk. A study has shown that sitting for more than eight hours per day is as risky to health as smoking and obesity. The research, published in The Lancet , reviewed data collated through 16 previous research papers, involving more than one million subjects. Given the size of the data pool any conclusions are statistically significant and worth paying attention to. Chink of light. The academics found a clear link between prolonged sitting and conditions such as heart disease and cancer. However, there was an exception to the rule: those who took part in more than an hour of moderate activity per day were at no increased risk of an early death. The legal position. Fortunately, the HSE has not produced any official guidance that forces employers to make their staff exercise, and nor do we expect it to do so. That said, the guidance supporting the Health and Safety (Display Screen Equipment) Regulations 1992 does include a recommendation for staff to take screen breaks. Tip. If you think that some staff are glued to their chairs, encourage them to get up from time to time. Comply at Work can undertake ergonomic DSE workstation assessments in all sectors. If you would like a FREE copy of our micro-break Workstation stretching exercises which help to combat fatigue, and improve circulation, please get in touch and we will forward these on.
Source: Indicator
e-mail info@complyatwork.co.uk www.complyatwork.co.uk
Safety Snippets | P5
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Tip 1. However, there is a legal requirement for employers to provide training in the use of work equipment. Therefore, if you provide an AED, as opposed to one simply being present in a public place nearby, you will need to arrange training. This could be extra sessions bolted on to your first aider courses. First aid training suppliers will be able to advise on this. Tip 2. If you haven’t yet had the time to run these courses, or your staff have a general interest, there’s a very good online course available from the Resuscitation Council (UK).
P6 | Safety Snippets
Tel 01204 77 29 77 mobile 07792 400 503
Comply at Work
Must you train staff to use defibrillators? FIRST AID
Who must supply one?
Automated external defibrillators (AEDs) are becoming a common sight. Should you have one fitted at your workplace, and if your staff have access to one should you provide training?
First aid legislation and guidance on this subject hasn’t changed for some time. You’re only legally obliged to install an AED in your workplace when your own assessment identifies it as necessary.
Installation initiative
You might determine that this is the case if you’re in a remote location or if you have a higher than average number of older staff.
Organisations such as the British Heart Foundation (BHF) have driven an increase in the number of defibrillator stations in public places and large workplaces. As the technology has been proven to save lives and AEDs have come down in price, they’ve become an increasingly attractive option. As a result, many public access defibrillators have been placed in train stations, shopping centres, airports and leisure centres. How do they work? According to the BHF, if someone suffers a sudden cardiac arrest the chance of survival falls by about 10% for each minute that passes without fibrillation. Fibrillation means restoring the heart’s normal rhythm - this is achieved by delivering a high energy targeted electric shock using an AED. The ambulance service has this equipment but it might be too late by the time they arrive. Survival rates increase significantly if someone on the scene is able to give CPR and successfully operate an AED.
Tip. Although you may not be legally obliged to provide an AED, you might decide to do so for peace of mind. They’re reliable, relatively inexpensive (under £1,000) and could save the life of someone in your workplace. How about training? There’s certainly no requirement to train all staff who might find themselves in the vicinity of an AED during their working day. It’s FREE to use and reminds everyone of the sequence of actions to take during CPR as well as the practical use of AEDs. Here is the link: https://www.resus.org.uk/apps/lifesaver/ All our First Aid courses include basic AED Awareness. Our next Emergency First aid courses run on Monday 21 November and Friday 16 December. Learn a new skill for 2017.
Note. A lack of training doesn’t preclude successful use. The machine itself guides the operator with audible instructions and pictograms. In fact, there’s limited opportunity to get it wrong as the AED won’t give a shock unless the heart’s rhythm requires it. According to the BHF, you should never be afraid to have a go at using one.
Source: Indicator
e-mail info@complyatwork.co.uk www.complyatwork.co.uk
Safety Snippets | P7
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Tip. There’s nothing stopping you from looking to make documentation simpler. Follow the principle that if it’s written down once and is fit for purpose, you don’t need to write it again - even if you didn’t produce the original text.
P8 | Safety Snippet
Tel 01204 77 29 77 mobile 07792 400 503
Comply at Work
Risk Assessment HSE suggests you can cut the paperwork The HSE has published draft updated guidance on the risk assessment process. The good news is that it suggests you can cut down on paperwork and avoid duplicating what’s already been written down. How will it work? Written in full
What can be learned from this?
Writing reams of health and safety paperwork is not something that anyone relishes. However, some businesses have come to the conclusion that it’s mandatory. They believe that if they produce dozens of pages, they’ll receive more credit than if they had only produced a basic document. However, the HSE is doing its best to dispel this myth.
The first paragraph gives a clear indication that the HSE has recognised many people are going too far with their paperwork, and wasting time re-writing information that’s already fit for purpose.
Updated guidance In September 2016 the HSE published an updated draft version of INDG 163 Risk assessment - a brief guide to controlling risks in the workplace. It’s such an early draft that it hasn’t even been put into style, and its publication hasn’t been widely promoted we were alerted to its existence by a contact at the HSE. What’s changed? Most of the current guidance remains unaltered. The only difference is the addition of two new paragraphs: “You may already have documents, such as guidance to employees (including HSE guidance), method statements, data sheets etc. that can serve as your record. You do not need to duplicate these.” “Insurers and contractors may ask for more detailed paperwork than the law requires. Ask if you are not sure (it might be, for instance, to defend any compensation claims). One way of checking if you are being asked to go beyond what the law requires, is to contact HSE’s Myth Buster Challenge Panel ( http://www.hse.gov.uk/myth).”
One of the most obvious examples of repetition is reproducing a hazardous substance safety data sheet in a Control of Substances Hazardous to Health assessment. In many instances if you compare the two documents there will be almost no difference between them. Don’t blame us The HSE makes it clear that it lays the blame for the mountain of paperwork on insurers and contractors. The fact that the guidance points you towards the Myth Buster Challenge Panel implies that you can take what it publishes as the official line. What to do? As of October 2016, this document is still out for consultation. More information can be found at: http://www.hse.gov.uk/risk/news.htm If you need any assistance with risk assessment in your business, we would be happy to chat through your requirements, with no obligation. Make sure you are compliant.
e-mail info@complyatwork.co.uk www.complyatwork.co.uk
Source: Indicator
Safety Snippet | P9
Bu s By ine te ss P10 | Business Byte
Tel 01204 77 29 77 mobile 07792 400 503
Comply at Work
Your email lasts longer than your mood! In other words, if someone annoys you, don’t email them when you’re still annoyed. If it makes you feel better, write the email. But don’t send it. • Have a break. • Go, get a drink. • Go for a walk. • Sleep on it.
And remember, when you’re in that conversation, it’s more important to find a solution than it is to be right. After all, persuading someone they’re wrong isn’t a good way to win an argument.
• Nip to the loo… anything that gives you time to
So,: ‘How can we resolve this?’ beats ‘What on earth were you thinking?’ every time.
•
Action point
In fact, arguments are rarely resolved by email.
You know that person who’s getting on your nerves?
So here’s an idea that works really well instead: pick up the phone.
Well, don’t email them! At some point, your mood will change. But your email won’t.
calm down before you press Send.
Think before you press that button!
Source: Andy Bounds
e-mail info@complyatwork.co.uk www.complyatwork.co.uk
Business Byte | P11
Comply at Work
in the spotlight Congratulations on our clients in achieving the following accreditations with our assistance and support: Aim Plastering Ltd – SMAS. James Robertshaw & Sons Ltd - CHAS CFE Installations Ltd, Birmingham - CHAS
And welcome to our new clients…. Corley Landscapes, Bolton AJ Wood Ltd, Farnworth Cloud 4 Computers Ltd, Leigh Monaghan Property Services Ltd, Swinton.
We have also run some new courses which have been very well received: • ‘Asbestos – non-licenced work’ • IOSH Leading Safely • Leadership Management for Team Leaders and Supervisors We welcome any input for new courses you would like to see delivered at our Training Centre. Just let us know your requirements
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