Tel 01204 772977 or 07792 400 503
Comply at Work Upcoming Courses
P2-3
Housekeeping P4-5 It’s too hot to work
P6-7
Grenfell Tower
P8
Questions & Answers
P9
In the spotlight
P10-11
July 2017
Sn Saf ip ety pe ts 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. One Day Emergency First Aid at Work Thurs 24 August, Thurs 28 Sept Just £85.00 + VAT inc buffet lunch, Certification, ID card and Manual IOSH Managing Safely 3 days : 19th, 20th and 21st Sept £395.00 + VAT including buffet lunch, IOSH accrediation, free App and Workbook Thurs 12 October One day Health and Safety Awareness Wed 16th August Work at Height Awareness : am Manual Handling Awareness : pm Asbetsos Awareness : pm Other upcoming courses – dates TBC: Fire Marshal Training - half day £75 + VAT pp Risk Assessment – half day Personal Development workshops (4 half days) – fully funded PLEASE CONTACT US ON 01204 772977 FOR FURTHER DETAILS e-mail info@complyatwork.co.uk www.complyatwork.co.uk
Safety Snippets | P3
Sn Saf ip ety pe ts P4 | Safety Snippets
Tel 01204 77 29 77 mobile 07792 400 503
Housekeeping Dealing with chaos and mess You have several managers, each with a similar amount of office and storage space. While most seem to manage, one is in constant chaos, blaming it all on their workload and environment. Where should you start?
At risk A recent safety inspection has identified that housekeeping standards in the workplace are well below par. This is causing a number of specific hazards including: (1) tripping; (2) ergonomic problems due to the mess around and beneath desks; (3) manual handling risks arising from difficulty to access stored items; (4) fire hazard from the combustible storage and the risk of damage to electrical equipment; (5) inappropriate access to hazardous substances which should be locked away; and (6) stress for employees working there.
Problem Doing nothing isn’t an option as you realise that you will be liable if there’s an accident. But getting anything done about it seems to meet a brick wall. When the points were raised the manager blamed it all on a lack of space, the wrong furniture, too much work, etc. But spending lots of money isn’t really an option and in any case you doubt that it will get to the root of the problem.
It’s you, not me The majority of poor housekeeping is the result of mindset rather than the physical environment. The main factors involved are: the standards which the individual finds acceptable the standards imposed (and measured) the level of empowerment given to the employee to resolve the problems. In other words, if you don’t set the standards you expect, you will get the level of tidiness which each individual thinks is OK. The resources and decision making power you delegate will also have an effect.
Where your requirements are already clear, e.g. within your health and safety policy, you can take measures to enforce your standards with the manager concerned. If not, you will need to go back to basics as follows: Tip 1. Write to all staff with responsibility for premises pointing out the legal requirements, e.g. “to comply with the Workplace (Health, Safety and Welfare) Regulations 1992,Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 and other applicable regulations, all workplaces must be kept in a safe condition” . Explain that it is their responsibility to ensure compliance within their area and that a breach in standards exposes the company to a risk of legal action. Tip 2. Describe the standard you expect in detail, for example, all floors to be kept free of stored items, all storage to be on shelving or in cupboards, confidential records filed, all corridors and fire exits to be unobstructed, fire extinguishers to be accessible, no combustibles stored in plant rooms, cleaning materials to be safely stored, etc. Tip 3. Ask the managers to come back to you by a set date with any requested resources they need. Also ask them if there are any obstructions to achieving what you have asked. Tip 4. Implement a routine inspection programme, including self-monitoring checks on, e.g., a weekly basis, and independent checks periodically. So, unless you take charge, you will get the standard of tidiness which individuals think is acceptable. Outline the legal responsibilities and your expectations in detail, e.g. unobstructed corridors, chemicals stored, etc. Ask the managers what additional resources they need to do what you ask, then inspect periodically.
e-mail info@complyatwork.co.uk www.complyatwork.co.uk
Source: Indicator
Safety Snippets | P5
Sn Saf ip ety pe ts P6 | Safety Snippets
Tel 01204 77 29 77 mobile 07792 400 503
Thermal comfort it’s too hot to work! Record temperatures in June 2017 resulted in claims that it was too hot to work. What’s the legal position and what should you do on hot days?
Sweltering. Although most people look forward to the warmer weather, when it arrives it can cause more problems than extreme cold. As soon as the thermometer hit 30°C in June 2017 many businesses were inundated with requests to change work practices. Some staff wanted to remove items of personal protective equipment (PPE), others simply wanted to down tools and stop work. Plus, just to stoke the flames, unions such as the TUC decided that this would be an opportune moment to make the case for implementing a maximum workplace temperature. So, do you have to send your staff home if it’s too hot?
ensure that they’re able to work safely.
What does the law say? There is no maximum workplace temperature defined in legislation. The HSE’s justification is that it would be impossible for a maximum temperature to be set because it would be difficult to achieve in certain workplaces, e.g. foundries.
Tip 4. Consider allowing staff to work from home or introduce flexible working hours on a short-term basis.
Tip 1. If it’s safe to do so, e.g. you don’t allow staff to remove important items of PPE, then relaxing your dress code is a good option. Tip 2. Make sure staff have facilities to rehydrate and to take breaks in cooler areas - this is especially important if they work in the sun. Tip 3. Advise on the use of a High Factor Sun protection cream on any exposed skin.
Source: Indicator
Don’t overlook the general duty. The law requires employers to take action where it could be deemed that the health and safety of those working in an environment is at risk. Extreme temperatures are a known hazard. What does this mean? If staff are made to work in an excessively hot environment and heat is identified as a factor in an accident, or causes ill health, you could be held liable. Therefore, if you think that staff might be at risk, telling them to carry on regardless isn’t the best option. Instead, implement reasonable adjustments to
e-mail info@complyatwork.co.uk www.complyatwork.co.uk
Safety Snippets | P7
Sn Saf ip ety pe ts In view if the recent tragic events at Grenfell Tower, please consider advising  the responsible persons at relevant buildings in your portfolio to conduct a thorough investigation into the cladding on their building/s. Certificates and specifications should be obtained from the architects and builders. Samples of the cladding panels should be tested independently to ensure their adequacy.
P8 | Safety Snippets
Tel 01204 77 29 77 mobile 07792 400 503
OCCUPATIONAL HEALTH
Q&A - how can we keep the fridge clean? Q. We have supplied our workforce with a fridge but it is constantly in a disgusting state. Our requests for them to keep it clean fall on deaf ears. What are we obliged to do about it? A. There are a few simple steps to take to ensure hygiene is maintained. This is important to prevent people from becoming ill, and as you are the employer and supplier of the equipment you could be deemed responsible. Tip 1. The fridge should be routinely cleaned and checked for any out of date food. Many businesses ask the cleaner to do this at the end of the week. Tip 2. Inform your staff that the fridge will be checked and cleared of any food not eaten by the use by date. If necessary put restrictions on what can be stored - some businesses have problems with staff filling the fridge with their food shopping. Tip 3. Because the fridge is only used for storing food for personal consumption you are not obliged to record daily temperatures. However, you must still organise sufficient checks that the fridge is working as it should be. Fridge temperatures should be below 5°C. You may need to provide a fridge thermometer to monitor this. So, if your staff fridge is constantly in a poor state you can’t simply ignore it. Have the fridge cleaned at least weekly and out-of-date food disposed of. Also check that the temperature stays below 5°C. Source: Indicator
Q&A - what’s an FFP mask? Q. You have ben advised by your Health and Safety consultants to purchase and use FFP3 masks for tasks which create sand or stone dust. What does this mean? A. Disposable half mask respirators are the simplest type available. The common term is a dust mask - the type which has two elastic straps which go behind your head and a moulded cup of paper/fabric to cover your nose and mouth. Some, but not all, have an exhalation valve. These come in three grades: FFP1, FFP2 and FFP3 - FFP stands for filtering face piece. FFP3 masks provide the highest level of protection, FFP1 the least. Please contact us is you need further advice. remember! it’s a legal requirement to have all CLOSE-FITTING masks face-fit tested. We can help – please get in touch to discuss your requirements. Source: Indicator e-mail info@complyatwork.co.uk www.complyatwork.co.uk
Safety Snippets | P9
Comply at Work
in the spotlight Congratulations to the following retained clients achieving CHAS accreditation: Parkinson Civil Engineering Ltd, Ashton -in -Makerfield CP Decorators Ltd, Bolton Welcome to our new retained clients this month: Red Rose Landscapes Ltd, Horwich Choice Electrical Ltd, Bolton Atmostherm Service Ltd, Manchester Bollard Street Ltd, Wigan Manchester Food Traders Ltd, Openshaw Manchester Meat and Poultry Ltd, Openshaw Some of our achievements this month: Delivery of Manual Handling and Asbestos Awareness Training for many contractors Assisting clients with CHAS applications Completing site inspections Completing Site Audits and Gap Analyses Undertaking Fire Risk Assessments Supporting retained clients with documentation development, prequalification questionnaires and Tenders Researching hazardous substances for the development of COSHH assessments and advising on appropriate PPE Arranging Face fit testing urgently so that a Construction client could be allowed on Site Update: We are now able to offer competitively-priced Legionella Assessments for a range of industries, including care homes and hotels. Please contact us to discuss your requirements.
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