2017 November Comply at Work Newsletter

Tel 01204 772977 or 07792 400 503

Comply at Work Upcoming Courses

P2-3

Winter Precautions

P4-5

Issuing and Managing PPE

P6-7

Keeping a Lid on Workplace Pranks

P8-9

Beware the Christmas Party Spirit

P10-11

Free January Workshop

P12-13

In the Spotlight

P14

November 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.

Fire Marshall Training Tues 5 December 1 – 4 pm Health and Safety Awareness Tues 12 December 9 – 4.30 pm Pick and Mix Training day Wed 13 December : COSHH Awareness, Work at Height, Manual Handling, Asbestos Awareness 1.5 hour short awareness sessions Emergency First Aid at Work Thurs 25 January 2018 9 – 4.30 pm

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

Winter precautions checklist The winter months introduce new hazards such as an increased risk of slips and trips due to snow and ice. So to help you manage these risks, we have developed an easy-to-use winter precautions checklist.

Winter working The winter months present new risks for you both as an employer and an occupier of premises. For example, the cold weather introduces hazards such as hypothermia to staff working outside, as well as an increased risk of slips due to snow and ice. One way of managing these risks is to introduce a Winter Precautions Checklist.

It’s divided into four sections.

Using the checklist The overall purpose of this checklist is to help you prepare both external and entrance areas for the onslaught of snow and ice, as well as ensure that any outdoor workers are adequately protected from the cold. Section one looks at external areas and the importance of having enough grit in stock. It also asks whether local weather forecasts are monitored and action taken accordingly. The second section looks at your entrance areas and your regime for mopping up and giving warnings of wet floors. As heaters may be brought in to deal with extra cold spells, section three looks at safety issues surrounding their use. The fourth and last section considers the needs of those working outside, e.g. if they have adequate PPE and rest breaks in the warm.

If you would like a copy of our free checklist for your workplace, please email info@complyatwork.co.uk

Source: Indicator

e-mail info@complyatwork.co.uk www.complyatwork.co.uk

Safety Snippets | P5

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Issuing and managing PPE You’ve decided that staff need personal protective equipment (PPE) and have spent time selecting suitable items. But before you hand them out, it’s worthwhile considering the next steps. Our flow chart will show you what’s legally required.

P6 | Safety Snippets

Tel 01204 77 29 77 mobile 07792 400 503

Not so easy

Stores

Using personal protective equipment (PPE) as a means of controlling risks to health and safety is not as simple as it first appears. Even if you’ve managed to choose something which suits the task and fits the individual, there are still hurdles to overcome, e.g. getting staff to wear it, ensuring it’s stored properly, keeping it clean and maintained and replacing it when needed. These difficulties are summed up in the Personal Protective Equipment at Work Regulations 1992 and the official guidance which supports them.

The stores column begins by asking you to write a list of items which will be issued on an “as required” basis. These include specialist equipment, e.g. safety harnesses, ropes and lifejackets and disposable items such as gloves, ear plugs and masks.

Tip. To lead you through the process we have a useful flow chart - PPE issuing and management.

It summarises the actions which need to be taken when you issue PPE and afterwards.

Premises

How’s the document organised?

Our process begins at the point where suitable PPE has been selected. Note. Getting to this point can be tricky and may require specialist advice from suppliers and/or your health and safety advisor. From here our flow chart branches into three streams headed: (1)“Staff management” ; (2) “Stores” ; and (3)“Premises” .

The first refers to standard PPE which applies to a job role and will be issued personally to staff, and the second to supplies of items which will be held centrally. The third column describes facilities to be provided, signage to display and visitors to manage.

Our flow chart guides you through the process of identifying what to stock, pre-issue inspection, return procedures, formal inspection and record keeping.

The final part of our document runs through the changes you might need to make to your premises to promote the use of PPE and to accommodate it. It covers: (1) signage for mandatory PPE, e.g. hearing protection zones; (2) visitor needs; (3) storage; and (4) drying and laundering.

The flow chart finishes by suggesting a periodic review of your arrangements by the health and safety committee.

If you would like a copy of the flow chart, please contact us on info@complyatwork.co.uk We can also advise on any kind of PPE and carry out face fit testing, now a legal requirement, for close fitting face masks. Please contact us to discuss your needs.

Staff management Column one begins with an instruction to compile lists of non-disposable items for each job role.

This is followed by the step-by-step procedure for issuing and managing these items. It covers: record keeping checking for good fit providing instruction to staff managing the expiry and replacement process cleaning and maintenance management inspections; and enforcing the correct wearing of PPE. Source: Indicator

e-mail info@complyatwork.co.uk www.complyatwork.co.uk

Safety Snippets | P7

Sn Saf ip ety pe ts P8 | Safety Snippets

Tel 01204 77 29 77 mobile 07792 400 503

Keeping a lid on workplace pranks Your employees get on well and as a consequence they regularly play pranks on each other. Can you turn a blind eye to this or must you intervene on the grounds of health or safety?

When staff are in good spirits it makes for a pleasant work environment. However, if staff begin to play pranks on each other it can go too far. Notable cases include an employee being struck on the head by a claw-hammer which had been thrown by his boss as a joke.

Another incident resulted in a member of staff being left blind and deaf after a colleague put anti-freeze in his bottle of cola.

In addition to the physical injuries caused by horseplay, being victimised at work can have a terrible impact on mental health. As shown in May 2017, there’s a clear difference between banter and bullying. An inquest in Reading heard how a mechanic at Reading Audi killed himself partly due to repeated abuse from colleagues, including being locked in a cage and set alight, being pressure washed and driven around in the boot of a car.

Tip. Standing by and allowing assaults to take place is clearly not an option. If you have such insidious bullying taking place, take immediate action, as the management of this garage did after the event.

Note. As all of these cases show, pranks which go wrong provide a host of negative publicity for the businesses involved.

Could you have to pay out?

Recent case This happened in a NHS Foundation Trust in a case reported in October 2017. A pharmacist, (P), took the Trust to court for damages of £58,000 after her colleague, (K), removed the chair she was intending to sit on. Due to the incident P suffered damage to her lower spine and coccyx, and claimed that the Trust was indirectly liable for K’s antics.

Fortunately for the Trust, the judge found in its favour, declaring that K had acted “in a purely private capacity, unconnected with his work”.

Don’t ignore it A factor which will be considered in such cases is whether the acts of staff are something which should have been anticipated. If there’s evidence of similar events in the past, it’s more likely that the employer will be held responsible. One-off incidents are unlikely to attract liability.

Tip 1. Make sure that your terms and conditions of employment ban horseplay and classify it as a disciplinary offence.

Tip 2. Ask your human resources advisor to assist in investigating any complaint of bullying, assault, horseplay or harassment.

When horseplay causes harm there’s a risk that your business will be taken to court, either through a criminal prosecution under the Health and Safety at Work Act, or via a civil case.

Whether you’re held responsible will depend on a number of factors. But either way, you’ll spend a great deal of management time trying to clear your name.

e-mail info@complyatwork.co.uk www.complyatwork.co.uk

Source: Indicator

Safety Snippets | P9

Sn Saf ip ety pe ts P10 | Safety Snippets

Tel 01204 77 29 77 mobile 07792 400 503

To raise a smile….

Beware the Christmas party spirit It’s office party time. The festive season is well and truly here, with plenty of hangovers to prove it.

Let’s take a look at the top ten party hazards (from office surveys) to be aware of: • exceeding the weight limits. For those who wish to photocopy their backsides.

There is a risk of shattering glass, burns to sensitive areas and entanglements in the machinery • falls. From falling down stairs whilst drunk • slips & trips. Injuries from slipping on spilt alcohol • violence at work. The obligatory Christmas party punch-up • electric shocks. From dodgy wiring of Christmas tree lights • hazardous substances. Hangovers from too much wine and beer • RSI. Excessive dancing to tacky Christmas songs • thermal stress. Hypothermia due to unexplained loss of clothing • splinters. From staff bonding exercises over office desks • lone working. Falling asleep drunk in a toilet cubicle overnight.

Use our list of top ten party hazards above when considering what precautions to take for future office parties, In particular, never underestimate the hidden dangers of the humble photocopier.

Source: Indicator

e-mail info@complyatwork.co.uk www.complyatwork.co.uk

Safety Snippets | P11

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Tel 01204 77 29 77 mobile 07792 400 503

Monday 29th January 2.00 pm - 3.30 pm approx and

FREE JANUARY WORKSHOP IMPORTANT!! ARE YOU AWARE OF GDPR (General Data Protection Regulations) AND WHAT EXACTLY YOU NEED TO DO TO COMPLY? More data regulations are pending, and they’ll pose big challenges — and big opportunities — for all companies.

The latest to put companies on alert is the EU’s General Data Protection Regulation which will go into effect next year. In a recent survey, 92% of U.S. companies said GDPR is a top priority on their data-privacy and security agenda however in Britain that percentage is more like 10%. The law affects all companies that handle data about EU citizens and will be here from 25th May 2018.

The GDPR expands the rights of EU citizens around privacy and protection of personal data. Among other things, it requires that companies maintain adequate data records, disclose data breaches and increase opt-out options. Stiff fines may await those not in compliance. The GDPR and other regulations underscore just how serious regulators are getting about data protection given continued and high-profile breaches.

The toughened focus comes as breaches continue to mount, including recent ones reported by Uber, in which a data breach led to thousands of people’s information being stolen. Had Uber been prosecuted after May 2018, the fine would have been €20 million Euros!

Meeting the requirements of any one regulation will not be enough to seriously curtail data breaches. Instead, a full-scale shift in thinking about data security is required.

Do YOU know what is expected of you when the 25th May 2018 comes along? Don’t wait until it’s too late!

Come along to our FREE afternoon Workshop on Monday 29th January 2.00 pm - 3.30 pm approx and start the New Year off in the right direction and ensure some peace of mind.

Certificates of attendance will be issued.

Don’t put YOUR business at risk!

Company Reg no: 07572834 Check out my professional profile and connect with me on LinkedIn. http://lnkd.in/j4Pnfj

e-mail info@complyatwork.co.uk www.complyatwork.co.uk

Safety Snippets | P13

Comply at Work

in the spotlight Congratulations to the retained clients below on their achievement of the below accreditations:

North West Maintenance Services Ltd, SMAS Pure Vent Group Safe Contractor Choice Electrical Ltd CHAS Watcheye Services Ltd CHAS

Welcome also to our new retained Clients:

Wigan Tippers Ltd, Ashton in Makerfield Bolton Engineering Products Ltd Purpose Built Cabinets, Bolton Blast Away Industrial Cleaning Ltd, Radcliffe Elf Productivity Ltd, Wigan

Well done to our retained Client, Pure Fabs of Horwich on their recent success with assistance from the Business Growth Hub! Bolton firm cuts waste with lean manufacturing A manufacturer of air handling ventilation ductwork has reduced waste while boosting productivity by a fifth by embedding lean manufacturing principles in its operations.

Pure Fabs in Horwich sought support from Greater Manchester’s Business Growth Hub to develop its factory capacity in the face of unpredictable product demand.

“Supplying the construction and refit sector means that we have to be flexible and quickly respond to changing demands.

We were frequently pulling ‘work in progress’ off production to focus on a batch which the client required immediately – which was creating waste”, said Pete Connor, director at Pure Fabs.

Lean manufacturing A productivity audit from a specialist manufacturing advisor at the Business Growth Hub led to improving standardisation and implementing lean manufacturing processes following the ‘5S’ concept, focusing on waste reduction.

As a result, Pure Fabs have increased productivity by 20 per cent and taken subcontracted work back in house, as well as employing an additional five full time members of staff.

Transformation “The focus on 5S has revolutionised the business, we analyse every detail now. I now know exactly how much waste we create as a business, and we’ve been able to reduce that by 7 per cent”, Pete Connor said.

“There’s been a total culture change, it’s not been easy and it’s by no means complete, but we’re now a team committed to continuous improvement.”

Free productivity audits are available to SMEs in Greater Manchester from the Business Growth Hub, alongside specialist advice to improve energy efficiency or develop new products, packaging or processes for higher environmental performance.

https://www.businessgrowthhub.com/manufacturing/ resources/case-studies/pure-fabs

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