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Comply at Work safety snippets & business bytes Upcoming Courses
P3
Construction regulations changing
P4-5
Display Screen Equipment
P6-7
Did You Know?
P8-9
Rules of Thumb for Communication
P10
Common Mistakes Using Facebook
P11
Digital Growth
P12
Relax, Change, Create...
P12
Free ISO Audit
P13
In the Spotlight
P14
February 2015
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. NEW COURSE !! 20th March ‘How to conduct Toolbox Talks ‘ and ‘Accident Investigation’ Register YOUR INTEREST NOW – DON’T MISS OUT! Level 2 Emergency First Aid £85 + VAT 18 March & 21 April Level 2 Health and Safety £120 + VAT 22 April Fire Safety & Fire Marshall £65 + VAT Half day 31 March DSE Assessment £65 + VAT Half Day 16 April e-mail info@complyatwork.co.uk www.complyatwork.co.uk
Safety Snippets | P3
Sn Saf ip ety pe ts Tip. As the guidance identifies, if you have appointed a CDM co-ordinator for a project which starts before 6 April 2015, then they must remain in post for six months, or until the end of the project, whichever is sooner.
P4 | Safety Snippets
Tel 01204 77 29 77 mobile 07792 400 503
Comply at Work
Construction regulations changing On 6 April 2015 the Construction (Design and Management) Regulations 2015 (CDM 2015) come into effect. What are the significant changes? All change. On 9 January 2015 the HSE published a draft version of L153 providing guidance on the Construction (Design and Management) Regulations 2015 (CDM 2015). This document confirms that, subject to parliamentary approval, the new CDM 2015 Regulations will come into force on 6 April 2015. The guidance, which includes a draft version, has been published to help all those affected prepare for the changes. Is it as expected? The HSE had a huge response to the consultation document. However, it has ignored most of the feedback and stuck with the 2014 consultation draft regulations. However, there have been some minor amendments, most notably to provide enhanced transitional provisions to cover projects that are already underway on 6 April 2015. Two major changes to look out for. The first major change is that projects will be “notifiable” to the HSE if there are “more than 20 workers working simultaneously at any point on the project” . This is in addition to the current 30-day duration and 500-person day rules. The other change is that the role of the CDM co-ordinator has been removed. Most of their duties will now be covered by a “principal designer”. What about the Approved Code of Practice (ACoP)? L153 states that the ACoP supporting the CDM Regulations will be withdrawn. It also confirms that it won’t be replaced. To summarise: The new Regulations will be similar to those on which the HSE consulted in 2014. The role of the CDM co-ordinator will be scrapped and projects will be notifiable if 20 workers are on site at once and the ACoP withdrawn.
Source: Tipmail
e-mail info@complyatwork.co.uk www.complyatwork.co.uk
Safety Snippets | P5
Sn Saf ip ety pe ts What is display screen equipment? Display Screen Equipment (DSE) is sometimes referred to as Visual Display Units (VDU) or Computer Workstations and includes laptops, touch-screens and other similar devices that incorporate a display screen. Any item of computer-related equipment including the computer, display, keyboard, mouse, desk and chair can be considered part of the DSE work station. Other important definitions: User: an employee who habitually uses DSE as a significant part of their normal work. If someone uses DSE continuously for periods of an hour or more on most days worked, they are likely to be classified as a user. Operator: a self-employed worker who habitually uses DSE for a significant part of their work.
Source: Indicator
P6 | Safety Snippets
Tel 01204 77 29 77 mobile 07792 400 503
Comply at Work
Display Screen Equipment The risks of using display screen equipment Many employers and employees are completely unaware of the impact on health that a poorly arranged work station can have. A poorly equipped and arranged work station is a major contributing factor in the development of many workrelated upper limb disorders (WRULDs). Conditions can be both short and long term but in most cases cause a lot of avoidable pain, discomfort and stress. Other associated symptoms include temporary eyestrain and headaches, and fatigue/stress. The hazards associated with DSE work stations must therefore be properly assessed so that they are adequately equipped and adjustable to suit the user’s needs.
Legal duties and obligations around display screen equipment The Health and Safety (Display Screen Equipment) Regulations 1992 These regulations require employers to carry out an analysis and assessment of the work station. Work stations must meet certain basic requirements that enable them to be appropriately adjusted and used without unacceptable risks to health and safety. Account must also be taken of daily work routines so that adequate breaks can be incorporated into the working day. This does not necessarily mean a complete break away from work, but a break from the DSE work (e.g. making phone calls, filing or other work that allows staff a change of activity and gets them away from the screen). It is better if the work allows for natural breaks but it is possible to install software that can indicate when it would be appropriate for someone to take a break. Short frequent breaks are better than fewer longer breaks.
Appropriate information, instruction and training should be provided to users so that they can use the equipment provided effectively and information on eye examinations. Free eye examinations for persons identified as users must be provided on request. The employer is responsible for paying for tests and for basic spectacles if they are required for DSE work. The employer does not have to pay for designer frames or other additional features but many employers contribute the equivalent cost of basic spectacles if the employee pays the additional cost.
Good practices for using DSE An increasing number of people are spending more time working from home. If that work involves the use of DSE the employer should make sure that a risk assessment is carried out for the DSE work station used at home. Laptops are used by many home workers. Laptops are primarily designed for short-term use. If they are used frequently, or for long periods, docking stations, separate keyboards and mice should be provided. This enables the laptop user to adjust the work station in a manner most comfortable for them. As with other aspects of health and safety the action required depends on the outcome of a risk assessment.
If you would like any further advice, require any workstation assessments to be undertaken in your workplace or perhaps selected staff to be trained in being DSE assessors themselves please let us know. Our next training course runs on Thursday 16 April.
e-mail info@complyatwork.co.uk www.complyatwork.co.uk
Safety Snippets | P7
S Sn afe ip ty pe t P8 | Safety Snippets
Tel 01204 77 29 77 mobile 07792 400 503
Comply at Work
Did you know? Falls and slips & trips, combined, account for over a third (35%) of employee injuries. They made up more than half of all reported major/specified injuries and almost three in ten (29%) over-sevenday injuries to employees (RIDDOR). Reported injuries Injury
Slips & trips
Falls from height
Combined STFs
Fatal
2
19
21
Major/specified
7 742
2 895
10 637
Over-seven-day
13 841
3 038
16 879
Total
21 585
5 952
27 537
An estimated 1.9 million working days were lost due to handling injuries and slips & trips.
Falls from height were the most common cause of fatalities, and accounted for nearly three in ten (29%) fatal injuries to workers (RIDDOR).
We can assist your company with specific work at height training. Whether it be Ladder safety, PASMA or IPAF and undertake workplace audits and inspections to help minimise slips , trips and falls and advice on appropriate safety footwear and flooring.
Data from 2013/2014 statistics.
e-mail info@complyatwork.co.uk www.complyatwork.co.uk
Business Bytes | P9
Bu By sin te ess s
Rules of Thumb with communication… The best way to ensure you give people the communication they want... is to ask them what they want! Contact them before the communication, and ask such questions as… • What do you want me to cover? • What do you want me not to cover? • Have you any concerns, that you want me to address? • Who else will see this communication? Is there anything I should include for their benefit? • Would you prefer a formal PowerPoint, or a more informal discussion? If you don’t ask, you don't know. And that means you are guessing. This makes it less likely you'll get the outcome you and they want.
Action point For your next communication, ask your audience what they want from you. Use their answers to shape what and how you communicate.
Source: Andy Bounds
P10 | Safety Snippets
Tel 01204 77 29 77 mobile 07792 400 503
Comply at Work
The top 3 common mistakes small businesses make on Facebook There are now over 30 million small businesses on Facebook worldwide. This isn’t really surprising as it is a powerful platform with an enormous user base that can both attract new customers and ensure the loyalty of your existing ones. It can also be time consuming however, so you must make sure you get the most out of it by avoiding these 3 common mistakes. 1. Posting Infrequently So many times I have gone to look up a business on Facebook only to find the Page has been created and then mostly forgotten about. It can be hard to make time for social media, but all it takes is spending 5-10 minutes each day posting something you find interesting to keep your Facebook Page active and engaging. If you don’t have time every day, you can also use Facebook’s scheduling feature to schedule your posts to be published when you would otherwise be busy. 2. Posts without images. Large walls of text tend to be ignored when people are scrolling down their newsfeed on Facebook. Posts need to include an eye-catching image to pique the curiosity of your followers and get them to like or share the post. However, don’t think that just because your post has an image that people will read it. If it’s too long, it won’t be read either way so it’s best to keep posts to a few sentences. Remember you can add a link to a longer article or blog if you need to say something more in depth. 3. Ignoring your customers. It can be very easy to schedule things then forget to look at how people are responding. Replying to comments is great, it humanises your business and makes people more likely to engage with your future posts if they know you are paying attention to them. However, be especially aware of negative comments. A bad comment that goes ignored can attract people’s attention and give you a bad reputation for customer service that is very difficult to shake. Often an apology or acknowledgement of the problem is enough, but you can also offer a discount in the hope that they will return in the future. Watch this space for Comply at Work’s Facebook page later this year! We will certainly be looking to the tips above to raise our profile. Source: Shamshad Walker
e-mail info@complyatwork.co.uk www.complyatwork.co.uk
Business Bytes | P11
Bu By sin te ess s
Digital Growth… We have recently come across the following information which may be of interest.
Go to www.get-digital-faster.info will take you to another site which explains that Manchester Council has some Digital Growth Vouchers to help you speed up your internet access. It seems you can get up to £2000 if you spend up to £4000 to install better lines e.g. ISDN connections.
Good Luck & let us know how you get on!
Relax, Change, Create… It seems that many people find it increasingly difficult in our face-paced world to ‘switch off’ and relax or even sleep well.
You may find the apps and recordings from Andrew Johnson helpful. Andrew has kindly agreed for us to include the following link on our Newsletter that will allow our readers to listen to 3 of the tracks for as long as they want. Andrew’s website is http://www.withandrewjohnson.com/
The link to listen in and relax is:
http://listen.withandrewjohnson.com/dplayer.php?v=jw
Enjoy!!
P12 | Safety Snippets
Tel 01204 77 29 77 mobile 07792 400 503
Comply at Work
Health and Safety ISO 18001 Standard FREE assistance in getting your business ready for audit!
Yes that is correct. One of our valued Associates is currently undertaking the NVQ Level 5 in Occupational Safety and Health and requires substantial evidence to meet their training requirements. They are available to work with your business to review all Health and Safety documentation to the required standard to achieve the ISO 18001 standard. Putting the necessary documentation in place may take 8-14 weeks depending on the complexity of the organisation. Most work can be undertaken remotely and for site visits, a modest fee for expenses will be required. If you would like to register your interest, please let us know giving the name of your organisation and the number of employees. Priority will be given to Comply at Work clients.
e-mail info@complyatwork.co.uk www.complyatwork.co.uk
Business Bytes | P13
Comply at Work
spotlight
Here’s a summary of the latest news from Comply at Work… Training Successes We would like to congratulate all our recent delegates undertaking the Level 2 award in Health and Safety and Emergency First Aid courses all passed – well done! Welcome This month, we would like to welcome our new clients we have provided assistance to: The Garden Village Ltd, Clayton-le-Dale Lyons Stonework, Ramsbottom PGL Pipelines Ltd, Leigh Winstons Pizza, Billinge AFM Property, Bolton Pearl Window Systems Ltd, Westhoughton
Excellence at the Expo! Wow! What a day we had at The Big Bolton Expo recently! A very busy event which proved useful in picking up lots of different contacts and potential clients. We particularly had a lot of interest in our training courses. Sue also featured in our first You Tube video – fame at last! You can see the clip here:
http://youtu.be/n939zO-Znu4
The Authority in Access Ladder Log Safety Inspection System Ensure you meet current Working at Height (WAHR 2005) regulations with our adhesive stickers, tags, holders and business packs
Services We Offer • • • •
Site Surveys for Bespoke Access Ladder & PASMA Training Special Application design On Site Ladder Inspections
Visit Ladderstore.com or call our team on 01204 590 232
C @
COMPLY at WORK HEALTH & SAFETY CONSULTANCY AND TRAINING
adve r tise with us for unde r ÂŁ10 pe r month Tel 01204 77 29 77 mobile 07792 400 503 e-mail info@complyatwork.co.uk www.complyatwork.co.uk For more information call 01925 599760
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