H & S Training - Control Measures for hazards
The training of your employees is vital to promote and maintain a positive health and safety culture. Training can take place in a number of manners and one of the most important (and effective) is induction training, this provides a basic understanding not only of Health & Safety but also of the company procedures and safety precautions in place.
Other forms of training include ‘toolbox talks’ or otherwise known as ‘on the job’ which is an informal method of delivery and are particularly effective when the information is simple and benefits from a practical demonstration. There are other more formal methods of training that need subject specific specialists and employee may have to go to a college of training centre to study.
Training should be ongoing and employee skills and competencies should be reviewed on a regular basis to ensure that training stays current.
Training may also be specific to the task and each individuals employee needs will be different. Some tasks will also have legal responsibilities attached to them for example, some tasks will require a nationally recognised qualification before they can carry out the task, i.e. a plumber must be gas registered before they can out any gas maintenance or fixtures.
As an employer you should ensure that there are safe working practices introduced into all areas of the workplace, these should be communicated clearly to all employees so they aware of their own responsibilities. This includes emergency procedures such as fire evacuation procedures.
Some work premises that carry our particularly dangerous work i.e. chemicals, enclosed spaces may require a ‘permit to work’. This is where a permit is issued and signed by the worker stating that they are aware of the risks involved with that particular job.
Risk assessments are key to maintain a safe and healthy workplace and should be carried out by a competent and responsible person so that they have full effect.
So how do you carry out a risk assessment?
Identify the hazard
Firstly you need to identify the hazard; this could be anything from uneven flooring to excessive noise.
Who is at Risk?
In this section you should identified who could be affected by the identified hazard, the main one here will be your employees, but you should also include sub contractors and customers. It is good practice to carry out special risk assessments for vulnerable groups such as young persons, pregnant women etc.
Likelihood
How likely is it that the hazard will in fact cause an accident, in order to determine likelihood records such as your accident book will provide invaluable information on historic accidents.
Severity
If the hazard caused an accident, what would be the outcome? How severe would the accident be, this base your decision for what controls should be put in place and what costs will be involved preventing that accident from occurring.
Control
What controls could be put into place to prevent the accident from occurring; controls could range from specialist training to additional signage. It is important that these controls are followed at all times and that all employees are aware of them so that they are implemented. When addressing controls there is a hierarchy that should be followed, it is important to remember that the introduction of PPE is a last resort and should not relied on to prevent an accident from occurring.
Review
Having a risk assessment in place is only effective if it is reviewed on a regular basis, how often it should be reviewed will depend on the nature of the hazard and if any new procedures or equipment are introduced into the workplace. A risk assessment should be carried out when any system of new piece of equipment is introduced as potentially other hazards could occur. A review should also take place after an accident occurs to review the existing control measure and determine whether or not other controls could have prevented the accident from occurring.
Fire
It is a legal requirement that a separate fire risk assessment and safety policy are carried out and documented. A fire risk assessment should look at where the potential for fire exists and put in controls measures to prevent the fire from occurring, controls measures could include:
- Appropriate storage of all flammable chemicals
- Smoke and fire detectors
- Installing the appropriate fire extinguishers
- Clearly marked escape routes
- Fire drills
- Fire alarm tests
These control measures will only be affected if all employees are aware of them and sufficient training has been carried out.
It is important that unless you have been given the appropriate training and the fire is small and contained you should not under any circumstances attempt to tackle a fire.
There are four main types of fire extinguishers and they all have a different job, these are:
- Powder (Blue Label) – this extinguisher can be used on all types of fire
- CO2 (Black Label) – this extinguisher should be used on flammable liquids and electrical fires
- Water (White Label) – Should only be used on woods, paper and packaging fires. They should never be used on electrical or flammable liquid fires.
- Foam (Cream Label) – should be used on flammable liquids, paper and woods.
Fire blankets can also be used to smother a fire i.e. deep fat fryer
In the event that you discover a fire, the following steps should be followed:
- Raise the alarm
- Leave by the nearest exit
- Close all doors behind you
- Leave the building and make your way to the nearest muster point
- Do not re-enter the building until you have been given the all clear
You should not use lifts in the event of a fire as they may not be safe or functioning properly.
Electrical Hazards
Electrical hazards pose a very real threat in the workplace and can be the cause of deaths in the workplace. It is important that the correct procedures are followed such as correct use of all equipment, regular maintenance and a visual inspection each time the equipment is going to be used. The following controls can be put in place in order to reduce risk:
- Keep all equipment in good working order
- Don’t overload sockets
- Install emergency cut off switches
- Install circuit breakers
- PAT testing
- Replace damage or frayed cables/flexes
Machinery
Machinery should be kept in safe working order at all times and every individual should be fully trained on how to correctly operate the equipment.
Guards especially when fitted on a piece of equipment should be used at all times and not ignored; there are three types of guard commonly used:
Fixed Guard – these prevent access or entry to a specific area
Automatic Guards – this guard normally activates automatically when the machine is in use
Interlock Guards – if in place the machinery will only operate of the guard is in place and will automatically stopped if the guard is opened.
Noise
Noise can be a huge health issue and sometimes effects are only noticeable over a period of time, it is these circumstances that health monitoring should be effectively carried out, particularly for employee working in areas of high noise levels.
Control measures should include reducing the amount of time an employee is prolonged to the noise and you should look at possibilities of sound proofing certain areas. PPE should be the last form of defence.
Manual Handling
Manual Handling is one of the main causes of back injuries and can easily be avoided by ensuring the appropriate lifting technique is adopted.
Manual Handling Technique
Assess the load – can I lift it alone?
Position your feet shoulder width apart (if possible avoid lifting directly from the floor)
Bend your legs
Ensure you have a firm grip of the load and lift using your legs not your back
Hold the object close to your body ensuring that your vision has not been compromised
When placing the item down ensure that you use your legs to lower the item not your back
If in doubt you should assistance from a colleague or supervisor.
Dangerous Chemicals
The contact you have with dangerous chemicals will vary greatly on your job and if regular contact is required then you should ensure the appropriate training has taken place. COSHH data sheets are obtainable from the supplier of the chemical and these should be easily accessible to all and read before chemicals are used, they will include how the chemical should be used and stored.
Chemicals should be kept in the original container and should be clearly labelled to prevent them being used in error.
Some chemicals may be corrosive or an irritant and therefore the correct PPE should be worn at all times, some chemicals may also give off toxic vapours and if this is the case breathing apparatus should be worn.
NEVER mix chemicals unless specified as this can produce toxic gases.
Display Screen Equipment
If your employees are regular users of display screen equipment then a risk assessment should be carried out to identify any particular health issues.
Health issues that can arise include eye strain, repetitive strain injury (RSI) and work related upper limb disorders (WRULD).
Ergonomics is the process of making the equipment fit the individual (not the other way around) and this should be carefully considered when designing the work area. Most health issues are derived from poorly designed work stations and irregular breaks and not giving the ergonomics of the work area careful consideration.
There are a number of controls that can be put into place to avoid these health issues, these are:
- Monitor should be positioned to reduce glare
- Wrist support should be provided
- Regular breaks should be scheduled
- Workstation should be positioned at the appropriate height
If an employee is deemed a heavy user then eyesight tests should be provided by the employer as part of their ongoing health surveillance.
Finished? Try some sample test questions here. (Answers can be found in the download section)