Spot inspections by HSE to ensure workplaces are Covid-secure
The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) is currently carrying out spot inspections in cities and towns where there are coronavirus outbreaks, to check that businesses are Covid-secure.
An inspection process involves checking that businesses are aware of the guidance, and advising where necessary on improvements needed to ensure the workplace is Covid-secure. Most recently, HSE conducted spot inspections on businesses in Bradford.
Working with other public local and national government authorities, inspectors are currently out and about visiting businesses, putting employers on the spot and checking that they are complying with the latest guidance.
Here are some practical steps that businesses can take to be Covid-secure before spot inspections are carried out by the HSE to ensure workplaces are Covid-secure:
HSE has been utilising a number of different ways to gather intelligence and reach out to businesses with a combination of site visits, phone calls and through collection of supporting visual evidence.
Some of the most common issues that HSE and local authority inspectors are finding, across the country, include failing to:
You have an absolute legal duty to monitor, maintain and review all matters and arrangements of health and safety. By adhering to the Audit requirement and process an Organisation will be able to demonstrate that health and safety is pro-actively managed in accordance with legislative, Insurers and Fire Department requirements.
An Audit will also act as a suitable defence in a court of law, should either Civil or Criminal proceedings be instigated.
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Keep Safe!
You must only make a report under RIDDOR (The Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations 2013) when:
• an unintended incident at work has led to someone’s possible or actual exposure to coronavirus. This must be reported as a dangerous occurrence.
• a worker has been diagnosed as having COVID 19 and there is reasonable evidence that it was caused by exposure at work. This must be reported as a case of disease.
• a worker dies as a result of occupational exposure to coronavirus.
Dangerous occurrences
Read about RIDDOR 1
If something happens at work which results in (or could result in) the release or escape of coronavirus you must report this as a dangerous occurrence. An example of a dangerous occurrence would be a lab worker accidentally smashing a glass vial containing coronavirus, leading to people being exposed.
Cases of disease: exposure to a biological agent
Read about RIDDOR 2
If there is reasonable evidence that someone diagnosed with COVID-19 was likely exposed because of their work you must report this as an exposure to a biological agent using the case of disease report. An example of a work-related exposure to coronavirus would be a health care professional who is diagnosed with COVID-19 after treating patients with COVID-19.
Read about RIDDOR 3
If someone dies as a result of a work-related exposure to coronavirus and this is confirmed as the likely cause of death by a registered medical practitioner, then you must report this as a death due to exposure to a biological agent using the ‘case of disease’ report form. You must report workplace fatalities to HSE by the quickest practicable means without delay and send a report of that fatality within 10 days of the incident.
Find out more about reporting incidents 4
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The short answer is “because it’s every employer’s duty”. Being an employer is about much more than just obeying the letter of the law. You also want to make your workforce is as productive as possible and you need to attract talented people by being a good place to work.
The bottom line is that employers have a legal obligation to manage health and safety in the workplace. That means controlling risk. Risks can only be controlled once they have been identified and quantified.
That’s why it’s the responsibility of every employer to conduct a health and safety risk assessment. Defining the hazards present in the workplace so that action can be taken to manage them.
The law is crystal clear on this point. Businesses with five or more employees must not only conduct a risk assessment, but also record the findings in a written report. This information must be shared with employees carrying out the tasks that have been assessed, including those that may work in the same area.
Organisations with fewer than five employees are still required to assess the risks in the workplace. There’s no obligation to write the results down, but there’s a strong case for doing it anyway. Creating a written report clarifies matters, focuses minds and makes it much easier to update the assessment when things change, for example, if there is a new process or new equipment is introduced.
If you are confident you understand the risks in your workplace, you can conduct your own workplace risk assessment, however if you’re in any doubt about any aspect of the assessment or the level of risk, it’s wise to call in the experts. Conducting expert risk assessments is a key aspect of the service available from Walker Health and Safety Services Limited.
Before deciding whether you need expert advice, consider the worst-case scenario. Imagine finding yourself in court because of a Health and Safety incident in your workplace. That’s when an inaccurate or incomplete risk assessment can cost you a big fine, and perhaps even close the business down.
If you need to conduct a risk assessment or are not sure the one you have in place is fit for purpose, don’t hesitate to contact Walker Health and Safety Services Limited for advice.
The HSE inspect businesses that are working in high-risk industries. So, if your organisation is high risk and has not had a visit for a while, don’t be surprised if an HSE inspector wants to look around. This may be a random inspection but is more likely to be due to a previous incident, an issue raised by a worker, or a report of a serious injury on site.
The inspectors want to check that employers are keeping their staff, customers and members of the public safe. They also review if work activities are being carried out in line with statutory requirements. The inspector will ask about the health and safety issues affecting the business and what is being done to reduce risk. They may want to look around the site and inspect aspects of work being done, too. If they are investigating an incident, the inspector will want you to describe what happened and what processes you had in place. They’ll look at your accident investigation report and any CCTV or photographs that may have been taken. They’ll also speak to your staff or read their witness statements.
Immediately after the visit, the inspector might offer the organisation written or verbal advice on how to improve safety at work. Or they could issue a notification of contravention, which means that there has been a breach of health and safety law. The inspector may then issue an improvement notice. This gives the organisation at least 21 days to correct the issue.
For more serious offences, an inspector may issue a prohibition notice. This forces the organisation to stop any activities deemed dangerous immediately. The inspector can also seize items, substances and equipment as evidence.
Finally, the inspector can prosecute the organisation and/or its directors. This could lead to a court appearance, a fine or even a prison sentence.
If the inspector issues a notice of contravention, the organisation will have to pay the HSE’s expenses for the investigation. This is called a fee for intervention (FFI). FFI is an hourly charge of £154. FFI also applies if the HSE issues a notice of improvement or prohibition.
The fines for prosecution depend on the offence committed. For example, in 2018 the average fine for breaches of the Control of Major Accident Hazards Regulations 1999 was £846,250.
Of course, the total impact on a business can be much greater. An improvement notice can force an organisation to make high-cost changes in a short space of time. A prohibition notice can shut the business down or lead to disqualification of being a director for a set period of time.
Even minor breaches have lasting damage. The HSE will register an enforcement notice against the business for 10 years. This can make it hard to get work with new clients and almost impossible to bid for public sector contracts.
As always, prevention is better than the cure. Ensure that you are aware of the legal requirements on your business and that you have procedures for improving, monitoring and reviewing your compliance status.
Contact us if you wish to discuss this topic further.
There are serious health effects associated with the misuse of drugs including heart disease, HIV and Hepatitis C, psychological illnesses and a greater risk of accidents, to mention just a few. Understanding of the effects of drugs is an important element in the process of accepting that “social” drug users pose a health and safety risk to any organisation.
The Misuse of Drugs Act 1971 lists the drugs that are subject to control and classifies them in three categories according to their relative harmfulness when abused, as follows.
| Class A | including cocaine, heroin, LSD, mescalin, methadone, morphine, opium and injectable forms of Class B drugs. | |
| Class B | including oral preparations of amphetamines, barbiturates, codeine and methaqualone (mandrex), cannabis and cannabis resin. | |
| Class C | including most benzodiazepines (sleeping pills, tranquillisers, eg valium) and the harmful amphetamines. | |
Cannabis comes in two forms: herbal and resin. It is usually mixed with tobacco and smoked in the form of a hand rolled cigarette. Cannabis in both forms is a Class B drug.
| Sought Effect | Short-term Effects | Potential Long-term Harm |
| Relaxed, happy, heightened sense of awareness | Dizziness, sickness, dry mouth, lips, tongue, feeling hungry, loss of co-ordination, panic and paranoia | Lung disease and lung cancer, bronchitis, asthma, high blood pressure, infertility, depression and some evidence points to schizophrenia |
Amphetamines are a group of synthetic drugs that are stimulants. They are often known as speed, billy or wizz. Often in powder form, it can be snorted through the nose, some are available in tablet form but it can also be injected. A strong, highly addictive form of amphetamine known as crystal meth can be smoked.
Most amphetamines are Class B drugs but crystal meth and amphetamines prepared in injection form are Class A drugs.
| Sought Effect | Short-term Effects | Potential Long-term Harm |
| Sudden energy boost, talkative and excited — the high may last 4–8 hours | Once the high has worn off, a crash occurs, leaving the person feeling very tired (but unable to sleep) anxious and irritable. They may suffer from short-term dizziness and hallucinations | Burst blood vessels can lead to paralysis and may be fatal, insomnia, depression. As the body becomes tolerant of the drug, larger amounts are needed, leading to addiction |
Cocaine is a stimulant, often known as charlie, snow, toot or coke. Often available in a powder form which can be snorted through the nose or rubbed on the gums. The form of cocaine called crack can be smoked. Both cocaine and crack are Class A drugs.
| Sought Effect | Short-term Effects | Potential Long-term Harm |
| Intense feelings of energy, well-being and self-confidence The high may last only up to 30 minutes. A crack high is more intense but may last only 10 minutes | Similar crash effect to amphetamine, raised blood pressure, tiredness and depression | Heart failure, depression, insomnia, extreme paranoia, extreme weight loss and malnutrition, impotence (in men) and damage to the nasal passages If taken when pregnant may cause harm to the baby — low birth weight, birth defects and the baby may be born addicted to cocaine |
Ecstasy is a synthetic stimulant, often known as E or pills. Its chemical name is Methyledioxymethamphetamine (MDMA). Ecstasy is usually available in tablet form but a powdered form of MDMA is sometimes used. In England and Wales there have been an average of 27 deaths per year from people taking ecstasy. Ecstasy is a Class A drug.
| Sought Effect | Short-term Effects | Potential Long-term Harm |
| Rush of energy, alertness, excited, happy, increased sense of affection towards people around them (ie exposing themselves to personal risk), often popular with clubbers as sound (especially music) and colours seem more intense | Dehydration is a major risk — if fluid levels drop dramatically dehydration can cause unconsciousness, coma or even death Similar crash effect to cocaine and amphetamines Dry mouth, nausea, raised blood pressure, heart pounding, depression, body can stiffen causing clenched jaws and grinding teeth | The use of ecstasy became widespread in the late 1980s Long-term effects have yet to be determined by the medical profession. The short-term effects can be fatal |
Heroin is a powerful sedative and painkiller. Heroin and codeine are derived from the opium poppy and are known as opiates. Heroin is a Class A drug and highly addictive, both physically and psychologically.
| Sought Effect | Short-term Effects | Potential Long-term Harm |
| Intense feeling of relaxation and wellbeing | The purity of heroin differs dramatically in each batch. Often the products with which it is bulked up are also harmful and can cause allergic or toxic reactions Overdose is common when a stronger dose than the body can cope with is used and this can result in heart failure, unconsciousness and coma | Overdose effects can result in death through heart failure. Coma or unconsciousness can occur and there is a risk of choking on vomit when unconscious Respiratory failure (loss of normal lung function) can be fatal Injecting heroin has additional risks: sharing needles has the risk of Hepatitis C or HIV and damage to veins can lead to serious infections and abscesses |
The two most commonly used hallucinogens are Lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD) and magic mushrooms.
Magic mushrooms are often called shrooms or mushies and be can eaten or boiled in liquid and then drunk.
LSD is synthetic liquid that is is usually dropped onto small squares of blotting paper which is then swallowed, often known as acid.
| Sought Effect | Short-term Effects | Potential Long-term Harm |
| Hallucinogens are taken to experience a long-lasting series of hallucinations, known as a trip Time can appear to speed up or slow down. A mushroom trip can last 4–10 hours. An LSD trip lasts around 12 hours | Bad trips with frightening or disturbing hallucinations can occur leaving people feeling very disturbed Users may place themselves in physical danger and act irrationally or impulsively | Could make an existing mental health condition more severe |
Tranquilisers are a prescription medication designed to treat anxiety, depression and insomnia. Many tranquilisers are addictive if used regularly. They are available as tablets, as gel capsules, in injection form or as suppositories and are often known as mazzies, benzos or jellies.
| Sought Effect | Short-term Effects | Potential Long-term Harm |
| Calming, sedating effect. They are misused to lessen the effects of a crash, after taking stimulants or to lessen the effects of drug withdrawal symptoms | Physically addictive — withdrawal symptoms may include: severe headache, nausea, anxiety and confusion | Physical addiction may lead to attempts to heighten the effect of the drug by crushing and injecting the powder form which contains chalk and may cause the veins to collapse. This can lead to serious infections or gangrene Gel caps that are melted down to inject can then re-solidify inside blood vessels, which can cause death |
Solvents are available both at home and in the workplace. There are over 200 solvents liberally available and they include paints, cleaning fluids and glue. Every year in the UK there is an average of 50 deaths from solvent misuse.
| Sought Effect | Short-term Effects | Potential Long-term Harm |
| Similar to alcohol: happy, laughing and uninhibited | Heart attack, vomiting and black outs | Heart failure, Liver, kidney and brain damage |
Please contact us if you require any assistance with this topic.
