Category Archives: Health and Safety

Sitting v standing — the risks

The health risks of sedentary work, for example, among office workers who sit in front of computers for the vast majority of their day, have been well documented in recent years.

Prolonged standing at work: the law

According to the HSE, while there is no specific legislation that relates to prolonged standing, the risk to employees’ health and safety from working in a standing position would fall under the general provisions of the Health and Safety at Work, etc Act 1974 and its associated regulations, e.g. the Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999 and the Workplace (Health, Safety and Welfare) Regulations 1992.

The HSE therefore advises that pragmatic controls that consider both seated and standing work are identified through an appropriate risk assessment.

Crucially, the HSE also emphasises the importance of involving and engaging the workforce in the risk assessment process, as staff can provide feedback on their workstation and practices that can lead to pragmatic and sensible adjustments.

How to reduce the risks from standing

Job design is a critical factor in protecting the health of staff who need to stand during their working day. The basic principles of good job design for standing work are as follows.

• Change working positions frequently so that working in one position is of a reasonably short duration.
• Avoid extreme bending, stretching and twisting.
• Pace work appropriately.
• Allow workers suitable rest periods to relax; exercises may also help.
• Provide instruction, training and supervision on proper work practices and the use of rest breaks.
• Allow workers an adjustment period when they return to work after an absence after illness so they can gradually return to a regular work pace.

Specific points to consider could, depending on the type of work, relate to the following:

• Working tables and benches should be adjustable. If the workstation cannot be adjusted, platforms to raise the shorter worker or pedestals on top of workstations for the tall worker should be considered.
• Organisation of the work space is another important aspect. There should be enough room to move around and to change body position.
• Where it is possible, a seat should be provided so that the worker can do the job either sitting or standing.
• Quality of footwear and type of flooring materials, including anti-fatigue mats, are also major factors contributing to standing comfort.

Workers should go home healthy

The HSE’s current Go Home Healthy campaign is targeting the musculoskeletal health of workers as one of its three key focuses, along with work-related lung diseases and stress.

Employers should be aware that static and fixed postures from prolonged standing can cause musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs), along with a range of other health issues.

In the context of the campaign and work involving prolonged standing, an HSE source warned against the pitfalls of starting with appropriate footwear or anti-fatigue matting. Rather, employers are encouraged to:

• first assess the overall design of the work process
• reduce the need for fixed, static or awkward postures
• provide appropriate workstation design features (for example height adjustable stations and appropriate seating)
• organise the work to include rest breaks or job rotation to avoid muscle fatigue.

Certainly, thereafter, appropriate footwear and matting could also contribute to the overall risk reduction of the work.

Again, employers should rather be moving up the hierarchy of controls to think about the design of the work activity, rather than relying on training alone and the HSE has published advice for employers on how to get the right type of help in this regard.

Conclusion

An HSE source had the following to say about avoiding MSDs for staff who need to spend time working in a standing position:

“Fixed and static postures at work such as prolonged standing can affect workers’ health, making it more likely they will experience leg and lower back pain. It’s important that employers work with their employees to consider pragmatic solutions to reduce the risk of musculoskeletal problems — such as balancing sedentary and active work, rotating jobs, and providing rest breaks, appropriate workstations, and suitable equipment — to help ensure that workers can go home healthy.”

If you require advice, please contact us, Walker Health and Safety Services Limited.

Mental Health and Work

Contact us for further information.

With the recent heat waves, thermal comfort in the workplace is now becoming something of a challenge for many employers. Whilst there is no maximum workplace temperature specified in the UK, the Workplace (Health, Safety and Welfare) Regulations 1992 state that workplaces shall be maintained at a ‘reasonable’ temperature. What is ‘reasonable’ will depend upon the nature of the work, but according to the HSE, an acceptable level of thermal comfort lies somewhere between 13°C and 30°C.

Workers likely to be most at risk include catering staff, outdoor workers e.g. horticultural workers, maintenance personnel, process workers and employees who must wear personal protective equipment (PPE) such as breathing apparatus or impermeable clothing. Employees working in offices which do not have air conditioning are also likely to be affected by hot weather.

It is important to continue wearing PPE during extreme temperatures. However, encourage staff to remove them during break times to cool off, sit in the shade or a cool area and drink plenty of fluids, this will help to reduce heat stress. Heat stress is where the body is under stress from over heating. Heat related illnesses include heat cramps or heat stroke, each with its own symptoms and treatments. Symptoms can range from profuse sweating, heat rash, fainting, loss of concentration.

10 Top Tips for Dealing with the Heat

1. Consult with your employees to establish reasonable levels of thermal comfort for the majority, but accept that you won’t be able to please everybody.
2. Carry out a risk assessment and identify employees who are most susceptible to heat stress, e.g. pregnant women. Consider altering work patterns to reduce the level of risk by job rotation, working at cooler times of the day. Limit exposure of outdoor workers by providing sunscreen and suitable clothing, e.g. long sleeves and hats.
3. Modify the working environment by providing mobile air conditioning units, but not oscillating fans, as these simply circulate warm air. Use window blinds or shades to help reduce the effects of heat and solar gain.
4. Provide more frequent breaks in a cooler environment – the hotter the working environment and more strenuous the work, the more frequent breaks should be.
5. Ensure a constant supply of drinking water and stress to staff how important it is to maintain hydration at work. Caffeine-based drinks can actually speed up dehydration, as they are diuretic. Coffee also speeds up metabolism, thereby increasing body temperature.
6. If you have a dress code, consider relaxing it, as it’s better to have productive, casually-dressed employees, than employees who must leave work because they feel unwell.
7. Ask staff to turn off electrical equipment when leaving the office. Power used to keep items on stand-by is dissipated into the workplace as heat.
8. Do big print runs and other heat generating jobs in the cooler part of the day.
9. If office temperatures are unbearable for some, consider allowing them to work from home.
10. Review PPE provision to see if there is any which is cooler and more comfortable and which can offer the same (or better) level of protection.

Your risk assessment must take into account factors such as temperature to protect your employees, as well as helping you stay on the right side of the law.

If you require advice please contact us.

As the warm weather continues, the dangers of working outside also increases. Knowing how to work safely in hot weather can help prevent heat stress and heat stroke. Heat stroke is the most serious heat-related disorder and occurs when the body can no longer control its temperature. The body temperature can rise to 106 degrees Fahrenheit or higher within 10 to 15 minutes and heat stroke can cause death or permanent disability if emergency treatment is not provided.  Other heat-related disorders include heat exhaustion, heat cramps and heat rash.

Heat stroke occurs when the body no longer sweats and body temperature reaches dangerous levels. Symptoms of heat stroke include:

• Dry, hot reddish skin and lack of sweating
• High body temperature
• Strong, rapid pulse
• Chills
• Confusion
• Slurred speech

Heat exhaustion is the body’s response to the loss of water and salt, typically through sweating. Symptoms of heat exhaustion include:

• Excessive sweating
• Weakness or fatigue
• Dizziness and/or confusion
• Clammy skin
• Muscle cramps
• Flushed complexion

Heat cramps are painful cramps in the body’s muscles due to low salt levels and are typically caused by excessive sweating.  Symptoms of heat cramps include:

• Muscle pain usually in the abdomen, arm or legs.
• Muscle spasms usually in the abdomen, arm or legs.

Heat Rash is an irritation of the skin caused by excessive sweating.  Symptoms of heat rash include:

• Red cluster of pimples or small blisters
• Usually on neck and upper chest, groin area, under the breasts, and in elbow creases.

Ten Hot Weather Safety Tips:

1. Stay hydrated. Drink plenty of fluids.
2. Avoid dehydrating liquids. Alcohol, coffee, tea and caffeinated soft drinks can hurt more than help.
3. Wear protective clothing. Lightweight, light-colored and loose-fitting clothing helps protect against heat. Change clothing if it gets completely saturated.
4. Pace yourself. Slow down and work at an even pace. Know your own limits and ability to work safely in heat.
5. Schedule frequent breaks. Take time for rest periods and water breaks in a shaded or air conditioned area.
6. Use a damp rag. Wipe your face or put it around your neck.
7. Avoid getting sunburn. Use sunscreen and wear a hat if working outside.
8. Be alert to signs of heat-related illness. Know what to look for and check on other workers that might be at high risk.
9. Avoid direct sun. Find shade or block out the sun if possible.
10. Eat smaller meals. Eat fruits high in fibre and natural juice. Avoid high protein foods.

Stay safe this summer, keep hydrated.

In June 2017 we had a weather warning heat health watch. Read here for further details.

Contact us should you require further information.