Category Archives: Health and Safety

The photo card driving licence and its paper counterpart were introduced in 1998 with the paper element allowing details to be entered that could not be included on the plastic card itself. These include any endorsements and the categories of vehicle the holder is entitled to drive.

This information will now be stored electronically and therefore will not be shown on any written documentation associated with the licence. From 8^th June 2015, these details can be only obtained and checked via the DVLA online driver record system or in writing by post.

In addition, the paper counterpart (or the older-style paper driving licence) cannot be used or relied upon to carry the correct information about driving endorsements or the vehicle categories available to drive by the holder.

It is also important to note the change in procedure if you have to surrender your driving licence to a court in the event of receiving an endorsement. If you include the paper counterpart with your submission, the photocard element will be returned to you but the paper counterpart will be retained.

The paying of fines and the allocation of points will continue in the normal way.

For business drivers or for anyone driving for work, another important change is how you can provide proof of your driving record to an employer or car hire firm as your photocard or paper licence will no longer be enough in itself.

Drivers will need to access the DVLA’s Share Driving Licence service, which went live on 19^th May 2015. They will also be expected to access details themselves, print them and submit them to a car hire firm or employer. Or they can call the DVLA and give a third party permission to check your driving record verbally (such as over the phone).

With many employers hiring vehicles on an as-needed basis, it is important to check with the car/van hire firm what information they will need. Other than downloading information as described above, drivers can obtain a special code (from www.gov.uk) which allows the vehicle hire firm access to your record for 72 hours in order to make any necessary checks. This process can apply to both holders of a photocard and a paper licence.

Drivers and employers may not be aware of how many of the current procedures are changing. Like with the abolition of the paper tax disc, they might assume it is business as usual with regard to licences.

The onus is very much on the driver and/or employer to obtain the information they need beforehand in order to drive a vehicle. We very much hope drivers and employers will not be caught out by this, such as being faced with a nasty surprise when trying to collect a vehicle ahead of an important business journey.

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If you require assistance, please contact us.

Young workers, and those on work experience, often do not have the knowledge or experience to spot unsafe practices, and they may be keen to demonstrate their abilities without thinking about the potential consequences. Having clear instructions and control measures in place, and the correct level of supervision, will ensure that they stay safe – and you stay out of court.

5 Top Tips for Keeping Young Employees Safe in Your Workplace

1. Risk assessment is key. You should already have risk assessed your work activities, but you should review the assessments to ensure they have taken into account the specific needs of young workers, including factors such as a lack of maturity or physical capability. An example is manual handling, whereby a young worker might not be able to carry the same weight as an adult.
2. Full training must be given on the work activity, and the associated hazards and control measures. Ask for young workers to explain the information back to you, if you are unsure whether they have understood it.
3. Ensure there is the correct level of supervision. Often, young people are unaware of the specific hazards they may encounter in the workplace, especially if they are new to work.
4. Select suitable work activities in relation to the young person’s psychological capacity and ability to understand and follow instructions. Certain high-risk activities such as those involving hazardous substances, excessive heat or cold, vibration or noise may need to be avoided if the risks cannot be suitably controlled.
5. Establish clear rules as to what young workers can and cannot do in the workplace. It might be useful to put up signage on certain machines that should not be used, or areas not to be accessed, as a visual reminder.

If you require further information, please contact us.

As we sit blogging, we wonder if people read the contents.

So our question to you is:

1. Do you forward these blogs to employees, as we feel some of the content matter is very important to them and they should be included.

2. Is there a subject you would like us to write a blog about? Is something on your mind which you would like us to answer?

3. Do you have any stories you wish to share (Or remain anonymous) where health and safety has been questioned or not listened too.

4. Would you like us to visit to talk about health and safety in the workplace?

Contact us at sue@walkersafety.co.uk

We look forward to hearing from you!

An article taken from IOSH and RoSPA.

Calling all directors – the onus is on YOU to manage health and safety. Here IOSH President Elect, and RoSPA OSH Policy Advisor, Dr Karen McDonnell tells you what you need to know when it comes to taking control of health safety in the workplace…

1. The board has not just a legal but a moral duty to ensure that the organisation manages effectively for good health and safety outcomes. The universal Plan, Do, Check, Act approach (HSG65) demonstrates how to integrate health and safety into standard management practice.
2. The overall goal must be to ensure that safe and healthy systems of work are in place so that, so far is reasonably practicable, employees and others affected by the organisation’s activities do not suffer avoidable harms.
3. This is not just about ensuring that the right controls and precautions are in place at the workface but that the right policies, effective processes, competent people – and above all, the right culture – are in place to enable the organisation to work safely at all times.
4. All managers must manage for safety and health, fully involving all staff and volunteers. Remember, you can only do H&S with people, not to them!
   
5. Obeying the law is important but should be regarded as a basic minimum. H&S needs to be seen as a key business performance issue, not a bolt on extra or a regulatory compliance burden. As with any other key business outcome, the board needs to establish meaningful measures of performance for 1) systems, 2) culture, 3) safe working and 3) the extent of H&S failures.
6. If it is to be safe, avoid accidents and incidents and the legal and financial consequences that can flow from these, the organisation needs to be risk led not law led. Risk profile your business What are the hazards? Who can they harm? How are you going to manage the risk? This must become embedded within your organisation, not a bureaucratic nightmare!
7. Your staff are your biggest asset, encourage the transfer of positive safety behaviour to road, home and leisure activities. Your staff are more likely to be absent from work as a consequence of an accident that happens outside the workplace.
8. The board and the management team must ensure that there is suitable risk literacy in the organisation – avoiding ignorance among staff of significant risks as well stopping them going over-the-top when confronted with trivial ones.
9. The organisation must develop an open reporting and investigation culture. You can only find out how to make things go right if you are prepared, honestly and professionally, to establish why they go wrong.
10. All board and SMT members and all senior managers must lead on H&S, not just giving clear indications of what the corporate priorities are but by being prepared to lead personally by example in the attention they give to working safely. They should regularly assess their own performance against the advice in INDG 417.
11. The board must reinforce the message that good H&S pays! Good H&S is good business – the hallmark of a professionally managed organisation.
12. Finally, the board must recognise and celebrate outstanding H&S performance through safety award schemes – which, as we’ve discussed in the past, are a great way to boost both standards and morale!

If you require further advice, please contact us.

There are many cases of machinery accidents where the end results are limb amputations and serious crushing injuries. Always make sure that the hazards associated with your machines have been identified, and that employees are aware of the consequences of tampering with any guarding put there to protect them.

5 Tips for Maintaining Safe Machinery

1. All machines should be subject to a risk assessment before they are used for the first time. The assessment should refer to any manufacturer’s information on the correct operation and potential hazards relating to use, as well as legislation and industry guidance. Make sure these findings are communicated to employees.
2. Operatives must be trained in the use of the machines before they can use them. Less experienced employees may also need close supervision whilst they obtain a high level of competence. In my experience, all operatives require refresher training on the safe use of machinery at regular intervals, no matter how experienced. Over time everyone gets a little complacent.
3. Introduce safe working procedures and method statements, for maintenance and cleaning operations as well as production activities.
4. Ensure all machines with dangerous parts are effectively guarded, preferably by fixed or interlocking guards rather than removable guarding. Regularly inspect guarding for signs of wear, dirt or tampering.
5. Make sure that all emergency stop buttons are positioned near dangerous machinery parts so that they are visible and can be reached easily. Include them in your documented inspections of the machine, ensuring they are kept clean and in good working order.

If you require assistance contact us.