Category Archives: Health and Safety

There’s no denying we’re all enjoying this beautiful sunshine! But when it comes to working in this heat or even working outside in this heat, we need to ensure our colleagues and employees are working safely.

Working in the sun and hot weather poses serious risks to health. Make sure you’re working safely.

Even in the temperate climate of the UK, working in the sun and hot weather presents risks to your health, which are heightened for those who work outside. One of the most serious risks is skin cancer. Skin cancer is the most common type of cancer in the world, with occupational UV exposure being an attributable factor in one death and five new cases of skin cancer per week in Britain.

There’s no law for maximum working temperature, or when it’s too hot to work, because every workplace is different.

No meaningful upper limit can be imposed because in many indoor workplaces high temperatures are not seasonal but created by work activity, for example in bakeries or foundries.

However, employers must stick to health and safety at work law, including:

• keeping the temperature at a comfortable level
• providing clean and fresh air

What the law says

The Workplace (Health, Safety and Welfare) Regulations require employers to provide a reasonable indoor temperature in the workplace.

This depends on the work activity and the environmental conditions.

The Construction (Design and Management) Regulations require reasonable workplace temperatures for indoor areas of construction sites.

Where the site is outdoors, you must provide protection from adverse weather. Site rest facilities must also be maintained at an appropriate temperature.

Assessing the risks

Under the Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations, employers must:

• assess the risks to workers
• put controls in place to protect them

Temperature in the workplace is one of the risks you should assess, whether the work is being done indoors or outdoors. You should consult with workers or their representatives on the best ways to cope with high or low temperatures.

Outdoor working

HSE guidelines state that UV radiation should be considered an occupational hazard for those who work outdoors. Therefore, employers of outdoor workers have a legal duty to safeguard, as far is reasonably practical, their employees from the effects of UV radiation.

When working outdoors, the weather can have a serious impact on worker’s health if the risks have not been properly managed.

This impact may be immediate or occur over a longer time, leading to conditions like skin cancer.

The weather can also affect a worker’s ability to keep safe, for example when handling machinery.

There are several ways to keep yourself and your employees safe from the effects of UV radiation exposure when working outdoors:

• Keep a supply of sun cream of at least SPF15 in a convenient location, for example at the doorway of farm buildings. Sun cream wall dispensers can be used for ease. Sun cream should be reapplied throughout the day.
• Stay covered up, with lightweight trousers and long sleeved top.
• Wear a hat with a brim or a flap that covers the ears and the back of the neck.
• Stay in the shade whenever possible, and during your breaks and especially at lunch time and during the hottest part of the day.
• Drink plenty of water to avoid dehydration.
• Check your skin regularly for any unusual moles or spots. See a doctor promptly if you find anything that is changing in shape, size or colour, itching or bleeding

Heat exposure

Working in the heat presents an additional set of risks, such as exhaustion and heat stroke.

Steps that you can take to protect yourself:

• Stay hydrated – keep a bottle of water on you.
• Avoid dehydrating liquids, such as alcohol, tea, coffee and caffeinated soft drinks, which can hurt more than help.
• Wear lightweight, light coloured and loose fitting clothing to help protect against heat, changing clothing if it gets completely saturated.
• Pace yourself. Slow down and work at an even pace. Know your limits and work safely in heat. If possible, avoid work at the hottest time of day. Work in the shade if you can.
• Schedule frequent rest and water breaks, in shaded or air conditioned areas.
• Use a damp rag to wipe your face or put it around your neck.
• Avoid getting sun burn – cover up, apply sun cream and follow the advice above.
• Avoid direct sun as much as possible.
• Eat cold foods, particularly fruit and salads with high water content.
• Be alert to signs of heat-related illness. Know what to look for and look out for others working with you. Signs include headaches, dizzy spells, loss of appetite and nausea, excessive sweating, cramps in the arms, legs and stomach, fast breathing and pulse, a temperature above 38C, and intense thirst.

Steps that employers can take to protect workers include:

• Rescheduling work to cooler times of the day.
• Providing more frequent rest breaks and introducing shading to rest areas.
• Providing free access to cool drinking water.
• Introducing shading in areas where individuals are working.
• Encouraging the removal of personal protective equipment when resting to help encourage heat loss.
• Educating workers about recognising the early symptoms of heat stress.

Contact us if you require assistance.

Sources used: https://www.hse.gov.uk/temperature/employer/outdoor-working.htm

Focusing on anxiety for this year’s Mental Health Awareness Week will increase people’s awareness and understanding of anxiety by providing information on the things that can help prevent it from becoming a problem. At the same time, we will keep up the pressure to demand change – making sure that improving mental health is a key priority for the government and society as a whole.

Follow help and advice on social media

Keep up with the latest on this year’s Mental Health Awareness Week.

• Twitter: @mentalhealth
• Facebook: @mentalhealthfoundation
• Instagram: @mentalhealthfoundation
• LinkedIn: @mental-health-foundation

Order a green ribbon – here.

Make a donation to the mental health foundation – here.

Contact us if you require further information.

Contact us if you require health and safety advice.

Presentations from the Health and Work Conference 2022

PowerPoint Presentation (bhsea.org.uk)

Safe use of ladders and stepladders

Ladders and stepladders are not banned under health and safety law. EN131 standard for portable steps and ladders.

The law calls for a sensible, proportionate approach to managing risk, and ladders can be a sensible and practical option for low-risk, short-duration tasks, although they should not automatically be your first choice.

There are simple, sensible precautions you should take to stay safe when using portable leaning ladders and stepladders in the workplace.

Make sure that you use the right type of ladder and that you know how to use it safely.

As a guide, if your task would require staying up a leaning ladder or stepladder for more than 30 minutes at a time, it is recommended you use alternative equipment.

You should only use ladders in situations where they can be used safely, eg where the ladder will be level and stable, and can be secured (where it is reasonably practicable to do so).

Know how to use a ladder safely

To use a ladder, you must be competent or, if you are being trained, you should be working under the supervision of a competent person.

Competence can be demonstrated through a combination of training, practical and theoretical knowledge, and experience.

Training should be appropriate for the task, and this includes knowing:

• how to assess the risks of using a ladder for a particular task
• when it is right to use a ladder (and when it is not)
• which type of ladder to use and how to use it
• how to carry out a pre-use check

The check should include:

• the stiles – make sure they are not bent or damaged, as the ladder could buckle or collapse
• the feet – if they are missing, worn or damaged the ladder could slip. Also check the ladder feet when moving from soft/dirty ground (eg dug soil, loose sand/stone, a dirty workshop) to a smooth, solid surface (eg paving slabs), to make sure the actual feet and not the dirt (eg soil, chippings or embedded stones) are making contact with the ground
• the rungs – if they are bent, worn, missing or loose, the ladder could fail
• any locking mechanism – does the mechanism work properly? Are components or fixings bent, worn or damaged? If so, the ladder could collapse. Ensure any locking bars are fully engaged
• the stepladder platform – if it is split or buckled, the ladder could become unstable or collapse
• the steps or treads on stepladders – if they are contaminated, they could be slippery; if the fixings are loose on the steps, they could collapse

If you spot any of the above defects, do not use the ladder and tell the person in charge of the work.

Where ladders should be used

As a guide, only use a ladder:

• on firm ground
• on level ground – refer to the manufacturer’s pictograms on the side of the ladder.
• on clean, solid surfaces (paving slabs, floors etc). These need to be clean (no oil, moss or leaf litter) and free of loose material (sand, packaging materials etc) so the feet can grip. Shiny floor surfaces can be slippery even without contamination.
• where it will not be struck by vehicles (protect the area using suitable barriers or cones)
• where it will not be pushed over by other hazards such as doors or windows, i.e. secure the doors (not fire exits) and windows where possible
• where the general public are prevented from using it, walking underneath it or being at risk because they are too near (use barriers, cones or, as a last resort, a person standing guard at the base)
• where it has been secured

For further information, consider sharing this brief guide with employees.

LA455-Safe-Use-of-Ladders-and-Stepladders-A-brief-guide.pdf (ladderassociation.org.uk)

Contact us if you have any questions.