Health and Safety Hazards
According to statistics provided by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE), in the UK in 2020/2021:
First aid cover requirements
The relevant legislation is the Health and Safety (First-Aid) Regulations 1981, which requires employers to provide adequate and appropriate equipment, facilities and personnel to ensure their employees receive immediate attention if they are injured or taken ill at work. However, as what is ‘adequate and appropriate’ will depend on the circumstances in the workplace, the findings of the employer’s first aid needs assessment should help them determine what they would need to provide. So, if the employer’s original assessment identified first aiders are necessary due to the hazards/risks associated with the work etc, this wouldn’t change as the nature of the work is the same, just with fewer people.
Regulation 3 states the duty of an employer to make provision for first aid and the accompanying guidance covers needs assessment, work patterns, how many first aiders are needed and appointed persons.
The Health and Safety Executive’s (HSE’s) first-aid section states: “In the event of injury or sudden illness, failure to provide first aid could result in a casualty’s death. The employer should ensure that an employee who is injured or taken ill at work receives immediate attention.
“HSE will prosecute in cases where there is a significant risk, a disregard for established standards or persistent poor compliance with the law.”
There are plenty of pre-made first aid kits available and many stockists offer kits tailored to specific situations such kits for outdoor activities and ones for in the office.
Use this toolbox talk to provide employees with information for first aid.
Contact us for further information.
Health and Safety Hazards
According to statistics provided by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE), in the UK in 2020/2021:
What is a health and safety hazard?
A hazard is something that has the potential to cause harm or damage or have an adverse effect on a person or people. Many people confuse the words hazard and risk, especially in relation to occupational health and safety. The risk or level of risk is the likelihood that a person may be harmed or experience an adverse effect if they are exposed to a hazard. In other words, it is the likelihood that a hazard will have a negative impact on an individual’s health and safety.
Health and safety hazards can come from a variety of sources. Hazards can be substances, materials, processes and practices that can cause harm.
The most common health and safety hazards are:
Biological hazards
Biological hazards, often referred to as biohazards, can be any biological or organic substances that have the potential to cause harm or pose a threat to a person’s health. You may be exposed to biological hazards if you work with animals, people or infected plants. Biological hazards can have adverse health effects and in extreme circumstances can result in death.
Biological hazards can be found in a variety of workplaces, including hospitals, laboratories, schools, care homes, farms, and within the food industry.
An individual can be exposed to a biological hazard by having contact with any of the following:
Biological hazards are classified into four groups, depending on the level of risk of infection to humans, with Group 1 having the lowest risk and Group 4 having the highest risk.
Biological hazards can be transmitted in several ways, including by injection, absorption, ingestion or inhalation.
Chemical hazards
Chemical hazards are hazardous chemicals that can be in the form of a solid, liquid or gas. Some chemicals are more hazardous than others and they can result in a huge variety of health and physical effects, including skin irritation, breathing problems, respiratory system irritation and blindness.
Chemical hazards can be found in a variety of everyday products, meaning that many homes and workplaces involve a risk of coming into contact with chemical hazards, including hair salons, florists, restaurants, bars, schools and cleaning companies.
Chemical hazards may be present in the following products:
Hazardous chemicals are categorised according to how dangerous they are. Some of the categories include Harmful, Toxic, Very Toxic, Corrosive, Flammable, Extremely Flammable, Oxidising Agent, and Explosive.
Physical hazards
Physical hazards cannot always be seen or touched. They can be any factor or condition of the environment that can harm a person, even if they do not touch them.
People in a variety of environments can be exposed to physical hazards, including construction, demolition and excavation, as well as those who spend long periods outside.
Some examples of physical hazards include:
Ergonomic hazards are a result of physical factors such as body positions, the type of work you are undertaking, and any working conditions that can put a strain on your body. Many ergonomic hazards occur over time and can result in musculoskeletal injuries. Ergonomic hazards are often related to manual handling and can be found in all types of workplaces.
Musculoskeletal injuries can have significant short-term and long-term impacts on a person’s health and wellbeing.
They affect the musculoskeletal system which includes the muscles, tendons, bones, joints, ligaments, nerves and blood vessels. Common musculoskeletal injuries include back injuries, upper limb or neck disorders, lower limb disorders, and damage to joints or other tissue.
Ergonomic hazards include:
Safety hazards are hazards that create unsafe working conditions. Unsafe working conditions can cause injury, illness or even death. Safety hazards can be found in homes and workplaces across the UK.
Safety hazards can cause a significant number of injuries or illnesses and can even result in death.
Some examples of safety hazards include:
Environmental hazards are substances, states or events that can cause harm to people or have an adverse effect on their health. They are usually related to the weather, temperature and climate. They may be unpredictable or frequently changing, which is one of the reasons why they are considered hazardous.
Some examples of environmental hazards include:
Also known as work organisational hazards, these are hazards that can affect an employee’s mental health and wellbeing. An employee can experience both short-term and long-term effects of psychosocial hazards.
Some examples of psychosocial hazards include:
In 2021, the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) reported that there were 74,000 work-related injuries and illnesses in the constructions industry alone. Nearly 40,000 of these injuries were musculoskeletal disorders. Individuals who work in the construction industry are 2-3 times more likely to experience a workplace injury compared to other industries.
The main reason for the higher incidence of injuries in the construction industry is the high number of health and safety hazards.
Some of the most common health and safety hazards in the construction industry are:
Under the Health and Safety at Work etc Act 1974, employers are required by law to conduct a risk assessment of health and safety hazards on construction sites. This can help to reduce the number of hazards you are exposed to on a construction site.
However, self-employed and employed construction workers are not required to conduct a risk assessment if less than five people are working for them. This could mean that hazards and risks are not always reduced to the lowest possible level.
If you become aware of any hazards on a construction site you are working on, it is important that your report these hazards to the relevant people. This could be your employer, supervisor, a health and safety manager, or the site manager.
If you believe these concerns have not been taken seriously, or the hazard has not been dealt with, you could contact the Human Resources department of your company.
Alternatively, you can contact the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) directly. HSE is responsible for enforcing health and safety in many industries and workplaces across the UK.
There are many different members of staff working in different capacities and departments within a hospital. This includes doctors, nurses, other healthcare professionals, cleaning staff and administrative staff.
Health and safety hazards in hospitals can also differ depending on the area of the hospital you work in and the role you fulfil. Health and safety hazards can also affect patients and visitors to the hospital.
Being aware of potential hazards and removing or reducing them to the lowest possible level is therefore essential.
Some of the most common health and safety hazards in hospitals include:
All hospitals in the UK should have current risk assessments for many of the tasks, activities and operations that take place. However, if you believe the risk assessment is not accurate, or you have identified other hazards or risks, there are several procedures you can follow.
If you are a member of hospital staff and you need to report a health and safety hazard, the first person you should speak to is your line manager. Alternatively, you can consult another manager within the hospital or speak to the Human Resources department.
Many hospitals and healthcare settings will also have a formal system in place where you can submit a written report of your concerns.
If the issue concerns patient safety, NHS staff and the general public are encouraged to report the issue on the National Reporting and Learning System (NRLS). This helps the NHS to identify hazards and risks and improve patient safety.
Health and safety hazards in offices
Many people in the UK work in an office. You may think that an office is less hazardous than other workplaces, and although you are statistically less likely to incur an injury in an office compared to on a construction site, health and safety hazards in the office still exist and should be taken seriously.
Some of the most common health and safety hazards in an office are:
If you need to report a health and safety issue or the presence of hazards in your office, you should speak to your line manager or the office manager. Alternatively, you can contact your office or company’s Human Resources department or your union representative.
If you feel that your office is not taking your concerns seriously, or that the issue you need to report is especially serious, you can contact the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) and make a report on their website or via phone.
Health and safety hazards in warehouses
Ensuring the health and safety of warehouse staff can be difficult due to the many different tasks, activities and operations that are performed in a warehouse.
This can include handling heavy loads, operating machinery and equipment, packaging goods, assembly, production, loading and unloading goods, preparation of orders, and shipping.
Many health and safety hazards can be found in warehouses and if these hazards are not eliminated or reduced to the lowest possible level, employers are risking the health and safety of their employees.
Some of the most common warehouse health and safety hazards are:
Any warehouse employee who becomes aware of a hazard should report it as soon as possible. Your warehouse should have a procedure for reporting hazards and other health and safety concerns, and you should follow this procedure to ensure that the appropriate manager or supervisor can deal with the hazard as quickly as possible.
Health and safety hazards in food manufacturing
Food safety hazards can cause foodborne illnesses, injuries and allergic reactions. Hazards can affect food throughout the entire food processing, including during manufacturing.
As well as the health and safety hazards that can cause illness or injury to consumers, hazards within the food manufacturing workplace can also have an adverse effect on workers.
The most common health and safety hazards in the food manufacturing industry are:
If you are an employee who needs to report health and safety hazards in your food manufacturing workplace, you should follow your workplace’s procedures. This could include informing your line manager, supervisor or the most senior member of staff present at the time.
You may also be asked to submit a written report or provide photos or more information about the hazard. You should also inform other members of staff immediately so that the hazard doesn’t cause injury or illness before it is dealt with.
If you are a consumer or member of the public and you need to report a health and safety hazard, you should contact your local authority or the Food Standards Agency.
How to identify health and safety hazards
Identifying hazards is essential for risk management and ensuring the health and safety of all employees and the general public.
Both employers and employees should remain vigilant of hazards at all times and identify and eliminate them as quickly as possible.
Some ways you can identify health and safety hazards are:
How can health and safety managers ensure hazards are under control?
Once hazards have been identified and evaluated, it is the responsibility of health and safety managers to ensure that hazards are under control.
The most efficient way to eliminate or reduce hazards is by conducting a risk assessment. Risk assessments are a legal requirement for any employer who has more than five employees. A risk assessment should identify any potential hazards, what risks are involved in the activity and how these risks can be reduced or removed.
A risk assessment has specific steps that should be followed:
1. Identify hazards and any risk factors that could potentially cause harm.
2. Analyse and evaluate any risks associated with the hazard.
3. Determine the likelihood of harm and the severity of the potential harm.
4. Determine who is likely to be harmed and if any individuals are more at risk than others.
5. Determine appropriate and effective ways to eliminate, reduce or control risks.
6. Record all details of the risk assessment and update when necessary.
7. Ensure every relevant person reads and signs the risk assessment.
Why is it important to assess health and safety hazards?
Assessing hazards is not only a legal requirement, but it also helps to ensure the health and safety of everyone involved. Identifying hazards helps you to evaluate risks, and the effectiveness and suitability of any existing hazard controls and risk management measures.
Identifying hazards can also help you to implement any additional controls, utilise equipment or tools to reduce risks and remove hazards where possible.
Identifying hazards can considerably reduce the likelihood of work-related accidents, injuries and illnesses.
Assessing and eliminating hazards can also reduce work-related fatalities. In 2020/2021, 142 workers suffered fatal injuries at work, with the main causes of death being:
Identifying and removing hazards associated with these processes and others can help to reduce work-related deaths in the UK.
Contact us if you require further information.
7 Fire Safety Precautions Every Employer Must Know To Ensure A Safe Work Environment
Lets face it, it’s easy to have the “it won’t happen to me” mentality when it comes to fire safety in your workplace. But the truth is, a fire can be catastrophic for your business, your employees and of course your brand reputation. This is why fire safety is an incredibly important aspect of risk management that needs to be taken seriously by every employee and manager in your business.
So, to help you improve the fire safety of your workplace, here are 7 precautions you must know to keep those detrimental fires at bay.
Appoint fire wardens
First and foremost, you should appoint at least one fire warden in your workplace. Fire wardens are members of staff who are responsible for taking control of creating and maintaining fire safety procedures. In the event of a fire, they’ll know how to keep employees, contractors and customers safe, and will be the person in charge coordinating the evacuation.
Stock relevant fire safety equipment
In the event of a fire in a workplace, having the right equipment is essential for alerting employees and members of the public, and potentially extinguish the fire before it gets any bigger and out of control.
With this in mind, ensure your workspace has working universal smoke alarms, the correct fire safety signs, fire escape ladders if necessary and fire prevention systems such as fire extinguishers and sprinklers.
Communicate appropriate fire escape routes
In the event of a fire, clear escape routes out of the building are absolutely vital. All escape routes must be easily identifiable and with instructions about the means of escape displayed. You also need to provide training for your employees on how to escape in the event of an emergency.
Escape routes must be adequately illuminated and free of any obstacles. As an employer, yourself or the fire warden should do daily checks to ensure these areas are not blocked in case a fire were to occur that day.
Keep your workplace tidy and clean
You don’t have to be a genius to work out that messy workplaces contain more health and safety hazards than tidy ones, and many of these hazards are related to fire safety.
Any spare stock should be stored safely, and appropriate control measures implemented to safely store flammable materials and liquids in line with COSHH regulations. You should also ensure that you are regularly removing combustible waste, including accumulations of dust, before it has a chance to build up and become a safety hazard.
Create a fire safety plan
When it comes to keeping your employees, contractors and visitors safe, it is crucial that you have a clear fire safety plan in place. Delivering a fire safety plan is also a legal requirement for workplaces operating in the UK and employers, business owners and landlords are all equally responsible for delivering an adequate fire safety plan.
If you’re unsure where to start, here is everything you need to know about how to create a fire safety plan for your workplace.
Carry out thorough risk assessments
You can’t effectively safeguard against fire if you’re not fully aware of the hazards in your workplace and the risks they pose. So before you begin implementing fire safety control measures, carry out a thorough risk assessment of your workplace.
For businesses with more than five employees, risk assessments are a legal requirement, but they’re also hugely important for protecting your business from harm.
Risk assessments should identify fire hazards i.e. what could cause a fire to start?
Then they should assess the level of risk posed, consider who could be affected, and how fire risks can be alleviated. You can then implement control measures proportionate to the level of risk. To ensure long-term fire safety in the workplace, it’s important to review and potentially revise risk assessments regularly.
Crack down on electrical safety
Last but certainly not least, don’t forget electrical safety! Most businesses will use electrical equipment of some sort – and where there’s electrical equipment, there are fire risks. Faulty wiring or overloaded plug sockets can overheat and spark fires that can quickly spread across the room.
To reduce the risk of electrical fires, repair or get rid of faulty electricals as soon as possible, don’t overload plug sockets, and make sure equipment is regularly inspected and PAT tested.
Contact us to discuss your requirements.
Guest blog by Kate, on behalf of Morsafe Supplies.
Is workplace noise contributing to employee burn out?
The HSE have recently highlighted how workplace noise could be contributing to stress levels in employees working in the hospitality industry. Businesses in this industry are being urged by the HSE to reassess noise levels as they fear this could be contributing to workplace stress. This comes after a recent survey which exposed restaurants in London as having the highest workplace noise levels in Europe.
According to a recent article, over half of the restaurants tested had noise levels over 76 decibels, which is around the same loudness as a lawn mower. And as if that wasn’t bad enough, the noise levels during peak times often exceeded 80dBA.
Workplace noise is regulated by the HSE and the ‘Control of Noise at Work Regulations 2005’. This states that employers must assess risk to employee health when noise reaches a level of 80dBA. At these noise levels, information and training should be provided to staff. However, if these noise levels reach 85dBA, employers are legally required to provide hearing protection and specialist hearing protection zones.
The HSE is now working alongside ‘The Burnt chef Project’ to raise awareness of the signs of stress within hospitality workers. This looks to specifically address when noise levels reach a dangerous level so that employers can respond to and reduce any risk to workplace health.
Adding to unsociable hours and tough working conditions, the hospitality sector needs to now be aware that they face legal obligations to protect their employees from noise. A combination of these conditions could lead to rising levels of stress and employee burnout.
The HSE remains committed to looking after employee mental health and wellbeing as much as physical health and safety, commenting that “We need to make looking after our mental health just as routine as managing safety at work. The first thing for employers to be aware of is that the law requires employers to assess the potential risk from work related stress and act on it.” (cite)
As part of our range of occupational hygiene services, we regularly visit our customers’ sites to measure workplace and environmental noise. From an overall perspective, workplace noise can contribute to many health problems that can make working hazardous. Employers have a legal duty to ensure their employees have a safe working environment to both reduce worker health problems, and also to protect their business.
Many businesses fall into the trap of thinking that something will never happen on their premises. However, last year alone the HSE has fined UK businesses £26.9 million (cite) for breaches of health and safety.
Businesses in the hospitality industry that haven’t yet had a workplace noise assessment, really need to be planning for one ASAP.
Contact us to book a call to discuss your workplace noise requirements.
Guest blog Safety First Group Ltd
Are your FLT drivers fit to drive?
As the ‘medical considerations’ section of the HSE publication Rider-operated lift trucks explains, although there is no specific legal requirement for forklift truck drivers to undergo medicals, it is recommended that they do. This is because an employer would need to ensure those selected are able to safely control and operate lift trucks. Drivers should be reasonably fit, both physically and mentally, and possess the learning ability and potential to become competent operators.
Workers should be free from disabilities, either physical or psychological, that might pose a threat to their own health and safety or the safety of others who might be affected by them operating lift trucks. Fitness for operating should always be judged on a case-by-case basis. You will need to do a risk assessment to identify any hazards associated with the job and working environment and to identify areas of concern. Never allow anyone who is unfit because of alcohol or drugs (prescription or recreational) to drive a lift truck.
People with disabilities do not need to be excluded and may have developed skills which compensate for their disability. You should obtain medical advice about their suitability for the particular work they will be required to do. Reasonable adjustments may be required to enable some disabled people to work as lift-truck operators. The Equality Act 2010 is likely to apply.
The Drivers’ Medical Unit at the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) publishes guidance aimed at health professionals regarding lift trucks on the road, but this can be applied to all work with lift trucks.
For most work with lift trucks, a standard of fitness equivalent to that for the Group 1 entitlement (ordinary driving licence holders) would be appropriate. Activities such as working in a particularly demanding environment, working at night, or moving highly toxic or explosive materials would probably be more appropriate to the Group 2 entitlement (heavy goods vehicle licence holders).
You may choose to screen potential operators before placement and then follow the guidelines for Group 2 licences, which require medical examination every five years from age 45, and every year from age 65 (in line with licence renewal periods). Always seek medical advice where there is any doubt about a person’s fitness to operate a lift truck.
It may be useful to apply a selection test to avoid wasteful attempts to instruct unsuitable trained. Read more about medical fitness and FAQs.
Contact us for further information.
