THE BLOG WHAT'S NEW?

Published · Updated

Sun Awareness Week 2019

The British Association of Dermatologists (BAD) currently runs a national campaign around skin cancer called Sun Awareness, which includes national Sun Awareness Week in May. This campaign is overseen by the BAD’s Skin Cancer Prevention Committee, comprised of leading medical professionals with expertise in skin cancer, vitamin D and public health messaging.

Sun Awareness Week (6-12 May) encourages people to regularly self-examine for signs of skin cancer and teaches them about the dangers of sunburn and excessive tanning.

Worldwide, non-melanoma skin cancer is the most frequently diagnosed cancer, with an estimated 2-3 million cases registered every year.

Ultraviolet radiation (UVR) is a risk that particularly affects outdoor workers, who receive 5-10 times the yearly sun exposure of indoor workers.

Walker Health and Safety Services Limited is supporting Sun Awareness Week and the Institution of Occupational Safety and Health’s (IOSH) global campaign to tackle occupational cancer – ‘No Time to Lose’, which aims to get carcinogenic exposure issues more widely understood and help businesses take action by providing free practical resources.

Find out more about the campaign at www.notimetolose.org.uk/sun-awareness, follow @_NTTL on Twitter, and use the hashtag #SunAwarenessWeek.

Resources for your company can be downloaded here. https://www.notimetolose.org.uk/free-resources/resource-library/pack-2-solar/

Also, contact us for further information.

 

 

Published · Updated

Manual Handling Workplace Injuries

Did you know that manual handling causes over a third of all workplace injuries? These include work-related musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs) such as pain and injuries to arms, legs and joints, and repetitive strain injuries of various sorts.

Manual handling covers a wide range of activities including: lifting, pushing, pulling, holding, restraining, throwing and carrying. It includes repetitive tasks such as packing, typing, assembling, cleaning and sorting, using hand-tools, operating machinery and equipment, and handling and restraining animals.

Manual handling injuries can have serious implications for the employer and the person who has been injured. They can occur almost anywhere in the workplace and heavy manual labour, awkward postures, repetitive movements of arms, legs and back or previous/existing injury can increase the risk.

Twisting, turning and bending of the back should be avoided. The risk of back injury increases during lifting, carrying, pushing and pulling of loads, if the load is: Too heavy There is no exact weight limit for manual handling.

When carrying out a manual handling task, keep the load close to the body for as long as possible while lifting. Keep the heaviest side of the load next to the body. If a close approach to the load is not possible, try to slide it towards the body before attempting to lift it. Avoid twisting the back or leaning sideways, especially while the back is bent.

If you have employees that carry out manual handling activities, it is good practice to ensure they are trained in carrying out the task. A manual handling course would be beneficial. It would cover the Manual Handling Operation Regulations 1992 and other relevant legislation.

In 2013 more working days were lost to musculoskeletal problems (back and neck pain) than any other cause!

To help prevent injury in the work place where possible it is best to avoid lifting BUT of course this is not always practical.  Ensuring your employees understand the risk and put measures in place prior to moving an item is the first step to reducing the risk of accident.

If you require a course, contact us for details.

This health and safety at work summary of statistics for Great Britain for 2017 is quite interesting – http://www.hse.gov.uk/statistics/overall/hssh1617.pdf

Contact us if you require further information.

 

Published · Updated

Increase in the HSE FFI charge

hard hat and gloves PPEThe rate which the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) charges under its Fee for

Intervention (FFI)

cost recovery scheme has increased from £129 to £154 per hour as of 6 April 2019.

The fee is payable by organisations found by the health and safety watchdog to be

in material breach of health and safety law and, in terms of the requirements, the

employer (or self-employed person) is required to pay

the HSE for the time it takes to identify what is wrong and to put things right.

A material breach of health and safety law is something which an inspector considers serious enough that

they need to formally write to the business requiring action to be taken to deal with the issue.

Essentially, if the inspector gives a notification of contravention (NoC) after the visit, a fee will be payable.

The HSE has emphasised that organisations which do not break the law will not be liable for any payment.

In other words, duty holders who comply with the law, or where there is no material breach, will not be

charged FFI for any work that HSE does with them.

Therefore, where an inspector simply gives business advice, either verbal or written, no payment is required.

The FFI cost recovery scheme was designed and introduced in October 2012 with the aim of shifting some of

the costs of regulating health and safety at work from the taxpayer to those responsible for material breaches.

See previous Blog for FFI https://walkersafety.co.uk/2013/11/ffi-a-year-on/

Contact us for further information.

 

 

Published · Updated

Workplace Safety Hazards Infographic

We have a great post detailing 7 Common Workplace Safety Hazards. Due to the popularity of this piece, we have now created an infographic to support this. If you would like to share this image please scroll down for the embed code.


Workplace safety hazard infographic

Contact us if you require further information.

Share this Image On Your Site

Published · Updated

Tips to Help Manage Vibration and Prevent Cases of HAVS

Tips to Help Manage Vibration and Prevent Cases of HAVS

  1. Do a risk assessment to determine which vibrating tools are used in your workplace. Try to prevent any exposure to vibration, perhaps by using a machine to do the work instead, but if that cannot be achieved, look to reduce employee exposure to vibrating tools – perhaps by rotating individual workers on each job.
  2. Ensure that the correct tools are used for each particular job. Dispose of any tools which are broken or damaged to avoid them being used by mistake.
  3. Always pick tools that are designed to emit lower vibration levels – ensure this forms an important part of your procurement process.
  4. Check the manufacturer’s guidance for the vibration levels emitted by each tool, and establish the maximum time that the tool can be used for.
  5. Maintain and service tools effectively to keep them sharp – remember that blunt tools require extra force to be applied by workers.
  6. Provide health surveillance for workers to detect early signs of HAVS. Teach employees to report any problems such as tingling or numb fingers, finger blanching, or loss of strength in the hands or grip.

Take the time today to ensure your company is up to speed with the legal requirements concerning vibration, and that you have put the necessary controls in place.

Contact us should you require guidance.