Hand and arm injuries caused by machinery parts are far too common, even in this day and age. Take the time today to check all of your machines for hazards, and ensure that any moving parts are properly guarded.
- Do a risk assessment to identify the hazards presented by each of the machines on site. See where a worker could get their hand pulled in by a rotating blade or roller, where a sharp blade could cut them, or where a machinery part could crush them, for example.
- Prevent access to these parts where possible, for example by enclosing the machine. Paint lines around machines to show workers the safe areas in which they should stand. Provide emergency stop buttons in suitable places and ensure they are visible and working correctly. Use interlocks where feasible on machine doors to stop the process should the doors be opened during the machine cycle.
- Use suitable guarding on areas that are hard to fully enclose. Use fixed, durable guards that cannot be easily removed.
- Train workers on the hazards identified and on how to use control measures such as guarding. Make sure they know not to remove any guarding without permission, and that the machine must be isolated from the power source first.
- Prepare in advance for maintenance and cleaning activities. Plan how workers should undertake these roles, and how guarding or other controls are to be safely removed. Use a checklist to verify that all controls are back in place and working correctly before the machine is put back into use.
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As an employer you have a multitude of responsibilities for ensuring the safety of your staff, contractors, visitors, public, customers, whoever may come to your premises. To successfully outline your expectations and intentions you will need to write a selection of policy statements.
Ranging from health and safety to data protection this task can seem daunting, but it doesn’t have to be. Ensure that policies are effective and adhered too by carrying out inspections and audits.
Tips to Ensure Your Health and Safety Policies are Effective and Adhered to
- Ensure that all policies are suitable, succinct and relevant to their subject. Don’t make them too long, or ask readers to refer to multiple additional documents – keep everything in one place as much as possible.
- Make sure they are written by persons with the relevant technical or health and safety knowledge, and that they are signed off at a senior level. Check that the contents accurately reflect what happens on the ground – policy writers should read the relevant risk assessments and observe the actual work before writing a policy to ensure all hazards/controls have been identified.
- Ensure workers have access to the policies – if they are stored electronically, make sure those workers without access to a computer have paper copies. Explain the contents of policies and make sure workers have the opportunity to ask questions if they don’t understand what they need to do.
- Make sure policies are updated periodically, taking into account any changes in the workplace or to legislation.
- Instigate regular checks to ensure policies are being followed. Report on compliance at health and safety meetings, and give responsibilities and accountability to senior staff members to ensure the policy requirements are fulfilled.
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Preventing vehicle runaways and unauthorised movement is vital – serious accidents and even fatalities can occur as a result. Make sure you introduce and monitor safe coupling and uncoupling procedures to prevent an accident happening on your premises.
Tips to Ensure Your Workers Undertake Vehicle Coupling and Uncoupling Safely
- Do a risk assessment to identify the hazards involving your particular type of vehicles and trailers. Look for ways in which workers could be run over or crushed, or how they could slip underneath vehicles if the ground conditions were bad, for example.
- Develop a safe system of work for workers to follow, with step-by-step instructions. Monitor the use of the procedure to check that workers are following it correctly.
- Provide training for workers on the safe system of work. Make sure they know how the hoses are to be connected in different circumstances, for example when close-coupled combinations are necessary when access to the fifth wheel may be limited.
- Always undertake an environmental check before commencing the activity – ensure that the ground is firm and level and able to properly support the landing legs. Verify that the lighting is good before starting work, as workers will need to be able to check that locking pins and safety clips are correctly connected and that they are in the right place.
- Make sure that drivers always use the parking brake for vehicles, and that they remove the keys after turning the engine off to prevent any potential movement, or even another driver moving the vehicle without warning.
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Asbestos-related diseases kill many people each year, yet these deaths could be prevented if the correct controls are implemented. Where necessary, only ever use licensed contractors to do removal work involving asbestos in your workplace, and ensure that the work is properly planned.
Tips to Ensure Asbestos Removals on Your Premises are Undertaken Safely- Before undertaking any work, first be sure you know where all of your ACM are and that they actually need to be removed in the first place. If the ACM is in a good condition, it may be a better option to leave it in situ and manage it by regularly checking its condition. Review your situation on an annual basis at least to see if the condition of the material has changed.
- Check that the contractor you intend to use has the necessary licence for the type of ACM you need removed – check the HSE website for more information. Ask for references and recommendations from other companies if you are not sure where to start looking.
- Ask the contractor for proof of training for individuals, and for the company’s experience in the type of job you want them to do.
- View the contractors plan for the removals. Check that the asbestos removal company has undertaken a risk assessment and has produced a method statement which details how the work will be done safely and what control measures will be introduced, including how areas will be contained to prevent the spread of fibres, the emergency procedures if something goes wrong, and the personal protective equipment to be used. Enquire also about how the clean-up will be managed safely.
- Share your building plans and asbestos management plans with the contractor so that they can satisfy themselves that they know the layout of the site, and can ask any relevant questions about the job.
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Many workers are injured each year by moving work vehicles that either didnt see them or started unexpectedly. Take the time today to check your vehicle management plan to ensure that your workers are protected.
Tips to Prevent Accidents Involving Employees and Workplace Vehicles
- Undertake a risk assessment to determine where the hazards involving pedestrians and vehicles are. Walk around your site to identify where vehicles are or could potentially be in the vicinity of employees and others. Identify how someone could be run over, reversed into or even crushed against a building or another vehicle.
- Prevent the need for vehicles to reverse whenever possible, by using one way systems and the correct signage to make the routes clear. If using a banksman, make sure they are trained and competent to do the job.
- Always aim to keep vehicles and pedestrians separate. Provide designated walkways for workers to use, and install barriers to keep vehicles away from these areas. Ensure that vehicle routes have good visibility, and introduce speed limits.
- If workers need to approach vehicles such as excavators, prevent the vehicle moving by ensuring the driver puts the handbrake on and removes the ignition key.
- Don’t allow drivers to use mobile phones whilst using workplace transport, or for them to have headphones on these are both a major distraction. Ensure that drivers have good visibility in the cab/driving seat check that windows are kept clean, that wipers work properly and that reversing sensors and alarms are working correctly.
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