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Falls from height through fragile roofs are all too common. Take steps today to ensure you employ competent contractors and make sure all parties on site work together safely.

Tips for Managing Contractors and Subcontractors

1. Always check the credentials of contractors before employing them to ensure they are experienced, qualified and competent to do the work. Verify what checks they will carry out on any companies they subcontract work to, to ensure the same applies.
2. Ensure a risk assessment has been carried out which covers all of the work activities to be undertaken by all parties on site. Make sure the contents are agreed, and that the necessary control measures have been identified.
3. Make sure clear lines of responsibility are written down in the work plan. Check it states who is responsible for which safety measures, and how and when they will be used, inspected and maintained.
4. Establish clear lines of communication between all parties from the outset. Make sure the main contractor organises inductions for all workers before they start work on site, and that they intend to hold regular site meetings to discuss safety and health matters.
5. Provide training for your staff who will deal with contractors in relation to checking their competence and asking the right questions about how the job will be carried out safely.

Contact us, should you need assistance.

It is vitally important that you consider how persons other than your workers are protected during your work activities. Make sure any risks are included in your risk assessments and policies.

Tips to Ensure Members of the Public are Protected During Work Activities:

1. Include hazards that could affect members of the public and others (such as visitors) when undertaking your risk assessments. Consider what controls are needed, such as segregating dangerous machinery from the public, and using signage to warn people of the work that is being undertaken.
2. Provide workers with a safe system of work to follow. Make sure workers know they must look out for members of the public during their activities.
3. Inspect your workplace to ensure that members of the public cannot wander onto site by mistake. Ensure doors are locked, and that there are no gaps in fencing. Only allow access to authorised personnel.
4. Make sure that any vehicles being used outside have the correct mirrors and reversing alarms, and that staff stick to any specified speed limits.
5. Ensure that vehicles are segregated from pedestrians at all times by the use of barriers.

Contact us should you require assistance.

Fire Fighting

There should always be fire extinguishers in your workplace. If a fire is caught soon enough, a fire extinguisher may be enough to put it out and save property and lives. Make sure you have an ample number of fire extinguishers available through the building, which are designed for use in your particular industry.

Fire extinguishers should be inspected regularly to keep them in good working condition.

Workers should be warned not to attempt to deal with a fire unless they have been trained to do so.  If you have been given permission to deal with a fire, consider these steps:

1. Follow your training procedures – never putting yourself at risk.
2. Always ensure there is an escape route between you and the fire.
3. If your clothes catch fire, drop to the floor and roll around. This will help to extinguish the flames. Your training should have covered this and you most probably know it as the ‘stop, drop and roll’.

Escape Routes

All employees should know their fire escape plan. There needs to be at least two ways to get out of a building, in case one of them has been blocked by fire. If you are the employer, make sure that all employees know what their escape options are.

There must ALWAYS be a clear path to each exit. Obstacles in the way can cause people to trip and fall, adding more possibility of injuries.

Make sure all escape routes are clearly marked so those who are trying to escape the building have no problem finding where they need to go during a stressful situation.

When it comes to those escape options, it is vital to make sure the doors are unlocked when there are employees or visitors in the building. You don’t want employees to go to what they think is a way to get out of a building safely and be stuck inside because the door has been chained or locked.

Never wedge fire doors open as they are designed to protect escape routes and prevent the spread of toxic smoke and fumes. And as fire needs oxygen to survive, a fresh feed of air through wedged open fire doors may only lead to building the fire hazard.

Fire Evacuations

Always have an evacuation plan in place and let employees know where they should go outside the building once they are safe. Put together a plan that makes sure that everyone checks in with someone, so you know that all employees and visitors are accounted for – and have escaped safely and are not trapped inside.

Discovering a Fire

If you ever discover a fire, follow these steps:

1. Remain calm.
2. Sound the fire alarm and/or alert all the occupants to evacuate.
3. Alert the fire brigade by dialling 999.
4. Leave the building immediately via the closest escape route. (Never use the lift if there is one in the building)
5. Assemble with other staff at the evacuation assembly point.
6. Upon their arrival, inform the firefighters of the situation.

Evacuating the Building

Upon being told to evacuate, or hearing the fire alarm, follow these steps:

1. Remain calm.
2. Stop what you are doing. Leave the building immediately via the closest escape route. (Never use the lift if there is one in the building)
3. Walk briskly, and never turn back.
4. Never take anything with you.
5. Always follow the Fire Marshal’s instructions.
6. Before opening any door feel the door and door handle. Never open a warm door as there could be a fire behind it.
7. If the door is hot when you feel it then take another route. A window might be an option.
8. If you encounter smoke during your evacuation, drop to the floor and crawl.
9. Close all doors behind you and all windows along the way, as fresh air feeds fire.
10. Assemble and remain at the evacuation assembly point. Do NOT return to the building until you are told by either the fire brigade or your immediate supervisor that it is safe.
11. Notify someone of any injuries you have sustained, as soon as possible.
12. Never cancel a fire alarm. Fire alarms should only be reset by those directed to do so.

If for some reason you are unable to get out of the building.

1. Alert others of your presence – via a phone, standing at a window, or by opening the window and hanging a sheet or something to alert fire fighters of your presence.
2. Keep a wet cloth over your mouth.
3. Stay as close to the ground as possible. Not only will you be able to see better, there is more oxygen.
4. Keep the door closed to stop smoke getting into the room.
5. Block up the cracks around the doors, if possible with wet cloths, to stop smoke getting in.
6. If there is a lot of smoke, keep your hand against the wall to guide you if you need to move about.
7. If your clothes catch fire, immediately drop to the floor and roll around. This will help to extinguish the flames.

Fires and evacuations are serious matters; therefore fire drills are essential for the safety of all staff (and visitors) of a workplace.

Contact us should you require assistance.

Tips to Protect Employees when Working with Dangerous Machinery

1. Always do a risk assessment for all activities relating to machinery, such as general operation, cleaning and maintenance. Consider the best controls to implement in order to protect your workers – use a combination of guarding, hold to run processes, emergency stop buttons and safe systems of work to ensure staff do not come into contact with moving dangerous parts.
2. When installing guarding, always try to use fixed guarding that cannot be easily defeated or removed by workers. Regularly check that guarding is in place, and that it is in a good condition.
3. Train workers how to safely operate the machinery. Make sure that they know never to put their hand, arm or other part of their body into machinery to clear a blockage. Teach them to always use push sticks or similar items.
4. Always isolate machinery before attempting to clear a blockage, or to undertake planned or emergency maintenance. Remove keys from machines so that no-one can start them up again by mistake.
5. Supervise workers who work with dangerous machinery, especially if they are inexperienced or new to the job. Provide written instructions and check that workers understand what they are required to do – regularly check that these instructions are being followed, and that workers are not using short cuts or adapting the process.

Make sure your workers are properly protected – take steps today to provide guarding and safe working practices for your dangerous machinery.

Contact us if you require assistance.

5 Tips to Keep Your Workers Safe

1. Always do a thorough risk assessment of the hazards that are applicable to individual machines. Think about how and when entrapment could occur, as well as damage from in-running nips and sharp blades, for example.
2. Review your existing safeguards (such as guarding) on a regular basis to ensure they are fit for purpose. Consider what else you could do to prevent access to dangerous moving parts and to stop the machine quickly should an incident occur. Consider additional guarding, emergency stop buttons and safety interlocks. Whenever possible, always choose fixed guarding that cannot be easily removed or defeated.
3. Maintain machines on a frequent basis to ensure they operate correctly. Do regular inspections and have a schedule that you keep to, to ensure maintenance activities take place when they need to.
4. Train staff how to use each machine they will operate. Ensure that they know where all safety features and devices are located, which materials may be safely used on each machine, and to use push sticks and holders whenever possible to keep their hands and limbs out of dangerous areas.
5. Ensure staff are supervised when undertaking machinery tasks. Check that no one is using gloves or wearing jewellery/loose clothing near rotating parts, as these items could cause them to be dragged into the machine.

Poorly guarded machines injure or fatally wound hundreds of workers every year. Take steps today to ensure that your machinery is properly guarded, and operators are trained to use them safely.

Contact us should you wish to discuss.