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Falls from height are the biggest cause of death and serious injury – so make sure you pick the right equipment for the job at all times. Look after your ladders, and in turn they will look after you.

5 Top Tips for Safe Ladder Work

1. Undertake a thorough risk assessment of the job before you start to check that the equipment you have selected is suitable. If used properly, ladders are a good option for low-risk, short-duration work of up to 30 minutes.
2. Make sure that workers have had training on using ladders properly. They should know how to do pre-use checks, how to set the ladder up to make it safe and secure, and the ground conditions that are needed to prevent the ladder slipping. Ladders shouldn’t be placed on wet floor, mats or uneven ground.
3. Label every ladder you own so that you can identify it belongs to you. Each ladder should be logged on a register, and visually inspected on a frequent basis. Check that rungs are not missing or damaged, and that rubber feet are in place. Record any defects and take ladders out of use until they are repaired, or throw them away if they can’t be fixed.
4. Workers should be aware of the correct positioning to adopt when using a ladder. Look for three points of contact at all times and give staff tool belts to wear so that they can use their hands for holding on rather than carrying tools.
5. Store ladders correctly so that they can’t fall over. Hang them up on racking or hooks, away from chemicals. Make sure that wooden ladders are kept away from water and damp to prevent them from rotting.

Contact us for further information.

More often than not, if a manual handling task goes wrong, it is most likely to be due to poor planning and a lack of consideration of the different components that make up the task as a whole. When there are additional hazards involved, such as the potential to fall from height, the consequences can be even more severe. Make sure you plan your lifts properly!

1. Take proper time to plan the task. All manual handling activities should be subject to a suitable and sufficient risk assessment. Where possible, avoid the need for people to move heavy items, but if that is not possible, aim to reduce the risk of injury in doing so. Could a mechanical aid such a hoist be used instead? Can handles be fitted to the load for better grip?
2. Look at the load. If it’s heavy or unstable, can it be broken up to make it more manageable? Can the distance to move it be reduced? Remember that manual handling doesn’t just include lifting a moveable object – it also covers actions such as pulling, pushing and lowering of loads. Ensure that all the elements of the lift are taken into account.
3. Consider the location where the lift will take place. Is the lighting sufficient? Are there any trip or slip hazards? Work out if there is anything else, other than the load, which could cause a problem in the local environment – such as fragile surfaces or falls from height.
4. Take into account the human factors of those involved. What are their likely capabilities? Have they got the necessary experience and knowledge? Are they worried about time pressures and ‘just getting the job done’?
5. Employees have a duty to follow instructions and safe systems of work. Make sure they’ve been given the correct training and information in order to do the job.

Contact us should you require advice.

Fork lift trucks (FLTs) are flexible, useful pieces of work equipment that help with the lifting and transportation of goods, but they are often misused and people try to cut corners with them – either by speeding, overloading them or allowing them to be operated when damaged.

10 Top Tips for the Safe Use of Fork Lift Trucks

1. Keep FLTs and pedestrians separate, by having clearly defined segregated routes for both. Always choose a physical barrier over just a marked walkway where possible, and ensure these are regularly checked for damage and wear and tear.
2. Ensure that all FLT activities are fully risk assessed, and implement control measures to reduce the risk of people being harmed.
3. Give workers a way of reporting bad habits and practices in a blame-free environment, perhaps via health and safety representatives if they are worried.
4. Implement speed limits and limit reversing where possible.
5. Always ensure there is good lighting and visibility. Remove blind corners and keep flooring in a good condition and free from obstacles.
6. Make sure all the safety features on the FLT are used and are working – this includes reversing lights and alarms, mirrors, and seatbelts. Introduce pre-use checks – it’s a good idea to have a written checklist for users to complete. Any defects should be reported and the equipment taken out of use until rectified.
7. Ensure operators have the necessary training for the type of FLT they will be using, which also includes the types of activities undertaken. Organise refresher training at suitable intervals for all operatives.
8. Remove the keys when not in use to prevent un-authorised access.
9. Ensure that FLTs owned or operated by you are under a scheme of thorough examination by a competent person – often this is done by the insurance company.
10. Do make sure you know what the maximum weight limits are for each FLT you use, in conjunction with the height and load centre.

Contact us if you require information.

The Health and Safety Executive’s Approved Code of Practice and Guidance “Legionnaires’ disease: The control of legionella bacteria in water systems” (L8) requires assessment of risks to employees and others in the workplace of contracting Legionnaires’ disease.

Inspection and test should be carried out in accordance with the local risk assessment.

Water tests need to be carried out and test results checked according to the Water Act 1989, Water Supply (Water Quality) Regulations 2000 and Food Safety Act 1991.  This information is provided by the water supply company, up to the local building mains non-return valve (stop-cock).

Additional water quality sampling checks in premises distribution systems must also be completed in line with the HSE’s document L8. This requires checks of hot and cold water in line with risk assessment and at least annually from the furthest point on the water distribution network.

These checks may be more frequent, as determined by the premises risk assessment. In addition, water storage facilities must be examined in line with local risk assessment.

Contact us if you would like legionella testing carried out in a safe manner which does not disrupt the work place. A report is provided on completion.

The new guidance relates only to flammable liquids that are stored in containers up to 1,000 litres capacity. There are many workplaces with these kinds of volumes on site – perhaps in warehouses, workshops or garages – that may be unaware of the dangers if flammable liquids are not correctly stored. Each year, many accidents and even fatalities occur due to flammable liquids or their vapours escaping from containers and coming into contact with an ignition source; it’s important therefore that you know how to prevent this from happening.

6 Tips for Safe Storage and Use of Flammable Liquids

1. Complete a risk assessment to determine what could go wrong, taking into account your workplace’s usual work activities and any non-routine work, such as maintenance, where new hazards may appear.
2. If there is potential for a fire or explosion and the risk needs to be reduced, consider the appropriate control measures available. In this instance, you should always be looking to substitute the flammable substance for something less flammable (i.e. with a higher flashpoint) and also remove the ignition source where possible (for example, any welding taking place nearby).
3. All employees working in these environments should have appropriate training which gives them information about how, and why, a fire or explosion could happen and under which conditions. It should cover all activities involving the substance, including moving it, decanting it or clearing up spillages, as well as the general work process it is used in.
4. Your risk assessment should cover the mitigation measures available, which means how you will contain an escape of the flammable liquid if it were to occur, and also minimise its effects.
5. Do ensure that the containers used are suitable for the storage of the flammable liquid – often this means keeping it in the same container in which it arrived. Check that lids are a tight fit and check for dents or scratches which could indicate that the container has been damaged.
6. Have emergency procedures in place which detail how you will evacuate and/or rescue people in the vicinity.

Under the right conditions, it doesn’t take much for a flammable liquid fire to start – make sure that you know how to prevent one from happening on your premises, and also what to do if it does.

Contact us if you require assistance.