Health, Safety & Quality Consultancy
One of the most widespread causes of fatalities and serious injury – working at height is something experienced tradespeople may take for granted but it requires education.
It’s everyone’s responsibility to make sure adequate planning is in place before the work begins. From making sure the right equipment is used to assessing and minimising dangers.
The simple things can often be overlooked and it’s often the simple things that cause accidents. For instance – be sure not to overreach and not to use equipment that isn’t suitable for the job. You may know this but do ALL your workers realise the potential hazards?
Many people take a light hearted approach to risk assessment but it’s no joke when either you become injured or you injure someone else because of not following guidelines.
Stay safe and check out our Working at Height Online Training Course…
A good place to start is our Food Safety & Hygiene Level 1 Online Training Course.
If you cook, handle, store or prepare food you have certain responsibilities as a business owner.
Whether you’re working from home or a business unit, to run a food business you will need to register with your local authority from each location in which you operate.
You must demonstrate the highest standards of food preparation, handling and storage and a good place to start is our Food Safety & Hygiene Level 1 Online Training Course – it’s fully certified and will help get you on the right path when it comes to food hygiene. We do recommend that as a business owner, you follow this up with Level 2 and Level 3 training.
You also have a legal obligation to provide information about allergens that may be contained in any of your ingredients. Our Food Allergy Awareness Training Course will help you get to grips with all the requirements.
Our courses are available as bundles – contact us if you wish to take advantage of discounts for multiple courses for you and your co-workers or employees.
With GDA Online Training, staying compliant and up-to-date with all the latest requirements for health and safety / employment law has never been easier.
Since 2008 we have been providing health, safety and quality consultancy services for local businesses around the Midlands.
In addition to this, as a new venture, we have now teamed up with a leading provider of online training courses to complement our health and safety consultancy service and bring them to a UK-wide audience. (more…)
GD Associates have teamed up with a leading training provider to provide a range of online training courses.
There are 170 courses currently available with more being added, in the following subjects:
All the online training courses are:
All of our courses are £19.00 each (+ VAT) – Discount available for multiple courses, contact us for details.
Visit our website for further details of courses available and how to book.
The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) has released its annual figures for the number of work-related fatalities in 2019/20, as well as the number of people known to have died from the asbestos-related cancer, mesothelioma, in 2018.
The provisional annual data for work-related fatal accidents revealed that 111 workers were fatally injured at work between April 2019 and March 2020 (a rate of 0.34 deaths per 100,000 workers), the lowest year on record.
This represents a fall of 38 deaths from the previous year, though it is likely that this fall was accentuated by the impact of coronavirus (COVID-19) on the economy in the final two months of the year.
In line with previous years’ fatal injury statistics, these figures do not include deaths from occupational disease. Covid-19 infection is therefore not part of these figures and will not feature in fatal injury statistics in subsequent years.
While there has been a long-term reduction in the number of annual fatalities (the number has almost halved in the last 20 years), aside from the current fall, the number has remained broadly level in recent years. (more…)
Guidance on First Aid Cover During the Current Pandemic
The Health and Safety Executive, (HSE) has issued fresh advice on first aid cover during the coronavirus outbreak.
New guidance published last week includes sharing first aid cover with other businesses and extending first aid certifications.
The HSE stated ‘If first aid cover for your business is reduced because of coronavirus or you can’t get the first aid training you need, there are some things you can do so that you still comply with the law.’
It suggests sharing the first aiders of another business, but reminds duty holders to be sure that they have the knowledge, experience and availability to cover the first aid needs of their business. It also warns whoever provides the temporary cover to ensure they do not adversely affect their own first aid cover.
The regulator is also offering first aid certificate extensions to those who hold a first aid certificate that expired on or after 16 March 2020 and cannot access requalification training because of coronavirus. It applies to Offshore Medic, Offshore First Aid, First Aid at Work and the Emergency First Aid at Work certificates.
RIDDOR Reporting of COVID-19
The Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations 2013 (RIDDOR) requires a report making to the HSE when:
an unintended incident at work has led to someone’s possible or actual exposure to coronavirus. This must be reported as a dangerous occurrence
a worker has been diagnosed as having COVID 19 and there is reasonable evidence that it was caused by exposure at work. This must be reported as a case of disease.
a worker dies as a result of occupational exposure to coronavirus.
Examples of what to report:
Dangerous occurrences
If something happens at work which results in (or could result in) the release or escape of coronavirus you must report this as a dangerous occurrence. An example of a dangerous occurrence would be a lab worker accidentally smashing a glass vial containing coronavirus, leading to people being exposed.
Cases of disease: exposure to a biological agent
If there is reasonable evidence that someone diagnosed with COVID-19 was likely exposed because of their work you must report this as an exposure to a biological agent using the case of disease report. An example of a work-related exposure to coronavirus would be a health care professional who is diagnosed with COVID-19 after treating patients with COVID-19.
Work related fatalities
If a worker dies as a result of exposure to coronavirus from their work and this is confirmed as the likely cause of death by a registered medical practitioner, then you must report this as a death due to exposure to a biological agent using the ‘case of disease’ report form. You must report workplace fatalities to HSE by the quickest practicable means without delay and send a report of that fatality within 10 days of the incident.
HSE Spot Checks to Resume Immediately
The HSE has announced it is restarting ‘proactive’ inspections, as much of the country gets back to work after the lockdown was eased. Workplace inspections were temporarily stopped after the lockdown announcement in March.
As reported in the previous bulletin, more than 4,500 complaints were made to the HSE between the 9th March and the 3rd May. The Regulator confirmed that it has responded to around 5000 workplace concerns and is inspecting some workplaces in response.
An additional £14m has been made available by the Government to the HSE for extra call centre employees, inspectors and equipment during the easing of the lockdown.
As we continue to navigate a path through these unprecedented times, the latest communication from the Government stated that some lockdown restrictions are to be relaxed. This is especially relevant with employers who are planning a staged return to business activities. We have actually been contacted by a small number of businesses who have already started this process.
Although we are in a fluctuating environment with advice changing daily, the latest advice from the Government is that people should work from home where at all possible. Where people cannot work from home, they are encouraged to go back to work with employers implementing suitable precautions and avoiding public transport where at all possible.* The construction and manufacturing industries were specifically mentioned in the latest Government bulletin, (10.05.2020).
Businesses still have a duty of care to protect the health, safety and welfare of workers and others who may be affected by their actions. This includes businesses playing their part in preventing the spread of the COVID-19 virus.
Before any staged return to work can be implemented, each employer must have undertaken a suitable and sufficient risk assessment of how they will protect workers, and others against the virus. A COVID-19 policy must also be implemented with all workers suitably informed of the protection measures implemented and their role in helping preventing the spread of the virus.
The latest Government guidance for employers and businesses on coronavirus (COVID-19) can be found at www.gov.uk/coronavirus.
The Health & Safety Executive (HSE) are monitoring to ensure that businesses have complied with the requirements of The Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations in respect of this virus.
It has recently been revealed that the HSE has received over 4,500 complaints since the first UK case of coronavirus was confirmed. The HSE issued a warning to employers that it would hand out enforcement notices to those who do not comply with the two-metre social distancing rule in workplaces that remain open during the outbreak.
The workplace safety regulator said it was now working through the reports, received since March, with a ‘range of actions’.
Contact us for further advice and help in undertaking a suitable risk assessment and implementing a practical COVID-19 policy if you are planning a return to work.
The HSE has revised its guidance for employers on the subjects of manual handling and upper limb disorders.
The revised guidance’s are:
INDG143 Manual handling at Work: A brief guide (revision)
This leaflet is aimed at employers. It gives useful practical advice on reducing the risk of injury from manual handling. It:
explains the problem with manual handling;
includes simple risk filters for lifting and lowering, pushing and pulling and carrying operations to distinguish between low and high-risk tasks;
provides practical advice on making a risk assessment;
suggests ways of controlling the risks.
A free copy of this guidance can be found on the HSE website.
INDG171 Managing upper limb disorders in the workplace: A brief guide (revision)
This leaflet is aimed at employers. It gives practical advice on reducing the risk of upper limb disorders (ULDs) which affect the shoulders, arms, wrists, hands and fingers, as well as the neck. It explains:
what upper limb disorders are;
their symptoms and causes;
how to manage the risks around them;
what employers can do to help their workers.
A free copy of this guidance can be found here
Source: HSE website
Comment:
Last year, the HSE also reminded employers of their duties to protect workers against musculoskeletal damage. Employers were reminded that they had not fulfilled their duties just by sitting workers in front of a DVD or power-point training presentation.
Although training plays an important role, employers have a duty to fully assess the risks of musculoskeletal damage. This is undertaken by carrying out a suitable and sufficient risk assessment of activities including talking to workers involved.
If you require any help with manual handling or ULD assessments, or require a template for assessing risks, just get in touch.
Control of Substances Hazardous to Health (COSHH)
The EH40/2005 Workplace exposure limits contains the list of workplace exposure limits for use with the Control of Substances Hazardous to Health Regulations 2002 (as amended)
The 2020 edition replaces the previous version as published in 2018. The new edition takes account of the new and amended occupational workplace exposure limits, (WEL’s). These came in to force January 2020
Details of the changes that came into force on 17 January 2020 can be summarised as follows:
There were new or revised entries for the following substances:
Hardwood dusts (including mixed dusts)
Chromium (VI) compounds
Refractory ceramic fibres
Respirable crystalline silica
Vinyl chloride monomer
Ethylene oxide
1,2-Epoxypropane
Acrylamide
2-Nitropropane
O-Toluidine
1,3-Butadiene
Hydrazine
Bromoethylene
New skin notations have been added for the following substances:
Ethylene oxide
The following substances required reductions to the existing WELs:
Hardwood dusts
Chromium (VI) compounds
Refractory ceramic fibres
Vinyl chloride monomer
Ethylene oxide
1,2-Epoxypropane
Acrylamide
2-Nitropropane
O-Toluidine
1,3-Butadiene
Hydrazine
This latest version of EH40/2005 ‘Workplace exposure limits’ has been updated to include the new and revised workplace exposure limits (WELs) as introduced by the Carcinogens and Mutagens Directive (EU) 2017/2398 amending Directive (2004/37/EC) and can be downloaded free from the HSE website: here.
Source: HSE website
Health & Safety Statistics:
Key figures for Great Britain (2018/19)
1.4 million working people suffering from a work-related illness
2,526 mesothelioma deaths due to past asbestos exposures (2017)
147 workers killed at work
581,000 working people sustaining an injury at work according to the Labour Force Survey
69,208 injuries to employees reported under RIDDOR
28.2 million working days lost due to work-related illness and workplace injury
£15 billion estimated cost of injuries and ill health from current working conditions (2017/18)
Further information can be found on the HSE website: Here.
Source: HSE website
Just 1 in 5 Monitors Asthma Risk Health Surveillance
RR1139: Uptake and quality of health surveillance for occupational asthma in the woodworking, baking and motor vehicle repair sectors presents research into the levels of uptake and quality of health surveillance for occupational asthma in three industry sectors at increased risk of occupational asthma: woodworking; baking; and motor vehicle repair.
Telephone interviews were held with employers from 457 organisations, of which 67% reported carrying out risk assessments. Risk of exposures that might cause occupational asthma (in the view of the duty holder) was reported in 42 (27%) motor vehicle repair enterprises, in 78 (52%) woodworking workplaces and in 95 (62%) bakeries.
Equivalent statistics for the specific industry sectors under consideration were 14% for the woodworking sector, 17% for motor vehicle repair sector and 24% for the bakery sector.
Reporting by the organisations surveyed showed that health surveillance was more commonly carried out in medium/large enterprises (74%) than in micro enterprises (7%). About a third delivered health surveillance in-house and two thirds used an external provider.
The research revealed that some duty holders who were not providing health surveillance thought that they had no obligation to provide health surveillance, did not need to provide it because they were very small organisations or regarded the cost as a burden.
Source: IOSH Magazine
Comment
Health Surveillance plays an important role in helping to confirm that control measures implemented are working when protecting workers against occupational health problems. This is a legal requirement in many situations.
Although ‘engineering’ solutions should be considered first when protecting workers against occupational health hazards, suitable health surveillance should be considered when undertaking risk assessments.
The HSE has just issued the following safety alert regarding new scientific evidence that exposure to all welding fume, including mild steel welding fume, can cause lung cancer. There is also limited evidence linked to kidney cancer.
HSE inspectors will be expecting that adequate control measures are implemented to protect workers against the potential fatal effects of breathing in welding fumes.
HSE Safety Alert:
Bulletin No: STSU1 – 2019
Issue Date: February 2019
Target Audience:
All workers, employers, self-employed, contractors’ and any others who undertake welding activities, including mild steel, in any industry.
Key Issues:
There is new scientific evidence that exposure to all welding fume, including mild steel welding fume, can cause lung cancer. There is also limited evidence linked to kidney cancer. (more…)