Task 1 Health Safety And Welfare Of The Workforce

health safety and welfare of the workforce health and safety at work act 1974.
Employers have a responsibility for the health and safety of your employees whilst they are working for you. This is set out in the health and safety at work act 1974. and other legislation. However, employees do also have a responsibility for their own health and safety whilst at work
. As an employer, it is your responsibility to: provide up to date information that is easy to understand and follow so workers, contractors and visitors are aware of the hazards and risks they face, the measures in place to control the risks and how to follow emergency procedures; consult all your employees, in good time, on health and safety matters – through union representatives, directly or through other representatives. representatives should be adequately trained; provide clear instructions so everyone working for you knows what they are expected to do; provide free tailored health and safety training that is up to date, relevant and effective; provide an appropriate level of supervision, especially for new, inexperienced and young workers; carry out regular health and safety risk assessments to protect the health and safety at work of yourself, your workers and others who may be affected by what you do (if you have five or more employees it should be documented) – this applies to all premises where work is undertaken, all work activities and everyone at work, including the self-employed and business owners working from home; have a health and safety policy and, if you have five or more employees, have it documented setting out your commitment to managing health and safety, what you want to achieve, who is responsible for specific actions and the detail of what you are going to do to achieve those aims; display the health and safety law poster or provide each worker with a copy of the approved leaflet or equivalent pocket card; have a suitably stocked first-aid box, an appointed person to take charge of first-aid arrangements and notices telling your employees where they can find them and as your company grows, look again at your need for qualified first-aiders; provide safety signs if there is a significant risk that cannot be avoided or controlled in any other way, provided they help reduce the risk; appoint someone with the necessary skills, knowledge and experience to help you meet your health and safety duties – this could be you, one of your employees or a third party; have emergency signs and fully understood, recorded and rehearsed emergency plans; and report immediately and follow up with a written notification within ten days to the relevant authorities (HSE or your local authority) and keep records of:
1. work-related deaths;
2. certain types of major injuries to people at work listed in (RIDDOR), such as fractures, amputations and other injuries that require admittance to hospital for more than 24 hours;
3. injuries to people at work where they are unable to work for more than seven consecutive days – these need to be reported to the enforcing authority within fifteen days;
4. cases of industrial diseases listed in RIDDOR;
5. certain near-miss major accidents; and
6. injuries to a person who is not at work, such as a member of the public, which are caused by an accident at work and which result in the person being taken to hospital from the site for treatment; and record all injuries to people at work where they are unable to work for more than three consecutive days and other accidents in your accident book maintained under DWP regulations.
The impact of the above should be proportionate to the health and safety risks that your employees are exposed to. For example, if your business is involved with hazardous substances or heavy plant and machinery then you are more likely to need to take more action than for someone running a small business from an office.

Employees have a duty to take care of their own health and safety and that of others who may be affected by their actions at work. They must also co-operate with employers and co-workers to help everyone meet their legal requirements. They need to: take care of their own health and safety and that of others; co-operate with you to help you comply with health and safety legislation; follow any instructions or health and safety training you provide; tell you about any work situations that present a serious and imminent risk; and let you know about any other failings they identify in your health and safety arrangements.

Workplace(health, safety and welfare) regulations 1992

The workplace (health, safety and welfare) regulations 1992 is a UK statutory set of regulations enforced by law which dictates how accommodating the workplace should be. It replaced much of the factories act 1961 also offices , shops and railway premises act 1963. Since December 1995 all workplaces have to comply to these regulations. these regulations apply to all premises except ships, construction sites or mines and quarries .Failure to adhere to these regulations can result in a fine, if convicted of a severe infringement in the crown court the fine can be unlimited. the requirements of this legislation for employers are-
Maintenance of premises. ventilation for enclosed workplaces. ensuring a comfortable temperature indoors and providing thermometers. adequate lighting inclusive of emergency lighting .Always preferable is natural daylight. cleanliness of workplace furniture ,floors walls and ceilings. preventing the accumulation of waste. making sure rooms are large enough, furniture fittings or machinery. comfortable workstations, including outdoor ones, and providing comfortable seating. the cleanliness of floors. walkways for pedestrians and roadways for machinery. protection from falling objects and preventative measures to stop employees falling into dangerous substances. material or guarding of windows and other see through doors or walls, gates making them easily visible. the way in which windows, skylights or ventilators are are opened and the position they are left in when open. cleanliness of windows and skylights. and the ability to clean them. the assembling of doors and gateways, and the fitting of safety devices. clean ,sanitary conveniences (toilets). provision of washing facilities. providing supply of drinking water and of drinking vessels.(cups). suitable changing rooms and providing lockers and/or storage for clothing. providing suitable areas for breaks and consumption of food.

Employees can contribute to a safe working environment in a number of ways ,by raising any concerns with their safety representative concerning any unhappiness or queries about health and safety in their particular workplace. safety representatives should scrutinize that their employer is adhering to health and safety regulations as set out in Workplace(health and safety) regulations 1992. Safety representatives can identify if there is a problem with workplace health, safety and welfare by-
Using posters to bring up workplace health safety and welfare with members. and taking time to approach the workforce as a group or individually to discuss with them any concerns or doubts that they are having with health safety and welfare matters.
Surveying workplace, and assessing risk with workers that may be affected.
Carrying out inspections using a health, safety and welfare checklist. carrying out a more specialized inspection on the health and safety training of workers, and examination of accident and ill health statistics .
Employees who are having any concerns about health and safety should converse with their safety representative. He will then put it into writing and hand it to management.
Risk assessments, properly trained safety representatives should obtain copies of employer risk assessments ascertaining that they are controlling workplace health safety and welfare hazards. Making sure that ongoing consultation with their employer continues fully.
If control measures are already in place a safety representative should check that they are being followed correctly and also they are effective in preventing injury and ill health and welfare problems.
Safety representatives can monitor its employers safety policy and systems of work by checking that there are competent personnel dealing with workplace health safety and welfare and that expert advice is being sought when necessary from the HSE or some other applicable body.
Safety representatives can make sure that there is regular consultation about workplace health, safety and welfare. Arranging for the appointment of competent people and for training and information.
Making sure that where there is a potential safety risk the employer has trained and instructed the employees involved with the specific information.

Personal protective equipment at work regulations 1992.

PPE is defined in the Personal Protective Equipment at work regulations as -All equipment (inclusive of clothing offering protection against the weather) which is worn by the workforce protecting them against one or more hazards. PPE equipment includes many items such as safety footwear, hard hats, high visibility waistcoats, gloves, safety glasses to job specific equipment such as life jackets, respirators and welding masks.
Employers must insure that-
PPE must be provided free of charge by the employer
PPE must always regarded as a last resort to protect workforce against safety risks. engineering controls and a safe system of work must be fully investigated first by employers. there are a number of reasons why PPE should be considered as a last resort, PPE only protects the individual wearing it, whereas minimizing and controlling the risk at source protects everyone. maximum levels of protection are hard to maintain with some PPE

PPE must be chosen carefully to suit specific task and environment. the main factors concerning PPE are is it suitable for particular job or task. Does some PPE increase the safety risk of a particular task by wearing it. Can PPE be properly fitted to the individual (creating a proper seal on face). has the health of the individual been taken into account?. What demands extra PPE will place on the wearer such as increased weight, restricted movement and impaired visibility and hearing. and length of time it can be worn. Compatibility of equipment, sometimes the use of one piece of equipment will hamper another's effectiveness to work.

Where PPE is provided employers must provide adequate information/training on its use. information and instruction should cover-
The risks and why PPE is needed.
A demonstration on how to use the equipment and its limitations,.
How to put on PPE and take it off. And how to store it properly.
Any testing that needs to be carried out before its use.
Maintenance that can be carried out by the user.
Factors that can affect equipments effectiveness.
How to spot defective equipment, and reporting it.
How to obtain new PPE. with some PPE refresher training may be required at regular intervals
Maintaining the PPE must be carried out by employer.-
The manufacturers maintenance schedule must be adhered to so it still offers correct amount of protection. recommended replacement periods and shelf lives must always be followed. day tro day maintenance may be carried out by wearer but more intricate maintenance must be carried out by competent personnel.
All cost of maintenance must be met by employer.
Storage of PPE -
Where PPE is provided, adequate storage must be provided when it is not in use.
Storage may be simple (pegs for waterproof clothing and helmets).
Storage should protect from loss, contamination, damp, damage or sunlight. if PPE becomes contaminated during use, storage should be separate from other clothing. provision and replacement of PPE-
It is you're employers responsibility the supply and provision of correct PPE for you're task.
Replacement PPE must always be readily available by the employer.
The PPE at work regulations act places duties on employees that PPE is properly used,and the employees other duties are as follows-
PPE must be worn as instructed.
PPE must be stored correctly.
Examination of PPE before a period of work must be carried out by employee.
Loss or defect must be reported to supervisor.
Take reasonable care of PPE and not carry out any maintenance unless trained and competent to do so.