Health and Safety News

HSA Report 2011
June 28, 2012

In this article we summarised main highlights of the Health & Safety Authority 2011 Report:

  • Last year HSA carried out 15,340 workplace health and safety inspections. 5,861 inspections resulted in written advice notes, 436 prohibition and 535 improvement notices have been served. Also, 13 prohibitions have been agreed and 32 prosecutions completed. Five individuals were given suspended prison sentences.
  • The inspections were mainly in the private enterprise sectors of construction, agriculture, wholesale/retail, manufacturing and transport/storage.  951 inspections were carried out in public service/defence, health and education.
  • During 2011, 7,010 accidents were reported to the HSA (54 fatal and 6,956 non-fatal). 22 of the fatal accidents were in the agricultural/farming sector, 5 in fishing, 7 in transport/storage, 6 in construction and industry (manufacturing, mines/quarries, utilities) sectors.
  • Most of non-fatal accidents are still caused by manual handling (33%) followed by slips/trips and falls (17%). Violence and aggression were route cause for 7% of HSA reported accidents.
  • Figures from the Central Statistics Office also showed that in 2010 a total of 1,371,047 workdays were lost due to work-related accidents and illnesses.
Taking Care of Pregnant Workers
May 10, 2012

Every employer has a duty under the Safety, Health and Welfare at Work (General Application) Regulations 2007, Part 6, Chapter 2 (Protection of Pregnant, Post Natal and Breastfeeding Employees, known as the Pregnancy Regulations.

These are the hazards that every employer should consider:

  • Ionising radiation (X-rays). Up to 8 weeks of pregnancy, major organ systems are being developed and between 8 and 15 weeks the brain is developing rapidly. So the exposure to ionising radiation at this time can be very harmful.
    •  
  • Non-ionising radiation.There was a belief that women who work with Display Screen Equipment (computers) are at a greater risk of miscarriage. However, numerous studies showed no link between these two events.
    •  
  • Exposure to noise. Only low noise frequencies can be transmitted to the foetus and damage hearing. This can only be a problem if noise levels are in excess of 110dBA.
    •  
  • Exposure to lead. Lead is highly toxic and once pregnancy is declared, the woman should be removed from any exposure to lead.
    •  
  • Biological hazards. Infectious diseases, such as chlamydiosis, listeriosis, Q-fever etc which arise from farm animals and unpasteurised diary products or uncooked meat can prove very dangerous and even fatal.
    •  
  • Ergonomics. Research suggests that strenuous work during pregnancy is harmful.

 How can we help:

16-Year Jail Sentences for Health & Safety Breaches by Italian Court
March 22, 2012

Two industrialists (Stephen Schmidheiny from Switzerland and Jean-Louis de Cartier from Belgium) were handed out 16-year sentences for failure to comply with health and safety rules and omitting to take preventative measures necessary to avoid environmental catastrophe at Eternit`s plants in the Italian towns of Cavagnlo and Casale.

An Italian court found both men guilty of negligence leading to the deaths of some 2,200 people from asbestos-related diseases. They were also ordered to pay substantial sums of money to close relatives of each of 2,200 victims and to the 800 former Eternit employees currently suffering from asbestos-related illnesses today.

This is the second time when an Italian court imposes a 16-year sentence for a health and safety offense. Last April the chief executive of the ThyssenKrup (steel manufacturer) was sentenced to 16 and a half years in jail following a fatal fire in which several workers died.

Manual Handling in Healthcare
February 20, 2012

Health and Safety Authority has recently issued Guidance on the Management of Manual Handling in the Healthcare Sector. With 237,000 people employed in this Sector and given that manual handling was the cause of 35% of all accidents reported to the HSA, this is a very important document. The total cost of 35 claims was over Eur2m.

The Guide summarizes the legislation and advises that employers should have manual handling policy in place. The manual handling risk should be avoided and if it cannot be avoided, it should be reduced.

The Guide is very detailed and features the following topics:

  • Incidence and cost of manual handling accidents
  • Summary of the main elements of the manual handling of loads Regulation
  • Policy on the management of manual handling in the workplace
  • Manual handling equipment
  • Manual handling training
  • Accident and incident reporting and investigation
  • Resources and competences
  • Manual handling risk assessment

The full version of the Guide can be downloaded HERE.

 

How can we help?

New Year - Time to Update Your Safety Statement
January 3, 2012

Safety Statement is your Company Safety Management System and it has to be up-to-date to remain effective.

Safety Statement is required by Section 19 of the Safety, Health and Welfare at Work Act 2005. The aim of the safety statement is to ensure that no one gets injured at work.

The Health and Safety Authority recommends that the Safety Statement is reviewed at least annually. When reviewing the Safety Statement, the following should be considered:

  1. Does your Company Safety Statement identify hazards and assess risks?
  2. Where the safety measures identified during preparation of the original Safety Statement implemented in practice?
  3. Were new work practices and/or work processes introduced? If so, they need to be risk assessed.
  4. What new health and safety measures were applied following incidents in your Workplace?
  5. What improvements in health and safety performance of your Company need to be made?

 Your Safety Statement should cover the following details as a minimum:

  1. Health and Safety Policy
  2. Environmental Policy
  3. Roles and Responsibilities
  4. Duties of employees (co-operation with the employer in health and safety matters, use of personal protective equipment, reporting of accidents, incidents and near misses, etc.)
  5. Health and safety training
  6. Company safety and health procedures
  7. Hazard identification and risk assessment

And remember, that your Safety Statement has to be written in the form and language that can be understood by all.

Drive Safely this Winter
December 2, 2011

In this article we will discuss various types of tyres and traction aids to help you stay safe on the roads this winter. There are different types of tyres that we can use:

  1. Summer tyres
  2. All-season tyres
  3. Snow tyres

However, not all of us realize that there are other traction aid devices that can be fitted to a vehicle other than snow tyres;

  1. Snow chains
  2. Snow socks
  3. Studded tyres

Snow tyres have tread patterns designed to bite into snow and ice. As a result they give better grip on snowy and icy surfaces than regular tyres.

All-season tyres are designed to cope with all sorts of conditions, but not optimised for any one condition (dry roads, rain, snow, ice, etc).

Currently there are no legal requirements to fit winter tyres, but should you wish to install them, make sure that you install a full set of four tyres and remove them once the possibility of snow is gone.

Traction Aids:

Snow Chains are designed to wrap around the thread of the tyres and latch together tightly to prevent slipping. They come in different sizes so not every snow chain will fit every tyre. Ensure that they are installed per manufacturer`s recommendations. Driving on asphalt for long periods should be avoided as this will shorten the life of snow chains.

Snow Socks are very strong textile covers that you slip over the drive wheels to provide better grip on ice and snow. They are easy to fit and same as with snow chains, snow socks come in different sizes so not every snow sock will fit every tyre. Ensure that they are installed and used per manufacturer`s recommendations. Driving on asphalt for long periods should be avoided as this will shorten the life of snow socks.

Studded Tyres are fitted with metal studs for additional traction on icy roads. Studs should only be used on packed ice or snow as their use on the road surface would cause damage and therefore be prohibited.

Drive safely this winter!

Source: Road Safety Authority

Safe Working in Cold Weather Conditions
November 7, 2011

With cold weather on its way, we put together some basic guidelines for safe working in cold weather conditions.

Accidents are more likely to occur in cold working conditions due to:

  1. Cold impairing the performance of complex mental tasks;
  2. Cold impairing the performance of manual tasks  (reduced sensitivity of fingers);
  3. Reduced mental alertness due to cold-related discomfort;
  4. Dangerous ground and other surfaces` (steps, ladders, etc) conditions.

Health effects and symptoms of exposure to cold:

Frostbite is caused by exposure to extreme cold or by contact with extremely cold objects. It occurs when tissue temperature falls below the freezing point or when blood flow is obstructed. In mild cases, the symptoms include inflammation of the skin in patches accompanied by slight pain. In severe cases, there could be tissue damage without pain, or there could be burning sensations resulting in blisters. Frostbite skin is highly susceptible to infection and gangrene may develop.

Hypothermia is the most severe cold injury which occurs from excessive loss of body heat. Hypothermia can be fatal. Hypothermia can be mild (minor shivering), moderate (violent shivering, difficulty speaking, mild confusion, etc) and severe (inability to walk, pulse and respiration rate decrease, unconsciousness).

Prevention of the adverse effects of cold:

  1. Take 10 minutes break every two hours in a warm location. Take an extended break (e.g. lunch break) every four hours in a warm location. Take off the outer layer of clothing so that perspiration can evaporate from the clothing.
  2. Pace your work to avoid excessive sweating.
  3. Always know who is your first aider and/or how to summon help.
  4. Use buddy system while working in freezing conditions, look out for one another and be alert for the symptoms of hypothermia – see above.
  5. Sitting or standing still for prolonged periods should be avoided.
  6. Balanced meals and adequate liquid intake is essential to maintain body heat and prevent dehydration. Note that caffeinated drinks contribute to dehydration.

Clothing:

  1. In snowy icy conditions, wear your safety shoes and anti-slip shoe covers even at the front of site. Only use paths and walkways that are gritted, where possible.
  2. Protect toes, fingers, ears and nose – these areas are at greatest risk because they do not have major muscles to produce heat.
  3. Protect eyes – if not protected in chill conditions, the corneas may freeze. Always wear your safety glasses/goggles.
  4. Prevent contact of bare skin with cold surfaces.
  5. Wear clothing in multiple layers which provide better protection than a single thick garment.
  6. For work in wet conditions, the outer layer of clothing should be waterproof.
  7. A wool knit cap or a liner under a hard hat can reduce excessive heat loss.
  8. Have extra socks available so you can dry your feet and change socks during the day.

Stay safe this winter and look after your staff!

Is Your Home Fire Safety "Compliant"? or...
October 26, 2011

...Are you putting yourself and your family at risk? Our summary below will help you to determine this.

  1. Do you have at least one smoke alarm fitted on each floor? Remember, that your sense of smell does not work when you are asleep. Smoke alarms should be fitted between the sleeping areas and the kitchen and living rooms. If you have large electrical appliances, such as television or PC in any of the bedrooms, they should also be fitted with smoke alarms.
  2. Position smoke alarms at ceiling level and install in accordance with manufacturer`s instructions.
  3. If anyone in your household has impaired hearing, they may not hear the alarm and will require alternative arrangements, such as strobe lights, vibrating pads, etc.
  4. Test all smoke alarms weekly and replace battery annually or when they are not working. Smoke alarm can be tested by pressing the test button.
  5. Vacuum the smoke alarms on a regular basis and wipe the cover. Dust may prevent the smoke alarms from functioning correctly.

Check for fire hazards in your home:

  1. Kitchen – keep your cooker clean, turn off the cooker when you are not using it, never use cooker for drying clothes, clean or replace filters in the extractor fan regularly, avoid using chip pans – they a fire risk and have a fire blanket  and fire extinguisher within easy reach (do not use fire extinguisher on chip pans fires!).
  2. Living room – do not overload sockets, place spark guard in front of an open fire, don`t keep anything (papers, clothes, etc) near a fire, don`t use open fire to dry clothes. Keep your chimney clean (for example, your chimney should be cleaned four times a year if you are using wood burning fires. Use portable heaters with extreme care(keep them away from furniture, curtains and unplug before you leave the house or go to bed.
  3. Bedroom – never smoke in your bedroom, have a torch available for emergency lighting, bring mobile phone with you for emergency calls and take extra care when using electrical items and unplug after use.

If you are using electric blanket, always follow manufacturer`s instructions and check it regularly for defects (look out for worn or frayed fabric, scorch marks, etc).

We hope that you`ll follow these basic precautions to give yourself and your family that extra level of protection!

Keep Your Children Safe this Halloween
October 21, 2011

Falls are a leading cause of injuries among children on Halloween. To prevent falls and other injuries, children should be closely supervised during trick-or-treat activities:

  1. Children should only go to well-lit houses and remain outside the house at all times.
  2. Children must always be accompanied by an adult.
  3. Children must always carry a mobile phone and know how to call Emergency Services: 112 or 999.
  4.  Bring treats home before eating them.
  5. Stay on walkways and avoid crossing roads. Stay together in a group before crossing a road. Wear bright and reflective clothing.
  6. Remember, that masks can obstruct vision.

 Parents should:

  1. Supervise children.
  2. Agree a return time if children are over 12 years of age and unsupervised.
  3. Inspect all treats before children eat them.
  4. Drive slowly during Halloween and watch out for children.

Have a safe and enjoyable Halloween this year!

Manual Handling Risk Assessment
October 17, 2011

Manual handling of loads means any transporting or supporting of a load by one or more employees and includes lifting, putting down, pushing, pulling, carrying or moving a load, which by reason of its characteristics or of unfavourable ergonomic conditions involves risk, particularly of back injury to employees.

Work related musculoskeletal disorders (WMSDs) are a common health problem throughout the industrialised world and one of the major cause of work-related accidents. WMSDs are conditions of the nerves, tendons, muscles and supporting structures of the musculoskeletal system that can result in fatigue, discomfort, pain, local swelling, or numbness and tingling. WMSDs usually develop from cumulative damage resulting from months or years of exposure to excessive levels of physical and psychosocial stressors at work.

The major risk factors for WMSDs in the workplace include:

  1. Heavy manual handling;
  2. Repetitive and forceful actions;
  3. Vibration;
  4. Awkward static postures that arise from badly designed workstations, tools, equipment, working methods;
  5. Poor work organisation.

Employer has a duty to carry out manual handling risk assessment and take appropriate organisational measures, or use appropriate means, in particular mechanical equipment, to avoid the need for the manual handling of loads by the employer`s employees.

Where the need for the manual handling of loads cannot be avoided, appropriate organisational measures must be taken and appropriate means provided in order to reduce the risk involved in the manual handling of such loads, having regard to the risk factors specified in Schedule 3 of 2007 safety, Health and Welfare at Work (General Application) Regulations – Appendix 1.

The QEC (Quick Exposure Check) is one of many tools that we use for manual handling risk assessment. QEC was developed to enable health and safety practitioners to undertake assessments of the exposure of workers to musculoskeletal risk factors. QEC focuses on exposure assessment and change in exposure, thus allowing the benefits of workplace interventions to be assessed rapidly.

QEC allows physical work activities to be assessed in collaboration with the worker.

QEC assessment sheets are completed  for each tasks performed by a worker, including both observers` and workers` assessment and exposure scores calculated to determine risk level .

You might also be interested in:

Manual Handling Training

VDU/DSE Assessments

Safety Statement

First Aid Training - Can You Afford Not to Attend?
September 21, 2011

Do you know exactly what to do if someone goes in cardiac arrest or starts choking?

If the answer is No then you should consider completing first aid course. In fact, the vast majority of first aiders were required to use their life saving skills outside work: at home, during a football match, in a busy restaurant, etc.  Some of the areas covered in any first aid course include shock, unconsciousness, recovery position, resuscitation, asphyxia, heart attack, etc. 

There are few different types of first aid courses available:

Occupational first aid. This is three days FETAC Level 5 programme. This highly interactive course provides participants with excellent knowledge and practical skills on how to give effective life support and maintain comfort of an injured person until professional help arrives. All participants will be certified to FETAC Level 5 on successful completion of the course. The certificate is valid for two years and regular refresher training is essential to maintain skills and certification.

Emergency/basic first aid. This is one day course and is an excellent introduction to first aid. This course provides participants with basic knowledge and tools required to perform CPR and deal with various life threatening situations.

We are also offering half-a-day courses in the use of AED (automated external defibrillator) and cardiac first response.

If you have small kids or work in the childcare sector, paediatric first aid course is a must. You will also find this course very useful if you are a parent, grandparent, babysitter, etc. This hands-on training course includes child assessment, bleeding and wounds, child and infant CPR, burns and scalds and other medical emergencies.

We, at AK Safety Management will be very happy to advise you on the most suitable first aid course for you – please contact us for further details.

Work Related Stress - Safety Statement & Risk Assessment
August 31, 2011

Stress is defined as “the negative reaction people have to aspects of their environment as they perceive it”. Work-Related Stress (WRS) is defined as “as stress caused or made worse by work”.

Under the current health and safety law all companies must have an up-to-date health and safety statement and risk assessment in place.

Your company health and safety statement must contain policy on WRS and WRS must also be risk assessed by a competent person. If Health and Safety Authority carries out workplace inspection, they will expect to see stress risk assessment in place and company health and safety statement to contain policy on stress.

The Health and Safety Authority has recently published guide on Work-Related Stress. The guidance document recognises the amount of stress that all of us experience in our day-to-day lives, but sometimes stress can be caused or made worse by work.

The Guide defines stress and work-related stress, goes into causes and effects of WRS, discusses European approach to WRS, role of employer, employee duties, etc. The full version of the Guide can be downloaded HERE.

Below you`ll see a standard WRS Policy that you may consider including into your company health and safety statement:

"Stress is the negative reaction people have to aspects of their environment as they perceive it. Work-relates stress is stress caused or made worse by work.

Stress will be tackled in the company because work-related stress is a serious problem for organisation.

ABC Ltd management will take all necessary steps to ensure so far as reasonably practicable that employees are not exposed to excessive stress levels.  Employees must approach their supervisor if suffering from excessive stress levels. Measures will be taken internally to relieve their workload and to identify the origin of the stress.  

The following steps will be undertaken by the management in order to prevent stress at source: 

 All staff should be comfortable with the amount of work they have to do and the hours they are expected to work.

Staff should be involved in deciding what work they do and how they do it.

All staff should be offered adequate managerial support.

All staff should be clear what is expected from them. If in doubt- ask!

All staff should be communicated and consulted before any changes take place.”

 

How can we help?

Writing safety statements

Preparing risk assessments

Delivering health and safety training

Are You Sitting Correctly? DSE Assessments
August 23, 2011

All office workers spend up to eight hours a day sitting on the job at their workstation. Then we sit in a car on the way home, at dinner, in front of TV and computer at home, etc. Needless to say, that we need to be sitting correctly to avoid discomfort and even injuries. Below you`ll find a checklist that will help you set up your DSE (Display Screen Equipment) workstation correctly: 

Monitor –

  1. Are characters clear?
  2. Is image stable?
  3. Are brightness and contrast adjustable?
  4. Is screen free from reflective glare?
  5. Has the screen got a swivel and tilt mechanism?

Keyboard –

  1. Has your keyboard got a matt surface?
  2. Are all symbols on the keys adequately contrasted?
  3. Is the keyboard tiltable and separate from the screen?
  4. Do you have plenty of space in front of the keyboard?

Desk –

  1. Has your desk got a low-reflective surface?
  2. Is there adequate space to find a comfortable position?
  3. Have you got a document holder?

Chair –

  1. Is it stable?
  2. Is seat adjustable in height?
  3. Is the seat back adjustable in height and tilt?
  4. Do you need a footrest?

And... don`t forget about proper lighting, temperature and humidity.

A few general tips:

  1. Don`t cross your legs
  2. Place both feet flat on the ground or use a footrest
  3. Ensure that your knees are lower than your hips
  4. Adjust your chair so that it supports your lower back
  5. Take regular breaks from your workstation

How can we help?

VDU/DSE Assessments

Ergonomics Assessments

Pregnant Employees Risk Assessments

Manual Handling Risk Assessments

Manual Handling Training

Safety Statement

Public Manual Handling Training
July 19, 2011

Our Public Manual Handling Training Courses are back. The course is now delivered by FETAC Level 6 accredited instructors and takes place every Thursday at Bewleys Hotel Newlands Cross, Naas Road, Dublin 22.

Next Manual Handling Training Course details:

When?

Every Thursday (10am-1pm). Click HERE for the next course date.

Note: Other dates can be arranged on request.

Where?

Bewleys Hotel, Newlands Cross,  Naas Road, Dublin 22

How Much?

Only EUR 50 per person.

How to book:

  1. Text: MH to 087-4198749 and we`ll call you back
  2. Send us an enquiry through our Contact Form
  3. Call our office on 01-4064187
FETAC Manual Handling Training
July 12, 2011

All our Manual Handling Training courses are now delivered by FETAC Level 6 accredited instructors.

The FETAC Manual Handling and Patient Handling scheme was introduced following the Health and Safety Authority review of Manual Handling training in Ireland.

FETAC stands for the Further Education and Training Advisory Group. FETAC was set up in 2001 and is the awarding body for further education and training in Ireland.

It is expected that by 2012 all Manual Handling and Patient Handling instructors will have FETAC Level 6 Award in Manual Handling and People Handling Instruction.

Here at AK Safety Management, we have been proactive in our approach to Manual Handling training and all of our Instructors completed FETAC accreditation process almost a year in advance to ensure that we continue provision of good quality Manual Handling and Patient handling training to all of our current and future Customers.

The new system of delivering Manual Handling and Patient Handling training will ensure that all courses delivered are based on FETAC standards and provide fair and consistent assessment of trainees.

See also:

Manual Handling Training

Patient Handling Training

Manual Handling Risk Assessment

Safety Statement

Health & Safety Authority Annual Report Summary
June 28, 2011

Health and Safety Authority published its Annual Report 2010. These are, in our opinion, are the main provisions of the Report:

  1. Health and Safety Authority reported that 51% of their workplace inspections in 2010 resulted in enforcement action.
  2. 16,714 inspections and investigations were carried out in 2010. 8,570 resulted in written advice notes, 599 in Prohibition Notices, 914 in Improvement Notices and 14 voluntary workplace closures were agreed.
  3. The HSA conducted 27 prosecutions and fines totaling EUR 571,900 were imposed by the courts.
  4. There was a slight increase in the amount of accidents reported to the HSA (123 more compared to 2009). Most accidents were reported in healthcare and manufacturing.
  5. 48 fatal accidents were reported to the HSA in 2010. 29 of them occurred in the agricultural, forestry and fishing industries.
  6. The number of lost workdays due to injuries and occupational illnesses fell dramatically in 2010.
Safety Statements Dublin
May 20, 2011

It`s been a while since we discussed the importance of Health and Safety Statement for an Organisation. There are many reasons to have safety statement in place:

  1. Financial reasons – effective health and safety management system contributes to business success.
  2. Legal reasons – safety statement a legal requirement of Section 20 of 2005 Safety, Health and Welfare at Work Act. The law requires employers to identify hazards (something with the potential to cause harm), carry out a risk assessment and prepare a written safety statement.
  3. Moral and ethical reasons – helps prevent injuries and ill health. The aim is that no one gets hurt or becomes ill.

The safety statement should influence all work activities, including selection of competent personnel, equipment, work practices, etc.

The safety statement should cover the following points:

  • General health and safety and environmental policy statements
  1. Duties of employer, employees, contractors, visitors, etc
  2. Various procedures, such as Display Screen Equipment (DSE), pregnant employees, bullying and harassment, racism and equality, etc
  3. Risk assessment.

The safety statement must be written in the language, form and manner that will be understood by all staff. 

How can AK Safety Management help:

Writing safety statements

Reviewing safety statements

Risk assessments

Workplace health and safety inspections

Your Duties under REACH & CLP Regulations
April 28, 2011

Under new EU chemical legislation (REACH – Registration, Evaluation, Authorisation and restriction of Chemicals and CLP-Classification, Labelling and Packaging), distributors of chemicals have a number of legal duties.

If your Company sources chemicals within the EU, stores them and supplies to third parties, then you are a Chemical Distributor. Distributors do not use or change chemicals.

So if you are a Chemical Distributor (e.g. hardware store), you have the following duties under REACH:

  1. Pass health and safety information about hazards and risks of the chemicals along the supply chain (e.g. provide Safety Data Sheets);
  2. Ensure that all chemicals that you place on the market have been registered or pre-registered by their suppliers by the required REACH registration deadlines;
  3. If you supply articles containing 0.1% or more of a substance of very high concern as named by the European Chemicals Agency, you should provide users with information for safe use of such article;
  4. Keep all records for REACH compliance for 10 years after last supply of a chemical;
  5. Ensure that Safety Data Sheets are provided in the relevant language and contain details of any specific national regulations (e.g. exposure limits, disposal, etc);
  6. Be aware that if you add your own contact details in Section 1 of the Safety Data Sheet – you are responsible for its content;
  7. If you compile your own Safety Data Sheet, ensure that information on uses passed on by  a customer is included.

Your duties under CLP:

Ensure that all hazardous chemicals are correctly labelled before delivered to customers. The label must contain:

  1. Hazard information in the national language
  2. EU suppliers contact details
  3. Hazard symbols/pictograms

Other points to remember:

  1. If you import chemicals from outside the EU, remember that you are an Importer under REACH and CLP and may have registration or notification obligations.
  2. If you purchase chemicals within the EU and then blend/mix them with other chemicals or re-fill or decant them into new containers, you are a Downstream User under REACH and CLP and have additional duties along with your distribution duties.

See also:

Chemical Agents Risk Assessments

Chemical Safety Awareness Training

HSA Guide to Chemical Safety

HSA Guide to Chemical Safety
March 21, 2011

Health and Safety Authority has recently published chemical safety guide for small businesses: Your Steps to Chemical Safety.  This is a comprehensive guide on chemical safety that any organization will find useful.  The guide will help businesses to create a complete list of chemicals that are used in the workplace, know their location, associated hazards and required controls.

The key duties of employers and employers in relation to chemical safety are:

  1. Identify all hazardous substances in the workplace
  2. Assess the risks
  3. Prevent or control exposure
  4. Put arrangements in place to deal with incidents, should they occur
  5. Provide information and training
  6. Put health surveillance program in place, where required.

The full version of the guide can be downloaded HERE:

How can AK Safety Management help your business? Visit Chemical Agents Risk Assessment section of our website for more details.

See also:

Risk Assessment
March 1, 2011

Risk Assessment is a legal requirement under 2005 Safety, Health and Welfare at Work Act. 

Risk assessment is based on hazard identification (e.g. chemical, noise, working at heights) and assessing risk level (the likelihood of hazard occurring and causing harm). 

All employers are legally required to conduct risk assessment of all activities within their workplace and keep written records. 

A risk assessment is a careful examination of work activity, work equipment or process and involves the following basic steps: 

  • Hazards identification (this step involves understanding of work activity and collection of all relevant information)
  • Identification of risk level (always consult with workers doing the work)
  • Identification of control measures (in consultation with employees)
  • Implementation of controls (put a clear action plan in place with deadlines and responsible personnel)
  • Monitoring and review. This is a crucial step to ensure that control measures are effective.

The main aim of any risk assessment is to ensure that employees are adequately protected from workplace hazards. 

Click HERE for more information on risk assessment process or Contact Us if you require further advice or any of the following risk assessments: 

Office Fire Safety
February 22, 2011

Following some basic fire safety precautions in the office environment will considerably reduce the risk of fire. Below you`ll find useful advice from AK Safety Management that will help you to prevent fire and its consequences.

  • Good housekeeping is essential in fire prevention. Remove rubbish regularly, keep escape routes clear, smoke in designated areas only, keep fire doors shut.
  • Do not use portable heaters – ensure that all heaters are fixed.
  • Always ensure that all light fittings have bulbs of correct voltage, desk lamps in particular.
  • Always follow manufacturers` instructions when using electrical equipment and ensure that it is inspected regularly by competent person.
  • Do not overload sockets and do not use multi-block adapters.
  • Ensure that all fire protection and fire detection equipment is inspected regularly by competent person and records kept. Complete fire drill at least once every six month.
  • Complete fire risk assessment and prepare fire evacuation plan to ensure compliance with Fire Services Acts.
  • Train all staff in fire safety and use of various types of fire extinguishers.
  • Identify fire wardens and provide training.

Contact us for more information on:

VDU Assessments - Your Duties
February 17, 2011

Display Screen Equipment Regulations form part of 2007 Safety, Health and Welfare at Work (General Application) Regulations 2007.

Employees who spend significant amount of working time (more than 1 consecutive hour per day) at a computer workstation may be exposed to risks that could give rise to eye fatigue, soreness in limbs, back pain, etc.

Taking appropriate and timely actions can reduce consequences, such as absenteeism, fatigue, etc.

What should you do?

  • All employers are legally required to examine all workstations in their workplace, in other words complete Display Screen Equipment (DSE) assessments. These assessments were known as Visual Display Units (VDU) assessments. DSE=VDU. The following areas are covered during DSE/VDU assessment:

-         Consultation with employee

-         Observation of employee at his/her workstation

-         Identification of hazards

-         Implementation of corrective action

  • Employers are also legally required to provide an option of free eye and eyesight test;
  • Provide regular breaks;
  • Maintain a minimum temperature of 17.5 C for sedentary office work.

Please Contact Us to see how AK Safety Management can help you with prevention of injuries associated with the use of workstations or for a quote for VDU/DSE assessments.

Fire Risk Assessment
February 10, 2011

Every employer has a duty of care to their staff, contractors and visitors. Completing fire risk assessment of your premises will bring you one step closer to compliance with 2005 Safety, Health and Welfare at Work Act and Fire Services Acts 1981 and 2003. 

One of the main benefits of fire risk assessment is reduction of risk of fire and its consequences. 

Fire risk assessment is a complicated process completed by qualified and experienced fire safety experts and includes: 

-         Identification of potential ignition, fuel and oxygen sources;

-         Review of existing fire detection and fire protection systems;

-         Review of fire fighting equipment (extinguishers, hose reels, etc);

-         Survey of escape routes;

-         Review of fire safety signage;

-         Review of fire register/fire log book;

-         Writing or reviewing and testing of emergency evacuation plan;

-         Review of fire safety training requirements (e.g. fire warden/fire marshal training, use of fire extinguishers, etc). 

Contact us today for a free quote for fire risk assessment of your workplace and your fire safety training requirements.

Public Manual Handling Training
February 3, 2011

CLICK HERE FOR INFORMATION ON OUR MANUAL HANDLING TRAINING COURSES

We are glad to inform all our customers and potential clients, that due to an increased demand in Manual Handling Training, we are now running Public Manual Handling Training Courses.

We will initially run one Public Manual Handling Training Course every Friday at 10am in Bewleys Hotel Newlands Cross, Naas Road, Dublin 22. The frequency will be increased to 2 or 3 courses weekly.

The cost is Eur 40 per person, which represents a great value for manual handling training, and some great discounts are also  available for larger bookings. Individual certificate will be issued to each participant on completion of Manual Handling Course.

Please have a look HERE for more information on Manual Handling Training or Contact Us to make a booking.

Corporate Manslaughter Bill
January 31, 2011

The preparation of Corporate Manslaughter Bill has been approved by the government. When the Bill becomes the law, it will make companies criminally liable for deaths they cause. 

The Bill will be covering two new offences: 

  1. Corporate manslaughter;
  2. Grossly negligent management causing death.

It is understood that the offence of corporate manslaughter will apply to corporate bodies and senior management will be liable for grossly negligent management causing death. The companies will face huge fines and individuals could face a prison sentence. 

Once the Bill is drawn, there is likely to be a public consultation process so the law is still some distance away. 

Source: HSR

Manual Handling in the Retail Sector
January 28, 2011

The Health and Safety Authority published Guide on Manual Handling Risk Assessment in the Retail Sector. 

The retail sector currently employs almost 270,000 people, which is more than any other area of the economy. The nature of business requires people to engage in various activities, including physical activities, such as manual handling. 

Back injuries accounted for 29% of all injuries suffered by workers in the retail sector (based on 2007 figures). 

All employers are legally required to risk asses all manual handling tasks and implement control measures to reduce risks, where risk is high 

The Guide follows a simple approach to manual handling risk assessment: 

  1. Collect information about manual handling task. The risk assessor is required to carry out detailed review of the task and outline its key stages.
  2. Collect technical details. Technical details may include the weight and size of the load, center of gravity, the number of lifts per manual handling task, etc. Videos and photographs are a good idea during this stage of manual handling risk assessment.
  3. Identification of problems. Refer to Schedule 3 of 2007 Safety, Health and Welfare at Work (General Application) Regulations during this stage to determine if any manual handling risk factors detailed in the Schedule 3 exist, such as:

-         heavy load

-         large load

-         difficult to grasp

-         variations in levels

-         poor lighting conditions, etc. 

4.   Suggest improvements. This stage of manual handling risk assessment must be   completed in consultation with staff involved in manual handling activities. It is important that controls being introduced are practical, easy to follow and do not pose additional hazards. Some of the controls may include: 

-         mechanical means

-         housekeeping policies

-         relocation of stock

-         training

-         maintenance of handling aids. 

5. Review of effectiveness of controls to determine whether implemented corrective actions actually reduced manual handling injuries or further solutions are necessary. 

The benefits of manual handling risk assessment include better way of doing the task, less manual handling, improved housekeeping and reduced risk of injury.

The Guide then goes through various case studies that apply to most retail outlets. The main ones being: 

-         pallet stacking

-         operating tills

-         stocking warehouse

-         loading delivery vehicles, etc. 

The full version of the guide can be accessed HERE.

Employers are Responsible for Contractors
January 18, 2011

When outsourcing work to contractors, it is important to realize that you are not outsourcing your health and safety responsibilities. Employers are responsible for contractors and need to ensure that the following precautions are in place: 

  • Check that contractors have relevant training, knowledge and experience to do the task safely
  • Check that contractors have adequate safety management system in place to manage health and safety
  • Check whether contractors intend to sub-contract any of the work and review their insurance policy
  • Check contractors` references (similar work carried out on similar projects)
  • Have your own contractors` management procedure in place.
HSA`s Plans for 2011
January 16, 2011
The Health and Safety Authority`s chief executive, Martin O`Halloran outlined Authority`s plans for 2011: 
  • HSA plans to carry out 14,500 workplace inspections in 2011. This is 3,000 fewer than last year. O`Halloran stated that “the higher the risk, the greater the likelihood of inspection”. 
  • A record 3,000 agricultural inspections will be carried out in 2011. This is due to the fact that 25 farm fatalities occurred in 2010.
  • The Authority plans to engage with small and micro-sized businesses (employing less than 10 employees). An on-line tool will be launched to help small businesses comply with health and safety legislation. 
  • The Health and Safety Authority will continue with its legislation program. Amendments to General Application Regulations and Construction Regulations are expected. Other legislation and codes of practice that will be published or updated/revised include Chemical Agents Regulations, Carriage of Dangerous Goods by Road Regulations, the Biological Agents Regulations, Chemical Agents Code of Practice, etc.
Source: HSR
2011 Health & Safety Legal Updates
January 6, 2011

We are in very early stages of 2011, however the Health and Safety Authority and the Government have already published a number of guides, regulations, codes, consultation documents, etc. These are the main ones:

  1. Set of five regulations on the Carriage of Dangerous Goods by Road:
  • Carriage of Dangerous Goods by Road Regulations (SI 617/2010)
  • European Communities (Carriage of Dangerous Goods by Road)   (ADR Miscellaneous Provisions) Regulations 2010 (SI 620/2010)
  • European Communities (Carriage of Dangerous Goods by Road Act 1998) (Amendment) Regulations 2010 (SI 616/2010) - this regulation is a technical legal amendment to the Act
  • Carriage of Dangerous Goods by Road Act 1998 (Appointment of Competent Authorities) Order 2010 (SI 618/2010) and
  • Carriage of Dangerous Goods by Road Act 1998 (Fees) Regulations 2010 (SI 619/2010).
  • Public consultation on new Chemical Agents Code. The new Code will be replacing the Code published last year. 

2. New Corporate Manslaughter Bill is being prepared by the Government. The proposed Bill    will introduce two criminal offenses: corporate manslaughter and grossly negligent management causing death. 

3. A new guide to Respiratory Protective Equipment has been published. 

4. A new guide to Manual Handling Risk Assessment in the Retail Sector has been published.

5. A new guide to the Manual Handling and People Handling Training Systems has been published. According to the new Guide, all manual handling and people handling training providers are required to Register with FETAC by the end of April 2010. Have a look at the Manual Handling Training section of our website for more details.

All of the above is available from the HSA website.

 
25 Farm Fatalities in 2010
January 5, 2011

25 people were killed on Irish farms in 2010. This is a huge increase compared to 10 in 2009.

Health and Safety Authority will be increasing the number of farm inspections in 2011 to prevent further fatalities. A dedicated inspectorate for the farming sector has been established. It is planned to complete 3,000 farm inspections in 2011.

The prime aim of all inspections is to improve health and safety management on farms, but enforcement action will also be taken, if required.

The total number of workplace fatalities in 2010 stands at 47 (compared to 43 in 2009).

Source: RTE

New Corporate Manslaughter Bill
December 29, 2010

Government plans to introduce “Corporate Manslaughter” and “Grossly Negligent Management Causing Death” bill.

As a result of introduction of the bill, members of senior management found guilty of causing the death of employees through negligence could face criminal prosecution and even imprisonment. The bill is currently being prepared by the Department of Justice. These proposals take into account the recommendation of the Law Reform Commission's Report on Corporate Killing. The Law Reform Commission Report on Corporate Killing was launched in 2005.

This development once again highlights personal responsibilities of directors, senior and line managers for health and safety of their staff and it is essential that all of them understand their Health and Safety Responsibilities.