Health and Safety in the Workplace

Health and Safety in the Workplace

More than 200 people are killed at work each year with 30 million working days lost at a cost of £30 billion in 2006 due to occupational ill health and injury.

 

Of course, “it will never happen to me” and for many vehicle repair workshops the Health and Safety provisions are a disaster just waiting to happen...

Unfortunately, for many vehicle repair workshops, their health and safety provisions are a disaster just waiting to happen.

It is a common misconception that health and safety laws only apply to those with more than four employees and those with less do not have to do anything.

This is untrue. The only exemption for those with less than five employees is the requirement to keep records of the risk assessment carried out and to have a written health and safety policy - The risk assessment still has to be completed and it is a criminal offence not to comply.

The Health and Safety Act places a duty on all employers to ensure, as far as is reasonably practicable, the health, safety and welfare of all employees and those affected by their business activities. We hear so much today about health and safety legislation preventing people carrying out their normal and sensible activities but much of this is a myth.

Many employers are stopping festivities leading up to Christmas by banning office decorations. These are not actually banned by regulations. Only people’s interpretation of them stops them in certain cases. Christmas decorations must however be subject to a risk assessment. Christmas tree lights must be PAT tested and it would be prudent to adopt a policy to turn them off when there is nobody in attendance - Experience has shown that they are often a source of fires within the work place.

But how can we draw a happy medium?

The law requires you to take steps that are ‘reasonably practicable’. You should have a plan of action in the event of a problem occurring. Your Health and Safety Policy is not only a public statement of the company’s intention to meet their obligations but also outlines the practical arrangements necessary and the persons responsible for putting them into operation.

If there was a fire: Who would contact the emergency services? Who would do a head count? Where should people assemble? Where is the first aid box and fire extinguishers?

Equally, you must complete risk assessments on the workplace, equipment, processes and procedures.  You must:

Identify who is at risk, noting particularly any inexperienced, young or disabled persons or visitors.
Assess the magnitude of the risk (frequency, duration, severity, extent of likely damage).
Consider whether the risk can be eliminated or controlled.  
Consider the existing controls and any additional ones that can be taken and then evaluate the remaining risk.

Having completed the risk assessment you must then communicate the findings to your employees.

It is no good knowing of the risk if you do not tell them about it, provide any safety equipment necessary and give written instructions for its use and any other necessary and appropriate instructions.

Within the workshop you also have to complete COSHH assessments.  These cover three main areas.

• Chemical (paint, oil)
• Physical (dust)
• Biological (legionella)

It is essential that you identify all hazardous substances that are used, stored or generated by the business and then assess the risks to health that may arise from them, implement and monitor adequate control methods and keep them under review.

Again, an essential element is that of communications of the findings to the employees.

If you think it sounds difficult then don’t worry – it’s not. However it is most definitely necessary.

Lawgistics has developed a driven health and safety programme for small businesses to help you meet your obligations. Click Here to view the programme

Remember the liability is yours. To do nothing is not an option.

For more information on this, go to www.lawgistics.co.uk or call 0870 26 77 118

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