Health & Safety Update

Keep on track!

Welcome to your monthly helping of Health and Safety news, keeping you updated and on track with the latest development in the Health and Safety arena.

This month, we look at penalties following a failure to conduct risk assessments thoroughly, a ladder exchange programme aimed at reducing workplace injuries, tips on safety and fork lift trucks and more.

HSE urges companies to complete thorough risk assessments

The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) is urging companies to ensure that all risk assessments are carried out properly. This warning has come after a Surrey demolition company was recently heavily fined after one of their subcontracted electricians fell from a height of five metres and suffered serious injuries.

After pleading guilty, the company was fined £15,000 and £4,971 in costs, with one of the directors also facing a £5,000 fine and £1,657 costs. Under further investigation, the HSE found that the company had prepared a health and safety plan with risk assessments outlining suitable measures that need to be taken. However, the Director in question, who had been responsible for the completing risk assessments for subcontracted work, failed to carry out any assessments for subcontracted electricians.

Under the Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations Act 1999, every employer must complete a suitable risk assessment of the risks to the health and safety of:

• their employees to which they are exposed whilst they are at work; and
• those who are not in their employment arising out of or in connection with the conduct of their undertaking.

Ladder Exchange Programme - set to reduce injuries in the workplace

This month, the Health and Safety Executive launched a ladder exchange programme, where companies that own a damaged, broken or bent ladder can part-exchange it for a new one with a discount of up to 50%.

The HSE recognised the need for the programme after findings uncovered that 45 workers died and 3,750 suffered a serious injury as a result of falling from a height during 2006/07 alone.

The programme also provides businesses with an opportunity to review pre-use checks, training, supervision and other arrangements for ladder work.

Ladder Exchange 2008 is designed to help prevent ladder accidents by encouraging businesses to remove unsafe ladders from the workplace. It also provides them with an opportunity to review pre-use checks, training, supervision and other arrangements for ladder work.

To find out more about the scheme visit: www.hse.gov.uk/falls/get-involved.htm

New Gas Installer Registration Scheme from April 2009

It has been announced by the HSE that, as of April 2009, CAPITA will run the new gas installer registration scheme, which was previously run by CORGI. The new scheme will include incentives in aim to continuously improve gas safety and services to gas consumers and installers.

The scheme will promote gas safety as a hallmark for the protection of consumers from unsafe gas work, highlighting the need to only use registered businesses and installers to ensure better safety.

Safety and Fork Life Trucks

Many businesses rely on the use of Fork List Trucks as a moving tool. However, this useful tool can account for a large percentage of accidents in the workplace most commonly as a result of inadequate training, unsuitable premises and poor maintenance. We have put together a quick checklist for you to follow so that you can be safe in the knowledge that you are keeping to health and safety guidelines:

a) Maintenance

As a first point of action, all Fork Lift Trucks need to be maintained on a regular basis in accordance with the manufacturer’s recommendations. The mast, chains, carriage, forks and tilt mechanism, which are all lifting parts of the truck, must be examined properly by a knowledgeable person, such as an insurance company engineer. This knowledgeable person will then need to issue a ‘report of thorough examination’ which must be kept by the employer for at least two years.

You should also have:

• a pre-shift safety check
• a procedure for reporting defects
• a planned routine maintenance system; and
• a thorough safety inspection routine for each truck.

b) Training

Training should be conducted by a competent instructor, such as an accredited trainer, and should following the three stages below:

Stage 1: Basic training - the basic skills and knowledge required for safe operation

Stage 2: Specific job training - knowledge of the workplace, operating principles and controls of the lift truck to be used and experience of any special site rules, systems of work and specific handling attachments

Stage 3: Familiarisation training - operation on the job under close supervision.

Further training must also be carried out as a way of reassessing all operators and ensuring that they are working safely. This is particularly important for operators who do not use Fork Lift Trucks as regularly. It is recommended that this is completed every three to five years.

c) Layout

Driving areas should be as flat as possible and free from obstructions and aisles must be of an adequate width and height, leaving enough space for the largest truck. Warning notices and direction signs should also be clearly displayed and pedestrians should be excluded from operating areas where possible.

As part of Ceridian's Pay & People offer for small businesses, we propose a Health & Safety service that not only makes sure your business stays compliant with Health & Safety legislation, but covers you in the case of a claim and acts as your competent person. To talk to one of our qualified experts, call us on 0800 0482 737 or contact us online and we'll call you back.