Health And Safety Updates

Health & Safety Alert: Vibration Risks In Amenity Horticulture

The HSE have recently published new guidance on vibration risks in Amenity Horticulture. The guidance focuses on activities such as grass-cutting, leaf-blowing, hedge trimming, strimming and use of chainsaws in particular. Employers must:

• Assess risks associated with these activities.
• Take practical measures to control risks. Reduce exposure to risks as low as reasonably practicable.
• Provide information, training and instruction to workers on the risks involved and how to work safely.
• Providing health surveillance where appropriate. 

Further support is available from Park City to help employers meet their statutory duties in this area.

 

Health & Safety Alert: RIDDOR Forms

(The Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations 2013)  
The HSE has issued an alert this morning, highlighting that their suite of RIDDOR forms is being refreshed. This is what you need to know: 

The Platform Will Look Different

The HSE is moving to a more modern platform, aiming to improve user experience, refreshing the suite of RIDDOR forms. In the event that you need to report an accident, you will find that the platform will look different, with an enhanced look and feel. 

Reporting Requirements

Reporting has already been streamlined in recent years through the introduction of an online reporting form. With this latest announcement, reporting requirements remain unchanged.

One More Thing To Remember

In the past the person reporting the accident has received an automatic email with a copy of the completed form. This will now change. If you wish to receive a copy of the report you must download it upon sending as you will not automatically receive an emailed copy.

We Are Here To Help

RIDDOR guidance helps you to determine what must be reported, however there are several ‘grey’ areas surrounding what to report. At Park City we can help you navigate through this process. We fully appreciate it isn’t always as straight forward as it might seem!  That's why we are always available on the end of a phone to help. 

 

Legionella In The Workplace

The HSE has recently sent an alert regarding guidance to control the risks from exposure to Legionella in man made water systems. HSE Alert.

Legionella is a naturally occurring bacterium present all the time in the natural environment. However, if the bacteria is allowed to build-up excessively, it can pose a serious health risk. Failing to adequately control Legionella in the workplace can have damaging consequences as demonstrated by the following recent local case involving Tendring District Council.

Take action to protect your brand reputation, your employees and the public. If you are unsure of your responsibilities as a business, consider these 4 questions to determine if you need to take action: 

• Does the water in your system have a temperature between 20 – 45 degrees Celsius?
• Do your systems store and re-circulate water?
• Are there features of the water system that produce airborne water droplets e.g. showers, air conditioning, cooling towers?
• Do you regularly clean your water systems to prevent accumulation of source of nutrients for the organism to grow, e.g. rust, sludge, scale, organic matter and biofilms

If you have answered yes to any of these questions there is a legal requirement for ‘Duty-holders’ to carry out a suitable and sufficient legionella risk assessment. The ‘Duty-Holder’ can be an employer, landlord or someone who is in control of the premises. The Duty-holder must also consider whether there are vulnerable persons present in the workplace (e.g. the very young, very old or persons with medical conditions) that may make them more susceptible to exposure to Legionella.

It is best practice to engage with a contractor that specialises in water hygiene to conduct the Legionella Risk Assessment and produce a Management Plan to ensure that adequate controls are maintained. Standard controls may include: 

• Maintaining water temperatures, 
• Regular flushing of rarely used outlets and 
• Scheduling and performing a programme of regular cleaning of water systems
• Keeping accurate, detailed records demonstrating your compliance 

Some monitoring controls can be provided by the water management specialist. Other controls can be carried out in-house as long as suitable training & information is provided for employees to raise awareness of Legionella exposure and how to carry out routine tasks to monitor controls and prevent excessive build-up of legionella.

Learn More

 

Change In Enforcement For Mild Steel Welding Fume

New scientific evidence from the International Agency for Research on Cancer states that exposure to mild steel welding fume can cause lung cancer and possibly kidney cancer in humans. The Workplace Health Expert Committee has endorsed the reclassification of mild steel welding fume as a human carcinogen.

With immediate effect, there has been a strengthening of the HSE’s enforcement expectation for all welding fume, including mild steel welding, because general ventilation does not achieve the necessary control.

Action required:

1. Make sure exposure to any welding fume released is adequately controlled using engineering controls (typically LEV).
2. Make sure suitable controls are provided for all welding activities, irrelevant of duration. This includes welding outdoors.
3. Where engineering controls alone cannot control exposure, then adequate and suitable RPE should be provided to control risk from any residual fume.
4. Make sure all engineering controls are correctly used, suitably maintained and are subject to thorough examination and test where required.
5. Make sure any RPE is subject to an RPE programme which encapsulates all the elements of RPE use. You need to ensure that your RPE is effective in protecting the wearer by carrying out face-fit testing.

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Ionising Radiation Regulations 

Any employer who undertakes work with ionising radiation must comply with the latest regulations that came into force on 1 January 2018. The regulations cover exposure to x-rays, gamma rays and naturally occurring radiation, such as radon gas.

Companies that work with ionising radiation will be assigned a Radiological Protection Advisor and will be required to follow the necessary precautions.

Companies who work in premises that contain ionising radiation will be advised of the risks and precautions to be followed by the occupier of the premises.

Employees should be made aware of the dangers and know what warning signs to look out for.

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Non-Ionising Radiation Regulations 

Artificial Optical Radiation

Non-ionising radiation includes artificial optical radiation (AOR) and electromagnetic fields (EMF).

AOR includes ultraviolet light (UV), and infrared light and laser beams. Visible light is included when it is intense or close to the eye, and can include projectors and interactive whiteboards.

These are all covered by the Control of AOR at Work Regulations 2010. 

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Electromagnetic Fields 

EMFs are produced by almost all electrical equipment, and the vast majority of equipment used at work and home are safe. However, some sources of EMF may exceed the permitted level, they are likely to be found in:

• Broadcasting and communications base stations
• Electricity systems including heavy power supplies and large stand-by generators
• Some electric industrial heating and welding systems
• Heavy industry
• Medical
• Transport systems – trains and trams

People with active implanted medical devices (AIMDs) or body worn medical devices (BWMDs) are at particular risk and must be given special consideration. 

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Electrical Wiring Regulations 

All new electrical installations will need to comply with BS 7671:2018, usually referred to as the 18th edition wiring regulations, which came into force on 1 January 2019.

Companies engaging electrical contractors to carry out work in their buildings should ensure that the people they employ are fully qualified up to the 18th edition. Retrospective action on existing systems is not required.

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Manual Handling Training 

Off-the-shelf manual handling training should become a thing of the past, according to new advice released by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE).

The HSE suggest reorganising and redesigning your work practices before implementing training. And when required, training should be customised to your business and delivered by experts. We offer a Manual Handling course which is delivered by Roly who has been a member of IOSH since 1986.

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Do you need further help with implementing these new health and safety regulations? We can help you stay compliant and protect your workforce with our Outsourced Health and Safety