Health and Safety

• SAFETY & HEALTH AT WORK REVISION CLASS
• EXAM STRUCTURE

  • Section A: Short Questions - 12 Questions in Total - Answer 10
  • Section B: Long Questions - 3 Questions in Total - Answer 2
• Remember: In the long questions, answer each part of the long question you are answering
• LEGISLATION AND HSA

  Safety, Health and Welfare at Work Act 2005

  
• HSA

  Health and Safety Authority

  
• Health and Safety Authority


  • National body responsible for securing health and safety at work
  • State-sponsored body
  • Established under the Safety, Health and Welfare at Work Act, 1989
  • It ensures that all workers and those affected by work are protected from work related injury and ill-health
• FUNCTIONS AND RESPONSIBILITIES OF THE HSA

  • Inspect places of work & monitor compliance with H&S laws
  • Promote good standards of H&S at work
  • Investigate: Serious Accidents, Causes of ill-health, Complaints
  • Sponsors research on H&S at work

  
• FUNCTIONS AND RESPONSIBILITIES OF THE HSA

  • Publishes codes of practice (see www.hsa.ie)
  • Provides information to employers, employees & self-employed about H&S in the workplace
  • Can prosecute if a person is not adhering to legislation

  
• EMPLOYER RESPONSIBILITIES

  • Provide a safe workplace - Includes machinery and equipment, design & operation of workplace, safe access and egress
  • Manage work - Prevent improper conduct (horseplay/bullying), ensure written procedures are in place e.g., Safety statement
  • Control risks - carry our risk assessments and implement control measures
  • Provide welfare facilities - e.g. eating facilities, toilet, PPE
  • Prepare emergency procedures - e.g. evacuation plan
  • Provide training, information & supervision
  • Report Serious incidents to the HSA
• EMPLOYEE RESPONSIBILITIES

  • Co-operate with employer and follow reasonable instructions
  • Comply with Safety Statement - ensure you are clear on your responsibilities
  • Don't take chances - no horseplay or improper conduct
• EMPLOYEE RESPONSIBILITIES

  • Raise concerns - report near misses and dangerous equipment
  • Take care of safety equipment - use it correctly, report missing or faulty equipment
  • Attend required safety training - it is the responsibility of the employee to ensure that they are trained
• EMPLOYEE RESPONSIBILITIES

  • Do not go to work under the influence of an intoxicant or endanger others
  • Take required breaks
  • Co-operate with employer and follow reasonable instructions
• COMMUNICATION WITHIN THE ORGANISATION

  • Training courses and manuals
  • Work-place notice boards
  • Safety and Health tours
  • Meetings
  • Safety Statement
  • Organisation's intranet/website
  • Performance Standards / procedures
  • Safety posters / notices / newsletter
  • E-Mail
  • Safety Signs
• TYPES OF INFORMATION COMMUNICATED WITHIN AN ORGANISATION

  • Changes to Safety Statement
  • Positive safety messages e.g., number of accident-free days
  • Specific Policies - e.g., Staff Well Being Policy
  • New Training Courses e.g., Manual Handling, Ergonomics
  • Safety information on new equipment
  • Newly identified Hazards and Risks
  • Regulations
  • Accidents/ Investigations
  • Near Misses
  • Safety Audit results
• COMMUNICATION OUTSIDE THE ORGANISATION

  • Government publications - Regulations
  • Guidelines and codes of practice published by the Health and Safety Authority
  • Details of Prosecutions -HSA
  • Social media, e.g., YouTube / Facebook / Instagram
• COMMUNICATION OUTSIDE THE ORGANISATION

  • Newspaper, radio and TV ads
  • Professional journals and trade magazines - identify technical developments / new risks
  • Meetings and trade conferences
  • Billboards and public posters
  • HSA-sponsored events
• Consultation

  • Employers are obliged to consult with employees on matters relating to safety and health
  • Employees have the right to elect a safety representative
• SAFETY REPRESENTATIVE DUTIES

  • Represents the employees
  • Consults with the employer on Safety and Health matters
  • Carries out inspections
  • Can accompany an inspector carrying out a workplace inspection
• SAFETY REPRESENTATIVE DUTIES

  • Investigates accidents or dangerous occurrences
  • Can be present when an inspector interviews an employee about an accident
  • Is entitled to obtain the necessary training for the role without incurring any cost or penalties
• WHAT ARE THE REQUIREMENTS FOR SAFETY TRAINING IN THE WORKPLACE?

  • Must be in manner and language that is likely to be understood by those receiving it
  • Must be adapted to changed circumstances or new risks and should be repeated periodically
  • Should not incur a cost
  • Employees must be released for training during working hours if necessary
  • Records should be kept of Safety and Health Training
• WHEN DOES SAFETY TRAINING TAKE PLACE?

  • On recruitment (Part of induction training / safety orientation)
  • In the event of transfer or change of task
  • When new work equipment, systems of work or new technology is introduced
• WHEN DOES SAFETY TRAINING TAKE PLACE?

  • When a new risk is identified. Other control measures should be put in place first
  • Refresher training
  • Additional training for certain groups e.g, persons with disabilities or pregnant workers
• Safety Statement

  • Employers written program for safeguarding Health and Safety of employees at work
  • Requirement of the Safety Health and Welfare at Work Act 2005 (section 20)
  • HSA places huge emphasis on ensuring all employers have an up-to-date Safety Statement
  • Living document- reviewed periodically and as work conditions change

  
• Elements of the Safety Statement

  • Statement of Policy
  • Names, of the employees with health and safety responsibilities e.g. Safety Manager
  • Details of Safety Representative - appointed by employees
  • Employer and Employee Responsibilities - specific to the company
  • Hazard Identification and Risk Assessments
  • Control Measures
  • Consultation arrangements between employees and management on safety matters
  • Details of Emergency Plans - e.g Fire Drills, Evacuation procedures
  • Arrangements and resources allocated for Safety and Health e.g. Accident Reporting, Training, Safety
  • A review mechanism - details of when the safety statement should be reviewed/revised
• REVIEW OF THE SAFETY STATEMENT

  • Must be reviewed annually (at a minimum)
  • When employees are exposed to new hazards e.g., the introduction of new machinery or new work practices
  • When there is reason to believe that it is no longer adequate, e.g., changes to health and safety arrangements and resources, or a near-miss incident
  • When legislation or standards have changed
  • When new Technical knowledge
  • When resources allocated were not adequate
• Risk Assessment

  • Workplace activities are examined to see what could potentially cause an accident or ill-health, and to make it safe
  • Helps in determining the likelihood of harm or injury resulting from a hazard
  • Enables the employer to prioritise control measures (or see if control measures already in place are sufficient)
  • It is the employer's responsibility to ensure risk assessments are carried out and written records of such assessments kept by the company and updated as required
  • Completed risk assessments are included in the Safety Statement
• Steps in Risk Assessment

  • Identify the Hazard
  • Assess the Risk
  • Apply the Control Measure
• Hazard

  Something with the potential to cause harm or adverse health effect on a person or persons
• Types of Hazards

  • Physical
  • Chemical
  • Biological
  • Health & Psychological
• Mechanical / Electrical Hazards

  • Mechanical: Machines Without Guards, Moving Parts, Vibration, Noise, Heat / Cold, Energy (Electrical / Radiation), Fire, Dust, Crush, Fumes and Vapours
  • Electrical: Unsafe electrical, faulty wiring, overloading electrical sockets, electrical arcing, explosion, fire, overheating, electrical short circuits
• Risk

  The likelihood, great or small, that someone will be harmed by a hazard, together with the severity of the harm suffered
• Hierarchy of Risk Controls

  • Elimination
  • Substitution
  • Engineering Controls
  • Administrative Controls
  • PPE
• Housekeeping Hazards

  • Trip and Slip Hazards e.g., Clutter, Cables, Spills
  • Fire hazards e.g., Dust, Flammable Material, Cardboard, Paper
  • Poorly stacked falling objects
  • Exposure to hazardous substances e.g., Cleaning Agents, Dust
  • Poor hygienic conditions
  • Faulty machines due to poor maintenance
  • Disorganised workplace
  • PPE not stocked, stored or maintained
• What should workplace emergency plans contain?

  • Locations of warning and alarm systems e.g., Smoke Detector, Fire Alarm
  • Emergency scenarios and how to respond e.g. Chemical Leak
  • Emergency procedures e.g. for evacuation, first aid, fire fighting
  • Responsibilities
  • Details of emergency services e.g. ambulance, fire brigade
  • Training and Communication Plan
• What should an internal accident report form contain?

  • A description of the incident
  • Date and Time of Incident
  • Name of Injured Persons
  • Tasks involved
  • Causes of the accident/incident
  • Injuries sustained
  • Medical treatment given
  • Witness statements
  • Pictures of the scene
• What accidents should be reported to the HSA?

  • Any accident that results in absence of an employee from work for 3 or more days
  • Any accident resulting in the death of an employee
  • Any accident resulting in the death of a member of the public due to a workplace activity
  • Certain dangerous occurrences which have the potential to cause serious injuries e.g., Collapse of a crane or scaffolding, explosion of a closed vessel, uncontrolled release of flammable substances
• Fire

  Requires 3 things to be present: Fuel, Oxygen, Heat. If one of these is removed, the fire will be extinguished.

  
• Principles of Fire Extinguishing

  • Cooling: For removing heat, water is usually used e.g., Fire Hose, Water fire extinguisher. It is not appropriate for use on electrical fires or fires caused by cooking oils / fats.
  • Starving: Means removing the fuel source. This can be achieved by closing fire doors, turning gas source off, moving flammable materials away.
  • Smothering: Involves removing oxygen from the fire. Can be achieved with a fire blanket, sand or powder / foam extinguishers

  
• Types of Fire Extinguishers

  • Water
  • Powder
  • CO2
  • Foam

  
• When to use a fire extinguisher

  • The fire is small and contained to a single object, such as a wastebasket/bin
  • You are safe from the toxic smoke produced by the fire
  • You have a means of escape identified and the fire is not between you and the escape route
  • Your instincts tell you that it is safe to use an extinguisher