Beginner’s Guide to H & S for Lone Workers
What is the law regarding lone workers? Apart from in specific industries where supervision is a requirement, such as work involving vehicles carrying explosives, fumigation work, and diving operations, there are no specific laws preventing lone working. Employers do, however, have special obligations to look after the health and safety of lone workers, whether these […]
Read MoreBeginner’s Guide to H & S for New and Expectant Mothers
In some workplaces, there are risks that may specifically affect the health and safety of new and expectant mothers and of their baby, and so there are special laws that employers must abide by to protect them. Different working conditions, processes or substances may pose a particular risk to new and expectant mothers, and these […]
Read MoreBeginner’s Guide to Risk Assessments
What do you need to do? In the UK all companies are required by law to carry out a general risk assessment and to have a written copy of this if you have more than five employees. You then need to do specific risk assessments for vulnerable workers, like young people and new and expectant […]
Read MoreBeginner’s Guide to Controlling Legionella
What is Legionella? Legionella is a type of bacteria frequently found in natural water systems like rivers and ponds, but usually in low enough numbers that they rarely cause problems to humans. But in purpose-built water systems, conditions can mean that the bacteria multiply, becoming a cause of illness. This can include the obvious industrial type of facility like […]
Read MoreBeginner’s Guide to DSE Assessments
Why are DSE Assessments so important? These days, most of us spend a huge amount of time working on a computer, on our tablets or our phones. In fact there are many workers who use computers and display screen equipment (DSE) for the entirety of their working day. So it’s important to ensure that we’re working in a […]
Read MoreBeginner’s Guide to Manual Handling
What is Manual Handling and why is it important? Manual Handling is the term used to refer to a variety of physical movements, including lifting, lowering, pushing, pulling and carrying. If any of these tasks are not carried out properly there can be a risk of injury. Many work-related musculoskeletal injuries are caused by poor manual handling. […]
Read MoreBeginner’s Guide to Occupational Health Services
The Benefits of Occupational Health Services to Employers Each year in the UK approximately 137 million working days are lost due to sickness absence, costing UK businesses in the region of £16 billion per year. This averages out to about 6 days off per person per year due to sickness, but the reality is that […]
Read MoreBeginner’s Guide to Preventing Fire in the Workplace
A fire in the workplace is the kind of risk that many businesses put off thinking about. It is a fairly rare occurrence, but if one happens, the effects can be extremely grave and hard to recover from. Consequences could include death or severe injury, as well as loss of property, data, plant or machinery, […]
Read MoreBeginner’s Guide to Occupational Health Assessments
What is the Purpose of an Occupational Health Assessment? If you are experiencing a long-term or serious health issue, your employer may request an Occupational Health Assessment for you. The purpose of the assessment is not to add to or replace your appointments with your GP, but to help your employer to understand the problems […]
Read MoreBeginner’s Guide to COSHH
An important health and safety element for many companies is dealing with COSHH requirements – the Control of Substances Hazardous to Health. In 2017, 13,000 deaths were estimated to be due to past exposure to hazardous substances at work. Occupational lung diseases accounted for 12,000 of these. Additionally, there have been 18,000 new cases of […]
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