an introduction to health and safety

An introductionto health and safety

What you should know about – where to get more information

Health and safety in small businesses

It’s your businessbut we can help you look after it!

Getting hurt at work or becoming ill through work is not a pleasant

subject to think about. The reality is that over 200 people a year

lose their lives at work in Britain. In addition, around 150 000

non-fatal injuries are reported each year, and an estimated

2 million suffer from ill health caused or made worse by work.

The mistake is to believe that these things happen in highly unusual

or exceptional circumstances that never occur in your workplace. This is not

the case. Some basic thinking and acting beforehand could usually

have prevented these things from happening.

Implementing health and safety measures doesn’t have to be

expensive, time consuming or complicated. In fact, safer and

more efficient working practices can often save money but,

more importantly, they can help to save lives.

This booklet shows you the kind of things which cause the

more common accidents and harm to people’s health. It lets you

see what applies to your work activities, and tells you how you can get

more help and information.

This is especially important if you are in charge of work activities,

eg you are an employer, because you have legal responsibilities.

introduction | 1

Ten questions andanswers for everyoneWhat is health andsafety all about?Preventing people from being harmed by work orbecoming ill by taking theright precautions - andproviding a satisfactoryworking environment.

Why are there healthand safety laws?Because health and safety atwork is so important, there arerules which require all of usnot to put ourselves or othersin danger. The law is alsothere to protect the publicfrom workplace dangers.

Do health and safetylaws apply to me?Yes. To all businesses, how-ever small; also to the self-employed and to employees.

Who enforces healthand safety law?Inspectors from the Health andSafety Executive (HSE) or yourlocal authority. For example: ● HSE at factories, farms

and building sites;● local authorities in offices,

shops, hotels and catering,and leisure activities.

It’s your business – so look after it!

What do inspectorsactually do? They visit workplaces tocheck that people aresticking to the rules. Theyinvestigate some accidentsand complaints but mainlythey help you to understandwhat you need to do. Theyenforce only when somethingis seriously wrong.

Do I have to contactan inspector to getinformation?No. HSE operates aconfidential telephoneinformation service calledInfoline which is openMonday-Friday between 8 am and 6 pm. You cancontact Infoline by telephone 0845 345 0055or fax 0845 408 9566,or [email protected] you can write toHSE Information Services,Caerphilly Business Park,Caerphilly CF83 3GG.

Do I need to registermy business? It’s likely you will if you employanyone - contact Infoline.

Do I need to haveemployers’ liabilitycompulsoryinsurance?It’s the law if you employanyone - and you shoulddisplay the certificate. Seethe free leaflet, Employers’Liability CompulsoryInsurance Act 1969. A guidefor employers HSE40(rev1),available from HSE Books on 01787 881165 or fromwww.hsebooks.co.uk.

Do I need to displayany posters?Yes, the health and safety law poster (ISBN 0 7176 2493 5)

if you employ anyone.Alternatively you can provideyour employees with individualcopies of the same informationin a leaflet called Health andsafety law: What you shouldknow (available in packs of25 ISBN 0 7176 1702 5). The poster and leaflets areavailable from HSE Books.

Do I have to reportinjuries at work? Yes, and other incidents. Forinformation on which onesand who should report them,see page 20.

2 | introduction

How to use this booklet–how each section works

List of topics

Managing health and safety

Slips, trips and falls

Asbestos

Hazardous substances

Falls from a height

Musculoskeletal disorders

Display screen equipment

Noise

Vibration

Electricity

Work equipment andmachinery

Maintenance and buildingwork

Workplace transport

Pressure systems

Fire and explosion

Radiation

Stress

First aid and accidentreporting

* HSE Books will accept orders for single copies of up to 25 assortedfree publications. You should allow 10 working days for delivery.

The main text gives you a brief introduction to

the subject.

Does this concern me?

This section gives you somepointers to whether thesubject is relevant to yourbusiness.

What law applies?

This section gives you themain rules which apply inaddition to the general dutiesin the Health and Safety atWork etc Act 1974.

No matter where you work, this bookletsummarises the key common areas of risk at work and tells you how you can find outmore to ensure that work is made safe.

On each page, you will see the sectionsheaded like this:

How and where you can get more help

This section is a selection of HSE publications which will give you more detailedinformation and guidance on the subject, and how toorder them.*

At the bottom of each pageyou will find HSE’s Internetaddress, and also HSE’sInfoline number which youcan ring if you need moreinformation.

At the back of the book is a section on health andsafety policy statements anda section on risk assessments.

The words ‘hazard’ and ‘risk’ are used throughoutthis leaflet. Hazard means anything that cancause harm (eg chemicals, electricity, workingfrom ladders, etc). Risk is the chance, high orlow, that someone will be harmed by the hazard.

Have you got health andsafety under control?

Managing health andsafety is little different

from managing any otheraspect of your business. Youneed to do a risk assessmentto find out about the risks inyour workplace, put sensiblemeasures in place to controlthem, and make sure theystay controlled.

A risk assessment is nothingmore than a carefulexamination of what, in yourwork, could cause harm topeople. Risk assessmentshould be a practicalexercise, aimed at getting theright controls in place – keepit simple and put the resultsinto practice. Page 32 of thisleaflet gives you step-by-stepguidance on how to assesshealth and safety risks with aminimum of fuss.

Your health and safety policyclearly sets out how youmanage health and safety inyour workplace by definingwho does what; and whenand how they do it. Onpages 21-31 of this leaflet isan example of a health andsafety policy statement thatyou can fill in and keep atyour workplace. Remember,keep it simple and actuallyput it into practice.


Did you know all employersand self-employed peoplehave to assess risks at work?

Did you know employers with five or more employeesshould have a written healthand safety policy?

Did you know employers with five or more employeeshave to record the significantfindings of their riskassessment?

Did you know employers have a duty to involve theiremployees or their employees’safety representatives onhealth and safety matters?

Did you know employershave to provide free healthand safety training orprotective equipment foremployees where it isneeded?


managing health and safety | 3

To order any of these titles,call HSE Books on

01787 881165or use the order form at the back of this book or go towww.hsebooks.co.uk

HSE Infoline | 0845 345 0055 HSE website | www.hse.gov.uk hsedirect | www.hsedirect.com

What law applies?■ Management of Health and

Safety at Work Regulations1999 (risk assessment)

■ Health and Safety (Consultation with Employees)Regulations 1996

■ Safety Representatives and Safety CommitteesRegulations 1977

Five steps to risk assessmentINDG163(rev2)FREE (available in packs of 10ISBN 0 7176 6189 X £5.00)

Consulting employees onhealth and safety: A guide tothe law INDG232FREE (available in packs of 15ISBN 0 7176 1615 0 £5.00)

Essentials of health and safetyat workISBN 0 7176 6179 2 £10.95

Health and safety law posterEncapsulatedISBN 0 7176 2493 5 £7.50Rigid PVCISBN 0 7176 1779 3 £12.50

Risk management website:www.hse.gov.uk/risk

4 | slips, trips and falls




What are the chancesof slipping or trippingat work?

The most common causeof injuries at work is the

slip or trip. Resulting falls canbe serious. They happen inall kinds of businesses, butsectors such as food andcatering report higher thanaverage numbers. It’s aparticularly important subjectif members of the public useyour premises. The estimatedcost to employers of all these


Do you have floors whichare, or can become, slippery,eg when wet?

Does spillage orcontamination occur and is it dealt with quickly?

Do people use unlit areassuch as paths or yards in the dark?

Might temporary work suchas maintenance or alterationstake place? It could introduceslipping and tripping hazardssuch as trailing cables.

Do you use floor cleaningmaterials anywhere? Are theright methods and materialsbeing used?

Preventing slips and trips atwork INDG225(rev1)FREE (available in packs of 15ISBN 0 7176 2760 8 £5.00)

Workplace health, safety andwelfare INDG244(rev1)FREE (available in packs of 10ISBN 0 7176 6192 X £5.00)

Slips and trips: Guidance forthe food processing industryHSG156ISBN 0 7176 0832 8 £9.75

Slips and trips: Guidance foremployers on identifyinghazards and controlling risksHSG155ISBN 0 7176 1145 0 £7.50

Slips and trips website:www.hse.gov.uk/slips

What law applies?■ Workplace (Health, Safety and

Welfare) Regulations 1992


injuries is over £500 million a year, and insurance onlycovers a small part of this.Effective solutions are oftensimple, cheap and lead toother benefits.

asbestos | 5

Do you work with, or come into contactwith, asbestos?

Asbestos is the largest single cause of work-

related fatal disease and illhealth in Great Britain. Almostall asbestos-related deathsand ill health are fromexposures several decadesago, but if you work withasbestos, or come intocontact with it during repairand maintenance work, you are at risk. You shouldavoid working with asbestosif possible, but if not youmust do it safely.

Asbestos can be found inbuildings built from 1950 to


Do you know whether thereis asbestos in your premises?It is often found in roofsand exterior walls, boilers,vessels and pipework,ceilings, interior walls andpanels, flooring materials, airhandling systems, domesticappliances, brake/clutchlinings, fire blankets, etc.

Does your work involvemaintenance and repair of premises? You mightdisturb asbestos while doing routine work.

Do you know what the rules are about removingasbestos? In most cases,you will need to use acontractor licensed by HSEto work with asbestos.

Would you know how to findsomeone licensed to do thiswork?

Do you know whether thereis asbestos in any of thematerials you work with?

Working with asbestos inbuildings INDG289FREE (available in packs of 10 ISBN 0 7176 1697 5 £5.00)

The management of asbestosin non-domestic premisesApproved Code of Practice L127 ISBN 0 7176 2382 3 £9.50

Work with asbestos whichdoes not normally require alicence Approved Code of Practice L27ISBN 0 7176 2562 1 £9.50

A comprehensive guide to managing asbestos inpremises HSG227ISBN 0 7176 2381 5 £12.50

Asbestos essentials taskmanual: Task guidancesheets for the buildingmaintenance and allied trades HSG210ISBN 0 7176 1887 0 £8.50

Introduction to asbestosessentials: Comprehensiveguidance on working withasbestos in the buildingmaintenance and allied trades HSG213ISBN 0 7176 1901 X £12.50




What law applies?■ Control of Asbestos at

Work Regulations 2002

■ Asbestos (Licensing)Regulations 1983 (as amended)

■ Asbestos (Prohibitions)Regulations 1992 (as amended)

1985 in many forms. It mayalso be found in somevehicle brake pads andclutch linings.


6 | hazardous substances




Do you work withhazardous substances?

Thousands of people areexposed to all kinds of

hazardous substances atwork. These can includechemicals that people makeor work with directly, and also dust, fume and bacteriawhich can be present in theworkplace. Exposure canhappen by breathing them in, contact with the skin,splashing them into the eyes or swallowing them. If exposure is not preventedor properly controlled, it cancause serious illness, includingcancer, asthma and dermatitis,and sometimes even death.See also section on ‘Fire and


Do you use chemicals atwork (including cleaningmaterials)?

Do you know suppliers ofhazardous substances haveto provide information tousers, including safety datasheets and proper labelling?

Is there dust and fumepresent in your workplace?

Do you have any watersystems which could becolonised by legionella?

Do you work with animals ortheir products? These maycause skin or respiratorysensitisation or be infectedwith bacteria or viruses.

COSHH: A brief guide to theRegulations INDG136(rev3)FREE (available in packs of 10ISBN 0 7176 2982 1 £5.00)

COSHH essentials: Easysteps to control chemicals.Control of SubstancesHazardous to HealthRegulations HSG193ISBN 0 7176 2737 3 £30.00.A FREE internet version is also available on: www.coshh-essentials.org.uk

Preventing dermatitis at workINDG233FREE (available in packs of 15 ISBN 0 7176 1246 5 £5.00)

Respiratory sensitisers andCOSHH: Breathe freely – An employers’ leaflet onpreventing occupationalasthma Leaflet INDG95(rev2)FREE (available in packs of 15ISBN 0 7176 0914 6 £5.00)

Health risk management – apractical guide for managersin small and medium sizedenterprises HSG137ISBN 0 7176 0905 7 £6.50

What law applies?■ Control of Substances

Hazardous to HealthRegulations 2002 (COSHH)(as amended)

■ Chemicals (HazardInformation and Packagingfor Supply) Regulations2002 (as amended)

■ Control of Lead at WorkRegulations 2002

explosion’ on page 17 andthe ‘safe handling and use ofsubstances’ section of theHealth and Safety PolicyStatement on page 26.

HSE’s Infoline can help identify publications relevant to you.


falls from a height | 7

Do you perform work at height and if so is itdone safely?

Falls from height at workaccount for around 60

deaths and just under 4000major injuries each year. Oneof the main causes is fallsfrom ladders. To help preventfalls from height, make sureyou consider the risks to allyour workers, the work isplanned, organised andcarried out by competentpeople and you follow thehierarchy for managing risks.Make sure workers areproperly trained andsupervised, have the rightequipment and know how touse it safely.


Do you carry out simplemaintenance or cleaningtasks that require workingwhere you could hurtyourself if you fell

Can you avoid the need towork at height? For example,could the work be doneusing long-handled tools orby bringing it down toground level?

Do you have the mostappropriate equipment forthe job? It may often be saferto use a tower scaffold ormobile elevating workplatform than a ladder.

Is the equipment you havewell maintained and do youremployees know how to useit safely?

The Work at HeightRegulations 2005: A briefguide INDG401FREE (available in packs of 10 ISBN 0 7176 2976 7 £5.00)

Simple guide to the Provisionand Use of Work EquipmentRegulations 1998 INDG291FREE (available in packs of 15ISBN 0 7176 2429 3 £5.00)

Safe use of ladders andstepladders: An employers’guide INDG402FREE (available in packs of 5ISBN 0 7176 6105 9 £5.00)




What law applies?■ Work at Height Regulations

2005

■ Provision and Use of WorkEquipment Regulations1998


8 | musculoskeletal disorders




Do you suffer from sprains, strainsand pains?

Manual handling istransporting or

supporting loads by hand or using bodily force. Manypeople hurt their back, arms,hands or feet lifting everydayloads, not just when the loadis too heavy. More than a thirdof all over-three-day injuriesreported each year to HSEand to local authorities are the result of manual handling.These can result in thoseinjured taking an average of11 working days off each year.

‘Upper limbs’ refers to theneck, shoulders, arms, wrists,hands and fingers. Upperlimb disorders (sometimescalled repetitive strain injury(RSI)) can happen in almostany workplace where peopledo repetitive, or forcefulmanual activities in awkwardpostures, for prolongedperiods of time. These cancause muscular aches and


Does your work includestrenuous lifting, carrying,pushing, pulling, reaching or repetitive handling?

Do you have repetitive finger,hand or arm movementswhich are frequent, forcefulor awkward?

Does your work involvetwisting, squeezing,hammering or pounding?

Aching arms (or RSI) in smallbusinesses INDG171(rev1)FREE (available in packs of 15ISBN 0 7176 2600 8 £5.00)

Manual handling assessmentcharts INDG383FREE (available in packs of 10ISBN 0 7176 2741 1 £5.00)

Upper limb disorders in theworkplace HSG60ISBN 0 7176 1978 8 £9.50

Getting to grips with manualhandling: A short guideINDG143(rev2)FREE (available in packs of 10 ISBN 0 7176 2828 0 £5.00)

What law applies?■ Manual Handling Operations

Regulations 1992 (asamended)

■ Management of Health andSafety at Work Regulations1999

pains, which may initially betemporary, but if such work is not properly managed, andthe early symptoms are notrecognised and treated, canprogress to a chronic anddisabling disorder. Cumulativedamage can build up over timecausing pain and discomfort inpeople’s backs, arms, handsand legs. Most cases can beavoided by providing suitablelifting equipment that is regularlymaintained, together withrelevant training on both manualhandling and using the equip-ment safely (see page 13 ‘Workequipment and machinery’).


Do you use computersor other display screenequipment?

Using a computer or otherkinds of display screen

equipment (visual displayunits) can give rise to backproblems, repetitive straininjury, or other musculo-skeletal disorders. Thesehealth problems maybecome serious if no actionis taken. They can be causedby poor design of work-stations (and associatedequipment such as chairs),insufficient space, lack oftraining or not taking breaksfrom display screen work.


Is there regular use ofdisplay screens as asignificant part of the work?

Does anyone use akeyboard, mouse or otherinput device?

Are people complaining ofdiscomfort, aches and pains?

The law on VDUs. An easyguide: Making sure youroffice complies with theHealth and Safety (DisplayScreen Equipment)Regulations 1992 (asamended in 2002) HSG90ISBN 0 7176 2602 4 £8.50

Display screen equipment | 9




What law applies?■ Health and Safety (Display

Screen Equipment)Regulations 1992 (asamended)

Work with a screen does not cause eye damage, but many users experiencetemporary eye strain orstress. This can lead toreduced work efficiency ortaking time off work.


Working with VDUsINDG36(rev2)FREE (available in packs of 10ISBN 0 7176 2222 3 £5.00)

10 | noise




Is your workplace noisy?

High levels of noise atwork can cause hearing

damage. A little damagehappens every time it isnoisy, gradually adding up toserious harm. Young peoplecan be damaged as easily asthe old. Sufferers often firststart to notice hearing losswhen they cannot keep upwith conversations in a


Are there times when theworkplace is so noisy thatpeople have to shout to eachother at normal speakingdistance to make themselvesheard? If so, there is likely tobe a danger to hearing.

Are noisy powered tools ormachinery in use for at leastpart of the day?

Are there noisy bangs fromhammering, explosive orimpact tools, or guns?

Are there areas where noisecould interfere with warningand danger signals?

Controlling noise at work. The Control of Noise at WorkRegulations 2005 L108ISBN 0 7176 6164 4 £13.95

Noise at Work: Guidance foremployers on the Control ofNoise at Work Regulations2005 INDG362(rev1)FREE (available in packs of 10ISBN 0 7176 6165 2 £5.00)

Sound solutions: Techniquesto reduce noise at workHSG138ISBN 0 7176 0791 7 £10.95

Protect your hearing or lose it!Pocket card INDG363(rev1)FREE (available in packs of 25ISBN 0 7176 6166 0 £5.00)

Noise website:www.hse.gov.uk/noise

What law applies?■ Control of Noise at Work

Regulations 2005


group, or when the rest oftheir family complains theyhave the television on tooloud. Deafness can makepeople feel isolated from theirfamily, friends and colleagues.

Are you exposed to vibration?

Vibration from work withpowered hand-held tools,

equipment or processes candamage the hands and armsof users causing ‘hand-armvibration syndrome’. This is apainful, irreversible conditionwhich includes ‘vibrationwhite finger’ and the effectscan be impaired bloodcirculation, damage to thenerves and muscles, andloss of ability to grip properly.

Back pain can be caused byor aggravated by vibration


Does anyone work withhand-held and hand-guidedtools and machines such asconcrete breakers andvibrating compactor platesand workpieces such ascastings which are heldagainst powered machinerysuch as pedestal grinders?

Does anyone doing this workget tingling or numbness inthe fingers or hands?

Does anyone often drive off-road machinery such astractors, dumper trucks orexcavators or unsuspendedvehicles such as fork-lifttrucks?

Hand-arm vibration. TheControl of Vibration at WorkRegulations 2005. Guidanceon Regulations L140ISBN 0 7176 6125 3 £13.95

Control the risks from hand-arm vibration: Advice foremployers on the Control ofVibration at Work Regulations2005 INDG175(rev2)FREE (available in packs of 10ISBN 0 7176 6117 2 £5.00)

Hand-arm vibration: Advice foremployees Pocket cardINDG296(rev1)FREE (available in packs of 25ISBN 0 7176 6118 0 £5.00)

Whole-body vibration. TheControl of Vibration at WorkRegulations 2005. Guidanceon Regulations L141ISBN 0 7176 6126 1 £10.95

Control back-pain risks fromwhole-body vibration: Advicefor employers on the Controlof Vibration at WorkRegulations 2005INDG242(rev1)FREE (available in packs of 10ISBN 0 7176 6119 9 £5.00)

Drive away bad backs: Advicefor mobile machine operatorsand drivers Pocket cardINDG404FREE (available in packs of 25ISBN 0 7176 6420 2 £5.00)

Vibration website:www.hse.gov.uk/vibration

vibration | 11




What law applies?■ Control of Vibration at Work

Regulations 2005

from a vehicle or machinepassing through the seat intothe driver’s body through thebuttocks – known as whole-body vibration. Whole-bodyvibration can also be caused by standing on theplatform of a vehicle ormachine, so vibration passes into the operatorthrough their feet.


12 | electricity




How safe is electricityin your workplace?

Electricity can kill. Mostdeaths are caused by

contact with overhead orunderground power cables.Even non-fatal shocks cancause severe and permanentinjury. Shocks from faultyequipment may lead to fallsfrom ladders, scaffolds orother work platforms. Thoseusing electricity may not be


Does anyone do electricalwork in your business? Only those with appropriatetechnical knowledge andexperience should beallowed to do this.

Is your electrical equipmentin good working order?

Do you choose equipmentthat is suitable for its workingenvironment, eg waterproofor dustproof?

Do you dig in the street,pavement or near buildings?Knowing the properprecautions for avoidingunderground cables isessential.

Do you work near or underoverhead powerlines? Thereare essential safetyprecautions to follow.

Avoidance of danger fromoverhead electric power linesGS6ISBN 0 7176 1348 8 £5.00

Electricity at work. Safeworking practices HSG85ISBN 0 7176 2164 2 £7.95

Avoiding danger from under-ground services HSG47ISBN 0 7176 1744 0 £7.50

Electrical safety and youINDG231FREE (available in packs of 15ISBN 0 7176 1207 4 £5.00)

Electrical safety website:www.hse.gov.uk/electricity

What law applies?■ Electricity at Work

Regulations 1989


the only ones at risk. Poorelectrical installations and faultyelectrical appliances can leadto fires which can also resultin death or injury to others.

Do you know how toselect and use yourwork equipment?

Work equipment coversan enormous range

spanning process machinery,machine tools, officemachines, lifting equipment,hand tools, ladders andpressure washers. Importantpoints include: selecting theright equipment for the job,making sure equipment issafe to use and keeping itsafe through regular maintenance, inspection and,if appropriate, thoroughexamination, trainingemployees to use equipmentsafely and followingmanufacturers’ or suppliers’instructions.


Do you use ladders or otherequipment for working atheights? For example, it mayoften be safer to use anaccess tower or mobileelevating work platform thana ladder.

Do you have machinery ofany kind? You need to guardthe parts that could causeinjury; have the right controls,especially for starting andstopping; clean, or clearblockages in a safe way; andcarry out preventive checks,maintenance and inspection.

Are hand tools used in yourworkplace, eg screwdrivers,knives, hand saws, meatcleavers, hammers?

Do you have liftingequipment such as pulleyblocks, cranes, and lifttrucks? Most liftingequipment will requireregular thorough examinationby a competent person.

Simple guide to the Provisionand Use of Work EquipmentRegulations INDG291FREE (available in packs of 15ISBN 0 7176 2429 3 £5.00)

Safe use of work equipment.Provision and Use of WorkEquipment Regulations 1998L22ISBN 0 7176 1626 6 £8.00

Simple guide to the LiftingOperations and LiftingEquipment Regulations 1998INDG290FREE (available in packs of 15ISBN 0 7176 2430 7 £5.00)

Buying new machinery INDG271FREE (available in packs of 15 ISBN 0 7176 1559 6 £5.00)

Using work equipment safelyINDG229(rev1)FREE (available in packs of 10 ISBN 0 7176 2389 0 £5.00)

Safe use of ladders andstepladders: An employers’ guideINDG402FREE (available in packs of 5 ISBN 0 7176 6105 9 £5.00)

work equipment & machinery | 13




What law applies?■ Provision and Use of Work

Equipment Regulations 1998

■ Lifting Operations and LiftingEquipment Regulations 1998

■ Supply of Machinery (Safety)Regulations 1992, asamended 1994

Accidents involving workequipment happen all thetime – many serious, somefatal. See ‘safe plant andequipment’ section of theHealth and Safety PolicyStatement on page 25 of this leaflet.

Infoline can help identify publications relevant to you.


14 | maintenance & building work




What maintenance and building worktakes place?

It’s easy to overlook theseactivities because they

happen now and again, and it’s often a contractor or service agency doing the work. Sometimes peopleare in places where no onenormally goes, eg the roof orelectrical switchboard. Theymay be fault finding, trying to repair something quickly –often outside the routine. Not surprisingly there aremany accidents. Falls fromheights, eg ladders, are themost common cause ofserious injury.


Did you know that if you arethe person responsible foryour business, you are alsoresponsible for contractors,service engineers, etc whodo work for you?

Does anyone ever have towork on the roof, at a heightor on fragile materials?

Does anyone have to faultfind and repair machinery or equipment when it breaks down?

Is there a tank, pit, silo orsimilar confined space intowhich someone might go –and would you know if theydid?

Have you found out whetherthere is any asbestos* inyour buildings or plant whichcould be disturbed duringmaintenance or alterations?

Working together: Guidance onhealth and safety for contractorsand suppliers INDG268(rev)WEB ONLYwww.hse.gov.uk/pubns/indg268.pdf

A guide to the Construction(Health, Safety and Welfare)Regulations 1996 INDG220FREE (available in packs of 10 ISBN 0 7176 1161 2 £5.00)

The absolutely essential healthand safety toolkit for the smallerconstruction contractor INDG344FREE (available in packs of 5 ISBN 0 7176 2103 0 £5.00)

Health and safety in roof workHSG33ISBN 0 7176 1425 5 £8.50

Managing contractors: A guidefor employers HSG159ISBN 0 7176 1196 5 £8.50

Health and safety inconstruction HSG150ISBN 0 7176 6182 2 £10.95

The Work at HeightRegulations 2005: A briefguide INDG402FREE (available in packs of 10ISBN 0 7176 2976 7 £5.00)

Working Well Together (WWT)Website: wwt.uk.com WWT Campaign Helpline Tel: 0845 2727 500.*Also see page 5 on ‘Asbestos’

What law applies?■ Construction (Health, Safety

and Welfare) Regulations 1996 (building work)

■ Construction (Design andManagement) Regulations1994

■ Lifting Operations and LiftingEquipment Regulations 1998

■ Provision and Use of WorkEquipment Regulations 1998

■ Confined Spaces Regulations 1997

■ Work at Height Regulations2005


What are the risks from transport in your workplace?

Every year about 70 peopleare killed and about 2500

seriously injured in accidentsinvolving vehicles at theworkplace. Being struck orrun over by moving vehicles,falling from vehicles, or


Do you have vehicles inoperation at your workplace?If so what kinds of vehiclesare they?

Are pedestrians separatedfrom vehicle movements asmuch as possible?

Are traffic routes suitable forthe vehicles which have touse them? Are they clearlymarked?

Do you know who is allowedto drive or operate thevehicles? They should betrained and competent.

Are loading and unloadingoperations carried out safely?

Do you actively controldriving behaviour?

Are all vehicles properlymaintained?

Workplace transport safety:An employers’ guideHSG136ISBN 0 7176 6154 7 £11.50

Safety in working with lifttrucks HSG6ISBN 0 7176 1781 5 £6.50

Workplace transport safety:An overview INDG199(rev1)FREE (available in packs of 5ISBN 0 7176 2821 3 £5.00)

Workplace transport siteinspection checklist:www.hse.gov.uk/workplacetransport/index.htm

workplace transport | 15




What law applies?■ Workplace (Health, Safety

and Welfare) Regulations1992

■ Provision and Use of WorkEquipment Regulations1998

■ Lifting Operations andLifting EquipmentRegulations 1998

vehicles over-turning are themost common causes.Vehicles operating in theworkplace include cars andvans, lift trucks, heavy goodsvehicles, dumpers, specialisedvehicles or plant. Often there is significantly more dangerfrom vehicles in the workplacethan on the public highwaysince the operatingconditions are different.


16 | pressure systems




Do you know the risks associatedwith pressure systems?

Pressure cookers, boilers,steam heating systems,

gas cylinders and aircompressors are commonexamples of equipment andsystems containing a fluid


Do you have any pressuresystems or equipment inyour business that contain a fluid under pressure?

Do you know that mostpressure systems have to be designed, installed,maintained and periodicallyexamined so as to preventdanger?

Are you aware that as anemployer or self-employedperson, it’s your job tochoose a competent personto carry out examinations ofthe pressure systems?

Pressure systems safety andyou INDG261(rev1)FREE (available in packs of 15ISBN 0 7176 1562 6 £5.00)

Safety of Pressure Systems.Pressure Systems SafetyRegulations 2000. ApprovedCode of Practice L122ISBN 0 7176 1767 X £7.50

What law applies?■ Pressure Systems Safety

Regulations 2000

■ Carriage of DangerousGoods and Use ofTransportable PressureEquipment Regulations2004 (as amended 2005)

under pressure. They cancause death or injury topeople, and serious damageto property, if the contents arereleased unintentionally. Thereare about 150 incidents of thiskind every year. They mainlyhappen when equipment failsthrough poor design, incorrectfilling or maintenance or when the method of work isunsafe, or someone makesan operating mistake.


Do you know how to prevent fire or explosion?

Each year many peoplesuffer burns caused by

the flammable materials theywork with. The wide variety offlammable substances foundin the workplace ranges fromthe obvious, eg heating fuel,petrol, paint thinners andwelding gases to the less


Do you keep or useflammable substances?

Do you use or store gas incylinders (eg propane)? Asmall amount of released gascan fill a large area with apotentially explosive mixture.

Do you work with flammabledusts? They can explode.

Do you work with plasticfoams or polyester wadding?Some types will ignite easily,burn fiercely and give offdense black smoke.

Do you spray flammablepaints? Vapours are heavierthan air and collect at lowlevel.

Do you know the dangers ofputting flammable liquids onfires to make them burnmore intensely?

Do you use oxygen, eg incylinders, for welding?

Safe use of petrol in garagesINDG331FREE (available in packs of 10ISBN 0 7176 1836 6 £5.00)

Safe use and handling offlammable liquids HSG140ISBN 0 7176 0967 7 £8.50

Fire and explosion. How safeis your workplace? A shortguide to the DangerousSubstances and ExplosiveAtmospheres RegulationsINDG370FREE (available in packs of 5ISBN 0 7176 2589 3 £5.00)

Safe working with flammablesubstances INDG227FREE (available in packs of 15ISBN 0 7176 1154 X £5.00)

Dispensing petrol: Assessingand controlling the risk of fireand explosion at sites wherepetrol is stored anddispensed as a fuel HSG146ISBN 0 7176 1048 9 £7.50

fire & explosion | 17




What law applies?■ Dangerous Substances

and Explosive AtmospheresRegulations (DSEAR) 2002

■ Regulatory Reform (FireSafety) Order 2005 (comes into force 1 October 2006 - visitwww.communities.gov.ukfor latest information)


obvious, eg packagingmaterials, dusts from wood,flour and sugar. For a fire tostart, fuel, air and a source ofignition are needed. Controllingthese can prevent fires.

If you would like informationon fire exits, alarms, orextinguishers, contact yourlocal fire authority.

18 | radiation




Do you know where harmfulradiation occurs?

Various kinds of radiation,both ionising and non-

ionising, may affect us.

Non-ionising radiation:● UV radiation (eg from the

sun) can damage the skinand lead to skin cancer;

● lasers can cause burnsand damage the eye.

Ionising radiation:● naturally occurring radon

gas from the ground;● radiography or thickness

measuring gauges;


Do people in your businessspend a lot of time workingoutdoors?

Do you have equipmentwhich gives off ultra-violetradiation, eg for curingplastics or inks?

Do you work with lasers?

Is your business in an areawhere levels of radon arehigher than average?

Are any radioactive sourcesused in your businessbrought in by a specialistcontractor, or do youtransport them?

Is X-ray equipment used?

Controlling the radiation safetyof display laser installationsINDG224 FREE

Keep your top on: Health risksfrom working in the sunINDG147(rev1)FREE (available in packs of 20ISBN 0 7176 1578 2 £5.00)

Sun protection: Advice foremployers of outdoor workersINDG337 FREE (available in packs of 20ISBN 0 7176 1982 6 £5.00)

The regulatory requirementsfor medical exposure toionising radiation: Anemployers overview HSG223ISBN 0 7176 2134 0 £6.50

Working safely with ionisingradiation: Guidance forexpectant and breastfeedingmothers INDG334 FREE

Work with ionising radiation:Ionising Radiations Regulations1999. Approved Code ofPractice and Guidance L121ISBN 0 7176 1746 7 £20.00

Fitness of equipment used formedical exposure to ionisingradiation PM77(rev3)WEB ONLYwww.hse.gov.uk/pubns/guidance/pm77.pdf

Radiation website:www.hse.gov.uk/radiation

What law applies?■ Ionising Radiations

Regulations 1999

■ Management of Health andSafety at Work Regulations1999

● medical equipment, eg X-ray sets.

Excess doses of ionisingradiation can cause burns,sickness and can have otheradverse health effects.


stress | 19




Are you feeling stressedby your work?

Many people argue aboutthe definition and some-

times even the existence of‘stress’. However, researchhas shown that whatever youchoose to call it, there is aclear link between poor workorganisation and subsequentill health. HSE has chosen touse the word stress and defineit as ‘the adverse reactionpeople have to excessivepressure or other types ofdemand placed on them.’

Stress at work can be tackledin the same way as any otherrisk to health – by identifyingthe hazards, assessing whois at risk and the level of risk,deciding how to manage therisk and putting the plans intoaction. Hazards can include:

lack of control over the wayyou do your work, work over-load (or underload), lack ofsupport from your managers,conflicting or ambiguousroles, poor relationships withcolleagues (includingbullying), or poor managementof organisational change.

Benefits to tackling stress inyour organisation can includeincreased productivity andefficiency, lower staff turnoverand sickness absence, andincreased morale.


Do you have a high staffturnover, low productivity or low morale? Have younoticed bullying, changes in behaviour, staff workinglate or increased sicknessabsence?

Do your employees seemhappy to come into work?

Are you aware that there areindividual differences invulnerability to stress andthat situations outside workcan also affect the ability to cope with excessivepressure at work?

What law applies?■ Management of Health and

Safety at Work Regulations1999

Real solutions, real people: Amanager’s guide to tacklingwork-related stress ActionpackISBN 0 7176 2767 5 £25.00

Tackling stress: TheManagement Standardsapproach INDG406FREE (available in packs of 10ISBN 0 7176 6140 7 £5.00)

Working together to reducestress at work: A guide foremployees MISC686FREE (available in packs of 15ISBN 0 7176 6122 9 £5.00)

Making the StressManagement Standards work:How to apply the Standards inyour workplace MISC714FREE (available in packs of 15ISBN 0 7176 6157 1 £5.00)

Stress website:www.hse.gov.uk/stress


20 | first aid & accident reporting




What do you do if there’s an accident at work?

This booklet has been allabout prevention. But

sometimes things do gowrong. If someone has beenhurt or fallen ill at work it’simportant to take care of themstraight away, and make anydangerous conditions safe.

First aid means treating minor injuries at work andgiving immediate attention to more serious casualtiesuntil medical help is available.Through this initial management of injury orillness suffered at work, livescan be saved and minorinjuries prevented frombecoming major ones.

Reporting accidents and illhealth at work is a legalrequirement. The enforcingauthorities use the


Do you have at least theminimum first-aid provision at your workplace? As anemployer you must providefirst-aid equipment, facilitiesand personnel appropriatefor the circumstances in yourworkplace. The minimumwould be a suitably stockedfirst-aid box and a personappointed to take charge offirst-aid arrangements.

Do you know whether youmight need to provide morethan the minimum?

Do you know whichaccidents and ill health casesto report, including whoshould do it, when and how?Employers, the self-employed and people incontrol of work premises allhave duties.

Do you know what accidentscost – and that insurancepolicies do not cover all thecosts?

Electric shock: First-aidprocedures Poster ISBN 0 7176 6203 9 £8.50

First aid at work ApprovedCode of Practice andguidance L74 ISBN 0 7176 1050 0 £6.75

Reduce risks – cut costs: Thereal costs of accidents and illhealth at work INDG355FREE (available in packs of 15ISBN 0 7176 2337 8 £5.00)

Basic advice on first aid atwork Poster ISBN 0 7176 6195 4 £8.50

RIDDOR explained: Reportingof Injuries, Diseases andDangerous OccurrencesRegulations HSE31(rev1)FREE (available in packs of 10ISBN 0 7176 2441 2 £5.00)

First aid website:www.hse.gov.uk/firstaid

What law applies?■ The Health and Safety

(First Aid) Regulations 1981

■ Reporting of Injuries,Diseases and DangerousOccurrences Regulations1995 (RIDDOR)

information to see the bigpicture of where injuries, illhealth and accidental lossesare occurring, and to adviseon preventive action.


Report incidents to:Incident Contact Centre (ICC),Caerphilly Business Park,Caerphilly CF83 3GGTel: 0845 300 9923 Fax: 0845 300 9924www.riddor.gov.uk e-mail: [email protected].

policy statement | 21


Health and safety policy statement

This is the Health and Safety Policy Statement of

(name of company)

Health and Safety at Work etc Act 1974

● to provide adequatecontrol of the health andsafety risks arising fromour work activities;

● to consult with ouremployees on mattersaffecting their health andsafety;

● to provide and maintainsafe plant and equipment;

● to ensure safe handlingand use of substances;

● to provide information,instruction and supervision

Our statement of general policy is:

for employees;● to ensure all employees

are competent to do theirtasks, and to give themadequate training;

● to prevent accidents andcases of work-related illhealth;

● to maintain safe andhealthy workingconditions; and

● to review and revise thispolicy as necessary atregular intervals.

Signed

(Employer)

Date Review date

Responsibilities

1 Write your name here. As the employer you haveoverall responsibility forhealth and safety.

2 You can delegateresponsibility for day-to-daytasks to someone else, egmanager, supervisor. Writetheir name here. Make surethey keep you informedabout health and safetymatters: they are still youroverall responsibility.

3 You can delegate specific tasks to individualsin your organisation, byworkplace area or by topic.Responsibilities should beclearly set so that if there are any health and safetyconcerns, they can bereported to the right person

4 Employees have legalresponsibilities to take care of the health and safety ofthemselves and others, and to co-operate with you tohelp you comply with the law.

22 | responsibilities


1 Overall and final responsibility for health and safety is that of

2 Day-to-day responsibility for ensuring this policy is put intopractice is delegated to

3 To ensure health and safety standards are maintained/improved, the following people have responsibility in thefollowing areas

Name Responsibility

4 All employees have to:● co-operate with supervisors and managers on health and

safety matters;● not interfere with anything provided to safeguard their

health and safety;● take reasonable care of their own health and safety; and● report all health and safety concerns to an appropriate

person (as detailed in this policy statement).


responsibilities | 23

Health and safety risks arising from ourwork activities● Risk assessments will be undertaken by

● The findings of the risk assessments will be reported to

● Action required to remove/control risks will be approved by

●

will be responsible for ensuring the action required is implemented.

●

will check that the implemented actions haveremoved/reduced the risks.

● Assessments will be reviewed every

or when the work activity changes, whichever is soonest.

Write down your arrange-ments for doing your riskassessment here. You canuse the form on page 33 of this leaflet to record thefindings of your riskassessment.

Consultationwith employees

● Employee representative(s) are

● Consultation with employees is provided by

You must consult youremployees. If you recognise a union and there is a union-appointed safetyrepresentative, you mustconsult them on mattersaffecting the employees they represent. If you do nothave trade unions, you mustconsult employees eitherdirectly or through an electedrepresentative.

24 | arrangements


arrangements | 25


Safe plant and equipment

●

will be responsible for identifying all equipment/plantneeding maintenance.

●

will be responsible for ensuring effective maintenanceprocedures are drawn up.

●

will be responsible for ensuring that all identifiedmaintenance is implemented.

● Any problems found with plant/equipment should bereported to

●

will check that new plant and equipment meets health andsafety standards before it is purchased.

You will need to ensure that all plant and equipmentthat requires maintenance is identified, that themaintenance is done and that new or secondhandplant and equipment meetshealth and safety standardsbefore you buy it. See page 13 of this leaflet for more information.

Safe handling and use of substances

●

will be responsible for identifying all substances which needa COSHH assessment.

●

will be responsible for undertaking COSHH assessments.

●

will be responsible for ensuring that all actions identified inthe assessments are implemented.

●

will be responsible for ensuring that all relevant employeesare informed about the COSHH assessments.

●

will check that new substances can be used safely beforethey are purchased.

● Assessments will be reviewed every

or when the work activity changes, whichever is soonest.

You must assess the risks from all substanceshazardous to health. These are your COSHHassessments. Write downyour arrangements for doingyour COSHH assessmentshere. See page 6 of thisleaflet for more information.

26 | arrangements


arrangements | 27


Information, instructionand supervision

● The Health and Safety Law poster is displayed at/ leafletsare issued by

● Health and safety advice is available from

● Supervision of young workers/trainees will bearranged/undertaken/monitored by

●

is responsible for ensuring that our employees working atlocations under the control of other employers, are givenrelevant health and safety information.

Write down where youdisplay the Health and SafetyLaw poster, or where theleaflets are available from,where people can go forhealth and safety advice andwhat provision you make for training youngworkers or trainees.

Competency for tasksand training

● Induction training will be provided for all employees by

● Job specific training will be provided by

● Specific jobs requiring special training are

● Training records are kept at/by

● Training will be identified, arranged and monitored by

All employees must be givenhealth and safety inductiontraining when they start work,which should cover basicssuch as first aid and firesafety. There should also be job specific health andsafety training. You also haveto provide training if riskschange, and refreshertraining when skills are notfrequently used. Write downyour arrangements for traininghere, including arrangementsfor record keeping.

28 | arrangements


arrangements | 29


Accidents, first aid andwork-related ill health

● Health surveillance is required for employees doing thefollowing jobs

● Health surveillance will be arranged by

● Health surveillance records will be kept by/at

● The first aid box(es) is/are kept at

● The appointed person(s)/first aider(s) is/are

● All accidents and cases of work-related ill health are to berecorded in the accident book. The book is kept by/at

●

is responsible for reporting accidents, diseases anddangerous occurrences to the enforcing authority.

Employees must receivespecialist health surveillancefor certain work. Your COSHHassessments will identifywhere this specialist healthsurveillance is needed. Youshould note down your firstaid arrangements here.

Monitoring

● To check our working conditions, and ensure our safeworking practices are being followed, we will

●

is responsible for investigating accidents.

●

is responsible for investigating work-related causes ofsickness absences.

●

is responsible for acting on investigation findings to preventa recurrence.

You must be able to showthat you are monitoringhealth and safety. You canmonitor health and safetyactively, eg doing spot checkvisits, or reactively, eginvestigating any accidentsor ill health. Record yourprocedures here.

30 | arrangements


arrangements | 31


Emergency procedures –fire and evacuation

Record your emergencyprocedures, how often theyare checked and who by.

●

is responsible for ensuring the fire risk assessment isundertaken and implemented.

● Escape routes are checked by/every

● Fire extinguishers are maintained and checked by/every

● Alarms are tested by/every

● Emergency evacuation will be tested every

32 | risk assessment


Your risk assessment

● Issue personal protectiveequipment.

● Provide welfare facilities.

Step 4 Record yourfindings and implementthem

If you employ five or morepeople, the law requires youto record your findings. Youcan use a photocopy of theblank form in this leaflet to dothis. You can also downloada form fromwww.hse.gov.uk/risk. When writing down yourresults, keep it simple.

If, like many businesses, youfind that there are quite a lotof improvements that youcould make, don’t try to doeverything at once. Make aplan of action to deal with themost important things first.

Step 5 Review your riskassessment and update ifnecessary

Few workplaces stay thesame, so it makes sense toreview what you are doing onan ongoing basis. Every yearor so, formally review whereyou are to make sure you arestill improving, or at least notsliding back. Set a date forthe review and put it in yourdiary so you don’t forget it.

Step 1 Identify the hazards

First you need to work outhow people could beharmed. The risk assessmentform in this booklet includestips on how to spot thehazards that matter.

Step 2 Decide who mightbe harmed and how

Identify groups of people whomight be harmed and howthey might be harmed, eg‘shelf stackers may sufferback injury from repeatedlifting of boxes’.

Step 3 Evaluate the risksand decide on precautions

Having spotted the hazards,you then need to decidewhat to do about them.Compare what you currentlydo with what’s accepted asgood practice. If there is adifference, list what needs tobe done.

When controlling risks, applythese principles, if possible inthis order:

● Try a less risky option.● Prevent access to the

hazard.● Organise work to reduce

exposure to the hazard.

Risk assessment helps youprotect your workers andyour business, as well ascomply with the law. It helpsyou focus on the risks thatreally matter – the ones withthe potential to cause realharm.

A risk assessment is simply acareful examination of what inyour work could cause harmto people, so that you canweigh up whether you havetaken enough precautions orshould do more to preventharm. The law does notexpect you to eliminate allrisk, but you are required toprotect people ‘so far as isreasonably practicable’.

When thinking about your riskassessment, remember:

● a hazard is anything thatmay cause harm, such aschemicals, electricity,working from ladders, anopen drawer;

● the risk is the chance,high or low, thatsomebody could beharmed by these andother hazards, togetherwith an indication of howserious the harm couldbe.

risk assessment | 33

This template can be downloaded from the HSE website at: www.hse.gov.uk/risk

Step 1What are the hazards?

Spot hazards by:

■ walking around your workplace; ■ asking your employees what they think; ■ visiting the Your industry areas of the HSE

website or calling HSE Infoline; ■ calling the Workplace Health Connect Adviceline

or visiting their website;■ checking manufacturers’ instructions; ■ contacting your trade association.

Don’t forget long-term health hazards.

Step 2Who might be harmed and how?

Identify groups of people. Remember:

■ some workers have particular needs; ■ people who may not be in the workplace all the

time; ■ members of the public; ■ if you share your workplace think about how your

work affects others present.

Say how the hazard could cause harm.

Company name:

Step 5 Review date:

risk assessment | 34

Feel free to photocopy this template for your own risk assessment.

What further action isnecessary?

You need to make sure that youhave reduced risks ‘so far as isreasonably practicable’. An easyway of doing this is to comparewhat you are already doing withgood practice. If there is adifference, list what needs to bedone.

Step 3What are you alreadydoing?

List what is already in place toreduce the likelihood of harm ormake any harm less serious.

Step 4How will you put theassessment into action?

Remember to prioritise. Dealwith those hazards that are high-risk and have seriousconsequences first.

Action Action Doneby whom by when

Date of risk assessment:

■ Review your assessment to make sure you are still improving, or at least not sliding back.■ If there is a significant change in your workplace, remember to check your risk assessment and where

necessary, amend it.

Order form please complete in block capitals

Title Initial Surname

Job title

Company name

Telephone number

Delivery address

Postcode

Please send me

ISBN/stock code Title/description Unit price Quantity Total price

£ £

£ £

£ £

£ £

£ £

£ £

£ £

£ £

(Please copy this page if you wish to order more) GRAND TOTAL £

Payment details (if appropriate)

I enclose a cheque/PO* for £ made payable to ‘HSE Books’

OR Please debit my mastercard/visa* with the amount of £

Card No Expiry date

Cardholder’s name Signed

OR Please charge my HSE Books Credit Account No

My reference is *Delete as appropriate

Return this order form to HSE Books, PO Box 1999, Sudbury, Suffolk CO10 2WA

Phone: 01787 881165 Fax: 01787 313995

HSE’s priced publications are also available through good booksellers

08/06 148

| order form

Further informationHSE priced and free publications are available by mailorder from HSE Books, PO Box 1999, Sudbury,Suffolk CO10 2WATel: 01787 881165 Fax: 01787 313995Website: www.hsebooks.co.uk(HSE priced publications are also available frombookshops and free leaflets can be downloaded fromHSE’s website: www.hse.gov.uk/pubns.)

For information about health and safety ring HSE’s InfolineTel: 0845 345 0055 Fax: 0845 408 9566 Textphone:0845 408 9577 e-mail: [email protected] orwrite to HSE Information Services, Caerphilly BusinessPark, Caerphilly CF83 3GG.

This leaflet contains notes on good practice which are notcompulsory but which you may find helpful in consideringwhat you need to do.

This leaflet is available in priced packs of 5 from HSEBooks, ISBN 0 7176 2685 7. Single free copies are alsoavailable from HSE Books.

© Crown copyright This publication may be freely reproduced, except for advertising, endorsement or commercial purposes.First published 04/03. Please acknowledge the source as HSE.

INDG259(rev1) Reprinted 08/06 C3000Printed and published by the Health and Safety Executive

an introduction to health and safety

Health & Medicine

safety health

ill health

health andwhat

peoples health

health andemployed

hse booksbecause health

safetyat work

charge of work activities