Health and Safety Essay

Potential for falling objects – The employer or employee must make sure that all items of equipment, materials and tools that are not in use must be stored/stacked correctly and securely. Otherwise, there is a potential that the item/item may fall and injure a person. .Sharp edges and trailing leads – Sharp edges must be rounded off to make sure that a person does not band a part of their body on them and trailing leads should be wrapped in something protective to bunch them together, and to make sure they are out of the way. .Evacuation assembly areas – This is a designated area for staff and other members to meet. We have these to round up people away from the fire to ensure the safety of everyone. Employers must train their staff about a fire evacuation, making sure they know which point on the premises to go to. .Site building works – From time to time, employees may find themselves having to enter certain areas which may be hazardous, having to come into contact with hazardous substances or having to be exposed to noisy areas. It is the employers that should ensure that any building work is kept separate from employees but in certain circumstances, all care must be taken to make sure employees are kept safe in their working environment. .Off-site work – Any risks that are connected with off-site work must be assessed before the work takes place. These risks are highlighted and controlled in a similar way as to how they would be in the workplace. Employees and individuals involved in off-site working must be provided with the correct training and must be given the right information about health and safety working. .Organic infestation – When organic pests arrive in the workplace, they can present infection hazards, be offensive, contaminate food, create damage to materials and structures and also, can be an annoyance to employees. Employers have a duty to ensure that there is an efficient management of organic pests, otherwise things may escalate. But also, employees have a responsibility to report any sightings of pests or to bring up evidence of their existence to the suitable person. .Vermin infestation – Vermin infestation can cause some serious problems in the workplace. This can include: damage to equipment, damage to electrical supplies, and contamination of any water supplies and also the threat of having disease from droppings or urine. Employers must make sure that they carry out risk assessments and employees must make sure that they report any sightings of rat/mice activity. Infestations can be prevented by having good workplace hygiene, which involves regular housekeeping, (vacuuming, cleaning carpets and fabrics thoroughly). .Dampness and Mould – When dampness and mould arises, it can cause numerous health issues and problems for the employees who work there. They may suffer from allergies and cold-like symptoms, which includes sneezing and irritable eyes. Damp problems can also cause serious respiratory problems for employees. It is the employer’s duty to keep his staff happy and healthy, and so to stick with this, they should ensure that they can do all they can to prevent it. Ways which consist of: drying up any condensation around the workplace within 48 hours, install proper ventilation and ensuring that cold surfaces are properly insulted. .Materials and Waste disposal – Some employees may come into contact with materials which could be hazardous to their health. If this isn’t dealt with properly, these can result in injury or even death. Employers must certify that they minimise the risks to their workers that are exposed to these materials. As well as this, managers have a duty to make sure that hazardous waste is accurately recognized at certain stages of production and that appropriate measures are taken to protect the health of the surrounding people. .Hygiene facilities – There are general welfare requirements for staff and employers must ensure that certain minimum levels of hygiene facilities are provided in the workplace. Types of washing facilities depend on the nature of what type of working business it is. The area in which staff can wash must be in an easy, accessible place. They must be hygienic, well lit and ventilate. Hot soap and water must be provided and either hand towels and electric hand dryers. Also, men and women should have separate facilities. .Disabled access and toilet facilities – Employers have a duty to ensure that if they do employer a person who is disabled to come and work for them, that there is sufficient disabled washing facilities and toilet facilities. The facilities should have: drop down hand and also support rails, emergency pull cords, accessible wash basins, soap dispensers, toilet paper and paper towels. .Food preparation areas – In any type of food preparation are, there must be strict rules and regulations laid down by the employer to prevent food from being contaminated. As well as this, it is their responsibility to make sure that their employees and staff aren’t a risk to food safety. This is where employers need to focus on 4 main areas to ensure health and safety: keeping the area clean, reporting any illnesses, clothing and personal cleanliness/hygiene. .Pest control – Employers must do a number of things to control pests. A few of them being: securing buildings to prevent them from entering, setting and maintain poisons and traps to kill them, spraying insecticides to kill pests and installing ultraviolet insect killers. .Noise and atmospheric pollution – This can be a serious issue to workers and employers have a duty to reduce any noise pollution that might lead to damage to the ears. The Control of Noise at Work Regulations applies to any workers who are exposed to noises over 85 decibels or more in the workplace. Long-lasting exposure to this amount of noise will damage an employees hearing. In addition to controlling noise pollution, employers must ensure that their workers aren’t exposed to atmospheric pollution. This is known as air pollution. Atmospheric pollution is any particulate matter present in the air that has the potential to damage someone’s health. This includes: dust, fumes and gases. Any health condition that is caused by atmospheric pollution has the potential to be very fatal for the people in the workplace. Employers have a legal responsibility to make sure that risk assessments are carried out. Suitable and efficient provision must be provided to ensure that every workspace is ventilated by a quantity of fresh or even purified air. .Temperature and ventilation – Temperature in work areas should provide reasonable comfort without the need for certain types of clothing. If the temperature is too hot or cold, steps should be taken to achieve a reasonable temperature which is close to comfortable. If employees, staff or any sort of worker is exposed to temperatures that are too high or low, the employer must make provision to make sure that their workers are as comfortable as possible. As well as temperature control, workplaces must ensure that there is some form of ventilation. This gives workers the opportunity to breathe fresh, clean air when they are working. Windows can be one from of ventilation and another could be properly installed mechanical systems. Both of which provide ventilation for workers. Ventilation systems which are provided in the workplace should remove and dilute, warm, humid air which can sometimes be uncomfortable to work in. .Equipment – Maintenance of a safe working environment ranges from having safe equipment and warning signs to help protect workers from being harmed. .Safety guards – The guarding of dangerous machinery has been a legal requirement for many years under the Health and Safety at Work act 1974. Employers must make sure that dangerous machinery that is being used by the workers are trained and the appropriate person for the job. .Warning signs and sound signals – One of the most common safety features in the workplace are warning signs which are used to alert employees and workers to the potential risks or dangers that are around them. Also, warning signs may instruct employees on what to do if an emergency occurred. Certain signs such as fire exits must be able to light up in the case of an emergency and they must also be fitted with audible alarms. Training must be provided to every employee so that they understand the information or directions being conveyed by any warning signs in their workplace. Another point is, is that the general safety requirements for staff in the workplace is that all workers should be aware of any sound signals that the company uses if there is ever an emergency situation. These sound signals are classed as safety signs and staff should make sure that they know what to do if one of these goes off. Staff and workers should be trained to know what each and every sound signal means in case of an emergency and also to know what they have to do in the event of hearing it go off. .Maintenance frequency – A lot of accidents that that happen in the workplace are due to faulty or poorly maintained work equipment. Employers have a duty to make sure that all of their equipment is maintained and in good shape. They should also ensure that the maintenance log is kept up to date showing when the machinery and equipment was last inspected/serviced. The maintenance frequency of workplace machinery and equipment depends on numerous factors, such as the working limits and maximum use of equipment, how it is used and the risk to safety of malfunction. .Protective clothing – Several job roles require staff and workers to wear protective clothing. This can make the job that they have much easier, can prevent them from getting an injury and can even save lives. Gloves, helmets, footwear, face masks, chemical suits, high-visibility vests and eye protectors all come under types of PPE. It is the employer’s responsibility to ensure that their workers and employees have PPE provided and that it also matches the potential hazards. They must also ensure that employees know why they must wear their PPE and that it must be worn correctly. .Accessible emergency exits – As a part of their emergency risk assessment, employers must take into consideration whether, in the event of an emergency, like a fire that is taking place, all individuals that are in the workplace could leave in a safe manner and reach a safe destination. So for this, they must provide safe and accessible fire exits. These fire exits must be clearly signposted with signs that light up and that are alarmed. .Fire extinguishers or sprinkler systems – In the workplace, employers must make sure that they provide the means for staff to treat small fires. The number of fire extinguishers that are required within a business, all depends on how large or small that business is. Typically, extinguishers are sited next to potential fire risks, such as heaters or a computer, and they are also close to exit doors and stairways. Also, extinguishers must be evidently signed and labelled. There are five main types of extinguisher, and these are: water, foam, CO2, powder and wet chemical. Employers must make sure that they train their staff and workers to know which type of extinguisher to use on a fire and so that they also know how to work them properly. A much more effective way of dealing with fires that occur in the workplace, is the installation of a water sprinkler system. These work by a fire activating them and water is then fed from the water supply and puts out the fire. These sprinkler systems are seen as a safer way of putting out a fire and also much more effective.