On Safe Lines QHSE Software: Health and Safety

Showing posts with label Health and Safety. Show all posts

Saturday 10 March 2012

Asbestos-related lung cancer

Asbestos-related lung cancer

Summary

Asbestos has been recognised as an important risk factor for lung cancer for many years. However, there are a number of other agents that can cause the disease - most importantly, tobacco smoke - and lung cancers resulting from asbestos exposure are clinically indistinguishable from those caused by these other agents. This means that the total number of asbestos related lung cancers has to be derived from statistical estimates based on evidence from epidemiological studies rather than direct counting of individual cases.

Source HSE

To read more on this subject click here

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ALARP "at a glance"

ALARP and SFAIRP

“ALARP” is short for “as low as reasonably practicable”. “SFAIRP” is short for “so far as is reasonably practicable”. The two terms mean essentially the same thing and at their core is the concept of “reasonably practicable”; this involves weighing a risk against the trouble, time and money needed to control it. Thus, ALARP describes the level to which we expect to see workplace risks controlled.

Source HSE

For a fuller discription of the ALARP principle please click here

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Health and Safety and Drug Misuse

Current legal base and any legal developments

Health and Safety at Work etc Act 1974, section 2

Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999

It is an offence under the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971 for any person knowingly to permit the production, supply or use of controlled substances on their premises except in specified circumstances (e.g. when they have been prescribed by a doctor).

Key messages

Drug and other substance (e.g. solvent) misuse is everyone's concern. In the context of work, not only does it damage the misuser's health, but it can cost employers through absenteeism and reduced productivity.

The HSE provide more information on this subject, click here

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Tuesday 24 January 2012

Lead and You - The Risks

This is a useful document (INDG 305) by the UK Health and Safety Executive.

Working safely with lead

Working with lead can affect your health. This leaflet tells you about:

■ health problems that can occur if you absorb too much lead;
■ what your employer should do to protect your health;
■ precautions you should take.

Click Here to Read More > Lead and You

Source HSE

Free to try QHSE Software Solutions for Businesses

Risk Assessment Software
Accident Managenent Software
Document Issuing and Management System
Staff Sickness and Absenteeism Management and Trend Finding Software

Leptospirosis Are You at Risk?

This is a useful document (INDG 84) by the UK Health and Safety Executive.

What is leptospirosis?

Two types of leptospirosis infection can affect workers in the UK.

■■ Weil’s disease:
This is a serious and sometimes fatal infection that is transmitted to humans by contact with urine from infected rats.

■■ The Hardjo form of leptospirosis:
This is transmitted from cattle to humans.

Click Here to Read More > Leptospirosis

Gas Safety - Engineers

This is a useful FAQ Document by the UK Health and Safety Executive.

Gas safety - Engineers

Click here > Gas safety - Engineers

Free to try QHSE Software Solutions for Businesses

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Gas Safety - Landlord and Letting Agents

This is a useful FAQ Document by the UK Health and Safety Executive.

Gas safety - landlords and letting agents

Who is a landlord?

Click here > Gas safety - Landlord

Sunday 6 November 2011

Gas safety - Tenants

This is a useful FAQ Document by the UK Health and Safety Executive.

Gas safety - Tenants

Who is a tenant?

Click here > Gas safety - Tenants

Gas safety - Home owners

This is a useful FAQ Document by the UK Health and Safety Executive.

Gas safety - Home owners

What should I do if I suspect an appliance is unsafe?

Click here > Gas safety - Home owners

Farmwise: Essential Guide to Health and Safety in Agriculture

This is a useful document (INDG 427) by the UK Health and Safety Executive.

Injuries and illness can ruin lives and businesses. Solutions are often simple and cheap and the people best placed to make farms safer are farmers and their employees. Health and safety is a fundamental requirement of a sustainable farming business and should be regarded as an essential part of farm business management. Unwise risk-taking is an underlying problem in the industry and those working on their own are especially vulnerable.

Click here > Farmwise: Essential Guide to Health and Safety in Agriculture

Choosing a Welding Set - Make Sure You Can Handle It

This is a useful document (INDG 390) by the UK Health and Safety Executive.

Manual welding can be a demanding and difficult job. It can involve precision work, with the welder’s body being in a fixed or awkward posture, often in a confined environment. This imposes high muscle loads. Welders also have to handle heavy materials and equipment.

All these factors may increase the risk of workers developing musculoskeletal disorders, such as back problems.

A study found that 51% of welders suffered at least one period of sickness over a two-year period, taking time off work due to disorders of the muscles, joints and tendons.

Welding sets are becoming smaller and lighter in weight so there is more individual manual handling, which can lead to injury if the risks are not properly assessed and managed.

This leaflet can help you identify the risks and manage them effectively. It contains an illustrated ergonomic checklist to help you make the right choice when selecting welding equipment.

Click here > Choosing a Welding Set

Why Fall for It - Preventing Falls in Agriculture

This is a useful document (INDG 369) by the UK Health and Safety Executive.

Falling from height is one of the main causes of fatal accidents in agriculture. Many accidents involving falls happen while agricultural buildings or other farm structures are being built or maintained. These jobs typically involve working at height, and require some form of temporary access to height, for example ladders, scaffolds, or other temporary working platforms.

Falls frequently occur because no precautions are taken, or any equipment that is used is defective, not appropriate, or used incorrectly. Often people about to do a job believe it will ‘only take a few minutes’, and take a risk in the hope that simply being careful will be enough.

Click here > Why Fall for It - Preventing Falls in Agriculture

Saturday 5 November 2011

Noise at Work - Guidance for Employers

This is a useful document (INDG 362) by the UK Health and Safety Executive.

Loud noise at work can damage your hearing. This leaflet is to help you as an employer understand what you need to do under the Control of Noise at Work Regulations 2005 (the Noise Regulations 2005) and how you can protect your employees from noise. It will also be useful to employees and safety representatives.

This leaflet tells you about:

. how loud noise can damage hearing;
. what you have to do under the Noise Regulations 2005 to protect the hearing of your workers;
. how to assess and control noise at work;
. choosing quieter equipment and machinery;
. different types of hearing protection;
. when to inform and consult your workers;
. health surveillance.

Click here > Guidance for Employers on the Control of Noise at Work

Diesel Engine Exhaust Emissions

This is a useful document (INDG 286) by the UK Health and Safety Executive.

Diesel engine exhaust emissions have the potential to cause a range of health problems. This leaflet is a short guide for employees to the hazards posed by the emissions, and describes the precautions that employers and individuals can take.

Click here > Diesel Engine Exhaust Emissions

Fatal Traction - Practical Advice on Avoiding Agricultural Transport Accidents

This is a useful document (INDG 279) by the UK Health and Safety Executive.

On average a quarter of all fatal accidents in agriculture and forestry involve moving vehicles. If you add to this the death toll from overturning vehicles then this comprises a very large proportion of all deaths in agriculture and forestry.

Click here > Fatal Traction - Practical Advice on Avoiding Agricultural Transport Accidents

Leadership for the Major Hazard Industries: Effective Health

This is a useful document (INDG 277) by the UK Health and Safety Executive.

This booklet was originally designed for the offshore industry, but it has been revised by the Hazardous Installations Directorate of the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) to help industry leaders further improve the health and safety performance of all major hazard industries, both on and offshore.

The booklet is divided into four sections:

> Health and safety culture
> Leading by example
> Systems
> Workforce

Click here > Leadership for the Major Hazard Industries: Effective Health

Safe work in confined spaces

This is a useful document (INDG 158) by the UK Health and Safety Executive.

This document is aimed at employers and the self-employed who carry out work in confined spaces, and forms part of HSE’s commitment to make simple and practical guidance available for small firms. It will help them take the necessary action to meet the requirements of the Confined Spaces Regulations 1997. It will also be a useful source of information to anyone involved in carrying out work in confined spaces.

Click here > Safe work in confined spaces

No Second Chances - Farm Machinery Safety Step-By-Step Guide

This is a useful document (INDG 241) by the UK Health and Safety Executive.

Over a five-year period, HSE Agricultural Inspectors investigated nearly 7000 accidents. This guide is based on a detailed analysis of over 1000 of these accidents which involved maintenance and blockage clearing.

In this booklet you will find practical advice on working with mobile and stationary agricultural machinery – particularly machine maintenance and dealing with blockages.

Remember, the time to consider safety is before something goes wrong, not afterwards.

Click here > No Second Chances - Farm Machinery Safety Step-By-Step Guide

Friday 4 November 2011

Preventing contact dermatitis at Work

This is a useful document (INDG 233) by the UK Health and Safety Executive.

What is contact dermatitis?

Contact dermatitis is inflammation of the skin caused by contact with a range of materials. These include detergents, toiletries, chemicals and even natural products like foods and water (if contact is prolonged or frequent). It can affect all parts of the body, but it is most common to see the hands affected.

There are three main types of contact dermatitis:

> irritant contact dermatitis
> allergic contact dermatitis
> contact urticaria

Click here > Preventing contact dermatitis at Work

Thursday 3 November 2011

First aid at work - Your questions answered

This is a useful document by the UK Health and Safety Executive.

This leaflet answers some basic questions about first-aid provision at work.

It is aimed at employers in small and medium-sized workplaces, but may be useful to all employers, managers and others involved in first aid at work.

Click here > First aid at work - Your questions answered