Adopting safe working practices, recognise and react to potential hazards

Safe working practices usually cover the following aspects:

• Training
• Machine maintenance and guarding
• Extraction systems
• Provision of PPE
• Accident reporting

Employers:

• Welfare facilities provided (first aid kits etc)
• How dangerous items and substances are stored safely
• Ensure correct PPE is provided
• Making sure machinery has guards, safe to use, maintained in working order
• Appropriate safety signage
• Accident reporting system in place (RIDDOR - reporting injuries, diseases and dangerous occurences regulations)

Employees:

• Take responsible care for their own health
• Use the PPE provided
• Use machinery in line with training instructions
• Report any accidents, near misses or dangerous events

Training:

• Employees trained in safe use of machinery and equipment
• Training may be done in-house
• May require formal certification

Machine maintenance and guarding:

• All machinery part of regular maintenance
• Blades are replaced as required
• Gears are lubricated
• Proves the machine is adequately looked after in case of legal case
• Machinery should have correct guards to protect employee
• Could use micro switches (laser cutter, turns it off)

Extraction systems:

• If workshop processes produce any dust/fumes extraction must be produced
• Extraction systems ensure timber dust/welding fumes are extracted at the source
• Stops harmful airbrone particles being inhaled
• Extraction systems must be regularly maintained, usually done by an external company on a 12-14 month schedule

Provision of PPE:

• Employers should ensure that personal protective equipment is available to any employee
• Can include safety helmets, eye protection, dust masks, respiratory equipment, high visibility clothing, safety footwear and gloves
• Properly assessed before use to ensure it is suitable
• Maintained and stored properly
• Provided with instructions on how to use it safely
• Used correctly by employees

General safe working practices:

• Work areas should be kept clean/neat/free of hazards
• Spillages should be reported
• All personnel aware of emergency procedures (fire alarm/location of fire extinguishers etc)
• Walkways should be kept clear/free of trip hazards
• Injury/illness must be reported to a supervisor
• Knowing where the designated safe walkways are (common in factories)
• Forklift trucks fitted with lights/reversing alarm to alert those around (common in factories)
• Job rotation so workers are not at risk of repetitive strain injuries (common in factories)

Health and Safety Executive (HSE):

The HSE are a national independent watchdog for work related health, safety and illness

• The HSE helps companies and employers to meet health and safety obligations
• They produce guidance documents and investigate accidents in the workplace

Identification of potential hazards:

Use risk assessments to identify potential hazards in the workplace (must be reviewed regularly)

• Risk assessments must be carried out by law, and should be recorded where there are 5 or more employees
• Must consider what might cause harm to people
• Considers whether reasonable steps are being taken to prevent injury
• Employers can't remove all risks - must identify the risks and try to minimise the risk of injury

Identifying the people at risk:

The employee:

• Machines malfunctioning
• Repetitive strain injuries
• Hazard warnings not in place leading to injury/illness

The employer:

• Legal cases if correct laws are not followed
• Company being shut down if they fail to meet HSE standards

The customer:

• Designer and manufacturers need to consider the safety of the potential user of the product, and ensure that the product is safe to use
• To help protect the user, many products have specific legislation and standards that specify certain requirements that the product must meet
• The include suitable safety levels and the right for the consumer to get their money back if goods are found to be faulty or do not perform as the manyfacturer claims

Evaluation of risk:

If there is a potential risk, they are evaluated to see how they could be reduced or prevented (e.g. flying debris prevented by machinery guards)

Risk assessmnets:

• Employer required to carry out risk assessmnet by law where there are 5 or more employers
• Considers what might cause harm
• Considers what reasonable steps are taken to prevent harm
• Not all risks can be eliminated, however, reasoable practicable measures to identify potential hazards and minimise the risk can be undertaken

Implement control methods:

• Guards properly maintained
• Machinery properly maintained
• Training
• Rules in job place
• Following HSE advice/guidlines

Recording and storing of risk assessmnet documentation:

Documentation of risks and how to store item must be recorded and stored in the workplace (e.g. COSHH data sheets, BSI, CE, ISO)

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