Health And Safety In The Workplace Essay

INTRODUCTIONIt is vital that arrangements posts by specific wellness and safeguard laws to tick that not employee is violateed within the educateplace. Firstly most brass contributions would consider the judges of the piece of work these atomic number 18 the factors that could potentially distress, wrongfulness or injure someone or something during processes used by the system. Then most organisations would consider the pretend of each hazard, this direction the chance of the hazard actually causing harm or injury 1. Identifying the hazards and happens, allows the organisation to work away specific precautions that would help to minimise the lay on the line by creating rules or regulations within the work place. Most organisations would show this evaluation of health and sentry go in their workplace as a insecurity discernment, which is very important be gain it allows both employers and employees to know how to be safe and what precautions they take aim to take in rear to funk the possibility of someone or something being damaged 2.HEALTH AND SAFETY AT wreak ACT 1974The health and safe at pasture dissemble similarly known as the HSAWA or HSW was introduced in 1974. The Act was created to ensure that the workplaces of all organisations protect the health, resort and welf be of persons at work 3. It involves identifying the hazards in each department of the organisation to reduce the risks in the process or method that the employees used to set out headway the product or develop the service depictd. Further more(prenominal) the Act prohibits the use of utmost(a)ly hazardous, dangerous and inflammable products unless the risk estimation specifically shows how the hazards will be foreseeed, for utilization the use of contraceptive clothing comparable lab coats, gloves and goggles further a equal the high-pitched supervision that thither would subscribe to to be in order for the process which uses the substance to be allo wed to continue.The substances might not just be hazardous to employees but to the environment, the wellness and guard at take on Act attempts to reduce the amountof harmful emissions that atomic number 18 effrontery out into the atmosphere. In addition it peck include the stability of the workplace by analysing the buildings condition to ensure that the building isnt likely to collapse when employees atomic number 18 at work, also it ensures that the work place has extra safety features like fires doors so that the risk of employees being burn in a fire is lessen 3.The employer of the organisation is responsible for committing to the regulations of the Health and Safety at plough Act and maintaining the use of the risk assessment throughout the work place, mainly by creating a specific written safety policy that can easily be beneathstood by employees which shows suitable precautions on the risk assessment. It is the duty of the employer to provide the elucidate training for all members of stave to ensure everyone has a strong understanding of the health and safety regulations.The assign training can be given from attending health and safety courses also the employer has to give the staff the equipment that they need to be safe in the workplace including protective equipment as precautions to reduce the risk of the hazard. The workplace must be considered as a safe environment by the government this doer that the organisation must provide emergency procedures (like fire drills) and specific first encourage facilities if a hazard did harm an employee. Most organisations ensure that his happens by using safety signs indicating things like fire exits and reminders of precautions to take when using certain(p) equipment or substances 4.Furthermore the employer has to make sure that materials and resources are stored properly in safe environments to stop eachthing getting contaminated or broken. Substances need to be controlled to make sure that the risk of explosive or high flammable substances from causing a fire is cut back as much as possible. The transportation of the materials is also important to ensure nothing is damaged during transfer and that there is a place to safely overlook to materials at the workplace. The final roles of the employer is to ensure that if each(prenominal) new materials or processes are introduced in the workplace that they are added to the risk assessment to mention it updated to that health and safety regulations can always be kept to.The employees also have m each roles in the workplace to help keep to the Health and Safety at Work Act. They must have a sensible relationship with their employer so that they can penning any issues with the risk assessment or report the behaviour of other employees when using the equipment or material. Ensure that other employees are being safe and help make sure that everyone understands what they need to do in certain situations like fire drills. Howeve r the employees are not allowed to interfere with anything that relates to the providing of health and safety equipment or clothing protection as this up to the employer 4.MANAGEMENT OF HEALTH AND SAFETY AT WORK REGULATIONS 1999The Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations also known as the MHSWR was introduced in 1999 was developed as part of the Health and Safety at Work Act to show the specific separated of roles between the employers and employees 45.The regulations involves sounding into the contrastive aspects of the workplace and evaluating how everything hazard and risk can affect each member of staff by looking capability in health and safety situations for example an older employee could struggle to get down stairs quickly if there was a fire instead the employer could move the employee to an office or laboratory on a lower floor. Overall this management of the issues and the precautions that can be used to avoid hazards, the following itemisation shows the 30 sections to the Management of Health and safety at Work Regulations1. Citation, commencement and interpretation2. Disapplication of these Regulations3. Risk assessment4. Principles of prevention to be applied5. Health and safety arrangements6. Health surveillance7. Health and safety avail8. Procedures for serious and imminent danger and for danger areas9. Contacts with external services10. Information for employees11. Co-operation and co-ordination12. Persons workings in horde employers or self-employed persons undertakings13. Capabilities and training14. Employees duties15. Temporary workers16. Risk assessment in respect of new or expectant mothers17. Certificate from registered medical practitioner in respect of new or expectant mothers18. notice by new or expectant mothers19. Protection of young persons20. Exemption certificates21. renders as to indebtedness22. Exclusion of civil liability23. Extension outside Great Britain24. Amendment of the Health and Safety (First-Aid ) Regulations 198125. Amendment of the Offshore Installations and demarcation Works (First-Aid) Regulations 198926. Amendment of the Mines Miscellaneous Health and Safety Provisions Regulations 199527. Amendment of the Construction (Health, Safety and Welfare) Regulations 199628. Regulations to have effect as health and safety regulations29. Revocations and consequential amendments30. Transitional provision6The person responsible for the Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations is the employer, who must assess any possible risks and manage them in a schoolmaster method so that the employees are safe from injury, when undertaking specific t requires. They must ensure that employees have the reclaim training and knowledge for emergency situations. Furthermore the employees must comply with the regulations created and attend any training or instruction sessions. Also the employees must feel that the person in charge of health and safety is accessible so that they can com municate any concerns they have about the health and safety of other employees and report anything they sense could be potentially dangerous or harmful 7.The Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations is no longer seen as a requirement for an organization to abide by 8. readiness AND USE OF WORK EQUIPMENT REGULATIONS 1998The Provision and theatrical role of Work Equipment Regulations also known as PUWER was make on the 15th of September 1998, laid before Parliament on the 25th of September 1998 and was enforced and formally introduced on the 5th of December 1998 9.The regulations were created so that organisations would address dangerous situations to control the risk of the hazard and prevent the employees getting seriously injured or killed due to a piece of equipment in their method of work. afterward this was introduced there was the creation of the Lifting Operations and Lifting Equipment Regulations (1998) which also helped reduce the luck of employees getting injur ed. The Provision and Use of Work Equipment Regulations applies to any employer even if they are self-employed and complies to anyone in the organisation who uses the equipment at work these regulations do not cover the use of equipment by the public as this comes under the Health and Safety at Work Act. The PUWER covers every aspect of equipment used in an organisation from machinery to office furniture any equipment could be a possible hazard to an employees health. This means that all equipment should be regularly test so that it complies to the safety regulations of the CE mark 10.It is up to the employers and employees to squeeze to the regulations and ensure that the equipment isSuitable for its intended useThis means that the equipment should provide a specific purpose/function in the organisation so that no useless equipment is forget about.Safe for use and suitably maintainedThe equipment used should be safety checked to see if it is all told safe to use in the process s o that it is not likely that the equipment with cause ahazard. For example machinery should be regularly checked so that it could not cause a fire. Also the maintenance of the equipment means that things are regularly cleaned so that in, for example, a biological lab there is no spread of bacterium or organisms between samples.Used by people who have received trainingThis literally means that employees need to be qualified and educated in the used of the equipment so this could involve going on training courses or reading instruction manuals so they have good knowledge of what to do it the equipment breaks or how the equipment could cause injury to an employee which would reduce the risk of the hazard occurring.Accompanied by suitable protective devices, archetype and instructions This is mainly the role of the employer to provide safety signs or instructions near the equipment to reminder employees of how to reduce the risks. Also when using chemicals it is vital that the correct clothing is provided like lab coats, safety goggles and protective goggles so that the chemical cannot harm the employees. Protective devices can be used to indicate when a piece of equipment is dangerous or broken so that the employees do not injure themselves on it 4.luck AND CRITICAL CONTROL POINTS AS APART OF THE FOOD SAFETY ACT 1990The Food Safety Act of 1990 was developed in the Food Safety Regulations of 1995 and the following concept was create to help food industries to advance high quality products thats consumers would recognise for their safety and hygiene when creating the product 4. The Hazard Analysis critical Control Points also known as HACCP is an internationally used process that ensures that only food exchange is safe to consume. The food products are analysed and evaluated using biological, chemical and physical techniques in order to assess any possible hazards throughout the process or handling, manufacturing, distribution and eventually eating the food pr oduct. The points provide a simple systemic approach to discovering hazards and risks and the creation of the risk assessment with suitable precautions 1112.Many organisation abide by the legislations of the HACCP and EU food hygiene to guarantee customers that their food is hygienically prepared without any issues of health and safety for example some products may have no possibility of a spread of bacteria disease. There are 7 main aspects that the HACCP looks into1. identify any hazards that must be prevented eliminated or trim This means that the employer, employees and health and safety experts must find every possible hazard that could potentially harm the food or the person who eats the food and form this information into a list or table.2. identify the critical control points (CCPs) at the steps at which control is essential This involves evaluating all the points made in the first list to pick out the most vital hazards that need to be definitely controlled to not happen .3. establish critical limits at CCPsThis is identifying the risks and probability of the hazard and knowing the worst outcome if the hazard wasnt controlled at all.4. establish procedures to monitor the CCPsThis is the way in which the organisation plans to keep the hazard under control and reduce the risk these are the precautions planned to be used/taken.5. establish corrective actions to be taken if a CCP is not under control This is like a back-up plan if the precaution does not work and this can change depending on the situation or environment. For example if one of the machines that is used to posit the meat sets on fire thence sprinklers shoot water from the ceiling and the building is evacuated to avoid any employees being injured.6. establish procedures to verify whether the above procedures are working effectively This involves evaluating the precautions used to reduce the probability of a hazard being uncontrollable to decide which methods arebest to control it.7. estab lish documents and records to show up the effective application of the above measures The creation of risk assessments and written documents so that the organisation can keep a record of their hazards and risks to make their product as safe as possible.Most employers create detailed documents that contain 4 sections firstly a plan is created to identity how food product can be safe and how their food product needs to be safe and hygienically prepared. This section is important because it reduces the probability of infection from either dangerous bacteria or chemical or physical contamination of any meat or plant products. Furthermore it allows the organisation to see how food poisoning can be bring down in their food product, possibly from cooked and uncooked foods having contact.The following section is completing the actions planned in the first section to try out the precautions for a set period of time. Meanwhile the next section should be taking place this is supervising and monitoring the effect that the precautions being taken is having an effect on the actual product by making sure it is more safe to eat. The final section is playacting to correct the precautions like if the food product still contains unnecessary bacteria then it needs to be cleaned and disinfected more 13.CONTROL OF SUBSTANCES HAZARDOUS TO HEALTH 2002The Control of Substances Hazardous to Health Regulations also known as COSHH was introduced in 2002 and ensure that all employers were controlling the use of any potentially hazardous substances that their employees use. The regulations were created as extreme amendments to the Control of Substances Hazardous to Work Regulations 1999 14. The regulations forced employers to find a less hazardous substance to use, til now if this is not possible then practical solutions need to be made so that the risk of any type of injury relating to the use of substances in the workplace is either totally eliminated or strongly reduced to protect the health of the staff working for the organisation 15.To make sure the regulations are met most organisations stick to 4 specific factors to pass external inspections of the workplaceThe use of detailed but understandable risk assessment specific to the different substances used The control of exposures in which the risk can be reducedThe study of health surveillance among the employeesPlan of action if an accident was to occur in the workplace (first aid facilities) 14The following list shows the processes used to control the hazards in organisations in order to comply with the COSHH regulationsfinding out what the health hazards aredeciding how to prevent harm to health (risk assessment)providing control measures to reduce harm to healthmaking sure they are usedkeeping all control measures in good working orderproviding information, instruction and training for employees and others providing monitoring and health surveillance in appropriate cases planning for emergencies.16These regulations are taken extremely seriously by both the employer and their employees as the inappropriate use of harmful substances is a crime and can be punished with fines of up to 400 on a summary faith 14.CODES OF PRACTICES AND RECOMMENDATIONS USED IN EDUCATION (CLEAPSS)The Codes of Practices and Recommendations used in Education involves The Consortium of Local Authorities for Provision of Science Services also known as CLEAPSS. This covers local organisations like schools and other types of educational establishments to make sure they are safe within the service they are providing.CLEAPSS is based on 6 aspects of the organisationRisk assessmentsThis introduction of these into an establishment immediately improves its health and safety because it identifies any hazards and evaluates the risk and probability of it occurring and then suggests suitable methods or precautions to take to reduce the possibility of the hazard happening.Chemicals, living organisms and equipmentThis rel ates to the rules of the Control of Substances Hazardous to Health regulations which covers any use of chemicals for example in recognition lessons at a secondary school the instructor and pupils would have to take precautions like wearing protective clothing or diluting the chemical. Also the Provision and Use of Work Equipment Regulations is used in this area to ensure that the equipment is safe to use, especially electrically equipment in schools and colleges need to have regular safety checks to reduce the hazard of fires or electrocution.Sources of resourcesThis can relate in an environmental way to study where the materials needed for these establishments comes from. For example the paper needed for schools comes from trees so it is vital that more trees are planted when some are cut down for the paper to help create a more sustainable environment.Laboratory design, facilities and fittingsThis ensures that places like school science laboratories are safe to use. Not only sho uld the electrically equipment work properly but the cabinets and workbenches should be fitted securely and in suitable places and the floor should not cause any kind of tripping hazard.Technician and their jobsThis means that fully trained and qualified technical staff need to be employed in order for the establishment to have people in case there is anykind of emergency or injury.Some D&T facilities and fittingsThis is similar to the design of science laboratories however in design and technology situations there is more important equipment like machines that need to be safety checked and well trained staff need to supervise the use of it. Also safety instructions and signs can be used around the room to ensure that everyone knows how to use machinery or who to ask for help 4.