I have added a number of posts to this blog this week (December 2007) to update with regard to changes to legislation and simply to add a few sections.
I have converted this blog in to a book which is available for purchase. An electronic version is available for £3.99 by clicking the button on the right. Alternatively, I often have it on ebay - search for nebosh ebook
For a hard copy (£9.75* + postage) go to the printer's website
You can access the page to buy from, as well as get more information and access some previews, on my website
Why buy the book?
1. The text is far more refined;
2. The book links to many guidance documents available free from the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) website, allowing you to get more detail on subjects when you need it without hunting around for the relevant documents;
3. You will be able to use the book offline
4. Feedback so far has been very positive with comments such as:
* As described, excellent, very comprehensive
* Excellent item
* Seems to cover everything
* Looks very professional
* This is a great 'book' many thanks
You can access the page to buy from, as well as get more information and access some previews, on my website
Feeback received so far includes:
Exactly what was offered on ebay is what was delivered
* As described, excellent, very comprehensive
* Excellent item
* Seems to cover everything
* Looks very professional
* This is a great 'book' many thanks
* Clear and concise information
* ebook covers everything and easy to read
* Great item, will help alot, many thanks
* First class Health & Safety literature highly recommended NEBOSH student reading
* Well presented, easy to follow
* Exactly what I was looking for, a moderately concise, matter of fact insight into health and safety
*Please note all costs are approximate and depend on exchange rates.
Tuesday, December 11, 2007
First aid in the workplace
Even in the least hazardous workplace people can suffer injuries or become ill. Whatever the cause, it is important that they receive prompt and appropriate attention. First aid can prevent minor problems becoming worse, and for more serious events, calling an ambulance and getting the casualty to hospital can save lives.
Making first aid arrangements
As a minimum, any work site must have a suitably stocked first-aid box and an appointed person to take charge of first-aid arrangements. However, the following may require a higher standard of first aid provision:
* People working with hazardous substances, tools, machinery, loads or animals;
* Accidents or cases of ill health experienced in the past;
* A large number of people employed;
* Inexperienced workers and people on work experience;
* Employees with disabilities or special health problems;
* Premises that are spread out;
* Shiftwork or out-of-hours working;
* A workplace remote from emergency medical services;
* Employees who travel or work alone;
* Members of the public visiting premises.
First aid responsibilities
An ‘appointed person’ is someone who takes charge when someone is injured or falls ill (including calling an ambulance); and looks after the first-aid equipment (e.g. checks and restocks the first-aid box). An appointed person should be available at all times that people are ay work on site, which may mean appointing more than one. Appointed persons should not attempt to give first aid for which they have not been trained.
A ‘first aider’ is someone who has undergone a training course in administering first aid at work and holds a current first aid at work certificate. HSE approve training organisations. Work sites that are low risk and have relatively few workers may not require a first aider (but do require an appointed person). Higher risk sites and or where more people work may require more than one first aider.
Reference – ‘First aid at work - Your questions’ available free at http://www.hse.gov.uk/pubns/indg214.pdf
Basic principles of first aid
The priorities in an emergency where someone is injured or has fallen ill are:
1. Assess the situation, without putting yourself in danger;
2. Make the area safe;
3. Assess all casualties to identify any that are unconscious, which would be the highest priority for treatment;
4. Send for help.
When assessing a casualty the first thing to do is to check their consciousness. This can be achieved by seeing how they respond when gently shaken by the shoulders and asked loudly ‘Are you all right?’ If there is no response the priorities are to:
1. Get help;
2. Open the airway;
3. Check for breathing, and start Cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) if required.
After this, injuries requiring particular attention include severe bleeding, broken bones and spinal injuries, burns and eye injuries.
It is good practice to keep records of any first aid administered. This can assist with any subsequent investigation of the causes of the incident.
Reference – ‘Basic advice on first aid at work’ available free at http://www.hse.gov.uk/pubns/indg347.pdf
First aid regulations
The Health and Safety (First-Aid) Regulations 1981 require employers to provide adequate and appropriate equipment, facilities and personnel to enable first aid to be given to their employees if they are injured or become ill at work.
The Health and Safety (First-Aid) Regulations 1981 require employers to provide adequate and appropriate equipment, facilities and personnel to enable first aid to be given to employees if they are injured or become ill at work. These Regulations apply to all workplaces including those with five or fewer employees and to the self-employed.
What is adequate will depend on the circumstances in the workplace. This includes whether trained first aiders are needed, what should be included in a first aid box and if a first aid room is needed. Employers should carry out an assessment of first aid needs to determine this.
The Regulations do not place a legal obligation on employers to make first aid provision for non-employees such as the public or children in schools. However, HSE strongly recommends that non-employees are included in a first aid needs assessment and that provision is made for them.
Reference – Approved Code of Practice L74 provides guidance for complying with this legislation.
Making first aid arrangements
As a minimum, any work site must have a suitably stocked first-aid box and an appointed person to take charge of first-aid arrangements. However, the following may require a higher standard of first aid provision:
* People working with hazardous substances, tools, machinery, loads or animals;
* Accidents or cases of ill health experienced in the past;
* A large number of people employed;
* Inexperienced workers and people on work experience;
* Employees with disabilities or special health problems;
* Premises that are spread out;
* Shiftwork or out-of-hours working;
* A workplace remote from emergency medical services;
* Employees who travel or work alone;
* Members of the public visiting premises.
First aid responsibilities
An ‘appointed person’ is someone who takes charge when someone is injured or falls ill (including calling an ambulance); and looks after the first-aid equipment (e.g. checks and restocks the first-aid box). An appointed person should be available at all times that people are ay work on site, which may mean appointing more than one. Appointed persons should not attempt to give first aid for which they have not been trained.
A ‘first aider’ is someone who has undergone a training course in administering first aid at work and holds a current first aid at work certificate. HSE approve training organisations. Work sites that are low risk and have relatively few workers may not require a first aider (but do require an appointed person). Higher risk sites and or where more people work may require more than one first aider.
Reference – ‘First aid at work - Your questions’ available free at http://www.hse.gov.uk/pubns/indg214.pdf
Basic principles of first aid
The priorities in an emergency where someone is injured or has fallen ill are:
1. Assess the situation, without putting yourself in danger;
2. Make the area safe;
3. Assess all casualties to identify any that are unconscious, which would be the highest priority for treatment;
4. Send for help.
When assessing a casualty the first thing to do is to check their consciousness. This can be achieved by seeing how they respond when gently shaken by the shoulders and asked loudly ‘Are you all right?’ If there is no response the priorities are to:
1. Get help;
2. Open the airway;
3. Check for breathing, and start Cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) if required.
After this, injuries requiring particular attention include severe bleeding, broken bones and spinal injuries, burns and eye injuries.
It is good practice to keep records of any first aid administered. This can assist with any subsequent investigation of the causes of the incident.
Reference – ‘Basic advice on first aid at work’ available free at http://www.hse.gov.uk/pubns/indg347.pdf
First aid regulations
The Health and Safety (First-Aid) Regulations 1981 require employers to provide adequate and appropriate equipment, facilities and personnel to enable first aid to be given to their employees if they are injured or become ill at work.
The Health and Safety (First-Aid) Regulations 1981 require employers to provide adequate and appropriate equipment, facilities and personnel to enable first aid to be given to employees if they are injured or become ill at work. These Regulations apply to all workplaces including those with five or fewer employees and to the self-employed.
What is adequate will depend on the circumstances in the workplace. This includes whether trained first aiders are needed, what should be included in a first aid box and if a first aid room is needed. Employers should carry out an assessment of first aid needs to determine this.
The Regulations do not place a legal obligation on employers to make first aid provision for non-employees such as the public or children in schools. However, HSE strongly recommends that non-employees are included in a first aid needs assessment and that provision is made for them.
Reference – Approved Code of Practice L74 provides guidance for complying with this legislation.
Hand tools
Hand tools can cause injury and the risks need to be managed. Basic precautions include using the appropriate tool for the job, keeping tools in good condition and training people to use the tools. The following specific guidance applies:
* Hammers - avoid split, broken or loose shafts and worn or chipped heads. Make sure the heads are properly secured to the shafts;
* Files - these should have a proper handle. Never use them as levers;
* Chisels - the cutting edge should be sharpened to the correct angle. Do not allow the head of cold chisels to spread to a mushroom shape (grind off the sides regularly);
* Screwdrivers - never use them as chisels and never use hammers on them. Split handles are dangerous;
* Spanners - avoid splayed jaws. Scrap any which show signs of slipping. Have enough spanners of the right size. Do not improvise by using pipes etc as extension handles.
Reference – ‘Use work equipment safely’ available free at http://www.hse.gov.uk/pubns/indg229.pdf
* Hammers - avoid split, broken or loose shafts and worn or chipped heads. Make sure the heads are properly secured to the shafts;
* Files - these should have a proper handle. Never use them as levers;
* Chisels - the cutting edge should be sharpened to the correct angle. Do not allow the head of cold chisels to spread to a mushroom shape (grind off the sides regularly);
* Screwdrivers - never use them as chisels and never use hammers on them. Split handles are dangerous;
* Spanners - avoid splayed jaws. Scrap any which show signs of slipping. Have enough spanners of the right size. Do not improvise by using pipes etc as extension handles.
Reference – ‘Use work equipment safely’ available free at http://www.hse.gov.uk/pubns/indg229.pdf
Improving the health and safety culture
It is not possible to improve culture directly. Instead, it is necessary to work at improving factors that can have a positive influence on culture. For example:
* Increase the amount of time managers spend visiting the workplace (not just after an accident);
* Improve managers non-technical skills (e.g. communication);
* Increase levels of workforce participation in safety related problems and solutions;
* Promote good job satisfaction and moral;
* Promote a ‘just culture’ where blame is only used where someone takes reckless risks;
* Implement a competence assurance program to ensure everyone throughout the organisation has the skills they need to work safely.
Reference – ‘HSE Human Factors Briefing Note No. 7 - Safety Culture’ available free at http://www.hse.gov.uk/humanfactors/comah/07culture.pdf
* Increase the amount of time managers spend visiting the workplace (not just after an accident);
* Improve managers non-technical skills (e.g. communication);
* Increase levels of workforce participation in safety related problems and solutions;
* Promote good job satisfaction and moral;
* Promote a ‘just culture’ where blame is only used where someone takes reckless risks;
* Implement a competence assurance program to ensure everyone throughout the organisation has the skills they need to work safely.
Reference – ‘HSE Human Factors Briefing Note No. 7 - Safety Culture’ available free at http://www.hse.gov.uk/humanfactors/comah/07culture.pdf
Signs that suggest a poor culture
The symptoms of a poor health and safety cultural include:
• Widespread, routine procedural violations;
• Failure to comply with health and safety systems;
• Management decisions that put production or cost before safety.
These conditions can be difficult to detect because a poor culture not only contributes to their occurrence, it also means that people may be inclined to hide or cover-up violations and unsafe practices.
Reference – ‘Inspectors human factors toolkit - Common topic 4: Safety culture’ available free from http://www.hse.gov.uk/humanfactors/comah/common4.pdf
• Widespread, routine procedural violations;
• Failure to comply with health and safety systems;
• Management decisions that put production or cost before safety.
These conditions can be difficult to detect because a poor culture not only contributes to their occurrence, it also means that people may be inclined to hide or cover-up violations and unsafe practices.
Reference – ‘Inspectors human factors toolkit - Common topic 4: Safety culture’ available free from http://www.hse.gov.uk/humanfactors/comah/common4.pdf
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)