Neal's Notes For October 2007

First Aid update

Operating in a lower risk environment such as a shop or an office it is recommended that you need at least one appointed person for less than 50 people, at least one first aider for 50 to 100 and an additional first aider for every 100 employees. For medium risk environments such as light engineering, assembly work, food processing and warehouse duties, these figures become fewer than 20 people - one appointed person, 20 to 100 - one first aider for every 50 and more than 100 an additional first aider for every 100 employed. For higher risk environments the requirement is for one appointed for fewer than five, for 50 to 50 at least one first aider and for more than 50 one additional first aider for every 50 employees. Never forget to increase the number of first aiders to suit specific needs and tell all employees who and where they are. A basic grounding is provided by a one-day course but a four day course is required for first aid qualification. One contact for this is the British Red Cross who can be contacted at www.redcross.org.uk

International Conference call for papers

The 4th International Conference on the Prevention of Occupational accident in a changing work environment will be held in Crete from September 30th to October 3rd 2008. This conference is calling for papers on any aspect of occupational safety but wants to emphasise the changing pattern of the work environment and the design of accident prevention strategies in the following areas of safety.

Occupational risks related to new technologies and changes in the work environment:

Risk assessment
Cost of accidents and insurance cover for occupational hazards.
Methodologies for occupational safety prevention
Innovation for the application of safety standards
Tools for the investigation of accidents or near-misses
Inherent safety
Safety management systems
Good practices in large companies and SME
Occupational safety in specific industries (e.g. construction industry, metal industry, transportation etc)
Occupational safety for specific work groups (workers with disabilities etc)
Evidence based safety
Possibilities and difficulties arising from the application of new legislation and regulations (e.g. REACH)
Risk prevention and emergency response for occupational and public safety, related to transportation, natural disasters, major hazard industries, health care facilities, entertainment activities
Occupational safety in countries with low level implementation of safety measures
Roles and responsibilities in occupational safety. This includes the role of the safety engineer, corporate social responsibility and the trade unions' role.
Integration of courses on safety in education, innovative training and educational tools, safety culture.

The organisers require abstracts for all technical papers, thematic sessions and workshops. The abstracts should be written in English, not exceeding 300 word. More details on http://wos2008.conference.gr

Man fined for endangering fellow employee

Employees are reminded of their duty towards fellow colleagues following a prosecution where an employee was fined for endangering a colleague.

Richard Lenton, age 42, of Coventry was fined £800 and ordered to pay costs of £100 at Coventry Magistrate's Court after pleading guilty to breaching Section 7 of the Health and safety at Work etc Act 1974. The case followed an incident that left David Griffiths with spinal and pelvic injuries after he was crushed between two parts of a machine when Lenton set a 1,500 tonne transfer power press into motion.

Mr Griffiths was adjusting the suction cups of a steel carrier (manipulator) whilst located in an interlocked, guarded area housing the power press. The interlocked gates were open to prevent the machine from operating. Lenton, the press setter, needed to adjust the machine to change the height of the blank sheets feeding the press. He closed the interlocked gates with Mr Griffiths still in the guarded area. Shortly afterwards, Lenton pressed a control button to return the manipulator to automatic mode. The manipulator, carrying a blank steel sheet, moved to a central position trapping Mr Griffiths against the conveyor feeding the blanks into the power press.

Interlocked guarding had been provided by the company to prevent the machine from operating when the interlocked gates were closed. However, the gates had been deliberately closed with a man in the danger zone, thus defeating the guarding system. All operators are trained to operate the presses in a safe manner and are fully conversant with the implications of their actions. In this case a thoughtless moment caused severe spinal injuries to a fellow worker.

Beware of Silent Killer

The Health and Safety Executive has lent its support to CO (carbon monoxide) Awareness Week, organised by campaign group CO Awareness, by reminding homeowners and landlords of the dangers of carbon monoxide (CO) poisoning. Last year research revealed that 45% of households were unaware of the dangers of CO poisoning from gas appliances, which killed 16 people in 2005/06.

Often referred to as 'the silent killer' CO fumes are particularly dangerous because they cannot be detected. You cannot see, smell or taste the fumes, which in extreme cases can kill without warning in a matter of hours.

Speaking today at the launch of CO Awareness Week in the House of Lords, Health and Safety Minister Lord McKenzie thanked the CO Awareness group for organising it, and said,

"One life lost due to CO poisoning is one too many. These tragic incidents can be avoided with simple precautions. Let's make this winter a safe one. I urge the industry to continue raising awareness of the dangers of CO."

HSE advise that if you suspect your appliance is giving out excess carbon monoxide you should switch the appliance off, ventilate the room, visit your GP as a matter of urgency and ensure that a CORGI-registered installer makes the necessary repairs.

Landlords are required by law to have their tenants' gas appliances and flues maintained and annual safety checks carried out. Simple precautions such as regularly servicing and maintaining gas appliances through a CORGI-registered installer and using audible carbon monoxide detectors could play a key role in saving lives.

One of the main problems with detecting CO poisoning is that symptoms can mimic many common illnesses, such as flu or even simple tiredness. HSE advise that key symptoms to look out for are drowsiness, headaches, breathlessness and vomiting.

CO is produced when there isn't enough air for the complete burning of carbon fuels such as gas, oil and coal, which causes an excess of poisonous fumes. Signs that an appliance may be leaking excess carbon monoxide include:

Yellow or orange flames (except for fuel-effect fires which display this colour flame);
Soot or stains around the appliance; and
A pilot light that frequently blows out

Some dates for your Safety Diary

November 21st 2007 Fleet safety National motor Cycle Museum birmingham Contact admin@brake.org.uk

November 21-23 2007 The framework directive on safety and health at work and its implementation in small and medium sized enterprises. www.auva.at

November 26 2007 Director's Health and Safvety responsibilities conference - from liabiity to leadership Cavendish conference centre London. Contact RoSPA Events

0121 248 2120

November 28 Update to Changes in EMC directive. Contact events team ERA Technology Ltd events@era.co.uk

December 5 Health and Safety agenda 2008 London Contact Croner Training. wwcroner/training.co.uk

Canada's new machine safety drive

In 2005, more than 17,368 machinery-related lost-time injuries in the workplace were recorded by the Association of Workers' Compensation Boards of Canada. Thi has led to the launch of Interlocking Devices: Selection and Use, a new machine safety course aimed at reducing machinery-related accidents and injuries in the workplace.

"When it comes to machine safety, IAPA has seen many workplaces where there is a lack of health and safety expertise or a lack of manpower to dedicate an individual to a safety role. Also, most workplaces don't realize they have a problem until the Ministry of Labour does an inspection or a machinery accident occurs that involves critical injuries that have lasting effects for the injured party, their co-workers, and the organization,"

says Jim Armstrong, IAPA's Director of Consulting Services.

"IAPA's new course targets those employees trusted with ensuring machinery is safe to operate with the skills and knowledge to make better assessments of what interlocking devices are appropriate for different pieces of machinery and operations."

Machinery-related hazards may exist during any number of activities (loading, set-up, maintenance, cleaning, adjusting, troubleshooting, and repair) and in a number of different locations:

Where materials are fed into the process
At the point of operation where the machine cuts, turns, drills, shapes, or punches materials
At power transmission equipment, such as gears, wheels, cylinders, belts, rollers, chains, cables, sprockets, and carns

With consideration of these hazards, interlocking devices when properly applied, will detect access to a safeguarded area and prevent the equipment from operating.

Led by IAPA consultants specializing in machine safety, Interlocking Devices: Selection and Use addresses the role of risk assessment in the interlock selection, reviews key requirements of the applicable CSA standard, Z432-04, and identifies common types of interlocks and their strengths and limitations. Models featuring interlocking devices will also be used, giving participants the opportunity to put machine safety theory into practical application.

Interlocking Devices: Selection and Use is one of IAPA's more advanced courses and participants should have core knowledge of machine safeguarding principles or have completed IAPA's Safeguarding of Machinery course. Participants should also have a basic understanding of interlocking devices and how they function.

Interlocking Devices: Selection and Use is currently scheduled to take place on October 30, 2007 and November 29, 2007 at IAPA's Mississauga facility, the Centre for Health & Safety Innovation. Interlocking Devices: Selection and Use is available for $472.50/IAPA member firm participant and for $525/non-member firm participant.

Materials for Interlocking Devices: Selection and Use were developed in co-operation with Quebec-based health and safety associations IRSST (Institut de recherche Robert-Sauvé en santé et en sécurité du travail) and CSST (Commission de la santé et de la sécurité du travail).

For more information on IAPA's products, programs, and services visit www.iapa.ca

Heard about forklift truck refresher courses?

If you have been recently told that your forklift truck drivers have to go on specified refresher courses, IGNORE IT. The real position is that there is no legal requirement for forklift refresher training and there are no arbitrary time requirements. Operators should be monitored and their performance assessed on a regular basis so that training resources can be used where and when needed. A blanket approach to refresher training for all results in the expensive resources being wasted on skilled individuals. The FLTA website www.fork-truck.org.uk offers several impartial documents dealing with operator training.

Employers can be blamed for drink/drug driving offences by staff

If an employee has an accident that is caused by drink or drugs and somebody is injured or killed and if a company does not have an active policy and a testing regime, the company can be held 100% responsible. This refers equally to a member of the public or an employee and could well occur because the company has not done anything "which is reasonable" to prevent the accident from happening. But, if the company has followed its policy guidelines and is following a testing regime it is as regarded as having done everything that is reasonable and will not be held liable. Current thought is that the current limit of 80mg per 100ml of blood might soon be reduced to 50mg. And, our police may be given the authority to stop drivers on a random basis rather than responding to erratic behaviour.

Don't be driven up the wall by safety requirement

Use the wall to display relevant safety posters from Heath Technical Services' range. Visit www.healthandsafety.co.uk/shop/index/html or e mail stan@allen1889.freeserve.co.uk. The range covers construction, industrial, office and first aid and has just been updated.. Favourites are "Report that Near Miss", "Safety tip for forklift drivers" "Slips trips an falls" and "Working at height.

Search this site:

Please enter your keywords below:

Return to News

This page is sponsored by Professional Health and Safety Consultants Ltd. 63 65 Penge Road South Norwood London SE25 4EJ Phone Internationally: +44 2087787838 or UK London 020 8778 7838 for all your health and safety requirements.