Neal's Notes For JUNE 2010

New seminars on Driver CPC

Given the Driver CPC requirement for 35 hours of training every five years, it is logical to select training that will give you the best return on investment, making your training self-funding and beneficial for your business Cardinus Fleet is offering a full day Driver CPC seminar for up to 25 drivers.

These seminars can be delivered at your premises, are modular and you choose which subjects are covered. There is a number of 3½ hour seminar modules registered with JAUPT or any two modules can be linked together for a full day training, to meet the minimum CPC requirement. The seminar subjects we have registered include:

Driver awareness training (collision avoidance) seminar
Fuel and cost saving seminar
Incident analysis seminar
Low speed manoeuvring seminar
Health and safety legislation in road transport
Vehicle checks and defect recording
Safe loading of goods vehicles (including weight limits)
Hazardous goods awareness
Drivers hours and tachographstraining(this is a full day trainingincluding a half-day familiarisation on digital tachographs)

In addition to the Driver CPC seminars is a practical in-vehicle training course that has been registered with JAUPT and a full dayon-road training session on Driver Awareness training to up to three people in a standard four-seat vehicle is available. This enjoyable and practical method has proven techniques for avoiding collisions and for driving more efficiently with better fuel economy. Vistit www.cardinus.com OR email drivercpc@cardinus.com OR call 01733 426006.

It's only water...isn't it?

The Legionella Pneumophila bacterium is widespread in nature and artificial water systems.We usually associate Legionella with larger water systems, such as those found in factories, hotels, hospitals, and cooling towers, but they can also live in the smaller water supply systems used in homes and other residential accommodation. Legionella is caught by inhaling small droplets of water suspended in the air that contain the bacterium.

Most community outbreaks in the UK have been linked to installations such as cooling towers or evaporative condensers as part of air-conditioning and industrial cooling systems, which can spread droplets of water over a wide area. To prevent the occurrence of Legionnaires' disease, companies that operate these systems must comply with regulations requiring them to manage, maintain and treat them properly. Amongst other things this means that the water must be treated and the water system cleaned regularly.

Legionella bacteria can multiply in hot or cold water systems and storage tanks. Although the generally high throughput and relatively low volume of water held in smaller water systems in residential properties reduces the likelihood of the bacteria reaching dangerous concentrations,it can bespread in spray from showers and taps.

As a property owner, legislation requires you to carry out a risk assessment to identify and assess potential sources of exposure.Once identified, it requires you tointroduce a course of action to prevent or control any risk. Even if you have passed on responsibility for maintaining your property through an agreement with a third party, you cannot delegate these responsibilities

Finger friendly or wrist wrecker, the keyboard option

Maltron ergonomic keyboards are internationally revered as the means of preventing keyboard-induced RSI and enabling those stricken by this crippling condition to return to full-time work. The latest addition to the extensive Maltron range of specialist keyboards is the flat Finger Friendly model being featured at this Show. It incorporates the proven features from the Maltron portfolio, such as the thumb groups to make effective use of these digits, but a flat shape to make adaptation easier.

This Finger Friendly keyboard offers keys in straight columns but the keys of a row are set to suit the varying lengths of the specific operating fingers. Typically the column for the longest middle finger is positioned further away for easy non-straining access by that finger. A pattern followed for all the fingers on both hands. The home row is highlighted by yellow keys and clearly shows finger positions.

Maltron's stand at the show will also include the Single Handed models that have received substantial orders from Korea, Poland and India and also the Mouth-Stick keyboard that with the Single Handed are the only keyboards listed in the Office Section of the US State Department's catalogue of items to help people suffering from the Explosive Remnants of War.

Maltron also have a new video showing a user who has recovered from RSI by using a Maltron keyboard telling of her experience and other users working with Single Handed models.

Maltron dual handed keyboards are specifically designed to fit hands and minimise or eliminate stress and pain. They have been given a Four-Star award by the prestigious PC Magazine based in New York. This supports the previous Five Mouse rating awarded by Mac User magazine with the comment “Perfect for those suffering from or trying to elude RSI”

See www.maltron.com for user reports and more information on the Maltron range of ergonomic keyboards.

PCD Maltron Ltd, Castlefields, Stafford ST16 1BU Tel. 0845 230 3265 Fax 0845 230 3266 Int. 44 1785 785 525. Email sales@maltron.co.uk

Mr Bendy and Master Dummy feature in back warning campaign posters

Mind Your Back When Lifting is one of two recent ns to the established range of Safety Point safety posters from Heath Technical Services (see www.stanssafetyposters.co.uk ). Making a vital safety point through the use of gentle humour, this posters point out that Mr Bendy can snap back into shape after being distorted but humans can't. It extols the virtues of a keeping a straight back when lifting large or heavy objects and lifting from the legs.

Don't be a Dummy! Take care of your back! Is the message delivered by this poster in the Safety Point series from Heath Technical Services (see www.stanssafetyposters.co.uk ) It features back-caring advice on maximum loads, handling unfamiliar loads, how to turn with a load, how to lift and using leg strength.

All the posters in the Safety Point range are encapsulated in heavy-duty plastics to withstand wear and tear. A brochure is freely available from Stan Allen at HEATH TECHNICAL SERVICES, 6 Sandfield Gardens, Thornton Heath, Surrey CR7 8AR Tel/Fax: 0208 653 4648. Email stan@allen1889.freeserve.co.uk

Dangerous artificial light?

New regulations protecting workers from the dangers of hazardous sources of artificial light have come into force. The Control of Artificial Optical Radiation at Work Regulations meets a European Union Directive to ensure that standards are set and harmonised across Europe to protect workers from harm arising from exposure to hazardous sources of artificial light.

Some sources of artificial light, particularly UV radiation and light from lasers can harm the eyes and skin of workers and must be properly managed. Workers in Great Britain are generally well protected from dangerous sources of light and the majority of businesses know how to manage the risks effectively. Therefore the regulations will mean few practical changes for most businesses, including those who are already managing the risks. To help those businesses who are not already managing the risks understand what's required and what they need to do, HSE is producing guidance to ensure workers can remain appropriately protected.

Common sources of light in the workplace such as office lights, photocopiers and computers are not affected by the regulations.

Repetitive tasks and MSD dangers

A new downloadable tool is available to help businesses and organisations reduce the likelihood of their employees suffering from musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs) of the upper limbs associated with repetitive tasks. MSDs are the most common occupational illness in Britain affecting more than 500,000 people every year and are often linked to repetitive work tasks such as packing on a production line or the regular use of hand tools. The Assessment of Repetitive Tasks (ART) tool, developed by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) and Health and Safety Laboratory (HSL), can help identify where the significant risks lie, suggest where to focus risk reduction measures and help prioritise improvements. Jeremy Ferreira, Senior Ergonomist at HSL said: “Assessing quick repetitive movements of the arms and hands can be more difficult than assessing manual handling operations like heavy lifting.

“Often actions to reduce MSDs caused by repetitive tasks are incredibly simple, yet are overlooked by employers because the risks are not so readily recognised. “The ART tool makes it much easier to determine where the risks lie, and what measures should be taken by employers together with their workforce to reduce the potential for injury.”

The tool complements existing HSE guidance on upper limbs, and is available online at www.hse.gov.uk/msd/uld/art or in hard copy (INDG438). Looking at your first aid requirements

People at work can suffer injuries or be taken ill. It doesn't matter whether this is caused by the work they do or not, it is important that they can get immediate help when necessary. It's not a case of just following the rules as first aid can save lives and prevent minor injuries becoming more serious.

The law – Health and Safety (First Aid) Regulations 1981 – requires 'adequate and appropriate' equipment, facilities and people to be available to ensure immediate help can be given. Adequate and appropriate are the key words – different businesses will have different needs, and what is right for big companies won't necessarily be appropriate in smaller firms.

There's a simple, easy-to-follow checklist on the HSE website to help a business assess what first aid provision it needs. A common feature of all workplaces is the first aid box. Contrary to popular belief, there are no mandatory contents. It all depends on what you assess your needs to be. But as a guide, where work activities involve low hazards, a minimum stock of first aid items might be:

A leaflet giving general advice on first aid
20 individually wrapped sterile plasters
Two sterile eye pads
Four individually wrapped triangular bandages
Six safety pins
Two large and six medium-sized individually wrapped sterile, unmedicated wound dressings
A pair of disposable gloves

It's recommended that you don't keep tablets and medicine in the first aid box. When you are assessing your first aid needs, a key decision is whether you will need a first aider or not. First-aiders must hold an approved qualification from a recognised awarding body. Refresher training for your first aiders is a good idea. If your assessment shows you don't need a first aider, you should appoint someone to take charge of first aid, such as looking after the first aid box or calling an ambulance in emergencies.

You should also inform employees about what the first aid arrangements are. To find out more: www.hse.gov.uk/firstaid or call HSE's Infoline on 0845 345 0055.

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