Page 2 - Health and Safety

Hosepipe Protectors and Ramps – Your Problems Solved

Posted on May 21, 2014

I passed by a construction site the other day and they had a hosepipe running across the road. In an effort to make the hose secure, somebody (probably by the orders of the site manager or safety officer) had passed it through a steel pipe. The improvisation would have been inspiring, but the pipe was creating a rude bump for the vehicles driving on the road, apart from being a tripping hazard for pedestrians, especially during the dark hours. Whoever put it there probably didn’t know that hosepipe protector ramps had long been invented. What Are Hosepipe Protector Ramps? Hosepipe protectors and ramps are simple and inexpensive pieces of equipment that make it possible for you to get a hosepipe from point A to point B without risking damage to the pipe, causing bumps on the road, or creating a tripping hazard on the walkway that lies between points A and B. The double sided ramp makes vehicular and wheeled movement smooth and protects against accidental trips and falls. These protectors...

Hazard Storage Cupboards

Posted on May 12, 2014

Several people were treated at a hospital in Danville, Virginia after inhaling acidic vapours created by accidental mixing of chemicals at a local water treatment plant. Such incidents are reminders of the importance to be cautious when dealing with chemicals at the workplace. Hazardous substances are not limited to TNT or Uranium. Things as harmless as motor oil or even soap can cause serious accidents when not handled properly. Imagine someone accidentally ingesting a cleaning fluid or slipping on spilled oil. Any decent workplace should have dedicated colour-coded cabinets for storing different things that can be deadly mixers. Salt and detergent look similar, as do beer and…well, so many other chemicals. Legal Requirements and Colour Coding for Hazardous Cabinets Hospitals, manufacturing, printing and metalwork industries, catering kitchens, hotels, schools, workshops, and almost every other workplace can use a hazard storage cupboard or two, if not more. All such industries that...

Ahoy – Mobile Safety Steps Come Under Pressure!

Posted on April 23, 2014

The Workplace Depot manufactures safety steps and access platforms at a factory in Leicester. We offer an extensive range of mobile safety steps and access platforms and also welcome bespoke orders - additional features may include a larger platform, a safety gate and different types of wheels. We can also make them as tall as you like and in any RAL colour – The RAL colours also applies to our Fetra trucks and trolleys. Safety Steps Load Testing In February 2014 we had our safety steps and access platforms load tested by Pegasus Mechanical Lifting, a UK specialist lifting equipment testing & design company who are members of the Lifting Equipment Engineers Association (LEEA). They were tested to a maximum load of 150 KG which was evenly distributed on the platform applied using calibrated test weights. The safety step models that were tested were 58 Series Mobile Safety Steps (BC5801), 35 Series Mobile Safety Steps (BC35) and the Easy action steps (BC5931 & BC5941). High Standards The...

Manual Handling Training - What Every Manager Should Know

Posted on April 09, 2014

Over one-third of some 439,000 work-related musculoskeletal disorder (MSD) cases reported in 2012 were caused by manual handling, which makes manual handling the most hazardous activity around the workplace. The Manual Handling Occupation Regulations (MHORs) of 1992 define manual handling as, "any transporting or supporting of a load (including the lifting, putting down, pushing, pulling, carrying or moving thereof) by hand or bodily force.” The menacing numbers of MSD cases have forced employers to take a closer look at their manual handling operations, especially since injured employees started suing their companies for damages. Thanks to the best practices and manual handling guidelines issued and recommended by HSE and RoSPA, there has been a decrease in the incidence of MSD in the last couple of years. Employers are increasingly opting to get their handling procedures reassessed and get their employees trained for manual handling. Manual Handling Training Manual handling training encompasses...

The Biggest Personal Protective Equipment Myths Exposed

Posted on March 24, 2014

Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) is just one aspect of the health and safety regulations that the government has been attempting to push over the last few years and unsurprisingly, it’s separated into two groups. Some people will kit themselves out in every piece of equipment imaginable, while others will cut corners and subsequently be under protected. This means that countless myths have emerged over the years, with some just basic misconceptions while others are bordering on the ridiculous. In a bid to showcase the sector in its true light, here are the favourite five that we have found. Myth #1: Once I've bought PPE, my obligations are over Whether you are an employer or employee, the obligations are far from over once you fork out for your initial PPE gear. It doesn’t matter whether you’ve bought out the entire shop, this is just the tip of the iceberg and as well as obviously wearing it, you’ll also have to store and keep it appropriately. The HSE suggest storing it in any area...

Steps to Improve Safety in Your Warehouse

Posted on February 13, 2014

As much as we don't like to think about it, accidents in the workplace do occur. These common occurrences will negatively impact the level of efficiency at which a company operates. Because a warehouse is the location where items are arranged, stacked and stored, top priority is keeping the structure and the goods contained in it as safe as humanly possible. This can be accomplished with the use of warehouse steps. High industrial shelves are the norm in warehouses. As such, some means of reaching the goods on those shelves is needed. But ordinary ladders won't do. A quality set of warehouse steps that suits the application can ensure the safety of many of the other elements of warehouse work. What Are Your Options For Warehouse Steps? Although warehouse steps may bring to mind use for only warehouse situations, they can actually be used in many other applications as well. Libraries, stock rooms, retail stores, shops, and factories all use warehouse steps to make the picking of small items...

First Aid Kits for Different Workplaces

Posted on February 07, 2014

Regardless of how much you guard against the, accidents can still happen. That's why it's important to have a well-stocked first aid kit in your office or workplace to attend to accidental injuries or medical emergencies immediately after they happen. The NHS suggests that your basic first-aid kit should contain the following items: Basic first aid kit - Plasters: The numbers and sizes are not specified, but you should have a variety of shapes and sizes. - Gauzes: Your basic first-aid kit should have small, medium and large sterile gauze dressings. - Eye Dressings: At least two sterile eye dressings are recommended. - Crêpe Bandages: These would be used to apply pressure, dissipate swelling, restrict movement, or hold the splint in place. - Safety Pins: Carry a number of them in different sizes to hold small, medium and large dressings in place. - Disposable Sterile Gloves: Store 2 or more pairs of these. The British Standard 8599-1 requires use of nitrile gloves for workplace first-aid...

Medical Scissors for First Aid Kits

Posted on January 27, 2014

If you look through the list of contents for the first aid kits on this site, you will notice that some of them contain scissors and some contain ‘shears’. Most people think of sheers as something you cut hedges with, so we did a bit of research into the history of scissors to try and find out more about the different types. Scissors were invented in ancient Egypt in around 1500 BC. The oldest known scissors were discovered from archeological digs at what was once Mesopotamia. These are 3000–4000 years old "spring-scissors", comprising two blades joined by a curved flexible bronze strip. Between that day and now, scissors have come a long way, finding thousands of applications in fields such as engineering, agriculture, grooming, and medical, apart from regular everyday use in homes and offices. Medical scissors today are made from stainless steel, nitinol, titanium and tungsten carbide. They come in a variety of shapes and sizes, each suitable for a particular use. The type of medical...

Four Reasons Why You Should Invest in Workplace Health and Safety Training

Posted on November 27, 2013

Even today, in a time when health and safety red tape supposedly streams across workplaces up and down the UK, there are a shocking 200 deaths as a result of accidents in the workplace, and over a million injuries every single year. The health and safety naysayers might be right to criticise needless bureaucracy and over the top health and safety regulations, but in the 21st century, when there are still deaths occurring in the workplace, it is plain for all to see that something has to be done. Of course, there are some professions where an element of danger is inherent and unavoidable. Forestry is statistically the most dangerous industry in the UK, with workers six times more likely than construction workers to be killed at work. This simply highlights the importance of preventing accidents and ill health at work; after all, every employee is entitled to thorough training and a safe working environment. With competent workers often difficult to come by, the last thing you want is to...

Manual Handling - 6 FAQs

Posted on August 14, 2013

Manual handling relates to the moving of items either by lifting, carrying, pushing or pulling. Pulling something may not be the case when it comes to the injuries, you can cause an injury by lifting, carrying or pushing an item. These injuries can be a result of, the amount of times you lift or carry an item, the distance you are carrying it, the height you are picking the item up from or putting it down i.e ground level and above shoulder height. Any awkward positioning whilst carrying out these tasks such as twisting, bending and stretching may cause injury also. Manual handling injuries are the most common kind of injuries covering over a third of all workplace injuries. These injuries include Musculoskelatal Disorder (MSDs) such as upper and lower limb pain/disorders, joint and repetitive strain injuries. These injuries can occur almost anywhere in the workplace. Heavy manual labour, awkward postures and previous or existing injury can increase the risk. Manual handling injuries that...

Using Chemicals at Work - Control Measures

Posted on August 01, 2013

You can find chemicals in most workplaces and are used in different ways. Factories, shops, laboratories, offices and farms are just some of the places you would find chemicals in some form. The chemicals we use in our workplace may include products you buy to use in your core business, maintaining equipment or in general cleaning equipment. The term chemical could also refer to hazardous substances you create as part of your work processes for example, dust created by cutting wood or stone. A user of chemicals could be: - a farmer - a hairdresser - a cleaner - a worker in a chemical plant - a technician in a laboratory - a pest control operator As an employer the law requires you to control the use of chemicals at work. You will need to assess the risks in your workplace, then implement and maintain effective control measures. What is COSHH for? COSHH stands for Control of Substances hazardous to health. The aim of COSHH is to prevent, or moderately control any exposure to the hazardous...

The Risks of Construction Dust

Posted on July 19, 2013

Construction Dust Construction dust can cause serious damage to your health and some types of dust can eventually kill you. Regularly breathing in these harmful dusts over a long period of time can cause a life threatening disease on your lungs. The dangers of asbestos dust is well documented elsewhere (see Asbestos health and safety on the HSE website) so we are focusing here on other types of dust which have harmful side-effects. What is construction dust? Construction dust is generally used to describe different types of dusts that you may find on a construction site. There are three main types of construction dust: Silica dust – created when working on materials containing silica. Materials such as concrete, mortar and sandstone (also known as respirable crystalline silica or RCS) Wood dust – created when working on softwood, hardwood and wood-base products like MDF and plywood Lower toxicity dusts – created when working on materials containing little or no silica. The most common...