I T S Y O U R B U S I N E S S - S O L O O K A F T E R I T !

An INTRODUCTION t o
healt h AND s a f e t y
What you should know about
Whe re to get mo re info r ma t io n
H E A L T H A N D S A F E T Y I N S M A L L F I R M S
I N T R O D U C T I O N
I t s y o u r b u s i n e s s - s o l o o k a f t e r i t !
2
G
etting hurt at work is not a
pleasant subject to think
about. The reality is that 300
people a year lose their lives
at work in Britain. In addition,
around 158 000 non-fatal
injuries are reported each year,
and an estimated 2.2 million
suffer from ill health caused
or made worse by work.
The mistake is to believe
that these things happen in
highly unusual or exceptional
circumstances that never occur
in your workplace. This is not
the case. Some basic thinking
and acting beforehand could
have prevented these things
from happening.
This booklet shows you the
kind of things which cause the
more common accidents and
harm to peoples health. Its
purpose is to let you see what
applies to your work activities,
and to tell you how you can get
more help and information.
This is especially important
if you are in charge of work
activities, eg an employer,
because you have legal
responsibilities.
I t s YOUR business
so look aft er it !
I N T R O D U C T I O N
3
I t s y o u r b u s i n e s s - s o l o o k a f t e r i t !
Ten quest ions A N D a n s w e r s
for E V E RY O N E
1What is healt h and
saf et y all about ?
Preventing people from being
harmed by work by taking
the right precautions
and providing a satisfactory
working environment.
2Why are t here
healt h and saf et y laws?
Because health and safety at
work is so important, there are
rules which require all of us
not to put ourselves or others
in danger. The law is also
there to protect the public
from workplace dangers.
3Do healt h and
saf et y laws apply t o m e?
Yes. To all rms, however
small; also to the self-
employed and to employees.
4Who administ ers
healt h and saf et y law?
Inspectors from the Health
and Safety Executive (HSE) or
7Do I need t o
regist er my business?
Its likely if you employ
anyone contact HSE or
your local authority.
8Do I need t o
have employers
liabilit y compulsory
insurance?
Its the law if you employ
anyone and you should
display the certicate.
9Do I need t o
display any post ers?
Yes, the health and safety law
poster (ISBN 0 7176 1380 1)
if you employ anyone. To
order a poster, ring HSE
Books on 01787 881165.
10Do I have t o
report injuries at work?
Yes, and other incidents.
For information on which
ones and who should report
them, see page 19.
your local authority. For
example:
I HSE at factories, farms
and building sites;
I local authorities in ofces,
shops, hotels and catering,
and leisure activities.
5What do inspect ors
act ually do?
They visit workplaces to check
that people are sticking to the
rules. Mainly they help you to
understand what you need to
do. They enforce only when
something is seriously wrong.
6Do I have t o
cont act an inspect or t o
get inf ormat ion?
No. HSE operates a cond-
ential telephone helpline
called InfoLi ne, phone
08701 545500
Or you can write to
Healt h and Saf et y Execut i ve,
Informat i on Cent re,
Caerphi l l y Busi ness Park ,
Caerphi l l y CF83 3GG.
I N T R O D U C T I O N
I t s y o u r b u s i n e s s - s o l o o k a f t e r i t !
4
How t o U S E t his booklet
how each sect ion W O R K S
LIST OF TOPICS
Managing Healt h and Saf et y
Slips, Trips & Falls
Haz ardous Subst ances
Asbest os
Manual Handling
Noise
Vibrat ion
Elect ricit y
Work Equipment
& Machinery
Pressure Syst ems
Transport
Maint enance &
Building Work
Fire & Explosion
Radiat ion
First -Aid & Accident Report ing
N
o matter where you work,
this booklet summarises
the key common areas of risk
at work and tells you how you
can nd out more to ensure
that work is made safe.
In each section, you will
see the pages laid out
like this:
I
This section gives you
a brief introduction to the
subject.
I
This section gives you
some pointers to whether
the subject is relevant to
your business.
I
This section gives you
the main rules which apply in
addition to the general duties
in the Health and Safety at
Work etc (HSW) Act 1974.
I
This section is a selec-
tion of HSE publications which
will give you more detailed
information and guidance
on the subject, and how to
order them
*
.
I
At the bottom of each
page you will nd HSEs World
Wide Web address, and also
HSEs InfoLine number which
you can ring if you need more
i n f o r m a t i o n .
*
HSE Books will accept orders
for single copies of up to 25
assorted free publications.
You should allow 10 working
days for delivery.
M A N A G I N G H E A L T H & S A F E T Y
5
Have Y O U g o t healt h and
safet y U N D E R c o n t r o l ?
To order any of these titles, call
01787 88116 5
or use the order format the
back of this book
For other enquiries, please ring HSEs InfoLine, phone: 08701 545500 or write to HSEs Information Centre, Caerphilly
Did you know employers wit h
ve or more employees should
have a writ t en healt h and
saf et y policy?
Did you know all employers and
self -employed people have t o
assess t he risks f rom t heir
work act ivit ies?
Did you know employers wit h
ve or more employees have t o
record t he signi cant ndings
of t heir risk assessment ?
Did you know employers have
t o consult t heir employees or
t heir employees represent at ives
on cert ain healt h and saf et y
mat t ers?
Did you know employers have t o
provide healt h and saf et y
t raining f or employees?
Health and Safety at Work
etc Act 1974 (policies)
Management of Health and
Safety at Work Regulations
1992 (risk assessment)
Health and Safety (Consul-
tation with Employees)
Regulations 1996
Safety Representatives
and Safety Committees
Regulations 1977
DOES THIS CONCERN ME?
WHAT LAW APPLIES?
C
ontrolling dangers at
work is no different
from tackling any other task
recognising the problem,
knowing enough about it,
deciding what to do, putting
the solution into practice.
The law requires health and
safety policies and risk
assessments, but they have
a practical purpose. This is
to help you set your stall out
and to get the balance right
between the size of any
health and safety problems
and what you do about them.
The main demand is for
some of your thinking time.
Five steps t o informat ion,
instruct ion and t raining
INDG213 F R E E
(available in packs of 10
ISBN 0 7176 1235 X 5.00)
Five steps to risk assessment
I N D G 1 6 3 ( r e v ) F R E E
(available in packs of 10
ISBN 0 7176 1565 0 5.00)
Writ ing your healt h and
safet y policy st at ement
ISBN 0 7176 0424 1 3.00
Consult ing employees on
healt h and safet y: A guide
t o t he law INDG232 F R E E
HOW AND WHERE YOU CAN GET MORE HELP
S L I P S , T R I P S & F A L L S
Our World Wide Web Site with all the latest health and safety information can be found at ht t p:/ / www.hse.gov.uk
6
What A R E t he chances of
S L I P P I N G or T R I P P I N G at work?
To order any of these titles, call
01787 88116 5
or use the order format the
back of this book
Do you have oors which can
become wet or slippery?
Can oor condit ions change
quickly, eg because mat erials
or wast e build up?
Do people use unlit areas such
as pat hs or yards in t he dark?
Might t emporary work such as
maint enance or alt erat ions t ake
place? I t could int roduce
slipping and t ripping haz ards
such as t railing cables.
Do you use oor cleaning mat er-
ials anywhere? Are t he right
met hods and mat erials
being used? Workplace (Health, Safety and
Welfare) Regulations 1992.
T
he most common cause
of injuries at work is the
slip or trip. Resulting falls
can be serious. They happen
in all kinds of businesses,
but sectors such as food
and catering report higher
than average numbers. Its a
particularly important subject
if members of the public use
your premises. The estimated
cost to employers of all these
injuries is over 300 million
a year, and insurance only
DOES THIS CONCERN ME?
WHAT LAW APPLIES?
covers a small part of this.
Effective solutions are often
simple, cheap and lead to
other benets.
Prevent ing slips, t rips and
falls at work INDG225 F R E E
(available in packs of 15
ISBN 0 7176 1183 3 5.00)
Workplace healt h, safet y
and welfare INDG244 F R E E
(available in packs of 10
ISBN 0 7176 1328 3 5.00)
Slips and t rips HSG155
ISBN 0 7176 1145 0 7.50
HOW AND WHERE YOU CAN GET MORE HELP
H A Z A R D O U S S U B S T A N C E S
7
For other enquiries, please ring HSEs InfoLine, phone: 08701 545500 or write to HSEs Information Centre, Caerphilly
Do you W O R K w i t h
hazardous subst ances?
To order any of thesetitles, call
01787 88116 5
or use the order format the
back of this book
Do you use chemicals at work
( including cleaning mat erials) ?
Did you know suppliers of
haz ardous subst ances have
t o provide inf ormat ion t o users,
including saf et y dat a sheet s
and proper labelling?
Are dust and f ume present in
your workplace?
Do you have any wat er syst ems
which could be colonised by
legionella?
Do you work wit h animals
or t heir product s t hat may
be inf ect ed wit h bact eria
or viruses?
Control of Substances
Hazardous to Health
Regulations 1994 (COSHH)
Control of Lead at Work
Regulations 1980 (to be
updated in 1998)
Chemicals (Hazard Informa-
tion and Packaging for
Supply) Regulations 1994
WHAT LAW APPLIES?
T
housands of people are
exposed to all kinds of
hazardous substances at
work. These can include
chemicals that people make
or work with directly, and also
dust, fume and bacteria
which can be present in the
workplace. Exposure can
happen by breathing them in,
contact with the skin, splash-
ing them into the eyes or
swallowing them. If exposure
is not prevented or properly
controlled, it can cause ser-
ious illness, including cancer,
asthma and dermatitis, and
sometimes even death.
DOES THIS CONCERN ME?
There are many publications
which deal with particular indus-
tries or individual substances.
HSEs InfoLine can help iden-
tify what is relevant to you.
COSHH: A brief guide t o t he
regulat ions INDG136(rev)
FREE (available in packs of 10
ISBN 0 7176 2444 7 5.00)
Prevent ing dermat it is at work
INDG233 FREE
(available in packs of 15
ISBN 0 7176 1246 5 5.00)
Healt h risk management
HSG137
ISBN 0 7176 0905 7 6.50
Respirat ory sensit isers and
COSHH: Breat he freely
INDG95(rev2) FREE
(available in packs of 15
ISBN 0 7176 0914 6 5.00)
HOW AND WHERE YOU CAN GET MORE HELP
A S B E S T O S
Our World Wide Web Site with all the latest health and safety information can be found at ht t p:/ / www.hse.gov.uk
8
Do Y O U work wit h, O R come int o
cont act wit h, asbest os?
To order any of these titles, call
01787 88116 5
or use the order format the
back of this book
Do you know whet her t here is
asbest os in your premises?
I t can be present as a building
or insulat ion mat erial.
Does your work involve
maint enance and repair of
buildings? You might dist urb
asbest os while doing rout ine work.
Do you know what t he rules are
about removing asbest os?
Would you know how t o nd
someone licensed t o do
t his work?
Do you know whet her t here is
asbest os in any of t he mat erials
you work wit h?
The Control of Asbestos at
Work Regulations 1987
The Asbestos (Licensing)
Regulations 1983
The Asbestos (Prohibitions)
Regulations 1992
Asbest os dust : The hidden
killer! INDG187 FREE
(available in packs of 10
ISBN 0 7176 1208 2 5.00)
Asbest os and you
INDG107 (rev) F R E E
(available in packs of 15
ISBN 0 7176 1241 4 5.00)
The Control of Asbestos at Work
Approved Code of Practice
L27 (Third edition)
ISBN 0 7176 1673 8 6.75
DOES THIS CONCERN ME?
WHAT LAW APPLIES?
Managing asbest os in work-
place buildings
INDG223(rev 2) F R E E
(available in packs of 10
ISBN 0 7176 2092 1 5.00)
Good healt h is good business
MISC196 F R E E
HOW AND WHERE YOU CAN GET MORE HELP
A
sbestos is the largest
single cause of fatal
disease and ill-health caused
by work in Great Britain.
Although almost all the
deaths and ill health related
to asbestos today are due
to exposures that happened
several decades ago, if you
work with asbestos, or
come into contact with it
as a result of repair and
maintenance work, you need
to be particularly careful.
Asbestos can be found in
most buildings built between
1950 and 1980, as insulation
and lagging. It is still used in
some brake pads and clutch
linings and can be met in
vehicle servicing and repair.
M A N U A L H A N D L I N G
9
For other enquiries, please ring HSEs InfoLine, phone: 08701 545500 or write to HSEs Information Centre, Caerphilly
Do you S U F F E R from sprains,
st rains A N D p a i n s ?
To order any of these titles, call
01787 88116 5
or use the order format the
back of this book
Does lif t ing and carrying involve
st renuous pushing, pulling
or reaching?
I s t here repet it ive handling?
Do you have t o carry object s
or awkward loads across
long dist ances?
Do you have repet it ive nger,
hand or arm movement s?
I s t here t wist ing, squeez ing,
hammering or pounding?
Manual Handling Operations
Regulations 1992
Health and Safety (Display
Screen Equipment)
Regulations 1992
WHAT LAW APPLIES?
M
anual handling is trans-
porting or supporting
loads by hand or by bodily
force. Many people hurt their
back, arms, hands or feet.
One bad lift can cause injury
and cumulative damage can
build up over time even with
lighter loads. More than a third
of all over-three-day injuries
reported each year to HSE
and to local authorities are
the result of manual handling.
Upper limb disorders,
including repetitive strain
injury, can occur in o f c e -
DOES THIS CONCERN ME?
based as well as manual jobs.
They can happen if people
have to adopt awkward body
positions because of poorly
designed workstations, and
as a result of repetitive or
fast movements.
Get t ing t o grips wit h manual
handling INDG143(rev1)
(available in packs of 15
ISBN 0 7176 1754 8 5.00)
Upper limb disorders I N D G 1 7 1
(available in packs of 10
ISBN 0 7176 0751 8 3.50)
HOW AND WHERE YOU CAN GET MORE HELP
VDUs: An easy guide t o t he
regulat ions HSG90
ISBN 0 7176 0735 6 5.00
N O I S E
Our World Wide Web Site with all the latest health and safety information can be found at ht t p:/ / www.hse.gov.uk
10
Is your W O R K P L A C E
n o i s y ?
To order any of these titles, call
01787 88116 5
or use the order format the
back of this book
I s anywhere so noisy t hat people
have t o shout t o each ot her at
normal speaking dist ance t o
make t hemselves heard? I f so,
t here is likely t o be a danger
t o hearing.
Does anyone go home wit h
ringing in t heir ears? Also a
sign of a noise problem.
Are t ools or equipment used
which make loud, explosive
noises, eg a cart ridge operat ed
xing t ool?
Do people wear ear prot ect ion in
some areas? Noise cont rol may
need checking t o make sure it
is working well enough.
N o i s ea tW o r kR e g u l a t i o n s 19 8 9
DOES THIS CONCERN ME?
WHAT LAW APPLIES?
H
igh levels of noise at
work can cause hearing
loss. This can take many
years to become serious.
Young people can be dam-
aged as easily as the old.
But premature deafness is
even worse. Sufferers rst
start to notice hearing loss
when they cannot keep up
with conversations in a
group, or when the rest
of their family complains they
have the television on too
loud. Deafness can make
people feel isolated
from their
family,
friends and
colleagues.
Noise at work: Advice t o em-
ployees INDG99 (rev) F R E E
(available in packs of 20
ISBN 0 7176 0962 6 5.00)
Good healt h is good business
MISC196 F R E E
Cont rolling noise at work
INDG75(rev) F R E E ( a v a i l a b l e
in packs of 15
ISBN 0 7176 0961 8 5.00)
Guidance on t he Noise at
Work Regulat ions 1989
ISBN 0 7176 1511 1
L108 9.75
Sound solut ions: Techniques to
reduce noise at work H S G 1 3 8
ISBN 0 7176 0791 7 10.95
HOW AND WHERE YOU CAN GET MORE HELP
V I B R A T I O N
11
For other enquiries, please ring HSEs InfoLine, phone: 08701 545500 or write to HSEs Information Centre, Caerphilly
Are you E X P O S E D
t o vibrat ion?
To order any of thesetitles, call
01787 88116 5
or use the order format the
back of this book
Does anyone work wit h powered
handt ools such as angle grinders
or needle guns?
Does anyone doing t his work get
t ingling or numbness in t he
ngers or hands?
Does anyone of t en drive t ract ors
or f ork-lif t t rucks?
No specic regulations.
Covered by the general
requirements of:
Health and Safety at Work
etc Act 1974
Management of Health and
Safety at Work Regulations
1992
WHAT LAW APPLIES?
V
ibration from work with
powered hand-held tools,
equipment or processes can
damage the hands and arms
of users causing hand-arm
vibration syndrome. This is a
painful, irreversible condition
which includes vibration white
finger and the effects can be
impaired blood circulation,
damage to the nerves and
muscles, and loss of ability
to grip properly.
DOES THIS CONCERN ME?
Hand-arm vibrat ion: Advice f or
employers INDG175 F R E E
Vibrat ion solut ions HSG170
ISBN 0 7176 0954 5 13.75
Healt h risks from hand-arm
vibrat ion INDG126(rev)
FREE (available in packs of 15
ISBN 0 7176 1554 5 5.00)
Hand-arm vibrat ion HSG88
ISBN 0 7176 0743 7 7.50
In t he driving seat : Advice t o
employers on reducing back
pain in drivers and machinery
operat ors INDG242 F R E E
(available in packs of 10
ISBN 0 7176 1314 3 5.00)
HOW AND WHERE YOU CAN GET MORE HELP
Whole body vibration can
happen when driving or riding
in vehicles over rough terrain
and can lead to back problems.
E L E C T R I C I T Y
Our World Wide Web Site with all the latest health and safety information can be found at ht t p:/ / www.hse.gov.uk
12
To order any of these titles, call
01787 88116 5
or use the order format the
back of this book
How S A F E is elect ricit y
in Y O U R w o r k p l a c e ?
Does anyone do elect rical work
in your business? Only t hose
wit h appropriat e t echnical
knowledge and experience
should be allowed t o do t his.
I s your elect rical equipment in
good working order?
Do you choose equipment t hat
is suit able f or it s working
environment ?
Do you dig in t he st reet ,
pavement or near buildings?
Knowing t he proper precaut ions
f or avoiding underground
cables is essent ial.
Do you work near or under
overhead powerlines? There are
e s s e nt ial saf et y precaut ions
t o f ollow.
Electricity at Work
Regulations 1989
WHAT LAW APPLIES?
E
lectricity can kill. Most
deaths are caused by
contact with overhead or
underground power cables.
Even non-fatal shocks can
cause severe and permanent
injury. Shocks from faulty
equipment may lead to falls
from ladders, scaffolds or
other work platforms. Those
using electricity may not be
DOES THIS CONCERN ME?
the only ones at risk. Poor
electrical installations and
faulty electrical appliances
can lead to res which can
also result in death or
injury to others.
Elect rical safet y and you
INDG231 F R E E
(available in packs of 15
ISBN 0 7176 1207 4 5.00)
Avoidance of danger from
overhead elect ric power lines
GS6 (new edition)
ISBN 0 7176 1348 8 5.00
Avoiding danger from under-
ground services HSG47
(Second edition)
ISBN 0 7176 1744 0 7.50
HOW AND WHERE YOU CAN GET MORE HELP
W O R K E Q U I P M E N T & M A C H I N E R Y
13
For other enquiries, please ring HSEs InfoLine, phone: 08701 545500 or write to HSEs Information Centre, Caerphilly
To order any of thesetitles, call
01787 88116 5
or use the order format the
back of this book
Do you know how t o use A N D
maint ain Y O U R work equipment ?
Do you use ladders or ot her
equipment f or working at
height s? For example, knowing
when t o select an access t ower
inst ead of a ladder is import ant .
Do you have machinery of any
kind? You need t o guard t he
part s t hat could cause injury;
have t he right cont rols, especially
f or st art ing and st opping; clean,
or clear blockages in a saf e way;
and carry out prevent ive checks
and maint enance.
Are hand t ools used in your
workplace, eg screwdrivers,
knives, hand saws, meat
cleavers, hammers?
Do you have lif t ing equipment
such as pulley blocks, cranes,
and lif t t rucks?
Provision and Use of Work
Equipment Regulations 1992
Power Presses Regulations
1965 and 1972
Both to be amended and
updated
DOES THIS CONCERN ME?
WHAT LAW APPLIES?
W
ork equipment covers
an enormous range
spanning process machinery,
machine tools, ofc e
machines, lifting equipment,
hand tools, ladders and
pressure washers. Important
points include: using the right
equipment for the job, making
sure machines and handtools
are safe, maintaining them
in a safe condition, and
following manufacturers
or suppliers instructions.
Accidents involving work
equipment are happening
all the time many serious,
some fatal.
There are many publications
available on this subject
by industry or class of
machine, too numerous to
list here. HSEs InfoLine
(08701 545500 ) can help
identify what is relevant
to you.
Using work equipment safely
INDG229 F R E E
(available in packs of 5
ISBN 0 7176 1326 7 5.00)
HOW AND WHERE YOU CAN GET MORE HELP
P R E S S U R E S Y S T E M S
Our World Wide Web Site with all the latest health and safety information can be found at ht t p:/ / www.hse.gov.uk
14
To order any of these titles, call
01787 88116 5
or use the order format the
back of this book
Do you K N O W t he dangers
of pressure syst ems?
Do you have any pressure
syst ems or equipment in your
business t hat cont ain a uid
or gas under pressure?
Do you know t hat most pressure
syst ems have t o be designed,
inst alled, maint ained and
periodically examined so as
t o prevent danger?
Are you aware t hat as an
employer or self-employed person,
it s your job t o choose a compet -
ent person t o carry out examina-
t ions of t he pressure syst ems?
Pressure Systems and
Transportable Gas Containers
Regulations 1989
WHAT LAW APPLIES?
P
ressure cookers, boilers,
steam heating systems
and air compressors are
common examples of equip-
ment and systems containing
a uid or gas under pressure.
They can cause death or injury
to people, and serious damage
to property, if the contents
are released unintentionally.
There are about 150
incidents of this kind every
DOES THIS CONCERN ME?
year. They mainly happen
when equipment fails through
poor design or maintenance
or when the method of work
is unsafe, or someone makes
an operating mistake.
Pressure syst ems safet y and
you INDG261(rev) F R E E
(available in packs of 15
ISBN 0 7176 1562 6 5.00)
Saf et y of pressure syst ems
L 1 2 2
ISBN 0 7176 1767 X 7.50
HOW AND WHERE YOU CAN GET MORE HELP
T R A N S P O R T
15
For other enquiries, please ring HSEs InfoLine, phone: 08701 545500 or write to HSEs Information Centre, Caerphilly
To order any of these titles, call
01787 88116 5
or use the order format the
back of this book
What are t he D A N G E R S f r o m
t ransport in Y O U R w o r k p l a c e ?
Which kinds of vehicles operat e
at your workplace?
Who is allowed t o drive or
operat e t hem? They should
be t rained and compet ent .
Which rout es around t he work-
place are t hey allowed t o use?
Do vehicles have t o do reversing
manoeuvres?
How are loading and unloading
operat ions carried out ?
Workplace (Health, Safety and
Welfare) Regulations 1992
DOES THIS CONCERN ME?
WHAT LAW APPLIES?
E
very year about 70 people
are killed and more than
1000 seriously injured in acci-
dents involving vehicles at the
workplace. Being struck or run
over by moving vehicles, falling
from vehicles, or vehicles over-
turning are the most common
causes. Vehicles operating in
the workplace include cars and
vans, lift trucks, heavy goods
vehicles, dumpers, special-
ised vehicles or plant. Often
there is signicantly more
danger from vehicles in the
workplace than on the public
highway since the operating
conditions are different.
Managing vehicle safet y at
t he workplace: A short guide
for employers INDG199
F R E E (available in packs of 10
ISBN 0 7176 0982 0 5.00)
Workplace transport safet y
H S G 1 3 6
ISBN 0 7176 0935 9 7.50
Reversing vehicles INDG148
F R E E (available in packs of 15
ISBN 0 7176 1063 2 5.00)
HOW AND WHERE YOU CAN GET MORE HELP
M A I N T E N A N C E & B U I L D I N G W O R K
Our World Wide Web Site with all the latest health and safety information can be found at ht t p:/ / www.hse.gov.uk
16
To order any of these titles, call
01787 88116 5
or use the order format the
back of this book
W H AT maint enance A N D b u i l d i n g
work t akes place?
Did you know t hat if you are t he
person responsible f or your
business, you are also responsible
f or cont ract ors, service engineers,
et c who do work f or you?
Does anyone ever have t o work
on t he roof , at a height or on
f ragile mat erials?
Does anyone have t o f ault nd
and repair when machinery or
equipment breaks down?
I s t here a t ank, pit , silo or
similar con ned space int o
which someone might go and
would you know if t hey did?
Have you f ound out whet her
t here is any asbest os
*
in your
buildings or plant which could
be dist urbed during maint enance
or alt erat ions?
Construction (Health, Safety
and Welfare) Regulations
1996 (building work)
Construction (Design and
Management) Regulations
1994
Conned Spaces Regulations
1997 (come into force
28 J anuary 1998)
WHAT LAW APPLIES?
I
ts easy to overlook these
activities because they
happen now and again, and
its often a contractor or
service agency doing the
work. Sometimes people
are in places where no one
normally goes, eg the roof
or electrical switchboard.
They may be fault nding,
trying to repair something
quickly often outside the
routine. Not surprising there
are many accidents. Falls
DOES THIS CONCERN ME?
Managing cont ract ors: A guide
for employers
ISBN 0 7176 1196 5 8.50
Healt h and safet y in
construction HSG150 (Second
edition) ISBN 0 7176 2106 5
9.95
Safe work in conned spaces
INDG258 F R E E (available in
packs of 20
ISBN 0 7176 1442 5 5.00)
A guide t o t he Const ruct ion
(Healt h, Safet y and Welfare)
Regulat ions 1996 INDG220
F R E E (available in packs of 10
ISBN 0 7176 1161 2 5.00)
HOW AND WHERE YOU CAN GET MORE HELP
from heights, eg ladders, are
the most common cause of
serious injury.
*
Also see page 8
F I R E & E X P L O S I O N
17
For other enquiries, please ring HSEs InfoLine, phone: 08701 545500 or write to HSEs Information Centre, Caerphilly
To order any of thesetitles, call
01787 88116 5
or use the order format the
back of this book
Do you know H O W
t o P R E V E N T re or ex p l o s i o n ?
Do you st ore highly ammable
subst ances?
Do you use or st ore gas in
cylinders ( eg propane) ? A small
amount of released gas can ll
a large area wit h a pot ent ially
explosive mixt ure.
Do you work wit h plast ic f oams
or polyest er wadding? Some t ypes
will ignit e easily, burn ercely
and give of f dense black smoke.
Do you spray ammable paint s?
Vapours are heavier t han air and
collect at low level.
Do you know t he dangers
of bright ening res wit h
ammable liquids?
Do you use oxygen, eg in
cylinders, f or welding?
Health and Safety at Work
etc Act 1974
Highly Flammable Liquids
and Liqueed Petroleum
Gases Regulations 1972
(in factories)
WHAT LAW APPLIES?
E
ach year many people
suffer burns caused by
the ammable materials they
work with. The wide variety of
ammable substances found
in the workplace ranges from
the obvious, eg heating fuel,
petrol, paint thinners and
welding gases to the less
obvious, eg packaging materi-
DOES THIS CONCERN ME?
Safe use of pet rol in garages
INDG331
ISBN 0 7176 1836 6 5.00
Dispensing petrol H S G 1 4 6
ISBN 0 7176 1048 9 7.50
Safe use and handling of
ammable liquids HSG140
ISBN 0 7176 0967 7 8.50
Safe working wit h ammable
subst ances INDG227 F R E E
(available in packs of 15
ISBN 0 7176 1154 X 5.00)
HOW AND WHERE YOU CAN GET MORE HELP
als, dusts from wood, our
and sugar. For a re to start,
fuel, air and a source of
ignition are needed. Control-
ling these can prevent res.
If you would like informa-
tion on re exits, alarms, or
extinguishers, contact your
local re authority.
Do you K N O W where
harmful radiat ion O C C U R S?
Do people in your business
spend a lot of t ime working
out doors?
Do you have equipment which
gives of f ult ra-violet radiat ion eg
f or curing plast ics or inks?
Do you work wit h lasers?
I s your business in an area
where levels of radon are higher
t han average?
Are any radioact ive sources used
in your business, brought in by
a specialist cont ract or, or do
you t ransport t hem?
I s X-ray equipment used?
Ionising Radiations
Regulations 1985
There are no specic
regulations for non-ionising
radiation. It is covered by the
general requirements of:
Health and Safety at Work
etc Act 1974
Management of Health and
Safety at Work Regulations
1992
DOES THIS CONCERN ME?
WHAT LAW APPLIES?
O
ur bodies can be affected
by various kinds of radi-
ation. Some occur naturally
and others tend to be used
for specialised purposes in
business. The public as well
as operators can be affected.
Non-ionising radiat ion:
I ultraviolet radiation can
damage the skin and lead to
skin cancer: the main source
is the sun;
I lasers can cause burns
and damage the eye.
Ionising radiat ion:
I naturally occurring radon
gas can come from the ground;
I radiation from sources
Cont rolling t he radiat ion
safet y of display laser
inst allat ions INDG224
Keep your t op on
INDG147(rev) F R E E
(available in packs of 20
ISBN 0 7176 1578 2 5.00)
Radon in t he workplace
INDG210 FREE
HOW AND WHERE YOU CAN GET MORE HELP
R A D I A T I O N
Our World Wide Web Site with all the latest health and safety information can be found at ht t p:/ / www.hse.gov.uk
18
To order any of these titles, call
01787 88116 5
or use the order format the
back of this book
used in radiography or in
thickness measuring gauges:
this can cause burns, sick-
ness and cancer.
F I R S T A I D & A C C I D E N T R E P O R T I N G
19
For other enquiries, please ring HSEs InfoLine, phone: 08701 545500 or write to HSEs Information Centre, Broad Lane, Shefeld S3 7HQ
To order any of thesetitles, call
01787 88116 5
or use the order format the
back of this book
What do you D O if t heres
an A C C I D E N T at work?
T
his booklet has been all
about prevention. But
sometimes things do go
wrong. If someone has been
hurt or fallen ill at work its
important to take care of them
straight away, and make any
dangerous conditions safe.
First-aid means treating
minor injuries at work and
giving immediate attention
to more serious casualties
until medical help is available.
It can save lives and prevent
minor injuries becoming
major ones.
Do you have t he minimum
rst -aid provision at your
workplace? This is a suit ably
st ocked rst -aid box and a
person appoint ed t o t ake charge
of rst -aid arrangement s.
Do you know whet her you might
need t o provide more t han t he
minimum? Read I NDG214.
Do you kno w which accide nt s
and ill healt h ca ses t o report ,
including who s hould do it ,
when and how? Employers,
t he self -employed and people
in cont rol of work premises all
have dut ies read HSE31.
Do you know what accident s
cost and t hat insurance
policies do not cover all
t he cost s?
DOES THIS CONCERN ME?
Health and Safety (First-Aid)
Regulations 1981
Reporting of Injuries,
Diseases and Dangerous
Occurrences Regulations
1995 (RIDDOR)
WHAT LAW APPLIES?
First -aid at work: Your ques-
t ions answered INDG214
F R E E (available in packs of 15
ISBN 0 7176 1074 8 5 . 0 0)
First -aid: Basic advice on rst
aid at work INDG215(rev2)
FREE (available in packs of 20
ISBN 0 7176 2423 4 5.00)
RIDDOR explained
H S E 3 1 ( r e v ) FREE ( a v a i l a b l e
in packs of 10
ISBN 0 7176 2441 2 5.00)
HOW AND WHERE YOU CAN GET MORE HELP
Reporting accidents and
ill health at work is a legal
requirement. The enforcing
authorities use the informa-
tion to see the big picture
of where injuries, ill health
and accidental losses are
occurring, and to advise on
preventive action.
I T S Y O U R B U S I N E S S - S O L O O K A F T E R I T !
H E A L T H A N D S A F E T Y I N S M A L L F I R M S
An I N T R O D U C T I O N t o
h e a l t h A N D s a f e t y
T
his booklet is mainly for people who run small
rms. But it is also relevant to others including
employees and their representatives - or anyone
who wants a starting point for information on
health and safety at work.
The booklet is simply an introduction to health
and safety. It highlights the key areas of risk you
need to know about and tells you where you can
get more information on each particular subject.
If you want more information in one book, Essen-
t ials of healt h and safet y at work 0 7176 0716 X
(5.95) may be for you. You can order it by using the
form inside this booklet.
This publication may be freely reproduced, except for advertising,
endorsement or sale purposes. The information it contains is
current at 5/ 99. Please acknowledge the source as HSE.
INDG259 12/ 01 C1500
Printed and published by the Health and Safety Executive