Simple Solutions for Office Hazards

Posted on May 14, 2012 by admin

Office work spaces often have overlooked hazards that threaten the physical well-being of all who enter. Company co-workers or, if work is done from a home office, family members and pets, unknowingly can be in harm’s way. While some threats are fairly obvious, others can lurk in the most unexpected places.

In the office, equipment cables and wires can become a trip-and-fall hazard – and an expensive workers’ compensation case. Poised and ready to trip all who pass, office cables and wires are far more than an unsightly nuisance.  Slips, trips and falls constitute the majority of general industry accidents. In the United States, they cause 15 percent of all work-related deaths and are second only to motor vehicles as a cause of fatalities, according OSHA.

In a home office environment, small children and common household animals like cats, dogs, rabbits and ferrets often see equipment wires as play things – all too often as chew toys. Clearly such a circumstance puts the child or pet at great risk, with electric shock and strangulation at the top of the list.

The experts at http://CableOrganizer.com offer these simple office safety solutions:

Cable Control on the Cheap: For just a few dollars, computer cables can be easily shielded with a split wire loom, a flexible and durable polyethylene corrugated tube with a split down the side where you enter your multi-cable bundle. If you have to add another wire later on, you can easily slip it into the split wire loom along with the others without removing the entire bundle.

Achieve Lift-Off: Cables, power adapters, power strips, hubs, modems and other small devices can be readily lifted off the floor and put safely out of harm’s way with cable management products that loop, tie and hang “cable clutter” off the floor to reduce work space risks including snags, trips and liquid spills.

Wire Fire Can Be Dire: With a glut of equipment, wiring and electrical outlets conducting heat, often over long periods of time and in compact spaces, fire safety is an important workspace consideration. In addition to the standard fire extinguisher, other fire safety measures also should be employed. Flame spread is one vital safety consideration that easily can be addressed. Flame-retardant wire sleeving that does not support combustion can significantly reduce office fire hazards. You also can establish an effective insulating barrier to prevent the spread of fire and smoke through structural gaps and voids with fire-rated expanding polyurethane foams – a cost-effective way to establish an insulating seal on concrete, brick, wood, metal, aluminum and steel.

An Important Mat-ter: Use traction floor mats in high-traffic and extended-use areas, particularly those prone to moisture or spills. Be sure to use a floor mat with beveled edges to eliminate trip risk. Mats with sponge bases will enhance ergonomic safety for employees who must stand for longer periods of time.

Surface Raceways: Home office wires that run across the floor to a distant outlet are among the most dangerous office situations, with a high risk of injuries or damaged equipment. Fortunately, surface raceways are a readily available and easy way to organize and protect electrical cords that run along the floor or on the wall. These “cable channels” are made of tough PVC and can be painted to match office décor.

Cord Protectors: These wire cover systems are another great way to keep from tripping on loose cables and cords running across a walkway or behind your desk. Cord protectors cover, hide and protect cords and cables while keeping floors clear and safe. They also lie flat, and stay flat, and are easy to install.

Heavy Metal: Whether you want greater protection for your wires from children, animals, rodents or pests, or have a need to protect outdoor fiber optics, RG-6 coaxial cable or Category 5E cables from wildlife or the elements, metal braided sleeving, made from tin-coated copper, is both flexible and strong, and also offers electromagnetic interference (EMI) protection.

Take the Edge Off: Wrap anything with a sharp edge such as broken/cracked glass, brittle plastic casings or other materials that may break and produce a sharp or rough edge in corrugated cardboard and secure with a heavy-duty duct tape to protect yourself and others from accidental lacerations.  This is especially important before placing such items in a trash container.

 

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Choosing the Right Auto-Darkening Welding Helmet

Posted on May 14, 2012 by admin

As one of the most visible pieces of safety attire, a welding helmet, in addition to offering necessary protection to the face and eyes, gives wearers an opportunity to add a bit of personal flair to their welding gear. With this is mind, welding helmets today are available in a wide range of colors and graphics. These visual features obviously command attention, but a helmet’s protective features, combined with comfort considerations, are what welders should consider when selecting the right helmet for their needs.

The right helmet must be easy to wear, adjustable and comfortable for a full day’s work, while protecting employees’ eyes and face from spatter and sparks and harmful light rays.

Today’s helmets are considerably more functional than those of even 10 or 15 years ago. They are designed to accommodate a welder’s specific needs on any job. All, including the most inexpensive, must meet strict safety standards across the globe. In the United States, that standard is ANSI Z87.1 and in Canada it is CAN/CSA Z94.3. These standards address concerns such as light leakage and flame and impact resistance.

Traditional Helmets

Some welders, particularly many professional pipe welders, still opt to wear conventional welding helmets with a traditional glass lens and fixed shade, which remains darkened at all times. While these helmets do provide rugged and inexpensive safety protection, they also have a few disadvantages.

Welding helmets featuring a fixed shade can be more difficult to use because a welder has to lift the helmet every time he or she wants to examine the weldment and joint, set a position and prepare for welding, and then flip the helmet down when it’s time to strike the arc. This repetitive movement can cause neck strain and fatigue after a full day’s work. Additionally, in tight or restricted spaces, it can be difficult to move the helmet up or down.

Also, for less-experienced welders, it can be difficult to keep the MIG gun, TIG torch or stick electrode in the correct position to begin welding in the joint after the helmet is lowered into place. Poor weld starts can result in weld defects, something any welder obviously wants to avoid.

Because of these issues, many welders are turning to auto-darkening helmets with continuously variable controls that adjust the shade from a light state to a dark one and back. These helmets protect from harmful light emissions at all times and darken to almost any pre-selected shade in milliseconds, thanks to quick-changing LCD (liquid crystal display) technology in the auto-darkening cartridges.

With auto-darkening helmets, welders clearly can see while the helmet already is in a down position, so that setting up to weld in a weldment joint can be done with the hood in position. These helmets permit more continuous work, reducing unnecessary stop-and-start time and the need for a welder to readjust a helmet and set up positioning.

Selection Considerations

The most important factors to consider when selecting an auto-darkening helmet are safety, comfort, convenience and style. There are a number of general selection considerations that will help welders choose a helmet that best meets their needs, as well as find one that wears comfortably all day on the job.

When assessing various auto-darkening helmets, look for models that have a full-coverage shell that sheds spatter and resists impact. The helmet’s viewing size also is a major factor to consider. While it is based on preference, the amount of out-of-position welding performed can affect the amount of viewing area needed in a helmet. Some of the largest view sizes in auto-darkening models have a view size that measures 97x 62 mm (3.82 x 2.44 inches) or larger, which aids in delivering a clear natural view in combination with the helmet’s LCD technology.

Also review the helmet’s light sensitivity settings. Many helmets have settings that toggle between ranges, providing shades ranging from 6 to 9 or 9 to 13. This scale allows welders to optimize the shade for greater comfort on any given application. Anyone who moves between applications, requires changes in welding machine voltage, amperage or wire feed speed settings or changes between welding processes can benefit from this flexibility. For example, welding on thick materials at high amperages generally requires higher shade levels. Low amperage MIG or TIG welding is best performed with low shade levels to assure adequate visibility of the welding arc puddle.

Some models allow the user to control delay and sensitivity. Modifying the helmet’s arc sensitivity helps assure it will darken as the user desires. For example, if there are other welders operating very close by, the helmet’s arc sensor sensitivity can be reduced to help prevent triggering or darkening when those nearby welders strike their arc.

Delay controls can be used to lengthen or shorten the amount of time it takes for the helmet to return to the light state following the completion of a weld. This can be helpful when tack welding, when the weld duration is short and the operator plans to move quickly. On the other hand, performing lengthy welds on thick materials may require that the delay be set for longer periods of time so the operator does not have to view the larger, hotter weld nugget at the end of the weld until it has cooled for a second or two. Generally, delay can be set for 0.5 seconds up to 2 seconds.

Auto-darkening helmets will feature either external or internal controls for functions like shade or grind control. The external controls add convenience, allowing some adjustments to be made while the helmet is on the head. On the other hand, external controls include additional wiring and can be exposed to additional impacts or damage as they are positioned on the outside of the helmet. Internal controls positioned on the lens cartridge are more protected and do not require external wiring, but might require removing the helmet to change settings.

Powering Up

Auto-darkening helmets are powered in different ways. Some feature replaceable lithium batteries. Others use a combination of solar cells with user-replaceable lithium batteries, while other models feature solar power with a battery assist. Any of these methods work well. The choice comes down to personal preference.

Helmets with user-replaceable batteries offer the potential for longer total service life of the helmet. Those with non-user replaceable batteries generally will have a service life of 5 to 7 years. Users handling models with replaceable batteries are advised to have replacement batteries on hand. If the helmet has an on/off switch, the user must remember to turn the helmet off after use.

Weight and Comfort

For anyone involved in extensive welding, a heavy helmet significantly can increase fatigue. Newer, lightweight helmets weigh only between 534 and 602 grams (18 to 21 ounces), even with a full-coverage shell. Some models, with smaller view sizes and more compact shells, are approaching weights as low as 13-15 ounces.

Don’t forget to try a helmet on to ensure a comfortable fit. Check the adjustments for the headgear and ensure the helmet is a comfortable distance from the face. This can be a factor for persons with large heads or especially large facial features. Also, make sure it can be tightened around your head.

Try it on and see if the rate of fall and degree of tilt allow it to lower in a controlled manner. Some helmets allow the user to set the resistance and therefore control the rate of fall and the end point to which the helmet stops when lowered into welding position. Also, check how the helmet behaves in the upward position. Does it lock into a detent, helping to keep it in the upward position while you work at your station? Is it well balanced in both the down and up positions, so that the helmet does not pull the user forward? Helmets with poor balance will add to neck strain and general fatigue over the course of a work shift.

Also be sure to check the standard sweatband at the forehead. Is it soft and absorbent or not substantial enough to increase comfort while keeping perspiration from your eyes?

Beyond auto-darkening capabilities and easy-to-wear fit, today’s high-tech helmets can feature other options. Many models, for instance, can be modified with magnifying “cheater” lenses, to help older and/or near-sighted welders to see the weld puddle with sufficient clarity. For environments requiring hard hats, such as construction and many other job site environments, some models can be equipped with an adapter that allows the user to wear both the hardhat and welding helmet for full-site safety compliance while welding.

Some auto-darkening helmets also feature grind modes, allowing the helmets to double as grinding shields. This feature is great for weld prep or post-weld clean-up activities.

Personal Style

Because helmets are highly visible and worn constantly on the job, they also are a great vehicle for welders to show their personalities at a jobsite or on the shop floor. There’s more to them than safety and utility.

Today’s welding helmets come in a variety of colors, not just standard black. Personalization doesn’t to stop there. Many models offer personalization kits with decals, while others come with a range of available pre-imprinted graphics, including such novelties as comic book superheroes, hot rods, flags, skulls, tattoo patterns and even angel wings, which were designed with female welders in mind.

Choosing the right helmet for your needs might at first seem daunting, considering the wide variety of safety features, convenience and comfort options and personalization available. But in this sea of choice, there is a helmet out there for every welder … and every welder’s budget.

Jamy Bulan is a commercial equipment product manager with the Lincoln Electric Co.

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Published Training Manager Software

Posted on February 22, 2012 by admin

 

 

 

 

 

Training Manager is a management training software that helps manage corporate training.

The use is very simple:
1) Insert name company
2) Insert employee name
3) Select course and input the date of the course

 

The software automatically calculates the day to update the individual employee must do

 

 

 

At any moment you can check the schedule of training courses and to identify those employees who need to make updates

You can check the timetable for company or for a certain time interval
In this way you lose no expiration for the training

You can use it for an unlimited number of companies and employees

Requirements: Windows XP, VISTA, Windows 7 or more – 55 Mb of free space on hard disk – Full License is for 1 pc

Price list: 149,00 € – 100 € OFF – At only 49,00 € Included: _ 1 licenses (you may install Training Manager on 1 pc)

Buy now by credit card. You’ll receive Training Manager software by email within 24 hours

 

Questions? Write us -> info@edirama.com

Skype: ediramaweb

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Vital Protection for Eyes

Posted on February 21, 2012 by admin

 

Let us pose a simple question: why is vision the only sense we do not test for in the safety and health arena on a regular basis?

Most employers rely on a pre-employment visual test or just look at the driver’s license to see if restrictions are needed. This is a poor practice.

In America, most states only test central visual acuity and have no requirements for peripheral vision. Most jobs require a normal field of vision or a ‘useful field of view’. Prison guards in some states, however, must be able to see the whole room, to prevent an inmate from coming up and ‘blind siding’ the guard.

Have you ever considered the useful field of view for your jobs?

Visual acuity is only testing the writing on the Snellen chart. There are other forms of acuity which determine your ability to line up bars or parallel lines. Do your employees read gauges or micrometers?

Contrast is important in determining if a flat surface is rippled or pitted. Do you know if your employees can perform the inspections you ask them to conduct?

Depth perception tells you how far away an object is, and you need both eyes for good depth perception. Do you know if your crane operators or forklift operations have depth perception problems?

Glaucoma, cataracts, strokes, diabetes all can affect vision and with an ageing population there are individuals in many workplaces with serious vision problems that affect their productivity, quality and most of all their own safety and the safety of others. Frighteningly they hide these conditions from employers and sometimes, family members.

How many accidents have you investigated where the employee said that the object or person “came out of nowhere”, or “one minute the coast was clear and the next instant it was not.”

The cost of an eye test is relatively inexpensive yet the cost of a collision with injuries can run into vast sums.
So let me ask you again, why aren’t you testing the vision of drivers of vehicles, forklifts, cranes, inspectors, electricians, quality control agents, control room personnel or office employees?
Types of injury

Each day about 2000 American workers have a job-related eye injury that requires medical treatment. About one third of the injuries are treated in hospital emergency departments and more than 100 of these injuries result in one or more days of lost work.

The majority of these injuries result from small particles or objects striking or abrading the eye. Examples include metal slivers, wood chips, dust, and cement chips that are ejected by tools, wind blown, or fall from above a worker.
Some of these objects penetrate the eyeball and result in a permanent loss of vision. Large objects may also strike the eye/face, or a worker may run into an object causing blunt force trauma to the eyeball or eye socket.

Chemical burns to one or both eyes from splashes of industrial chemicals or cleaning products are common. Thermal burns to the eye occur as well. Among welders, their assistants, and nearby workers, UV radiation burns (welder’s flash) routinely damage workers’ eyes and surrounding tissue.

In addition to common eye injuries workers in some occupations may be at risk of acquiring infectious diseases via ocular exposure. Infectious diseases can be transmitted through the mucous membranes of the eye as a result of direct exposure (e.g. blood splashes, respiratory droplets generated during coughing or suctioning) or from touching the eyes with contaminated fingers or other objects. The infections may result in relatively minor conjunctivitis or reddening/soreness of the eye or in a life threatening disease such as HIV, B virus, or possibly even avian influenza.
Protection criteria

Engineering controls should be used to reduce eye injuries and to protect against ocular infection exposures. Personal protective eyewear, such as goggles, face shields, safety glasses, or full face respirators must also be used when an eye hazard exists.

The eye protection chosen for specific work situations depends on the nature and extent of the hazard, the circumstances of exposure, other protective equipment used, and personal vision needs. Eye protection should be fitted to an individual or adjustable to provide appropriate coverage. It should be comfortable and allow for sufficient peripheral vision.
Selection of protective eyewear appropriate for a given task should be made based on a hazard assessment of each activity, including regulatory requirements when applicable.

Training for health

You’ve probably trained your workers on how to keep their eyes safe from injury on and off the job. But have you also educated employees on how to keep their eyes healthy? In America, March is Workplace Eye Wellness Month and the Prevent Blindness America (PBA) organisation has some great tips you can share with your workforce

1 Don’t smoke. PBA reports that not smoking – or quitting smoking – can lower people’s risk for eye problems, including age-related macular degeneration (AMD), cataracts, and glaucoma. Not smoking is especially important if a person is diabetic, because it can reduce the risk of getting diabetic-related eye problems.

2 Eat a healthy diet. Studies have shown that zinc, vitamins C and E, and beta-carotene can reduce the risk for AMD. Caution your workers, however, to check with their doctors before adding vitamins to their diets. Other studies report that dark green vegetables, such as spinach and kale, may also reduce the risk of getting AMD. Furthermore, healthy eating
can lower the risk of developing diabetes, which is a risk factor for developing glaucoma.

3 Live an active lifestyle. Regular exercise and activity promotes overall good health and keeps people from developing conditions that can lead to eye disease, such as diabetes. Again, caution workers to consult with their doctors before starting exercise programmes.

4 Manage blood pressure. High blood pressure can increase the risk for glaucoma. And for those with diabetes, high blood pressure increases the risk for disease-related eye problems.

5 Protect your eyes from the sun. Remind workers that they don’t just need to protect their skin from ultraviolet (UV) rays, they also need to protect their eyes. PBA recommends wearing a wide-brimmed hat and sunglasses that absorb 99 to 100 percent of UV-A and UV-B rays.

Sprinkling occasional wellness training sessions into your usual safety training calendar can help your workforce stay healthy and alert to potential problems.

Checklist for eye safety

1 Create a safe work environment
• Minimise hazards from falling or unstable debris
• Make sure that tools work and safety features (machine guards) are in place
• Make sure that workers (particularly volunteers) know how to use tools properly
• Keep bystanders out of the hazard area

2 Evaluate safety hazards
• Identify the primary hazards at the site
• Identify hazards posed by nearby workers, large machinery, and falling/shifting debris

3 Wear the proper eye and face protection
• Select the appropriate Z87 eye protection for the hazard
• Make sure the eye protection is in
good condition
• Make sure the eye protection fits properly and will stay in place

4 Use good work practices
• Caution – brush, shake, or vacuum dust and debris from hardhats, hair, forehead, or the top of the eye protection before removing the protection
• Do not rub eyes with dirty hands or clothing
• Clean eyewear regularly

5 Prepare for eye injuries and first aid needs

• Have an eye wash or sterile solution on hand

Author Details:

Cynthia Roth has been a professional in the ergonomics industry since 1987.

In 1993 she co-founded Ergonomic Technologies Corp, (ETC), where currently she is the Chairperson of the Board and Chief Executive Officer. She has lectured to the Fortune 500 Companies in the US and abroad and to many international companies. Ms Roth lectures on safety, ergonomics, product designs, future trends, motivating employees, and biomechanics to top engineering universities and colleges around the world.

Ms Roth was elected to the Board of the American Society of Safety Engineers Foundation (ASSEF), served as Vice Chair and Chair and currently serves on the American Society of Safety Engineers (ASSE) Council on Professional Affairs. She has also been appointed as a permanent member of New York State’s Commission on International Trade and has travelled to Brazil, Argentina and Chile on behalf of the State of New York. Ms Roth is a member of the

NYC Advisory Board to the Mayor and has also served as a consultant to the Department of Labor, OSHA, Occupational Hazards and CTD News. She represents University of Pittsburgh, as a board member to Fiat Pax (using technology for world peace).

Ms Roth is a published author having written the chapter on Ergonomics for Maynard’s Industrial Engineering Handbook, used by the majority of engineering students worldwide, and wrote the Handbook on Ergonomics for the National Safety Council.

Ms Roth received a degree from the University of Pittsburgh as a professional registered nurse with specialties in Occupational Nursing and Biomechanics.

She also completed postgraduate work at Cornell University in Labour Relations/Industrial Management.

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Review your risk assessment and update if necessary

Posted on November 7, 2011 by admin

RISK ASSESSMENT SOFTWARE SPECIAL PRICE
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Few workplaces stay the same. Sooner or later, you will bring in new equipment, substances and procedures that could lead to new hazards. It makes sense therefore, to review what you are doing on an ongoing basis.

Look at your risk assessment and think about whether there have been any changes? Are there improvements you still need to make? Have your workers spotted a problem? Have you learnt anything from accidents or near misses? Make sure your risk assessment stays up to date.

When you are running a business it’s all too easy to forget about reviewing your risk assessment – until something has gone wrong and it’s too late. During the year, if there is a significant change, don’t wait: check your risk assessment and where necessary, amend it. If possible, it is best to think about the risk assessment when you’re planning your change – that way you leave yourself more flexibility.

Source: www.hse.gov.uk

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Record your findings and implement them

Posted on November 7, 2011 by admin

RISK ASSESSMENT SOFTWARE SPECIAL PRICE
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Putting the results of your risk assessment into practice will make a difference when looking after people and your business.

Writing down the results of your risk assessment, and sharing them with your staff, encourages you to do this. If you have fewer than five employees you do not have to write anything down.

When writing down your results, keep it simple, for example ‘Tripping over rubbish: bins provided, staff instructed, weekly housekeeping checks’, or ‘Fume from welding: local exhaust ventilation used and regularly checked’.

We do not expect a risk assessment to be perfect, but it must be suitable and sufficient. As illustrated by our example risk assessments, you need to be able to show that:

  • a proper check was made;
  • you asked who might be affected;
  • you dealt with all the obvious significant hazards, taking into account the number of people who could be involved;
  • the precautions are reasonable, and the remaining risk is low; and
  • you involved your staff or their representatives in the process.

Download the Risk Assessment and Policy Template Word document. This template brings together your risk assessment, health and safety policy and record of health and safety arrangements into one document to help get you started and save you time. If you already have a health and safety policy, you may choose to simply complete the risk assessment part of the template. Use the example risk assessments as a guide for completing the template, adapting it for your own workplace.

If, like many businesses, you find that there are quite a lot of improvements that you could make, big and small, don’t try to do everything at once. Make a plan of action to deal with the most important things first. Health and safety inspectors acknowledge the efforts of businesses that are clearly trying to make improvements.
A good plan of action often includes a mixture of different things such as:

  • a few cheap or easy improvements that can be done quickly, perhaps as a temporary solution until more reliable controls are in place;
  • long-term solutions to those risks most likely to cause accidents or ill health;
  • long-term solutions to those risks with the worst potential consequences;
  • arrangements for training employees on the main risks that remain and how they are to be controlled;
  • regular checks to make sure that the control measures stay in place; and
  • clear responsibilities – who will lead on what action and by when.

Remember, prioritise and tackle the most important things first. As you complete each action, tick it off your plan.

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Evaluate the risks and decide on precautions

Posted on November 7, 2011 by admin

RISK ASSESSMENT SOFTWARE SPECIAL PRICE
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Having spotted the hazards, you then have to decide what to do about them. The law requires you to do everything ‘reasonably practicable’ to protect people from harm. You can work this out for yourself, but the easiest way is to compare what you are doing with good practice.

First, look at what you’re already doing, think about what controls you have in place and how the work is organised. Then compare this with the good practice and see if there’s more you should be doing to bring yourself up to standard. In asking yourself this, consider:

Can I get rid of the hazard altogether?
If not, how can I control the risks so that harm is unlikely?

When controlling risks, apply the principles below, if possible in the following order:

try a less risky option (eg switch to using a less hazardous chemical);
prevent access to the hazard (eg by guarding);
organise work to reduce exposure to the hazard (eg put barriers between pedestrians and traffic);
issue personal protective equipment (eg clothing, footwear, goggles etc); and
provide welfare facilities (eg first aid and washing facilities for removal of contamination).

Improving health and safety need not cost a lot. For instance, placing a mirror on a dangerous blind corner to help prevent vehicle accidents is a low-cost precaution considering the risks. Failure to take simple precautions can cost you a lot more if an accident does happen.

Involve staff, so that you can be sure that what you propose to do will work in practice and won’t introduce any new hazards.

Source: www.hse.gov.uk

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Decide who might be harmed and how

Posted on November 7, 2011 by admin

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For each hazard you need to be clear about who might be harmed; it will help you identify the best way of managing the risk. That doesn’t mean listing everyone by name, but rather identifying groups of people (eg ‘people working in the storeroom’ or ‘passers-by’).

Remember:

some workers have particular requirements, eg new and young workers PDF, migrant workers PDF, new or expectant mothers and people with disabilities may be at particular risk. Extra thought will be needed for some hazards;
cleaners, visitors, contractors, maintenance workers etc, who may not be in the workplace all the time;
members of the public, if they could be hurt by your activities;
if you share your workplace, you will need to think about how your work affects others present, as well as how their work affects your staff – talk to them; and
ask your staff if they can think of anyone you may have missed.

In each case, identify how they might be harmed, i.e. what type of injury or ill health might occur. For example, ‘shelf stackers may suffer back injury from repeated lifting of boxes’.

 

Source: www.hes.gov.uk

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Identify the hazards

Posted on November 7, 2011 by admin

RISK ASSESSMENT SOFTWARE SPECIAL PRICE
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First you need to work out how people could be harmed. When you work in a place everyday it is easy to overlook some hazards, so here are some tips to help you identify the ones that matter:

Walk around your workplace and look at what could reasonably be expected to cause harm.
Ask your employees or their representatives what they think. They may have noticed things that are not immediately obvious to you. For information on how you can do this please visit our worker involvement pages.
Visit the HSE website. HSE publishes practical guidance on where hazards occur and how to control them. There is much information on the hazards that might affect your business.
If you are a member of a trade association, contact them. Many produce very helpful guidance.
Check manufacturers’ instructions or data sheets for chemicals and equipment as they can be very helpful in spelling out the hazards and putting them in their true perspective.
Have a look back at your accident and ill-health records – these often help to identify the less obvious hazards.
Remember to think about long-term hazards to health (eg high levels of noise or exposure to harmful substances) as well as safety hazards.

 

Source: www.hse.gov.uk

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Risk Assessment

Posted on November 7, 2011 by admin

RISK ASSESSMENT SOFTWARE SPECIAL PRICE
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A risk assessment is an important step in protecting your workers and your business, as well as complying with the law. It helps you focus on the risks that really matter in your workplace – the ones with the potential to cause harm. In many instances, straightforward measures can readily control risks, for example, ensuring spillages are cleaned up promptly so people do not slip or cupboard drawers kept closed to ensure people do not trip. For most, that means simple, cheap and effective measures to ensure your most valuable asset – your workforce – is protected.

A risk assessment is simply a careful examination of what, in your work, could cause harm to people, so that you can weigh up whether you have taken enough precautions or should do more to prevent harm. Workers and others have a right to be protected from harm caused by a failure to take reasonable control measures.

The law does not expect you to eliminate all risk, but you are required to protect people as far as is ‘reasonably practicable’. This guide tells you how to achieve that with minimum fuss.

This is not the only way to do a risk assessment, there are other methods that work well, particularly for more complex risks and circumstances. However, we believe this method is the most straightforward for most organisations.

 

Source: www.hse.gov.uk

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