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Health and Safety Audits are an important aspect of keeping your workforce, contactors and visitors safe, by providing an unbiased constructive critique from an independent assessor or what is known as a ‘competent person’. An organisation is not obliged by law to undergo a health and safety audit, however; it is a highly recommended method of managing compliance within health and safety regulations. An audit can be a very useful tool to determine if your policies and procedures within your safety management systems are fit for purpose and measure your overall performance. The audit will also highlight the positives, the procedures that are being done well and this good for staff morale.
From this the independent assessor will be able to determine any significant findings and offer advice, guidance and recommendations on how to implement any actions, specifically to assure legal compliance and preferably achieve best practice.
The audit will be carried out by a qualified auditor and will be conducted using the following processes:
a) Identification and review of relevant documentation.
b) Tours and inspections of the internal premises.
c) Interviews and conversations with a range of personnel.
d) Informal meetings with personnel and staff.
The latter will provide the auditor with an understanding of the health and safety culture within the organisation and whether staff have been actively involved in maintaining a proactive health and safety culture within the organisation.
The audit report will consist of an executive summary and a detailed audit report with a prioritised action plan.
Communication of the Audit results to staff, will assist to ensure that staff identify with the health and safety aims and assist further in developing a long-lasting pro-active “health & safety culture”.
For more information or if you would like to arrange a Health and Safety Audit please contact us.
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A Health and Safety Policy is a legal requirement under the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974.
Breaching health and safety regulations is a criminal offence and can have serious consequences with hefty fines and even imprisonment. The negative publicity resulting from non-compliance can damage the reputation of a business and affect staff morale. It is therefore extremely important to invest money to get it right. Promoting a proactive health and safety culture with robust policies and procedures can have a positive impact on the business by reducing accidents and lost time injuries and raising staff morale and therefore increasing productivity. If you have five or more employees, you must write your policy down. If you have less than 5 employees, it is recommended that you still provide a written policy.
A written health and safety policy should be robust and bespoke to your organisation it should set out your general approach to health and safety. It explains how you, as an employer, will effectively manage health and safety in your business. It should clearly state who does what, when and how and serve to promote safe working practices throughout your organisation, the goal being to engage with the workforce and promote a positive health and safety culture and therefore reducing the risk of accidents or near misses.
Your policy should cover three areas.
1. Your statement of intent
2. Responsibilities for health and safety
3. Arrangements for health and safety
Once policy and procedures have been finalised, they must be brought to the attention of your existing employees and all new employees joining the organisation. The policy should clearly demonstrate your commitment to achieving an accident and incident free workplace and the relationship between employee and employer. The policy must be reviewed on a regular basis and any change brought to the attention of all employees.
If you require a bespoke policy, we would be happy to assist. For more information contact us.
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A Risk Assessment is a process to identify any potential hazards that may occur in the workplace and in work activities. Under the Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999, every employer must make a suitable and sufficient assessment of:
- the risks to the health and safety of employees when they are at work,
- the risks to the health and safety of persons not in employment such as visitors, contractors or members of the public.
A risk assessment will consider what could cause injury or illness whilst working, decide the likelihood of that harm occurring, how serious the harm could be and whether we can eliminate or reduce the risks. Control measures are then adopted as is reasonably practicable, making sure that no harm can arise.
Risk assessments and all significant findings must be written down if you employ five or more people and all employees made aware of the findings. Risk assessments must be reviewed if there are any changes in the workplace such as:
- Employees
- The activity or process
- The substance or equipment used.
Reviews should also be considered if current control measures are not effective, any problems have arisen, or there have been any accidents or near misses.
If you require Risk Assessments for your workplace or work activities, we would be happy to assist. For more information contact us.
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As part of The Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 ALL businesses should either eliminate or reduce the risk of fire from occurring, so far as is reasonably practicable. Fire protection refers to controls measures that are put in place to safeguard the buildings occupants by reducing injury and loss of life and minimising any damage that may occur to the building.
Every business must have a Fire Risk Assessment carried out. When there are 5 or more employees or occupants then the Fire Risk Assessment must be in writing and employees made aware of its findings. The Fire Risk Assessor must be a ‘Competent Person’ usually an external consultant and someone who is qualified, knowledgeable, and experienced to undertake the assessment.
What is a Fire Risk Assessment?
A Fire Risk Assessment is a review of the building and work activities undertaken to identify fire hazards, identify people at risk, evaluate, remove, or reduce the risks, record findings, and prepare an emergency plan as well as provide training. Lastly the Fire Risk Assessment should be reviewed and updated regularly whenever there are any significant changes such as occupancy levels, changes in law, changes to activities or a change to the building. However, it is best practice to review the risk assessment annually. The Fire Risk Assessor will record their findings and make any recommendations.
Recommendations could be:
Active Control Measures
These are any measures that require an action by somebody, or something when a fire is discovered or detected. This could also be an automated system. Examples include:
- Fire alarm systems
- Smoke or heat detectors
- Emergency Lighting
- Sprinkler systems
- Fire extinguishers, blankets, and hoses.
Passive Control Measures
These are features that have been designed to make a building safer in the event of a fire. Examples include:
Compartmentation – which can include:
Fire resistant walls, ceilings, doors that restrict or delay the spread of fire.
Signage – such as fire action notices, fire exit signs, fire assembly point signs, fire extinguisher signs, no smoking signs
As with a Fire Risk Assessment, any contractor that is appointed to install, or service any active or passive control measures must also be competent within their role and a certified fire protection company.
If you require a Fire Risk Assessment or are in need of a Fire Protection company to install, or service any of the above control measures then please contact us for more information.
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Risk Assessments must be carried out by an employer to protect their employees from the risks of working with Display Screen Equipment (DSE). The Health and Safety (Display Screen Equipment) Regulations 1992, apply to all workers using DSE daily such as a computer screen, laptop, tablet, and smartphone for an hour or more at a time. DSE is defined as any alphanumeric or graphic display screen, regardless of the display screen process involved.
In law, employers must appoint a competent person to complete a DSE risk assessment, reduce the risk of harm where they can, provide an eye test if needed and provide training and information. The risk assessment should include the whole workstation, furniture, ancillary equipment used and the conditions in which someone is working. The law also includes assessing workstations for those workers that are at a fixed location, mobile, home workers and hot-desking. Home working is now becoming more and more popular with employers. Quite often DSE risk assessments are not completed because the employer assumes it is not necessary where an employee is working in the comfort of their own home.
If employees are working from home as a long-term solution or it is part of their contract of employment, then they are still protected by the DSE regulations whilst working, it is only if it were a temporary solution that the law may not then apply.
A risk assessment must be completed upon any of the following circumstances:
A new employee starts work
A new workstation is created
A change is made to a workstation or software or the way in which it is used
An employee has made you aware of any aches, pains, or discomfort a new disability or pregnancy.
It is thought the controls in place may be causing other problems.
Incorrect use of a DSE workstation or environment can lead to many types of aches and pains across the body as well as fatigue, most commonly the areas affected are:
- Neck
- Shoulders
- Back
- Arms
- Wrists
- Hands
- Eye strain
If your employees require a DSE Risk assessment whether at your office or home, we can help.
Office
If you require office-based risk assessments, one of our assessors will come to your workplace at an agreed time that is suitable to carry out the risk assessments on the required number of people. Once we have completed the assessments, we will then de-brief you (the employer) on any significant findings to ensure that employees are protected, and risks are reduced as far as is reasonably practicable. We will write up the report on the findings and any actions required for you to follow up.
Home
If you require risk assessments for those working from home, we can provide these remotely on a platform you provide or via Zoom. We will usually require some information prior to the assessment and at the end we will de-brief you, write up the report on any findings and actions required for you to follow up.
We can also assist in helping you further by making recommendations on suitable ergonomic office furniture for home working such as chairs or desks or ergonomic desk accessories. Please refer to Ergonomic Office Furniture and Ergonomic Desk Accessories listed on the Services page.
If you would like more information on DSE Risk Assessments or would like to arrange either office or home assessments please contact us.
In the meantime click on ‘Improving Posture’ to find out how you can do a few exercises, either at your desk or at home, to improve your musculoskeletal health.
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Ergonomic Office Furniture is furniture that has been designed specifically with the human body in mind. It is designed to support its primary function whether it is a chair, a desk or something else in the workplace, whilst also considering comfort for its intended use. By investing in ergonomic furniture for your employees or yourself, you reduce the risk of musculoskeletal problems including joint pain, back pain, shoulder pain, neck pain, hip pain, arthritis, and poor circulation, therefore increasing comfort and productivity amongst employees. This then reduces the risk of injury by providing posture support, reducing pain and discomfort for the user and therefore less time off work with fewer compensation claims. Ergonomic furniture can also help anyone that may have pre-existing musculoskeletal conditions not related to the workplace and therefore ease discomfort. Ergonomic furniture is designed for long-term use therefore you won’t need to make recurrent purchases, making your purchase a great investment into the health and wellbeing of all users.
Whether you need a one-off purchase like an ergonomic chair or maybe a new desk then we have plenty of options for you. You may need these as part of the recommendations made from a Display Screen Equipment Assessment or you may wish to refurbish a meeting room, the entire office or building whilst taking ergonomics into account. You may have something specific in mind or you may want one of our specialists to give you some options. All you need to do is let us know what furniture you require and the budget available.
We are proud to be partnered with Online Ergonomics a specialist supplier of ergonomic office furniture and accessories. A true one stop shop for many clients from simple to complex needs. Being a one stop shop allows us to focus on quality of service and retaining control of costs for the benefit of all our clients.
If you require more information or wish to discuss your needs, please contact us and we will get back to you within 48 hours. Alternatively download our brochure to see our products.
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Ergonomic Office Accessories are items of equipment that have been designed specifically to ensure that there is an ideal fit between the product and the user. They are designed to assist employees in carrying out their day-to-day jobs comfortably and effectively. By investing in ergonomic accessories for your employees or yourself, you reduce the risk of musculoskeletal problems including:
- Pain, tingling or numbness in the hands, fingers or wrists
- Swollen or stiff joints
- Pain or discomfort in the shoulders, neck or back
- Muscle cramps or tightness
- Problems with vision.
Quite often employees work long hours at a desk in front of a screen, so by investing in the correct equipment you can greatly increase comfort and productivity amongst employees. This then reduces the risk of injury by providing the support needed, reducing pain and discomfort for the user and therefore less time off work with fewer compensation claims. Ergonomic accessories can also help anyone that may have pre-existing conditions not related to the workplace and therefore ease discomfort.
Whether you need to purchase a laptop stand, an ergonomic mouse, wrist rests, footrests, or something else then we have plenty of options for you. You may need items of equipment as part of the recommendations made from a Display Screen Equipment Assessment or you may wish to supply employees with the equipment they need to work effectively from home whilst taking ergonomics into account. Whatever your reason, we can help you find the items that suit. All you need to do is let us know what you require and the budget available. If you require a Display Screen Equipment Assessment to investigate what may be the most suitable piece of equipment, then please refer to DSE Risk Assessments listed on the Services page of this website.
We are proud to be partnered with Online Ergonomics a specialist supplier of ergonomic office furniture and accessories. A true one stop shop for many clients from simple to complex needs. Being a one stop shop allows us to focus on quality of service and retaining control of costs for the benefit of all our clients.
If you require more information or wish to discuss your needs, please contact us and we will get back to you within 48 hours. Alternatively download our brochure to see our products.
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PAT Testing (Portable Appliance Testing) is the process of checking the safety of different types of electrical appliances in the workplace. Although PAT testing is not a legal requirement, it is highly recommended. Under UK legislation, businesses must maintain electrical equipment in a safe condition for use, as well as a legal responsibility for the safety of employees and visitors. The Electricity at Work Regulations 1989 require that any electrical equipment with the potential to cause harm is maintained in a safe condition, it does not state how this should be done or how often, however; PAT Testing is one of the most effective forms of inspection in which businesses can comply with the law when maintaining electrical appliances.
The test includes a visual inspection and a more detailed check using specialist equipment. A ‘competent’ person should carry out the test and at the end of each test, electrical appliances will be marked with a ‘pass’ or ‘fail’ and the results recorded. There is no formal requirement to record the findings, however; it does demonstrate that you are following a maintenance regime with your electrical equipment.
There is no particular rule in terms of how often PAT Testing should be carried out, however; there is certain criteria that will determine this such as, the category of the appliance and the class of the appliance. The working environment should also be taken into consideration with the level of risk.
If you require routine PAT testing of your electrical appliances, we would be happy to assist you with this. Please contact us for more information.
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