HSE Archives - Page 8 of 9 - Outsource Safety Ltd

Air sampling for exposure to solvents (toluene, xylene and similar)

If you would like to speak to one of our safety consultants or occupational hygienists about an air sampling survey for wood dusts please contact us on 01453 800100. Outsource Safety specialise in Occupational Health and Hygiene consultancy.

Xylene and toluene sampling methods

An activated charcoal badge type dosimeter was used, attached at the lapel. The badge was left exposed for a recorded period and later washed through with a solvent to extract the analyte which is then passed through a gas chromatography instrument to analyse the concentration of particular substances, in this case xylene and toluene were selected.

Xylene – Background Information

OCCUPATIONAL EXPOSURE STANDARDS

8-HOUR TWA: 100 ppm
15-MINUTE REF. PERIOD: 150 ppm
IDENTITY AND PROPERTIES
CAS No: 1330-20-7
EEC No: 601-022-00-9
Formula: C6H4(CH3)2
Synonyms: xylol, dimethylbenzene
Saturated vapour
concentration: about 8000 ppm at 20oC
Boiling point: 137-144 oC
Conversion factor: 1 ppm = 4.34 mg.m-3 at 25oC

Xylene is an aromatic hydrocarbon with a characteristic odour, perceptible at about 1 ppm. Commercial xylene is a mixture of the three xylene isomers and may contain some ethyl benzene. It is a clear, colourless, mobile, fairly volatile fluid, which is insoluble in water and miscible in other organic solvents. Xylene is classified under the CHIP 2 Regulations (1994) as harmful, to be labelled with risk (R) phrases:

R10: FLAMMABLE
R20/21: HARMFUL BY INHALATION AND IN CONTACT WITH SKIN
R38: IRRITATING TO SKIN

OCCURRENCE AND USE

Xylene is produced mainly from crude oil in the UK, but some also arises from coking processes. It is a component of petrol and hydrocarbon solvent mixtures; and is used in chemical manufacture and as a solvent. Individual isomers are raw materials for making terephthalic acid and phthalic anhydride. It is a carrier solvent for surface coatings (e.g. paints, adhesives, pesticides) supplied for commercial and domestic use.

EXPOSURE

Many thousands of workers may be potentially exposed to xylene, with more than 10 000 user-firms in the UK. Typically, exposures to xylene vapours are controlled to below 50 ppm where xylene is used as a chemical precursor and in the manufacture and use of formulated products. Higher exposures may occur in spray-painting large items, printing, and using xylene-containing products in confined spaces; in these circumstances respiratory protective equipment is worn. Short-term exposures up to 500 ppm have been reported in machine-cleaning operations.

MEASUREMENT

Long-term monitoring is performed by pumped sampling with solvent desorption or by diffusive sampling and thermal desorption {Methods for the determination of hazardous substances MDHS 66 (Rev) MIXED HYDROCARBONS (C5 TO C10) IN AIR – LABORATORY METHOD USING POROUS POLYMER DIFFUSION SAMPLERS, THERMAL DESORPTION AND GAS CHROMATOGRAPHY ISBN 0 7176 0867 0 HSE Books (1995)} and gas chromatographic determination. Measurement of the urinary metabolite methyl hippuric acid is a suitable biological indicator of uptake.

METABOLISM

Xylene vapour is rapidly absorbed through the respiratory tract. It is also absorbed by skin contact, and penetrates many materials used for protective clothing. Over 90% of the absorbed dose is metabolised and excreted in the urine as methyl hippuric acid. A small proportion (5%) is exhaled in the breath.

HEALTH EFFECTS

Animal studies

Exposure to high concentrations of xylene has been shown to cause hearing loss and enlargement of kidneys and liver, due to high metabolic demand. Toxicity to reproduction has been observed, but only at or near levels which are maternally toxic. Xylene gave negative results in carcinogenicity and various mutagenicity tests.

Human data

Minimal eye, nose and throat irritation has been reported at levels down to 100 ppm for 30 minutes, and this can also arise with brief exposures at slightly higher levels. The principal effects known in humans are on the central nervous system. Exposure at 300 ppm affected the sense of balance, caused visual disturbances and slowed reaction-times and some effects were seen at 200 ppm; but exposure to 160 ppm over 4 hours caused no significant adverse health effects. At around 700 ppm for up to 1 hour, headache, dizziness and nausea occur. The isomeric composition of xylene is not considered an important factor in its health effects.

BASIS FOR SETTING THE LIMIT

The critical health effects are irritation and central nervous system effects. The irritant effects reported at 100 ppm appear to be minimal and this was considered to be a no-effect level. In view of these irritancy effects an occupational exposure standard was set at 100 ppm (8-hour TWA). Since irritant effects can arise with even brief exposures at higher levels a short-term OES was set at 150 ppm (15-minute reference period). The limits apply to o-, m- or p- isomers of xylene, or mixtures thereof. A ‘Skin’ notation was considered appropriate to indicate the potential for absorption by this route.

Toluene – Background Information

OCCUPATIONAL EXPOSURE STANDARDS

8-HOUR TWA: 50 ppm
15-MINUTE REF. PERIOD: 150 ppm
NOTATION: SKIN
IDENTITY AND PROPERTIES
CAS No: 108-88-3
EEC No: 601-021-00-3
Formula: C6H5CH3
Synonyms: toluol, methyl benzene
Saturated vapour
concentration: about 30 000 ppm at 25oC
Boiling point: 110.6oC
Conversion factor: 1 ppm = 3.75 mg.m-3 at 25oC

Toluene is an aromatic hydrocarbon with the typical sweet/pungent odour of such substances and an odour threshold around 3 ppm. It is a clear, colourless, mobile, volatile liquid which is insoluble in water and miscible with most organic solvents. Toluene is classified under the CHIP 2 Regulations (1994) as highly flammable and harmful, to be labelled with risk (R) phrases:

R11: HIGHLY FLAMMABLE
R20: HARMFUL BY INHALATION

OCCURRENCE AND USE

Toluene occurs naturally in crude oils and is now produced by catalytic reforming of petroleum feedstocks. About 150 000 tonnes per annum are used in the UK. Toluene has widespread use in the production of a range of industrial chemicals, and as a solvent in adhesives, including rubber solutions, coatings and printing inks. It is a common component of many mixed petroleum hydrocarbon solvents.

EXPOSURE

A large number of workers are potentially exposed to toluene. Processes at which exposure to toluene is well-controlled are in the petrochemical sector; exposures are fairly well controlled in the footwear industry (adhesives), silk-screen printing, chemicals production, paint manufacture and decorating industries. In each case mean exposures are less than 15 ppm with more than 96 % of samples less than 100 ppm. Poorly controlled processes include rubber-coating, machine-cleaning, and general adhesives uses, where mean exposures range from 15 to 89 ppm with only around two thirds of samples less than 100 ppm. High short-term exposures can be experienced at liquid transfer points and during manual cleaning. There is a potential for domestic exposure from paint and adhesives.

MEASUREMENT

Short-term measurement can be performed by colorimetric detector tubes, and continuous monitoring is with meters, but these may not be selective for toluene. Long-term measurement is by pumped sampling onto charcoal with solvent desorption, {Methods for the determination of hazardous substances MDHS 36 (Rev) TOLUENE IN AIR – LABORATORY METHOD USING PUMPED CHARCOAL ADSORPTION TUBES, SOLVENT DESORPTION AND GAS CHROMATOGRAPHY ISBN 0 11 885960 9 HSE Books (1990)} or diffusive sampling with thermal or solvent desorption, {Methods for the determination of hazardous substances MDHS 40 (Rev) TOLUENE IN AIR – LABORATORY METHOD USING PUMPED POROUS POLYMER ADSORBENT TUBES, THERMAL DESORPTION AND GAS CHROMATOGRAPHY ISBN 0 11 885961 7 HSE Books (1990)} and gas chromatographic determination. Biological assessment of toluene exposure is by measuring blood-toluene at the shift-end.

METABOLISM

Toluene is readily absorbed by the respiratory tract, and is also absorbed through the skin. It is rapidly distributed, accumulating to some extent in fat and also the liver, brain and lung. Some toluene is exhaled: otherwise it is metabolised to hippuric acid and o-cresol, which are excreted in urine over an extended period.

HEALTH EFFECTS

Animal studies

Inhalation studies showed narcosis at 10 000 ppm, following central nervous system effects. In repeated studies at high exposures, kidney and liver damage occurred, with no effects at 200 ppm. It is difficult to form firm conclusions on findings that exposure to toluene may cause hearing or eyesight impairment.

IN VIVO and IN VITRO studies show toluene is unlikely to be carcinogenic or mutagenic. Toluene only showed teratogenic effects at high doses.

Human data

The principal effects are on the central nervous system with impaired reaction times and vigilance reported for exposures to 200 or 240 ppm for 3 to 7 hours, and dizziness, headache and fatigue reported following exposure at 50 to 100 ppm for 4 to 8 hours. Although longer term effects on the central nervous system have been claimed, there is no substantive evidence that they occur following repeated exposures between 50 and 200 ppm. Toluene vapour is irritating to the eyes and respiratory tract, with no effects being reported at 80 ppm. The liquid irritates the skin. There are no data on carcinogenic effects in humans.

BASIS FOR SETTING THE LIMIT

The critical health effect is upon the central nervous system. A level could be identified which was unlikely to be injurious to employees, and an occupational exposure standard was set at 50 ppm (8-hour TWA) on this basis. However, this implies a need to introduce improvements in control in some industry sectors. A short-term OES was set at 150 ppm (15-minute reference period) which would minimise short-term effects such as irritation. A ‘Skin’ notation was considered appropriate.

Posted by Roger Hart

The safety of bottled water in cars

This is a question which has been raised by some clients following a spate of emails circulating on the web. Read on to find out the opinion of our experienced safety consultants and if you have questions or need more advice please call our safety consultancy on 01453 800100.

Below is a copy of the email (in italics) which started this urban myth;

Email Subject: Drinking Bottled Water Kept in Car

…a friend whose mother recently got diagnosed with breast cancer. The doctor told her women should not drink bottled water that has been left in a car. The doctor said that the heat and the plastic of the bottle have certain chemicals that can lead to breast cancer. So please be careful and do not drink that water bottle that has been left in a car and pass this on to all the women in your life.

This information is the kind we need to know and be aware and just might save us!!!!

*The heats causes toxins from the plastic to leak into the water and they have found these toxins in breast tissue. Use a stainless steel canteen or a glass bottle when you can*!

The first alarm bell which rings here and announces this email as something which may not be 100% true is the fact that all materials containing food stuffs must pass stringent tests before being put into use.

However, there is as usual an element of truth, bottles can potentially leach endocrine disruptors into the water which they contain, in this case man made chemicals which have the potential to interfere with the production of reproductive hormones in the body – not cause cancer.

Research on this subject is in its early stages and there may not be a link – more research is needed but it is a potential concern. Some chemical leaching does take place but these are at levels which are minuscule and do not pose a threat to health. Tests have shown them to always be within the limits set within the EU and US authorities. You’re greatest risk is from microbial contamination, particular in the case of still mineral waters which will not have undergone special treatment to reduce these levels.

The bottom line is that single use water bottles are known to be safe and multiple use water bottles are also safe to the best of current knowledge. Nothing is without risk but you should not be concerned by leaving water bottles in cars but you might not want to drink the warm water anyway – unless you’re very thirsty!

Notes

Some concerns have also been raised involving reusable water bottles and the leaching of bisphenol A (BPA). You may now see a number of baby bottles boasting to be BPA free. This is potentially a concern but research continues into this to establish the actual level of risk and its true effects on the human body.

Posted by Roger Hart

Choosing a dust mask

We often have questions regarding which mask should be used and so thought a very quick summary here would be useful.

In general, filtering face masks used for dusts and similar can be categorised into three types all with an FFP number.

FFP1 for simple dusts such as nuisance and soft wood dusts
FFP2 for more hazardous dusts such as grinding, powder painting or respirable cystalline silica
FFP3 for hazardous dusts which also involve some vapours and gases which are hazardous to health (a good example here would be welding fumes)

One of the key failing when we review the use of face masks is how people wear them and you should, since November 2002 in fact, be testing the fit of these items to ensure they are effective – this is known as fit testing.

Many people do not fit masks well and do not even press the metal strip fixed around the nose of the mask to get a good seal – if a mask is to protect you this is essential. A second common error is keeping the mask at the point of work uncovered – perhaps on a work bench. This will allow the mask to collect exactly what it should be protecting you from and allow you to inhale it as soon as you use it! Always keep RPE in a sealed container or bag to prevent this type of contamination.

More information is supplied below on the new APF figures. These allow you, once occupational hygienists, such as ourselves, have completed an appropriate air sampling survey, to select an item of RPE which will adequately protect you and your staff from harm (see graphic to the right for more information). The APF is an allowance over which the mask will protect you;

For example; the allowable limit for hard and soft wood dusts is currently 5 mg per cubic metre. In your workplace an occupational hygienist such as one of our safety consultants may measure the dust level at 3 times this amount, 15 mg per m3. In that case you would need to seek an APF (assigned protection factor) of at least 3. This would put you in the typical 4-10 or 4-20 range.

One final point concerns the amount of time which a mask will last before requiring replacement, this can be summarised as follows;

For particulate (dusts) when breathing become more difficult the mask will be partially blocked and should be replaced
For gases and vapours the mask should be replaced when you detect ‘breakthrough’ i.e. when you can detect through smell or taste the item against which you should be protected be that a solvent or other substance.

As a general rule, disposable masks should be disposed of daily and reusable half face respirators should have their filters changed at least monthly.

If you would like to speak to an experienced occupational hygienist about this please contact us on 01453 800100

Posted by Roger Hart

CDM 2015, a quick summary

CDM 2015 regulations

It would be true to say that we rarely experience a change in regulation which causes so much speculation and conversation amongst safety professionals, designers and architects, contractors, clients and everyone else who might be involved in a construction project at some stage but CDM 2015 has done it.

Flowchart of CDM 2015

There is still a lot of confusion amongst the duty holders and so we thought we would attempt (based on the latest guidance documents) to explain how we think the regulations will work from the perspective of each duty holder from client through to contractor but if you prefer a helicopter overview take a look at or download our flowchart below;

(Important Note: this guidance is provided as is and without warranty and is based on some assumptions and draft guidance documents)

Notification of HSE (F10)
1. 2007 Regs: you are required to notify HSE should your project last more than 30 consecutive days or more than 500 person days
2. 2015 Regs; you will be required to notify HSE only if you project lasts more than 30 working days and has more than 20 people on site simultaneously or lasts more than 500 person days (add up the numbers on-site each day and the number of days, incidentally 19 persons x 26 days would be 494 person days)
  1. Note: we expect that this will reduce notifiable projects to less than one-third of their current number for larger businesses. For domestic architects the effect will be almost all projects will come under CDM 2015
  2. The duty to notify technically rests with the client under the revised regulations
Transitional arrangements
1. The regulations are set to come into force on 6th April 2015, however, for projects for which a CDM Coordinator has already been appointed at that time there is a six month transitional period where the old regulations can still be applied and the CDM Coordinator can remain in role. If this is the case you should start planning the transition now and be compliant with the new regs before 6th October 2015
Removal of the domestic client exemption
1. This was a key enabler for the change in the regulations. The UK did not apply this part of the EU directive fully and was under great pressure from the EU to do so. The regulations will now apply to all domestic work involving 2 or more contractors.
2. The client duty to also ensure that the regulations are implemented on domestic projects will pass from the client to the principal contractor. This may present the largest challenge to smaller contractors or those specialising in domestic works for new builds and extensions which up until now have been exempt. It is worthy of note that this duty stays with the designer until and unless another Principal Designer is appointed in writing.
3. These regulations “apply to ALL building projects, whether or not a person is acting in the course or furtherance of a business”
  1. Note: This is significant. Even small projects will require a safety plan albeit one which HSE expects and allows to be smaller and less detailed than a notifiable project. In truth, it is likely that these plans will follow a very similar layout to larger project plans in the absence of firm guidance on what should be included to be compliant with the new regulations. This is an area in which we can help so please contact us if you need to discuss this aspect and if you are an existing client we can supply you with a suitable template plan.
Role of the Principal Designer (replaces the CDM Coordinator Role)
1. This is now expected to be a person in the design team (architect, structural engineer, services engineer). This will typically be supported by a safety expert such as ourselves working on a framework agreement or support contract as a Principal Design Consultant, for a copy of our framework agreement and cost structure please contact us on 01453 800100 or request a callback.
  1. Role and duties;
    1. • Eliminating or controlling risk throughout the design phase;
      • Ensuring that the Principal Contractor (PC) is kept updated;
      • Ensuring that a Construction Phase Plan (CPP) is prepared;
      • Assisting the Client with the preparation of pre construction information and fulfilling their project / design brief;
      • Make certain that all designers comply with their duties to design out risk where practicable;
      • Preparing the Health and Safety file at project completion.
Role of the Client
1. A key change is that the client must set a clear brief for the project and this should set out arrangements for how health and safety will be managed. This may well be seen to include provision for audit arrangements to ensure good safety provision, risk management and welfare arrangements, another area where we can and do provide support.
2. From the regulations;
  1. “A client is required to appoint a principal designer as well as a principal contractor in any project where there is, or it is reasonably foreseeable that there will be, more than one contractor working on the project (regulation 5). Under the 2007 Regulations appointments for similar roles were required for notifiable projects.”
3. An additional role and interesting requirement placed on clients is to ensure that the Principal Designer and Contractors carry out their roles fully. How they might be able to fulfil this duty without recourse to a construction safety professional such as ourselves is questionable – we usually supported in house teams even under the 2007 regulations so a new and specific requirement makes this an area which must be addressed fully by clients from 6th April 2015
Role of the Principal Contractor
1. There are more slight modifications for the role of Principal Contractor and the role is similar to the 2007 regulations for those who previously fell into scope. The largest change will be the notification and application changes mentioned above which bring far more projects, including domestic, into the scope of the regulations for these larger contractors.
2. However, the largest impact will be faced by small and medium sized business as ALL projects must now produce a health and safety plan and produce a health and safety file regardless of the projects size
3. Smaller and repetitive projects
  1. What about small jobs which still involve more than one contractor? How could the regulations apply to maintenance works where only 2 hours are required at site for small works?
    1. Our answer; We don’t yet know how HSE will see this being managed but we can guess. Under the existing regulations repetitive works could generally be grouped together and it’s possible that HSE will allow an overall arrangement for a maintenance contract rather than insist on repeated documents which could be argued to be unreasonable. We’ll update you when we know more.
Sub-contractors and competency requirements (PQQ’s,SSIP and Approval Schemes in general)
1. The requirement for competency has been replaced with a requirement of “skills, knowledge and experience” in an apparent effort to reduce this burden
  1. Sum result: We would be amazed if this changes anything. A form of words which requires you to do much the same thing is very unlikely to have an impact on the current status quo so don’t expect CHAS, SMAS or SafeContractor requirements to be affected.
2. In support of our opinion above it is worthy of note that the PAS 91 is specifically referenced as a means of assessing pre qualification, anyone familiar with this document will know how detailed this assessment is.

Guidance and support

It’s likely that some of our guidance above will change as we learn more about the regulations and how HSE will apply them. It’s also true to say that a greater understanding will come after an unlucky few suffer FFI fines and prosecution for failures in applying the Regs. We’ll continue to keep you updated and if you want to find out a bit more detail we would recommend the CONIAC guidance which can be found below and the HSE guidance to be found here; Legal (L) Series guidance

Note:  all documents current as of time of last edit but subject to change

Posted by Roger Hart

DSEAR, do you know or don’t you?

DSEAR, the Dangerous Substances and Explosive Atmospheres Regulations – quite a mouthful and something which very few clients have addressed to the extent that they should.

If the above is true then it might come as a further surprise to you to know (or at least be reminded) that these regulations were introduced and came into force in 2002!

Their purpose is to ensure protection against risks from fire, explosion and similar events arising from dangerous substances used or present in the workplace, and also sets a minimum requirement for the protection of your workers from fire and explosion risks linked to any dangerous substances and potentially explosive atmospheres. Think blasts, fires, burns and suffocation in terms of risks which you are protecting from.

We’ve added some general requirements of the regulations below but you might want to know more from our experts, if you would like to discuss any aspect of DSEAR feel free to call us on 01453 800100 or use the contact links at the bottom of this post.

Key requirements

Assess risks and then decide how best to reduce them;
Put in place suitable procedures/ equipment to deal with the potential for accident and emergencies;
Ensure that you supply your employees with adequate information, instruction, training and supervision;
Classify your areas into zones which must then be marked and suitably protected.

Activities, processes and substances which come under DSEAR

Storage of highly flammable liquids, including petroleum spirit
Storage of flammable goods, such as paints, solvents, reagents
Storage, use and handling of flammable gases, including LPG
Use of flammable gases, such as acetylene, for cutting and welding
Handling and storage of waste dusts from woodworking operations
Handling and storage of flammable wastes including fuel oils
Hot work on tanks or drums that have contained flammable material
Work activities that could release naturally occurring methane
Use of flammable solvents in laboratories
Transport of flammable liquids in containers around the workplace

If you’ve got questions or need support on safety in the industrial, contracting or construction sectors please contact us for sensible and proportionate advice on 01453 800100

Posted by Roger Hart

Why should I outsource safety to consultants?

outsource safety will free up your business to focus on its strengths. This will benefit your business by allowing your staff to concentrate on their main tasks and on your future strategy and growth – we will work with your internal health and safety staff to support them and help them improve and develop your health & safety systems;
outsource safety will improve your efficiency and customer service. When you choose our health & safety consultants to support your internal safety professionals you are gaining the support of a highly experienced and well-connected organisation able to react quickly and flexibly to your business needs;
your business will gain a competitive advantage. Outsourcing your safety will bring flexibility to your business, turning fixed costs into variable costs and freeing up capital. It will also give your business the edge when winning new contracts against your competitors;
We have the skills and experience to support internal your safety professionals on more difficult and diverse risk issues. Areas such as COSHH risk assessments, personal exposure sampling, occupational health assessment and fire require very specific knowledge sets;
Areas which might not affect your business day to day still need to be tackled, for example, an extension which comes under the CDM Regulations will require a CDM support but you do not have the skillset required in house. We have specialists who will work with you and provide a full CDM service

Outsource Safety

It may be tempting to rush into outsourcing, but take the time to meet with one of our health & safety consultants and talk through what you need, we don’t use sales people so the person you meet will be your dedicated contact and retained health & safety consultant.

Consider the following:

Concentrate on your core strengths and not those which are secondary to your success.
Consider the true costs of handling it in-house. Include hidden costs such as office space, training, company cars, recruitment, holidays and so on.
Check the return on investment (ROI) – we can help you to calculate exactly how much you could save whilst getting a better service.
Consider the effects of a temporary downturn – you could have high employment costs when you could be only paying for what you actually need.
What are the costs of not outsourcing? Will your business suffer because it cannot afford to invest in the expertise or the facilities that we can provide? Perhaps your competitors are already outsourcing these roles.
What are the costs of developing new skills sets to cover areas like COSHH risk assessment, CDM Principal Designer duties and Occupational Health requirements?

If you’ve got questions or need support on safety in the industrial, contracting or construction sectors please contact us for sensible and proportionate advice on 01453 800100

Posted by Roger Hart

HSE Fee For Intervention has been served on an individual worker

With almost 12 months elapsed since the introduction of Fee For Intervention (FFI) we have heard for the first time of an individual being fined under the scheme.

The individual was employed as a scaffolder working on a Carey Housing project. The HSE Inspector was driving by the site when he noticed the scaffolder working without edge protection, or any other method that might prevent him from failing.

The Inspector spoke directly to the scaffolder and explaining what he had observed regarding the material breach which the scaffolder had made. The result was that the scaffolder was personally issued with an Enforcement Notice and fined £400.

The Project Manager was next to be interviewed and discussions took place with regard to the role of the Principle Contractor under CDM, training requirements, competency, safe systems ofwork (including review of the sub-contractor’s method statements and risk assessments).

Perhaps not surprisingly the Inspector’s opinion was that the method statement submitted needed to be made more site specific. The detail which was omitted was the method of protection the scaffolder would be using — this should not be “generic” or left entirely to the scaffolder to decide upon but specified in writing.

No action taken against Careys, as the Principal Contractor, on this occasion, as the Inspector was, in general, pleased with what he had seen at site. However, the Inspector warned that individuals are being targeted and will continue to receive fines and an Enforcement Notice from the HSE if they break the law.

Examples of material breaches could include but are not limited to; failing to wear PPE, operating plant and equipment without the relevant training, failing to adhere to the method statement and risk assessments (RAMs), or for altering scaffolds if you are not trained.

The lesson? Use your RAMS as working documents – this is how our documents have always been produced. If you need help updating your own please call us for a clear and competitive cost.

About: Roger Hart is Managing Director of Outsource Safety Ltd, a consultancy specialising in ISO9001, ISO14001 and OHSAS18001 Management Systems. The company employs 10 staff and works for hundreds of retained clients across the UK in all sectors from Defence and Aerospace to Education and Museums with a specialism in the contracting, construction and renewables sectors, www.outsource-safety.co.uk

Posted by Roger Hart

Freight company fined £50,000 after fork lift driver hit by falling pallets

A Suffolk-based freight company has been sentenced for a series of safety breaches after a forklift truck toppled and spilled its load onto a worker, breaking his back.

Freight company fined £50,000 after fork lift driver hit by falling pallets

Neil Jennings, 56, of Ipswich, was waiting for his trailer to be loaded in the yard of Eagle Freight Terminal Ltd at its Great Blakenham premises when one of the forklifts doing the loading hit a pothole. The vehicle lurched sideways, shedding its pallets and boxes, one of which hit Mr Jennings.

He suffered multiple fractures to the vertebrae of his upper and middle back and was unable to work for several weeks. Mr Jennings can now only undertake light duties and can no longer carry out everyday tasks without pain and discomfort.

HSE found that the freight yard road surface was pitted with potholes and had been the subject of complaints by the company’s employees over a significant period. There was little management of traffic movements and no instructions provided regarding segregation of workplace transport and pedestrians.

The court was told that two Improvement Notices were served by HSE on Eagle Freight after the incident requiring them to remedy the condition of the yard’s surface and to introduce systems of control which would allow vehicles and pedestrians to circulate safely at the site. Despite two extensions of time to allow the remedial work to be completed, an inspection carried out in September 2012 revealed no work had been completed and neither of the Notices had been complied with.

Ipswich Magistrates’ Court heard that the company had been subject to similar enforcement action by HSE as far back as 2002/3 about the lack of control of workplace transport.

Eagle Freight Terminal Ltd of Lodge Lane, Great Blakenham, Ipswich, was fined a total of £50,000 and ordered to pay costs of £4,501.23 plus £120 victim surcharge after pleading guilty to breaching Section 3(1) of the Health and Safety at Work etc Act 1974, Regulation 9(1) of the Provision and Use of Work Equipment Regulations 1998, Regulation 17(1) of the Workplace [Health, Safety and Welfare] Regulations 1992 and for failing to comply with two Improvement Notices.

After the case, HSE Inspector Paul Grover, said:

“This was an entirely preventable injury caused by persistent disregard by Eagle Freight of basic safety measures. The company allowed the yard’s surface to deteriorate so badly that forklift trucks were regularly destabilised when carrying loads.

“There was also no system to allow vehicles and pedestrians to move safely around each other and the forklift truck driver had not been given suitable training which resulted in him using unsafe work practices where the truck was driven with the forks and load lifted.

“The company’s subsequent repeated failure to meet the requirements of the two improvement notices demonstrated their complete disregard for their legal responsibility to keep their employees, and non-employees visiting the site, safe.

“The risks of serious injury and, all too frequently, death, resulting from the failure to control the safe movement of vehicles and pedestrians are widely recognised.

“Putting safe working practices in place is often simple and inexpensive and where this doesn’t happen the costs, both financial and personal, can be immense.”

If you need help or advice on fork lift trucks, logistics or warehouse risk management or any aspect of health and safety then please contact us or request a call back – or call and speak directly to a friendly consultant on 01453 800100. You can become a member of our Safety~net support service over the phone and get help right away, whatever your problem.

Posted by Roger Hart

Lyme disease and the risk to landscapers and construction workers

In May 2013 a petition was handed to the Department of Health demanding better diagnosis and treatment of Lyme disease. You may be aware of its existence but many are not but it can present an occupational risk which affects a range of professions and trades with up to 3,000 new cases being reported each year in the UK. Lyme disease has no vaccination and can be very damaging if left untreated severe fatigue, heart problems, nerve damage and headaches.

Architects
Landscapers
Landscape architects
Environmental professionals
Highways specialists
Structural engineers
Ground workers
Arboriculture workers
Forestry workers
Farm workers
plus foragers, hikers, mountain bikers and so on

Lyme disease is spread to humans via ticks with heathland, rough grassland and woodland being the primary sources but you can still catch ticks whilst being in a garden – I removed one from my 4 year old boy just last week!

As we said, a vaccine doesn’t exist but you can reduce your chances of being bitten;

wear long sleeved trousers and shirts – even in warm weather;
If clothes are light in colour ticks can be more easily spotted and removed before they bite;
Give workers information so they can identify ticks, before they’ve fed they can be no bigger than poppy seeds, they don’t fly but they do crawl quickly after jumping onto you from a nearby branch or plant;
Get workers to check themselves after working in known tick zones (even in the harder to reach areas!);
If you are working in a known tick zone then clothes can be treated with permethrin based repellents which can kill ticks on contact. But, check first with staff and give them a choice allowing them to refer to their GP or pharmacist if required.

Tick removal

To minimize tick exposure, wear rubber boots and tuck pant legs into the boots so ticks have a hard time grabbing on, advise Mississippi State University experts. (Photo courtesy of Jerome Goddard. Used with permission.)

Perhaps the most important element of protecting your self is removing a tick correctly, we’ve summarised this below but you can also see this link for more information and to purchase a specialist tool if your staff are working in high risk areas; http://www.bada-uk.org/defence/removal/indextickremoval.php

Grasp the tick as close to the skin as possible and pull upwards with steady, even pressure. Do not twist or jerk the tick as this may leave the mouth parts embedded or cause the tick to regurgitate infective fluids.
Remove any embedded mouth parts with tweezers or a sterilised needle.
Do not squeeze or crush the body of the tick, because its fluids (saliva and gut contents) may contain infective organisms.
Do not handle the tick with bare hands, because infective agents may enter through breaks in the skin, or through mucous membranes (if you touch eyes, nostrils or mouth).
After removing the tick, disinfect the bite site and wash hands with soap and water.
Save the tick for identification in case you become ill within several weeks. Write the date of the bite in pencil on a piece of paper and put it with the tick in a sealed plastic bag and store it in a freezer.
1. DO NOT use petroleum jelly, any liquid solutions, or freeze / burn the tick, as this will stimulate it to regurgitate its stomach contents, increasing the chance of infection.

Ensure that your staff are aware of the potential risk and know what to do. Not all ticks will carry the disease but these simple precautions (and a pair of special tweezers) will protect your staff from harm.

Posted by Roger Hart

Commonly used abbreviations in health and safety and their meaning

Commonly used Health and Safety abbreviations

Use the underlined links below to find areas of our site where related services can be offered. If you have questions please call us on 01453 800100 to speak to an experienced safety consultant.

These are common terms used by health and safety professionals and enforcement agencies such as the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) and Health and Safety Commission (HSC)
ACOP Approved Code of Practice
ACM Asbestos Containing Materials
BMA British Medical Association
BOHS British Occupational Hygiene Society
BSI British Standards Institute
BTS British Toxicology Society
C(WP) Construction (Work Place) Regulations
CBI Confederation of British Industry
CDG The Carriage of Dangerous Goods by Road Regulations, see also Dangerous Goods Safety Advisor
CDM Construction (Design & Management) Regulations
CDMC CDM Coordinator (see guidance section and construction safety consultancy section)
CE The letters “CE” do not represent any specific words but the mark a declaration by the manufacturer, indicating that the product satisfies all relevant European Directives. Note, however, that the mark only applies to products that fall within the scope of European Directives.
CFC Chlorofluorocarbons
CFM Cubic Feet per Minute Amount of air flowing through a given space in one minute 1 CFM approximately equals 2 litres per second
CHAS The Contractors Health and Safety Assessment Scheme
CHIP Chemical Hazards Information and Packaging
CO Carbon Monoxide
CO2 Carbon Dioxide
COMAH Control of Major Accident Hazards Regulations
COSHH Control of Substances Hazardous to Health Regulations
COSHH RA COSHH Risk Assessment
CPHSP Construction Phase Health & Safety Plan (CDM Regulations / CDM Coordinator)
CNS Central Nervous System
CRT Cathode Ray Tube
CSSA Construction Site Safety Audit
CTS Carpal Tunnel Syndrome
CVD Cardiovascular Disease
dB Decibel, see also Noise Consultancy
DDA Disability Discrimination Act
DGSA Dangerous Goods Safety Advisor
DSE Display Screen Equipment, see also Display Screen Equipment Risk Assessment
EA Environmental Agency, see also Environmental Consultancy and ISO14001
EAW Electricity at Work Regulations
EHO Environmental Health Officer
EMAS Eco-Management and Audit Scheme, see also Environmental Consultancy and ISO14001
EMAS Employment Medical Advisory Service
FA Factories Act
FH(G) Food Hygiene (General) Regulations
FLT Fork Lift Truck, see also Skills Training
FPA Fire Precautions Act
FPWR Fire Precautions (Workplace) Regulations, see also Fire Risk Assessment
GMC General Medical Council
GP General Practitioner
H&S Health & Safety
HASWA Health & Safety at Work Act
HAZCHEM Hazardous Chemical Warning Signs
HR Human Resources
HSC Health & Safety Commission
HSCON Health & Safety Consultant
HSDSER Health & Safety (Display Screen Equipment) Regulations
HSE Health & Safety Executive
HSP Health & Safety Policy
IAQ Indoor Air Quality
ICOH International Commission on Occupational Health
IOD Institute of Directors
IOSH Institution of Occupational Safety & Health
LOLER Lifting Operations and Lifting Equipment Regulations
LPG Liquid Petroleum Gas
MAPP Major Accident Prevention Policy
MEL Maximum Exposure Limit, see also COSHH Risk Assessment
mg.m3 Milligrams per cubic metre, see also COSHH Risk Assessment
MHOR Manual Handling Operation Regulations
MHSWR Management of Health & Safety at Work Regulations
MSD Musculoskeletal Disorder
MSDS Material Data Safety Sheet, see also COSHH Risk Assessment
NAWR Noise at Work Regulations
NEBOSH National Examination Board of Occupational Safety and Health
NHS National Health Service
NIHL Noise Induced Hearing Loss
OHAC Occupational Health Advisory Committee of The Health & Safety Commission
OHSAS18001 BSI Standard for Occupational Health & Safety
OSRPA Offices Shops & Railway Premises Act
PAT Portable Appliance Test
PPE Personal Protective Equipment
PPEWR Personal Protective Equipment at Work Regulations
ppb Parts Per Billion, see also COSHH Risk Assessment
ppm Parts Per Million, see also COSHH Risk Assessment
PUWER Provision & Use of Work Equipment Regulations
QA/QC Quality Assurance/Quality Control
RAMS Risk Assessment and Method Statement
RCD Residual Current Device
RIDDOR Reporting of Injuries, Disease & Dangerous Occurrences Regulations
RoSPA Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents
RSA Regional Speciality Adviser
RSA Royal Society of Arts (training accreditation)
RSI Repetitive Strain Injury
SBS Sick Building Syndrome, see also Indoor Air Quality
SCon Safety Consultants, see also Health & Safety Consultant
SMAS – Safety Management Advisory Services
SSIP – Safety Schemes in Procurement
TUC Trades Union Congress
Type 2 Survey Asbestos Survey defined under MDHS 100 (types 1 and 3 also defined), see Asbestos Surveys
VDU Visual Display Unit
WEL Workplace Exposure Limit (COSHH Risk Assessment)
WHO World Health Organisation
WHSWR Workplace (Health Safety & Welfare) Regulations
WRULD Work Related Upper Limb Disorder

Posted by Roger Hart

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Commonly used abbreviations in health and safety and their meaning

Commonly used Health and Safety abbreviations