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HSE Fee For Intervention has been served on an individual worker

HSEWith 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

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.

  1. Architects
  2. Landscapers
  3. Landscape architects
  4. Environmental professionals
  5. Highways specialists
  6. Structural engineers
  7. Ground workers
  8. Arboriculture workers
  9. Forestry workers
  10. Farm workers
  11. 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;

  1. wear long sleeved trousers and shirts – even in warm weather;
  2. If clothes are light in colour ticks can be more easily spotted and removed before they bite;
  3. 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;
  4. Get workers to check themselves after working in known tick zones (even in the harder to reach areas!);
  5. 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

  1. 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.
  2. Remove any embedded mouth parts with tweezers or a sterilised needle.
  3. Do not squeeze or crush the body of the tick, because its fluids (saliva and gut contents) may contain infective organisms.
  4. 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).
  5. After removing the tick, disinfect the bite site and wash hands with soap and water.
  6. 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.tick-bite-lyme-disease-risk-assessment

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.

  1. 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)
  2. ACOP Approved Code of Practice
  3. ACM Asbestos Containing Materials
  4. BMA British Medical Association
  5. BOHS British Occupational Hygiene Society
  6. BSI British Standards Institute
  7. BTS British Toxicology Society
  8. C(WP) Construction (Work Place) Regulations
  9. CBI Confederation of British Industry
  10. CDG The Carriage of Dangerous Goods by Road Regulations, see also Dangerous Goods Safety Advisor
  11. CDM Construction (Design & Management) Regulations
  12. CDMC CDM Coordinator (see guidance section and construction safety consultancy section)
  13. 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.
  14. CFC Chlorofluorocarbons
  15. CFM Cubic Feet per Minute Amount of air flowing through a given space in one minute 1 CFM approximately equals 2 litres per second
  16. CHAS The Contractors Health and Safety Assessment Scheme
  17. CHIP Chemical Hazards Information and Packaging
  18. CO Carbon Monoxide
  19. CO2 Carbon Dioxide
  20. COMAH Control of Major Accident Hazards Regulations
  21. COSHH Control of Substances Hazardous to Health Regulations
  22. COSHH RA COSHH Risk Assessment
  23. CPHSP Construction Phase Health & Safety Plan (CDM Regulations / CDM Coordinator)
  24. CNS Central Nervous System
  25. CRT Cathode Ray Tube
  26. CSSA Construction Site Safety Audit
  27. CTS Carpal Tunnel Syndrome
  28. CVD Cardiovascular Disease
  29. dB Decibel, see also Noise Consultancy
  30. DDA Disability Discrimination Act
  31. DGSA Dangerous Goods Safety Advisor
  32. DSE Display Screen Equipment, see also Display Screen Equipment Risk Assessment
  33. EA Environmental Agency, see also Environmental Consultancy and ISO14001
  34. EAW Electricity at Work Regulations
  35. EHO Environmental Health Officer
  36. EMAS Eco-Management and Audit Scheme, see also Environmental Consultancy and ISO14001
  37. EMAS Employment Medical Advisory Service
  38. FA Factories Act
  39. FH(G) Food Hygiene (General) Regulations
  40. FLT Fork Lift Truck, see also Skills Training
  41. FPA Fire Precautions Act
  42. FPWR Fire Precautions (Workplace) Regulations, see also Fire Risk Assessment
  43. GMC General Medical Council
  44. GP General Practitioner
  45. H&S Health & Safety
  46. HASWA Health & Safety at Work Act
  47. HAZCHEM Hazardous Chemical Warning Signs
  48. HR Human Resources
  49. HSC Health & Safety Commission
  50. HSCON Health & Safety Consultant
  51. HSDSER Health & Safety (Display Screen Equipment) Regulations
  52. HSE Health & Safety Executive
  53. HSP Health & Safety Policy
  54. IAQ Indoor Air Quality
  55. ICOH International Commission on Occupational Health
  56. IOD Institute of Directors
  57. IOSH Institution of Occupational Safety & Health
  58. LOLER Lifting Operations and Lifting Equipment Regulations
  59. LPG Liquid Petroleum Gas
  60. MAPP Major Accident Prevention Policy
  61. MEL Maximum Exposure Limit, see also COSHH Risk Assessment
  62. mg.m3 Milligrams per cubic metre, see also COSHH Risk Assessment
  63. MHOR Manual Handling Operation Regulations
  64. MHSWR Management of Health & Safety at Work Regulations
  65. MSD Musculoskeletal Disorder
  66. MSDS Material Data Safety Sheet, see also COSHH Risk Assessment
  67. NAWR Noise at Work Regulations
  68. NEBOSH National Examination Board of Occupational Safety and Health
  69. NHS National Health Service
  70. NIHL Noise Induced Hearing Loss
  71. OHAC Occupational Health Advisory Committee of The Health & Safety Commission
  72. OHSAS18001 BSI Standard for Occupational Health & Safety
  73. OSRPA Offices Shops & Railway Premises Act
  74. PAT Portable Appliance Test
  75. PPE Personal Protective Equipment
  76. PPEWR Personal Protective Equipment at Work Regulations
  77. ppb Parts Per Billion, see also COSHH Risk Assessment
  78. ppm Parts Per Million, see also COSHH Risk Assessment
  79. PUWER Provision & Use of Work Equipment Regulations
  80. QA/QC Quality Assurance/Quality Control
  81. RAMS Risk Assessment and Method Statement
  82. RCD Residual Current Device
  83. RIDDOR Reporting of Injuries, Disease & Dangerous Occurrences Regulations
  84. RoSPA Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents
  85. RSA Regional Speciality Adviser
  86. RSA Royal Society of Arts (training accreditation)
  87. RSI Repetitive Strain Injury
  88. SBS Sick Building Syndrome, see also Indoor Air Quality
  89. SCon Safety Consultants, see also Health & Safety Consultant
  90. SMAS – Safety Management Advisory Services
  91. SSIP – Safety Schemes in Procurement
  92. TUC Trades Union Congress
  93. Type 2 Survey Asbestos Survey defined under MDHS 100 (types 1 and 3 also defined), see Asbestos Surveys
  94. VDU Visual Display Unit
  95. WEL Workplace Exposure Limit (COSHH Risk Assessment)
  96. WHO World Health Organisation
  97. WHSWR Workplace (Health Safety & Welfare) Regulations
  98. WRULD Work Related Upper Limb Disorder
Posted by Roger Hart