Safety First

Every year about 500 people are killed at work, while several hundred thousand more are injured or suffer from ill health induced by their place of work. There are legal health and safety requirements that have to be met by company managers, many of whom know only too well that accidents also cost time and money – from people being off work, material costs and damage to buildings and their contents.

Increasingly, the responsibility for health and safety procedures now rests with building and site security managers. This is a tall order on top of their normal duties, not to mention a rather daunting prospect.

Not to worry, though, as help is at hand in the form of an excellent technical guide – entitled 'Essentials of Health and Safety at Work' – published by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE). The book advises security managers on all aspects of health and safety, from the premises through to equipment used therein and even how to deal with toxic environments.

There's also some up-to-date advice about companies' legal requirements (the book having been written in such a way that it tells managers exactly what they are obliged to do legally, in combination with what is simply good advice that ought to be followed).

Health and safety...and the law
There are two main kinds of health and safety law. Some of that law is very specific about what you must do but some – such as the Health and Safety at Work etc Act 1974 – is very generalist, requiring you to do what is 'reasonably practical' to ensure health and safety in the workplace.

In the book the word 'must' indicates a definite legal requirement, but it also gives many 'do's and don'ts' taken from recognised and generally accepted HSE guidance. Tips on good practice which may be found useful are indicated by phrases such as 'Think about...'

The book is divided into two parts. Chapter 1 (entitled 'Managing Health and Safety') suggests ways of tackling the basics. It shows how to identify, assess and control the activities that might cause harm in your business.

Initially, it covers what the law requires you to do under the Health and Safety at Work Act to ensure the health and safety of yourself and others who may be affected by what you do – or indeed fail to do. A 'must' section follows, detailing all the policies that are law.

Chapter 1 then takes a look at hazard and risk and what, in law, is considered a hazard. It analyses who might be harmed, and offers guidelines on how to look out for hazards (including when and where they can happen). In deciding what is and is not a hazard, there is a section that helps you think about how high the risks could be, and what the overall end result might be like.

The next section outlines how to go about getting help. The workers themselves can often be a good source of information, so too employers' organisations and trade associations, etc. From the information you have, the book offers a step-by-step plan of how to make improvements, and how to prioritise those improvements. Health and safety laws which apply to your business will be enforced by an inspector either from the HSE or from your local District or Borough Council.

The final section is also useful, informing readers about the inspectors' role, the powers they have and how they can be of use to you.

Gearing up for a secure approach
Chapters 2 through to 19 are for anyone who needs to know more about a particular subject. The chapters cover a vast range of topics, including: the workplace, building work, machinery safety, gas and oil-fired equipment, plant and equipment maintenance, pressurised plant and systems, handling and transporting, noise, vibration, radiation, electricity and harmful substances. They also cover flammable and explosive substances, safe systems, accidents and emergencies, healthcare, personal protective equipment and training.

At first glance it may seem like an awful lot to take in, but each chapter adopts an easy-to-follow, step-by-step approach to the subject at hand, using first-hand examples and offering a plethora of ideas to make you think for yourself about your individual situation.

Take the section on 'The Workplace', for example. This chapter analyses the many dangers at work. Safety hazards include slips, trips, falls and fire, while health hazards include poor seating, lighting and ventilation.

All 'musts' are clearly outlined, including the use of good lighting, ease of movement around the workplace, workstation design, cleanliness, hygiene and welfare, display screen equipment and how it's configured, fire precautions and comfortable conditions. Each section provides bullet points about its given subject, addressing what is law and what is 'ideal'.

In any business, things sometimes go wrong, but it's important to be ready to deal with these unplanned events. Chapter 16 ('Accidents and Emergencies') encourages independent thinking about situations that could go wrong. It then takes you through the points that you must address – by law – if the worse case scenario did materialise. A checklist is also provided to help you with any investigation that must be carried out.

And what about selection and training? People are a danger to themselves or others if they cannot do their jobs correctly. This is because they are in jobs for which they are unsuited and /or are not competent. It is therefore rather appropriate that this book also includes such a chapter, which affords an outline of what to think about during your staff selection process, as well as looking at the necessity of health and safety training.

It's worth mentioning that the tail end of the book contains eight pages of references listing some of the publications available from the HSE. It also provides details of other sources of information that you can check out.