Unit
57
Objective 2
Health and Safety
Demonstrate
knowledge of health and safety:
1.
What are the objectives of the Health and Safety
at Work Act (1974)?
The objectives of the Health and
Safety act 1974 state:
- Securing the health, safety and
welfare of persons at work;
- Protecting persons, other than
persons at work, against risks to health or safety arising out of or in
connection with the activities of persons at work;
- Controlling the keeping and use of explosive
or highly flammable or otherwise dangerous substances, and generally
preventing the unlawful acquisition, possession and use of such
substances.
2.
What are the duties of employers towards
substances used at work?
The duties employers have towards substances at work
include:
- Ensure, so far as is reasonably
practicable, that the substance will be safe and without risks to health
at all times when it is being used, handled, processed, stored or
transported by a person at work or in work premises;
- Perform such testing and examination
as may be necessary to ensure safety;
- Take such steps as are necessary to
secure that persons supplied with the substance are provided with adequate
information about the any risks to health or safety to which the inherent
properties of the substance may give rise, about the results of any
relevant tests which have been carried out on or in connection with the
substance and about any conditions necessary to ensure that the substance
will be safe and without risks to health at all such times.
- Take such steps as are necessary to
secure, so far as is reasonably practicable, that persons are provided
with all such revisions of information as are necessary by reason of its
becoming known that anything gives rise to a serious risk to health or
safety.
3.
What are the objectives of the Control of
Substances Hazardous to Health Regulations
COSHH is the law that requires employers to control substances that are
hazardous to health. You can prevent or reduce workers exposure to hazardous
substances by:
·
finding out what the health hazards
are;
·
deciding how to prevent harm to
health;
·
providing control measures to reduce
harm to health;
·
making sure they are used ;
·
keeping all control measures in good
working order;
·
providing information, instruction
and training for employees and others;
·
providing monitoring and health
surveillance in appropriate cases;
·
planning for emergencies
4.
What industries does the Control of
Substances Hazardous to Health Regulations cover?
The industries that COSHH cover
include:
·
Agriculture[1]
e.g. dusts, chemicals, diseases, toxic gases.
·
Baking[2]
e.g. dusts, enzymes, flavour concentrates, cleaning products.
·
Beauty[3]
e.g. products that cause skin irritation, allergies and asthma, acrylic fumes.
·
Catering[4]
e.g. products that cause dermatitis, skin allergies, asthma, and fumes.
·
Cleaning[5]
e.g. products that cause dermatitis, allergies and asthma, corrosive products.
·
Engineering[6]
e.g. dusts, fumes, chemicals, germs in metalworking fluids.
·
Hairdressing[7]
e.g. products that cause dermatitis, allergies, asthma.
·
Printing[9]
e.g. products that can cause dermatitis, skin allergies and asthma, corrosive
products, solvent vapours, ingredients that can cause damage to internal organs
over a long period of time.
·
Motor
vehicle repair[10]
e.g. paints, fuels, brake fluid, lubricants, degreasing fluids, cleaning
products, welding and cutting fumes, dusts, battery acid.
·
Welding[11]
e.g. fumes, dust, chemicals, work in confined spaces, inert gases.
·
Woodworking[12]
e.g. dusts, adhesives, paints, stripping fluids, lubricants, disinfectants to
treat water systems.
5.
What is a substance hazardous to health as
defined by the COSHH?
COSHH
covers substances that are hazardous to health. Substances can take many forms
and include:
·
chemicals
·
products containing chemicals
·
fumes
·
dusts
·
vapours
·
mists
·
nanotechnology
·
gases and asphyxiating
gases and
·
Biological agents (germs). If the
packaging has any of the hazard symbols then it is classed as a hazardous
substance.
6.
What advice does COSHH give to protect yourself
when working with hazardous materials?
COSHH Advice
against hazardous materials include, explaining which materials can be harmful
and why, what kind of damage the materials can inflict upon people and how
people can become exposed to them and in what conditions. They also give
suggestions on how to avoid and to get rid of a hazardous disease that could be
caught from these materials.
7.
What are the aims of the Health and Safety (Display Screen Equipment) Regulations
1992
The aims of the DSE regulations is to inform people about
the dangers of the display screen on your computer and what type of injuries
you can sustain if you use it incorrectly.
8.
What
problems are associated with display screen equipment?
Some workers may experience
fatigue, eye strain, upper limb problems and backache from overuse or improper
use of DSE. These problems can also be experienced from poorly designed
workstations or work environments. The causes may not always be obvious and can
be due to a combination of factors.
9.
What
advice do they give to make working with display screen equipment more
comfortable
They give different ways of preventing any injuries or
problems, they include:
Getting comfortable
The following may help
users:
·
Forearms should be approximately
horizontal and the user’s eyes should be the same height as the top of the
screen.
·
Make sure there is enough work
space to accommodate all documents or other equipment. A document holder may
help avoid awkward neck and eye movements.
·
Arrange the desk and screen to
avoid glare, or bright reflections. This is often easiest if the screen is not
directly facing windows or bright lights.
Working with display
screen equipment (DSE)
·
Adjust curtains or blinds to
prevent intrusive light.
·
Make sure there is space under the
desk to move legs.
·
Avoid excess pressure from the
edge of seats on the backs of legs and knees. A footrest may be helpful,
particularly for smaller users.
Well-designed workstations
Keyboards
and keying in (typing)
·
A space in front of the keyboard
can help you rest your hands and wrists when not keying.
·
Try to keep wrists straight when
keying.
·
Good keyboard technique is
important – you can do this by keeping a soft touch on the keys and not
overstretching the fingers.
Using a mouse
·
Position the mouse within easy
reach, so it can be used with a straight wrist.
·
Sit upright and close to the desk
to reduce working with the mouse arm stretched.
·
Move the keyboard out of the way
if it is not being used.
·
Support the forearm on the desk,
and don’t grip the mouse too tightly.
·
Rest fingers lightly on the
buttons an