Lecture 13: Health and safety

Question 1

What law consititues health and saftey at work?

Answer 1

work act 1974
-Employer must establish a health and safety policy if they employ five or more workers.

Management of Health & Safety At Work Regulations 1992
Employer must carry out a risk assessment of the work place and put in place appropriate control measures.

Question 2

What must employers provide?

Answer 2

-a safe working environment and maintain it
facilities for the safe use, handling, transport and storage of articles and substances

-training, information, instruction and supervision as necessary to ensure employees safety

-safe and healthy working conditions with adequate toilets, welfare facilities, canteen, heating, lighting and floor covering

Question 3

What ia hazard?
What is a risk?
What is a risk assessment?

Answer 3

A hazard is anything in the workplace that could be dangerous

A risk is the possibility that someone may be harmed by a hazard

identifying hazards in the workplace deciding whether enough precautions have been taken to prevent the hazard carrying a high risk to employees and visitors.

Question 4

What does The Health and Safety Information for Employee Regulations 1989 include?

Answer 4

all employers must provide H&S information
-displayed on a notice board
-leaflet

Question 5

What does The Control of Substances Hazardous to health regulations 2002 include?

Answer 5

Assess risks arising from use of hazardous substances

Question 6

what does The Health and Safety at Work (First Aid) Regulations 1981?

Answer 6

First Aid arrangement to be made by employers
Apply to all workplaces regardless of size

Question 7

What does the Manual Handling Operations Regulations 1992 include?

Answer 7

-avoid the need for hazardous manual handling
-assess the risk of injury from any hazardous manual handling
-reduce the risk of injury from hazardous manual handling
-Employees must follow any systems of work that have been laid down to avoid potential injury; make proper use of equipment provided for their safety and co-operate with their employer on H&S matters.

Question 8

Why was the electricity at Work Regulations 1989 introduced?

Answer 8

to prevent injuries caused by electrical faults

All electrical equipment and systems checked annually
Equipment should be labelled, logged and recorded in the workplace.

Question 9

What does the Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations 1995 include?

Answer 9

Employers need to report certain work related accidents, diseases and dangerous occurrences to the Health and Safety Executive

Question 10

Fire Precautions Act 1971 and Fire Precautions

Answer 10

-Concerned with protection of people in event of a fire
-Reasonable means to escape
-Suitable equipment for fighting fire
-Equipment should be well maintained
-Fire exits should be conspicuously marked
-Fire certificates

Question 11

Personal Protective Equipment Work Regulations 1992

Answer 11

-Requires employer to assess workplace H&S risks
-Risks should be reduced or eliminated
-PPE should only be provided as a last resort

Employer should:
-Ensure PPE is appropriate for the task
-identify hazard
-Assess risk
-Select suitable PPE
-CE marked
-Provide suitable info, instruction and training about appropriate use

Question 12

What is the optometrists legal duty about eye protection?

Answer 12

must ensure that protection provided is suitable for the purpose for which it is intended

Question 13

Display Screen Equipment regulations: 1992

Answer 13

-covers all kinds of display screens - VDU, VDT (Visual Display Terminal) or a monitor
-Imposes specific responsibilities on employers of employees that are “users” of DSE

Employers must minimise the risks from VDU’s

Question 14

What must employers of to follow law of display screen equipment?

Answer 14

Analyse workstations

Ensure workstations meet minimum requirements

Plan work so there are breaks or changes of activity

Arrange eye tests on request and provide spectacles if special ones are needed

Provide health and safety training and information

Users is defined as a person using DSE for a significant part of the normal day (criteria are given)

Question 15

When are DSE users entitiled to a eye test?

Answer 15

Before/on becoming a DSE user

At regular intervals when a DSE user

If experiencing any difficulties which may be caused by DSE work:
Headaches
Eyestrain

Question 16

Does the employer have to pay for spectacles for DSE users?

When must they provide spectacles?

Answer 16

The employer is required to pay for any spectacles SPECIFICALLY required for VDU use
-Relevant to presbyopes for adequate range for VDU

Must provide spectacles when:
-Normal corrective appliances cannot be used
-The results of the eye examination show that such -spectacles are necessary

Question 17

Health & Safety at Work Act 1974

Answer 17

H & S Commission
research
putting into effect the provisions made in the act
passing regulations to support the provisions in the Act
codes of practice

H & S Executive
information and advice to government ministers
investigate breaches.

Question 18

When can you be at risk of littigation?

Answer 18

Failure to comply with H&S regulations-
criminal prosecution in the Magistrate’s Court or a Crown Court.

Failure to ensure safe working practise :
employee can sue for personal injury