Element 6:- Principles of Control in Health and Safety Flashcards
General Principles of Prevention:
- Avoid the risk e.g. eliminate the hazard or task
- Evaluate risks which cannot be avoided
- Combat risks at source
- Adapt the work to the individual
- Adapt to technical progress
- Replace the dangerous by the less dangerous
- Develop a coherent prevention policy
- Give collective measures priority over individual measure
General Hierarchy of Control
- Eliminate
- Reduce
- Isolate
- Control
- PPE
- Discipline
Benefits of PPE
- Often low cost
- Can be used as short term measure
- Portable for worker away from base
- Disposable PPE reduces risk of infection
Why PPE used as last resort:
- Does not eliminate the hazard
- Does not reduce the hazard
- Only protects the wearer
- Always fail to danger
- May introduce new hazards
- Relies on worker to use it
- May not be worn correctly
- It may be uncomfortable
- Worn for only part of task of shift
- Wrong size
- Used when damaged
- Not properly maintained
- Management may not enforce wearing
Selection of PPE
- What are the hazards?
- Type of equipment
- Made to suitable standards
- Comfort
- Compatibility
- Storage
- Training
- Cost
Factors affecting the wearing of PPE:
- Fit
- Health of worker
- Period of use
- Comfort
- Maintenance
- Training
- Interference
- Management commitment
- Peer pressure
Main types of PPE
- Head protection
- Eye protection
- Foot protection
- Hand and arm protection
- Body protection
- Respiratory protection
Safety Signs
- Prohibition (Circular, Red, white background)
- Warning (Triangular, Yellow black edging)
- Mandatory (Circular, Blue white symbols)
- Safe Condition (Green, White symbols)
Safe Systems of Work:
– A step by step procedure for carrying out a task safely, identifying the hazards, assessing the risks and the precautions needed to eliminate or reduce the risks.
Factors/Developing safe systems of work:
1) Select the task to be studied
2) Identify the hazards
3) Develop the safe system looking at:-
Materials/Equipment/Environment/People
4) Implement system
5) Monitor the system
Permit to Work:
– Is a formal written procedure requiring written confirmation that certain actions have been carried out to eliminate or control risks before a specific high risk activity is carried out
Where Permits needed
- Confined spaces
- Electricity
- Hot work
- Cold work
Operation of Permit to Work:
- Identify the task (Where and when)
- Identify the hazards
- List the precautions to eliminate or reduce the hazards
- Additional precautions
- Time limits
- Issue by competent person
- Receipt by person in charge of work
- Completion
- Cancellation
what is Confined Space:
– Is any space where there is a specified risk of serious injury from hazardous substances or conditions within the space
What are the specified hazards in a confined space?
- Fire or explosion
- Loss of consciousness due to increased body temperature
- Loss of consciousness due to asphyxiation
- Drowning
- Asphyxiation due to free flowing solids
Confined space examples: & avoiding entry:
– Cellars, Excavations, Sewers, Silos, Tanks, Vats
Avoiding entry
• Modify confined space so entry not required
• Have work done from outside
Precautions for working in a confined space:
- Permit to work
- Competent staff
- Appoint a supervisor
- Isolate
- Ensure suitable size of entry
- Gas purging
- Ventilation
- Regular testing of the atmosphere
- Special tools and lighting
- PPE
- Communications
- Limit working time
- Emergency procedures
Lone Worker Hazards to be considered:
- Work location
- Type of work
- The equipment
- Manual handling
- Sex of the worker
- Emergency facilities
- Lack of Training
- Lack of Supervision
- Limited communication
Precautions for lone workers:
- Information on hazards
- Training to deal with hazards
- Regular contact
- Supervisors regularly visiting
- Automatic warning devices
- Check the worker has returned home
- PPE
- Emergency action if worker becomes ill
First-Aid: – aim
is to preserve life, prevent deterioration and promote recovery
Assessment for first-aid requirements:
- The nature of the work and the size of the organisation
- Past history and accident type
- The nature and distribution of the workforce
- Remoteness of site from emergency medical services
- The needs of travelling, remote or lone workers
- Employees working on shared sites
- Absence of first aiders due to holidays etc.
- Compliance with legal requirements
