Dean Howells Essential Safety, Health & Safety Blog

Are Conkers Poisonous? - Posted 18th October 2010

Through some research Essential Safety has found the following information.  

Although ingestion can cause unpleasant symptoms in children, the bitter taste will generally deter more than curious nibbling.

 

We could only find evidence of one recorded fatality, in 1952, which appears to be as a result of eating multiple conkers over two separate days.

 

We could not find any evidence or case history of skin irritation or allergic reactions through handling conkers.

 

We suggest that thorough hygiene procedures for children handling any natural or outdoors items, plus instruction to children not to place conkers in their mouth and due vigilance for children nibbling conkers through curiosity should be reasonable controls.

 

On a general note, Liz Dauncey's book 'Poisonous Plants, a Guide for Parents & Childcare Providers', might be a useful reference document for you to cmplete your own risk assessment.

 

Essential Safety

 

 

How to Read a Material Safety Data Sheet - Posted 21st August 2010

 

Manufacturers and suppliers are legally obliged to provide information regarding the hazardous nature of any substances they supply. Commonly referred to as Material Safety Data Sheets (MSDS), this information must follow a standard format under a series of different headings.

 

Whilst MSDS's provide important information about a substance they DO NOT assess the risks. However, the information contained within the MSDS is a vital part of any COSHH Assessment.

 

During the course of our work on behalf of our Clients, we see MSDS’s of varying quality & detail – Some very good, and some not so good! And manufacturers do not always make it easy to realistically assess the risks from the use of their substance. We recently came across one that recommended a full face visor and overalls when applying floor paint! Of course, with a little judicious investigation of the material in question, we were able to recommend more appropriate controls for our Client – saving them time & money! Unfortunately, manufacturers can be as guilty as the next person of an over-cautious approach to controls in the workplace.

 

Even with the better examples, finding the important information within an MSDS is often a task in itself – and that’s before we can get round to assessing the risks.

We have a simple guide "How to Read a Material Safety Sheet". Just email and request this from essentialsafety@gmail.com

 

Essential Safety

 

This Month’s Health & Safety Tea Break Briefing - COSHH

COSHH is an abbreviation of The Control to Substances Hazardous to Health – A set of Regulations which require employers to ensure that any substances they store, transport or use do not cause harm to people.

I don’t have any “hazardous substances” within my workplace, so these Regulations don’t apply to me!

Are you sure? You will be surprised how many times we have come across potentially hazardous substances during the course of our work when the employer was not aware of their responsibilities, or even that the substance was there!

More often than not, companies have caustic or corrosive cleaning chemical tucked away at the back of the cleaner’s cupboard, blissfully unaware of their potential to cause harm until the day that someone – with good intentions – digs them out and starts to use them without the necessary precautions

So are you suggesting that I throw out all my old cleaning chemicals?

Far from it. We recognise that sometimes, these chemicals are necessary to deal with a particular problem. But we are suggesting a simple five point plan to ensure that they do not cause harm to your staff or visitors:

1.     Knowledge is power – Create an inventory of all the potentially hazardous substances at your workplace including cleaning, janitorial & maintenance chemicals. And make sure that your staff inform you of any new substances they intend to bring onto the premises.

2.     If possible, remove very harmful substances, or consider replacing them with less harmful alternatives. For example, there are many cleaning substances that are significantly less harmful than bleach, but equally effective for most cleaning tasks.

3.     Find out about the hazardous properties of the substances. Basic safety information is often contained on the bottle or container but more detailed information will be available on the Material Safety Data Sheet (MSDS), which manufacturers’ & suppliers are legally obliged to provide. These can either be downloaded from the manufacturer’s or supplier’s website, or requested directly.

4.     Look at how the substance is used, by whom and how often. Then assess the risks from that use and check that you have the necessary controls in place. In other words, carry out a COSHH Assessment.

5.     Finally, ensure that the substance within your workplace are stored, used and disposed of in accordance with the information provided on the MSDS and your COSHH Assessment. That might involve providing information to your staff, supplying specialist equipment or Personal Protective Equipment (PPE). And don’t forget to regularly review your procedures to ensure that the risks are still controlled.

If you require any further advice or assistance regarding the hazardous substances at your workplace, contact Essential Safety on (01536) 460 171