Dean Howells Essential Safety, Health & Safety Blog

Professor Lofstedt's Health and Safety Reform, our comments continued...- Posted 4th January 2012

Out thoughts on Professor Löfstedt’s comments on Portable Appliance Testing and Working at Height recommendations in his recent report to Government:

The requirement for portable appliance testing should be further clarified by April 2012 to stop over-compliance.

At last! We have been suggesting for some time now that, as a society, we have become over-reliant on Portable Appliance Testing (PAT) when it comes to assessing the safety of portable electrical equipment.

The fact is that the majority of defects on electrical equipment can be detected by a simple visual inspection.

We welcome clarification regarding PAT, which will save most businesses time and money. 

The Work at Height Regulations 2005 and the associated guidance should be reviewed by April 2013 to ensure that they do not lead to people going beyond what is either proportionate or beyond what the legislation was originally intended to cover.

A good example of EU recommendations being “gold plated” during implementation in the UK, which have resulted in widespread mis-interpretation. (e.g ladders and stepladders being banned by some organisations).

Whilst we accept that falls from height continue to be one of the biggest causes of serious injuries and fatalities at work, we welcome a review of the Work at Height Regulations, and clarification of “reasonably practicable” in this area.

Essential

" Bonkers Conkers" Returns - Posted 7th October 2010

Just when we thought the dangers of Conkers had been put to bed, it appears that they have found another way to get us.

 

A young girl received a very nasty head wound when a branch that had got stuck in the tree after it was thrown up to try and dislodge conkers, fell onto her head.

 

The council decided - 16 months later - to remove all the conkers and place them on the ground, to avoid a similar incident.

 

The branch that fell was not part of the tree, but something that had been used as an implement to get at the conkers.

 

So have the council been a little over cautious, or are their actions justified in order to protect the public? Opinions vary of course!

 

 

Essential Safety.

Health & Safety Tea Break Briefing - 10 Tips for Ladder Safety

1. Ladders are not banned. Contrary to some views, the Work at Height Regulations 2005 did not ban the use of ladders at work. But they do require employers to “…use the most suitable equipment” for any work at height. In practice, this means looking at all tasks which involve work at height, and only using ladders under certain circumstances (See below)

2. Can work at height be avoided? Sometimes, the use of ladders can be totally avoided by reviewing work practices. A good example is cleaning windows with a long reach system, rather than from ladders.

3. Use the right ladder. Domestic ladders and stepladders are not suitable for commercial use and should NEVER be used in any workplace. Always provide “Trade” or “Industrial” class ladders for your employees.

4. Use ladders correctly. Always use the correct ladder for the job. Make sure the ladder is tall enough, positioned at the correct angle and tied in whenever possible. Avoid overreaching –keep your belt buckle inside the sides of the ladder. Be especially careful when carrying out tasks that can apply unbalancing loads, such as drilling.

5. One at a time please. Ladders are only suitable for use by one person at a time. Don’t be tempted to allow more than one person on a ladder – even if only for a moment.

6. Ladders are only suitable for low-risk, short-duration tasks. Single tasks that take longer than 30 minutes in one position are not suitable for ladders. You can undertake a series of tasks that take longer, but each individual task should not last more than 30 minutes.

7. Examine the ground conditions carefully before setting up a ladder. Ladders should only be used on firm, stable ground conditions. If other conditions apply, you may need to consider alternative equipment.

8. Check it out. All ladders should be subjected to formal periodic Monthly inspections and records of these inspections should be retained. Make sure that employees visually inspect their ladders before using them. Most common defects to ladders can be easily spotted during a simple pre-use inspection.

9. Plan ahead. Make sure that all work at height is properly planned and organised. Many accidents involving ladders occur as a result of inadequate preparation.

10. Competence is the key. Make sure that all staff using ladders are competent to do so. This may just require some basic guidance and instruction or, in some circumstances, might involve a formal training course. Your risk assessments will dictate the levels of risk and hence, the level of training required.

If you have a working at height, or another Health and Safety question, email our team a question.