Safesmart achieves ISO 27001 certification, adding to ISO 9001

We are very pleased to announce that Safesmart has achieved ISO 27001 certification, which is the international gold standard for information security.

This new certification adds to our existing ISO 9001 certification for Quality Management Systems.

What is ISO 27001?

ISO 27001: 2022 is the international standard for Information Security Management. It is meant to demonstrate that an organisation effectively manages their cyber security, data privacy, and protects the integrity of their information and systems on a continuous basis.

What is ISO 9001?

ISO 9001: 2015 is the international standard for Quality Management Systems. It provides a framework that drives continuous improvement in an organisation to a globally recognised standard.

How does Smartlog help?

Smartlog uniquely and effectively enables us to achieve both certifications, with many of its functions being integral to our operations as a company:

  • ISO 27001 – Internal data protection policy management and certified UK GDPR and Cyber Security training delivered through the software play an important part in meeting key requirements of ISO 27001.
  • ISO 9001 – Key management functions in Smartlog enable the continuous improvement of business operations. This is especially notable in the remit of health and safety compliance within the organisational structure.

These two certifications have added to the solid foundation upon which we operate. They allow us to continually improve our products and services, whilst also providing our customers with the assurance that we continue to seek the highest possible standards across our entire company.

7 Tips to work safely with height

Working at height can be extremely dangerous when not safely monitored and according to the HSE there are over 40,000 injuries in the UK every year. So today we will cover 7 crucial tips to ensure you follow safe practices when working at height, covering everything from equipment to common mistakes.

1. Assess the risks

When working at height it is crucial to assess the task(s) at hand and ensure that it is safe to proceed before putting yourself at any risk. This may not have to be a formal assessment if your workplace has a valid assessment in place. The key things to check in your assessment are:

– The height of the task – how much risk does that place on the job?

– The duration and frequency of the job – if it is a long task consider breaking it up into manageable chunks. And if it is a frequent job consider a more thorough assessment.

– The condition of the equipment and surfaces – ensure you have the necessary equipment in good condition and the surfaces you will be working on are safe and dry to avoid slips.

Man moving a ladder, and inspecting if it is safe to use.

2. Is it the appropriate time?

To reduce the risk of working with height consider if there is a better time to complete the tasks and if possible, can the job be avoided with a workaround from the ground? If the task is necessary, then take into account the factors that increase the risk.

This could be the training of the person carrying out the job, is there someone more experienced? Or the weather conditions and time of day, is there a quieter time of day or lower-risk conditions to work in?

3. Have you got the correct training?

Training and knowledge are crucial elements in keeping safe when working at height, so ensure that you have the appropriate training before putting yourself at risk. Training can be given in many forms, from direct 1 on 1 training to online training, depending on your needs.

Make sure you are trained well and have covered the relevant topics for the tasks you may encounter, some key topics include:

– The use of ladders

– Selecting and using the correct equipment/PPE

– Using MEWP’s (Mobile Elevator Working Platforms)

– Responsibilities when working at height

– The laws and regulations

Man about to climb the ladder ensuring it is placed correctly, and safe to climb at height.

4. Using the correct equipment

Ensuring the correct preventative measures are in place is crucial to minimizing the risks. This involves ensuring the correct CPE (Collective Protective Equipment) is in place and the appropriate PPE (Personal Protective Equipment) is used when necessary.

Some common examples of CPE include guard rails, scaffolding, and scissor lifts. Common examples of PPE include safety harnesses, a helmet and safety restraints.

Not only is having the correct equipment and knowing how to use it safely crucial, but it is also important that it is all in good condition. Making regular equipment checks vital to safe working procedures.

Man using PPE whilst working at height to keep safe.

5. Safety on Ladders

Ladders are often thought of as the go-to equipment when working at height due to their simple appearance. However, the risks they can carry are often underestimated, as they have been reported to be responsible for up to 40% of the injuries caused by falls from height.

So, despite their ‘simple to use’ appearance make sure you know how to use them correctly, here are some key mistakes to avoid:

– Don’t rest them on weak surfaces

– Don’t place them near anything that could push the ladder, such as windows and doors.

– Place them on flat and level ground, ensuring that the ground is dry.

– Ensure that the ladder is roughly placed at a 75-degree angle, this increases its stability.

6. Do’s and don’ts when working with height

Within any field, it is important to know the ins and outs of what you should and shouldn’t do, so here are some quickfire points to make sure you keep safe when working at height:

Do:

– Keep 3 points of contact on the ladder and don’t overreach on them.

– Ensure you aren’t at the very top, as this will make the ladder unstable.

– Check your equipment before use

Don’t:

– Overload the ladder or equipment you are using

– Overreach or lean over any railings/ladders

– Use ladders/equipment without training

Men climbing scaffolding whilst working at height.

7. Review your processes

Even if you don’t frequently work from height, a simple review of your processes can be beneficial to decrease the likelihood of injury through falls. This can be formal or on the fly, but for more frequent use it is important to review your processes regularly.

As part of your review, you need to consider if the processes you currently follow are still appropriate and compliant with the law. For example, if you have recently changed part of your environment or the factors are weather-dependent, make sure you have the correct PPE/CPE available if necessary and in good condition. Or if you don’t currently use anything more than a ladder, review if another machine may be more suitable and safer, such as a scissor lift. It’s also important to take training into account within these reviews.


References

HSE (2023) ‘Falls From Height’. Available at: https://www.hse.gov.uk/food/falls.htm (Accessed: 9/2/24)

HSE (2023) ‘Health and Safety Summary Statistics 2022/2023’. Available at: https://www.hse.gov.uk/statistics/overview.htm (Accessed: 9/2/24)

What is a Workplace Inspection?

A Workplace Inspection is the process of acutely examining the workplace to identify hazards and ensure that all health and safety standards are met. This then allows you to ensure that your workplace is safe and compliant and allows you to mitigate/eliminate the remaining risks.

Under the Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999, every employer must make a suitable and sufficient assessment of both the risks to the health and safety of their employees that they encounter while at work, and the risks to the people not under employment.


What are the different types of inspections?

Workplace inspections can be either formal or informal, with the informal inspections being quick checks. There are four types of formal inspections, and they are:

  • Safety surveys – a general inspection of high-risk areas, activities, or processes
  • Safety Tours – a general inspection of the whole workplace
  • Safety Sampling – a systematic sampling approach of the high-risk areas, activities, or processes
  • Incident/accident inspections – After an incident has occurred (near miss, injury, or fatality) a full inspection of the cause and prevention. (this may need to be reported to the relevant health and safety authority)
Workplace Safety handbook with PPE surrounding

Who should complete the workplace inspection?

A formal inspection of the workplace should be carried out by multiple people ranging from health and safety specialists/committee members to supervisors/managers. This will often require you to bring in an external health and safety expert to ensure nothing is missed.

The HSE states that for formal inspections “Union-appointed health and safety representatives can inspect the workplace. They have to give reasonable notice in writing when they intend to carry out a formal inspection of the workplace, and have not inspected it in the previous three months”.


When do you need to complete a workplace inspection?

How often a workplace inspection is required depends on many variables, from the nature/risk of your workplace to significant changes occurring. But with no set timeframe it is up to discretion, here are some things to consider when deciding on the frequency of your regular inspections.

Workplace risk – the level of risk plays a huge role in how often an inspection is required with high-risk environments, such as a construction site, requiring frequent inspections when compared to an office for example.

Significant Changes – How often your workplace changes is also important when determining how often you need to carry out inspections, as significant change will deem your old inspection outdated and will need to be reviewed as soon as possible. Significant change can be anything from a large change in staff (both numbers and experience) to a change of building layout or premises completely or even a change in equipment/machinery.

Specialists’ opinion – Formal inspections require a health and safety specialist present, so you can contact your trusted specialist to recommend your next review/inspection window.

Worker on tablet/iPad completing workplace inspection.

How to complete a workplace inspection

Completing a workplace inspection depending on the environment can contain many different steps. For simpler workspaces, the responsible person will likely be able to use a risk assessment template to complete a sufficient assessment providing they have adequate health and safety experience.

However, for higher-risk or more complex workplaces, it is advised to bring in a health and safety specialist to ensure that your workplace inspections are completed to a high standard. This can then be further improved by assessing the workplace in a group to not miss out on any risks.


References

HSE (2023) ‘Inspections of the Workplace’. Available at: https://www.hse.gov.uk/involvement/inspections.htm (Accessed: 17/01/2024)

Legislation.Gov (2014) ‘Health and Safety at Work Act 1974’. Available at: https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/1974/37/section/2 (Accessed: 17/01/2024)

How to stay aware of Asbestos

Asbestos, we have all heard of it but what actually is it?

Asbestos is a material used in older construction and when disturbed it releases tiny fibres into the air, which become extremely dangerous if inhaled. The material comes in many different forms and can be found in buildings built before the 2000s.

It was commonly used as insulation but is now a banned product in construction, with it being completely banned in 1999. Some common places it was used are:

  • Fireproof panels
  • Cement roofing materials
  • Sprayed insulating coatings on metalwork
  • Pipe insulation
Discarded asbestos material

The risks of asbestos

The main and most dangerous risk of asbestos is inhaling the fibres, this can lead to fatal lung diseases. However, this means it is only a threat when the material is disturbed, so if it is left alone, it poses little to no risk but should be respected.

Staff are particularly at risk of this as they will be the ones moving around your site and interacting with everything. This could put them in a situation where they are exposed to it directly, highlighting why it is important for staff to be aware of the risks.

The workplace as a whole is also at risk to asbestos, as if disturbed it could potentially harm anyone in the vicinity and will require that area to be shut off and assessed. Potentially harming workflow and productivity while the issue is ongoing.


How to prevent the risks

As part of “The Control of Asbestos Regulations 2012” the law states that the duty-holder of non-domestic premises must ensure:

  • The type of asbestos is identified and the condition of it.
  • The risks are assessed, and control measures introduced to reduce the risk of exposure
  • They protect anyone using or working on the premises from the risks of asbestos
  • Findings are recorded in an asbestos register

Risk prevention can be simplified into a few practices, one of which is providing information. You should be transparent with your staff both teaching them about the risks and informing them on where it is located in your premises. This can be done by providing information on the risks or more simply an asbestos awareness course. Your asbestos register should also detail where it is present on your premises so you can either show them that or talk them through the relevant locations.

Laptop showing e-Learning courses

Asbestos should only be handled by licensed professionals, so make sure your staff know what to do if they find or worst case are contaminated with asbestos. This should be part of their awareness course and all staff should be aware if they are at risk.

Finally, if a staff member finds unknown asbestos they should stop immediately, warn others to keep out of that area and quickly report the finding to the manager. Where they can take the necessary steps to ensure the area is as safe as possible (this includes both a risk assessment – identifying the type and dangers and a plan to mitigate the impact).


Conclusion

Asbestos has the potential to be dangerous, however, with correct care and management, the risks it possesses can be minimised. As long as the correct measures have been taken to reduce the risks – such as a thorough risk assessment, an asbestos register and complete staff training – the risks will be minimal to both your staff and business, but it still must be treated with respect.


References

HSE (2023) ‘Introduction to Asbestos’. Available at: https://www.hse.gov.uk/asbestos/intro.htm (Accessed: 27/11/2023)

Why is health and safety important in construction & manufacturing?

“Health and safety” is a term that covers a huge variety of topics, but ultimately it is the identification of hazards and the measures in place to protect people from them. In the workplace, this can include anything from protective equipment to keeping walkways clear and even correct training.

However, with health and safety being so broad, it can lead to areas being missed or overlooked, as often ‘it’s not that important’. But, it is no secret that manufacturing and construction are some of the most dangerous sectors to work within, and keeping your staff safe and healthy is crucial to creating a positive workplace and running the organisation smoothly.

Construction workers monitoring the health and safety of their site

Why is Health & Safety so important?

Construction and manufacturing environments carry a wide variety of risks making them some of the most dangerous places to work (accounting for over 40% of workplace deaths in the UK, last year – 2022/2023). So, it is crucial to keep these places as safe as possible and evokes both a legal and moral responsibility to do so.

The moral responsibility is your duty as the employer to keep the workplace as safe as possible, to ensure your staff return home safe at the end of the day. Although there are no direct repercussions, your staff will hold you accountable.

However, your legal duty under the “Health and Safety at Work Act 1974” requires you to, as far as reasonably practicable, provide:

  • A safe workplace with clear entrances and exits
  • Maintenance for safety equipment and ensure safe systems of work
  • Correct storage for materials and safe use/transport
  • Training and information
  • Safety equipment

This legislation is designed to provide a minimum standard of health and safety and does hold severe consequences if not met – up to an unlimited fine, prison time or disqualification.

Construction workers climbing scaffolding

How can you ensure compliance?

Risk assessments are a great way to ensure you meet the standards, as they have you identifying the risks present and putting in measures to keep everyone safe. This can be anything from checking your PPE availability and quality to making sure exits are clear.

They are also a requirement under the “The Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999” stating:

“Every employer shall make a suitable and sufficient assessment of—

(a)the risks to the health and safety of his employees to which they are exposed whilst they are at work; and

(b)the risks to the health and safety of persons not in his employment arising out of or in connection with the conduct by him of his undertaking”.

Risk assessments must be kept up to date – when any significant changes occur and recorded if you have 5 or more employees.

Another tool you can use is regular training. Although this doesn’t directly impact the working environment it will remind your staff of the correct and safe procedures, encouraging them to keep their environment clean and using the correct PPE where appropriate. This training can be in-person reviews or from online sources like videos or E-learning tools.

E-learning training on a laptop

Other benefits of maintaining a high standard of Health & Safety

A safe working environment also comes with many other benefits – increases in productivity, a better reputation, and a higher quality workforce to name a few. So not only does better health and safety keep your workers safe and healthy, but it will also improve the quality and efficiency of your business throughout.

Poor health and safety will affect the productivity of your workforce, as it makes them extra cautious when completing tasks, not only having negative effects on them mentally but also slowing them down, as they don’t feel safe.

A better reputation of safety also comes with many benefits, primarily making it a desirable place to work. This will help with reducing staff turnover but also encourage higher quality applicants when you are looking to hire, due to the increased competition/interest in your roles. Not only that but it will make staff happier knowing the risks they face at work are minimal as no one wants to feel unsafe whilst working.


References

HSE (2023) Legislation: Leading health and safety at work (hse.gov.uk). (Accessed: 08/11/2023)

When to update your Fire Risk Assessments

Fire Risk Assessments are a crucial part of fire safety and a legal requirement for all businesses. So, it is important to know how and when they need to be updated, and this responsibility falls upon the ‘responsible person’. But before we dive into that we should clarify:

What is a Fire Risk Assessment?

A Fire Risk Assessment is a review of the premises which identifies any potential fire risks/hazards and who that may affect. The assessment also checks that the correct measures are in place to minimise the risks and allow for a safe escape in the event of a fire.

Who is the ‘Responsible Person’?

The responsible person is either the person who owns the building or manages the premises, this is most likely the employer. Their duty is to make sure the Fire Risk Assessment has been completed by a competent person and to keep the staff safe from risk, this often involves ensuring that adequate training and information are provided to staff.

Worker using a tablet to complete a Fire Risk Assessment

When should you update your Fire Risk Assessments?

Many factors affect how often an update to your Fire Risk Assessment is required, so it’s not as simple as every … years. But here is what the law states from section 9 of The Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005:

“such assessment must be reviewed by the responsible person regularly so as to keep it up to date and particularly if —

(a)there is reason to suspect that it is no longer valid; or

(b)there has been a significant change in the matters to which it relates including when the premises, special, technical and organisational measures, or organisation of the work undergo significant changes, extensions, or conversions”

Understanding the Regulatory Reform Order 2005

Although there is no set-and-forget timeframe, the law does say that the assessment must be reviewed regularly by a responsible person. This can be anyone who qualifies as competent, most likely the responsible person, a health and safety officer or a professional assessor.

Reviews are shorter than full-blown assessments, so although it may seem as though only minor things have changed, we recommend a review regularly to keep it up to date even if it seems as though nothing has changed, as small changes can have large impacts on the safety of the building.

Along with regular reviews, it is important to complete new fire risk assessments when major changes occur, as seen in the RRO 2005 (Regulatory Reform Order 2005), these include but are not limited to:

  • Significant change in premises (size, structure, layout)
  • Significant change in the number of staff
  • Significant change in procedures/processes
  • Or any other reason that could invalidate the current assessment.
Man inspecting a fire extinguisher as part of his fire safety checks

The importance of Fire Risk Assessments

Although health and safety can sometimes feel like a drag, it is crucial to complete and upkeep to a high standard, especially when it comes to fire safety as it injures thousands of people yearly in the UK alone.

Fire Risk Assessments are necessary to keep everyone safe whilst on site, making it both a legal and moral requirement for them to be completed to a high standard. Otherwise, you could face unlimited fines or even 2 years in prison for major offences.

Not only does fire pose a risk to life but also to your business, so regular reviews of your Fire Risk Assessment will give you peace of mind that your business is safe.

Help with Fire Risk Assessments

If you would like to book a professional Fire Risk Assessment today you can click here.

Or if you would like to complete your regular reviews yourself, a Fire Risk Assessment template will help you, see here.


References

Gov (2023) ‘Fire Safety In The Workplace’. Available at: https://www.gov.uk/workplace-fire-safety-your-responsibilities/enforcement-appeals-and-penalties (accessed: 27/10/2023)

Gov legislation (2005) ‘The Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005’. Available at: https://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2005/1541/article/9/made (accessed: 27/10/2023)

How to create a Classroom Health and Safety Checklist

Schools can often be a chaotic environment. From moving chairs and children running around to paper planes flying past, schools are very fast-paced; and with an environment that changes as dynamically and often as this, it can be difficult to keep on top of classroom health and safety.

Therefore, building a solid foundation for classroom safety is important to minimising the present risks to counteract the ever-changing environment.

Full Classroom with everyone raising their hands

Maintaining a safe foundation in every classroom is crucial to protecting everyone present – this includes children, teachers, staff and visitors. However, building this foundation and ensuring the classroom is clear of risks can often be a daunting task, especially when you are not sure what to look for.

To help you with this, we have broken down some of the key points you should check for, based on the Health and Safety Executive’s (HSE) Health and Safety Checklist, which provides a template to assess potential hazards in a standard classroom (not a specialist classroom such as sports facilities, DT areas or Science Labs). 

It is recommended that these checks are undertaken at the start of each term to ensure a good foundation to begin with, or when significant changes occur.

This will help you to identify any new risks before the classrooms start to fill up again. However, this checklist should not be used alone, as it should also be used in conjunction with other school-wide approaches to assessing and managing risks.


Preventing Slips and Trips

Slips and trips make up 55% of injuries in the education sector, so it is important to keep the risks to a minimum. This means preventing slips and trips in the classroom by keeping the walkways and floors clear. Some key areas to check are:

  • the condition of the flooring
  • walkways are free from obstruction (chairs tucked in, cables kept away, spills cleaned up)
  • steps and handrails are well maintained
  • floors aren’t slippery, particularly around entry points.

In regards to falls, the HSE checklist asks whether an appropriate step stool or step ladder is available if needed, and if there are opening windows high in the classroom, is an appropriate window-opener available and in use?


Suitable Furniture and Fixings

Furniture and fixtures (such as cupboards and shelves) can quickly become a hazard by either coming loose or being damaged. So it is important to check their condition and ensure they are still fit for purpose. The HSE checklist further advises checking that portable equipment such as TV sets are housed on a suitable surface, with no danger of being knocked over or slipping off. 

It is also important to check that all hot surfaces such as radiators or hot pipes are protected to avoid the risk of burns, and especially if young children are present, check for any holes or damage that small hands could reach through. If you are on an upper floor, it is also a must to check that window restrictors are still in good condition.


Electrical Equipment Checks

Electrical equipment can create a whole different kind of risk, so it is crucial to check if they are in good condition before use.

The key things to check are switches and plug sockets, as well as plugs and cables. Often damage can vary, so make sure to look carefully at each part, as what can appear as minor damage could still create significant risk. Ensure that any portable electrical equipment has been checked and, where appropriate, tested regularly to help maintain your classroom health and safety.

To keep track of damages, also make sure to report any damaged electrical equipment that has been taken out of service or replaced.


Checking Fire Safety Equipment

Close up of Fire Extinguisher

Fire hazards pose a large risk to schools, so it is critical that your response is well planned, with everyone knowing their role in the event of a fire or drill. Additionally, checking the environment is safe is also key to mitigating risk, so you should check all fire exit doors to ensure that they are unobstructed, kept unlocked and easy to open from inside.

Also, make sure to check that fire-fighting equipment is readily available and fire evacuation procedures are clearly displayed, including procedures for dealing with any vulnerable adults or children.

Follow the link for more detailed fire safety advice.


Ensuring Ventilation and Temperature

Opening a window for ventilation during a health and safety check

Ventilation and heat are commonly forgotten when assessing areas, but they are a factor that should be included. Rooms should have natural ventilation where possible, and an appropriate temperature needs to be maintained, which might normally require that blinds or similar window dressing are provided to protect from glare and heat from the sun.

Some schools still contain asbestos on-site. If this is the case, are staff aware of its location and condition? Ensure that all staff are further aware of the guidelines concerning securing anything to walls or ceilings that may contain asbestos.


Finalising your Classroom Health and Safety Checklist

Throughout this blog we have given you a basic guide taken from the HSE checklist advice; however this does not apply to every classroom or to specialised classrooms.

Therefore use a common sense approach to fill out the blanks and personalise it to your environment. This will help you build your perfect classroom health and safety checklist to help you minimise the risks present, so that as the everyday classroom chaos ensues, you all continue to feel safe.


Bibliography

HSE (2023) ‘Watch your step in education’. Available at: https://www.hse.gov.uk/slips/education/ (Accessed: 27/09/2023)

HSE (2011) ‘Health and Safety Checklist for Classrooms’. Available at: http://www.hse.gov.uk/risk/classroom-checklist.pdf (Accessed: 27/09/2023)

Why Health and Safety is crucial for all businesses

Every year, hundreds of thousands of people get injured, develop an illness or are killed at work. Although these numbers are mostly trending downwards over time, year-by-year the lives of many people are permanently changed through often through unsafe working conditions and employer negligence.

Health and safety risks can be found in every working environment, so all business owners are required to provide a workplace that is both safe for employees and the public.

However, these risks vary in severity, therefore it is recommended that companies use Risk Assessments and also take preventative measures in order to reduce the risks identified, regardless of their severity.

Whilst some may find the overall process to be time-consuming and, in some cases unnecessary, keeping everybody safe and healthy should be a priority for any organisation – good health and safety practices can boost overall productivity along with making staff feel safe and cared for.

With this in mind, we have put together some of the ways in which good health and safety practices can help.


Preventing Accidents

In 2022, the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) reported that around 565,000 employees suffered an injury at work, with 150,000 of these people being absent for at least 7 days due to their injury and over 6 million working days being lost.

These statistics show the direct relationship between safety in the workplace and productivity. Every time an employee is absent, it costs the employer both money and resources, which is one of the reasons why avoiding injuries through good risk management should be a top priority for organisations.

It should be noted that not all of the accidents within these statistics will be due to poor health and safety practices, but it is likely to be a key factor.


The effects of stress

Research has found a link between stress and poor health, especially the low-level, chronic stresses often found within the workplace. As well as potentially leading to sickness and absence, due to a weakened immune system, stress can also be demotivating which can lead to employees becoming less productive.

Some of the main factors that contribute to workplace stress include:

  • feeling powerless (no control over your current situation)
  • feeling as if you are wrong for your job
  • witnessing traumatic events within the workplace
  • a poor working environment

Although health and safety practices do not cover all of these issues, any way in which you can relieve stress for your workers will not only benefit them individually, but also the business.


Creating a safe working environment

The conditions of a working environment can affect productivity in a variety of different ways. For example, employees that are often uncomfortable are not going to work to the best of their ability.

On top of that, certain conditions can even affect the health and safety of your employees and therefore lead to absence. Environmental factors which can cause this include:

  • temperature
  • humidity
  • lighting
  • air quality
  • bathroom facilities
  • the presence of dangerous particles (such as asbestos or moulds)

All of these need to be factored into a business’ health and safety practices, with measures in place to protect employees from the risks identified.


The impact on reputation

Health and safety is also a key aspect of a business’ reputation, which can either be positively or negatively affected by your health and safety standards.

Companies that have a reputation of providing a safe working environment, are more likely to be respected and therefore favoured by potential employees. The same is also true of the opposite; a business with a poor reputation for health and safety is less likely to attract workers.

With more avenues for public reviews such as social media channels, and companies such as Glassdoor providing a platform for current or former employees to provide first-hand insight into a business’ practices, the potential for reputational damage is bigger than it has ever been. Additionally, for more serious incidents, the HSE publishes a list of all convictions and notices which is publicly available to view.

Health and safety reputation is also built into the way customers perceive companies, which in turn will affect their choices concerning your products or services. This perception could stop customers from buying a business’ product, therefore creating another crucial reason to upkeep your health and safety standards.


Conclusion

Health and safety can often be complex, and therefore requires good management and commitment. Good practices will not only safeguard your employees and your customers but will also help protect your organisation from lapses in morale and productivity.


Bibliography

HSE (2022) ‘Health and safety statistics’. Available at: https://www.hse.gov.uk/statistics/ (Accessed: 06/07/2023)

NHS Inform (2022) ‘Handling Stress’. Available at: https://www.nhsinform.scot/mind-to-mind/handling-stress (Accessed: 06/07/2023)

Glassdoor (2023) ‘About Us’. Available at: https://www.glassdoor.com/about/ (Accessed: 07/08/2023)

How to Spot Safety Risks

Every year, over half a million accidents occur in the UK workplace, which leads to around 60 million lost workdays through injury. From freak occurrences to oversights in safety, these injuries often occur for a range of reasons.

As the responsible person you have a legal requirement to identify and minimise the risks, and a common way to do this is through a Risk Assessment.

The law states that employers must make a suitable and sufficient assessment of the safety risks to their employees that they may encounter whilst at work. If you are an organisation with 5 or more employees, this is then required to be recorded – both detailing the findings and any employees that may be at an increased risk.

A risk assessment covers this legislation, as carrying one out involves finding the potential hazards and introducing control measures to minimise the risks, which in turn will ensure a safe workplace.

So, who can complete risk assessments?

Anyone who is deemed ‘competent’ can complete a risk assessment. According to the HSE, this is deemed as having the “relevant skills, experience, and knowledge to manage health and safety”.


Inspection

The first step towards increasing safety is to identify any potential risks: Take a walk around your workplace whilst being mindful of any potential hazards, regardless of the severity.

Make sure to take into account any changes that may happen, as workplaces are often busy and changing, so make sure to try this at different times of the day and week, to see if any other issues present themselves.

These changes could affect the overall safety of your business, so it is important to check often to keep everyone safe.

After all, a business environment can be completely different from one day to the next and this should be factored into your overall assessment. To avoid missing common risks that are often forgotten, we would suggest that you use a risk assessment template.


Communication

As well as conducting inspections, it is imperative that you communicate with all employees.

Your employees are working within your business every day and likely encounter a range of risks daily, therefore developing an in-depth understanding of the risks involved, so make sure to ask them!

They will be able to offer a different perspective on the issues faced, as well as being able to point out anything you may have missed.

This can be valuable feedback to help you keep them safe and feel heard.

It can also be useful to reach out to external organisations for advice. If you have any machinery or equipment within your workplace, it may be a useful idea to contact the manufacturers or check the manuals for guidance.

You can also get in touch with occupational safety organisations for more generalised guidance.


Expectation

When identifying the risks in your organisation, you need to be thorough and not just look for expected hazards. You need to be considerate of unexpected events which could occur, and these can include anything from faulty equipment to something coming loose and falling, for example.

By looking beyond the expected hazards, it allows you to plan for the unexpected – just in case. This will, therefore safeguard everyone that might enter the working environment – both employees and the general public.

Although commonplace, you might forget to think about employees who work outside of regular hours, such as cleaners or maintenance staff. This highlights the importance of considering all aspects of the working day, so make sure to take everyone into account.


Long Term

Long-term risks can often be overlooked during inspections, but it is important to take them into consideration. This is particularly important for environments with unique conditions such as a high level of noise or the use of chemicals.

Although most long-term risks may not appear dangerous at first, they have the potential to cause lasting damage to employees who deal with them regularly.

Due to them being less prominent, long-term risks can often require more research. For example, if you are unsure about a specific hazard (such as sound levels for example), it might be useful to read up on it or contact an organisation who are more knowledgeable in that area.


Analysis

Analysis of the illness and accident records can be a great tool to help you to identify safety risks. They can highlight patterns in ill health, which in turn will aid you in finding the root causes.

Patterns may include anything from location, use of machinery, time of day or even training level.

These real-world examples can often be very informative of the working environment, therefore are key for helping you to prevent future ill health due to a recurring risk.


Personalisation

Risk assessments are ultimately about protecting people, and this should be kept in mind when looking for hazards.

Extra consideration should be given to vulnerable people, including older, younger, people with disabilities, pregnant women and new mothers.

Consideration should also be given to employees with little or no training who may not be fully acclimatised to your business yet.


Conclusion

To recap: risk assessments are a legal requirement for employers to ensure the safety of everyone in their workplace. It is important they are completed by a competent person to a high standard, taking into account all potential risks both long and short-term.

This should be done whilst also considering the changes in the workplace during the day and any vulnerable people who may require extra attention to ensure their safety.

Analysing past incidents and speaking to employees will help improve the quality of the risk assessments you complete, as this will assist you in finding any overlooked hazards and also provide a different perspective on issues.


Bibliography

HSE (2022) ‘Health and safety statistics’. Available at: https://www.hse.gov.uk/statistics/ (Accessed: 08/06/2023)

Gov (1999) ‘The Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999’. Available at: https://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/1999/3242/regulation/3/made (Accessed: 08/06/2023)

HSE (2022) ‘Managing risks and risk assessment at work’. Available at: https://www.hse.gov.uk/simple-health-safety/risk/index.htm (Accessed: 08/06/2023)

Gov (1974) ‘Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974’. Available at: https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/1974/37/contents (Accessed: 08/06/2023)

7 Fire Safety checks to do regularly

England’s Fire and Rescue Services attend around 65,000 fires every year, with 14,000 of them taking place in business premises. Evidently, fire safety is crucial to any organisation, and we can never be too safe when dealing with something so devastatingly dangerous.

Who is responsible for your fire safety?

By law, you need to reach a minimum standard for preventative fire safety measures in all buildings except single-owned dwellings, as per the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005. This order holds a legal obligation for the ‘responsible person’ to manage the fire safety of the premises.

The ‘responsible person’ is most likely the employer, but can also be the building owner or the person that has control over the premises. Their responsibilities include but are not limited to:

  • ensuring that a fire risk assessment has been completed by a competent person,
  • ensuring the safety of their employees from harm,
  • providing employees with relevant information on the risks identified and measures to prevent it,
  • providing employees with adequate fire safety training.

The responsible person is held accountable for an organisation’s fire safety standards, and can face unlimited fines or a prison sentence for up to 2 years if they do not withhold these standards.

In this blog, we have compiled a short list of important checks you should carry out alongside your other preventative safety measures.


1. Check your fire alarms

Fire alarms play a vital role in saving lives, so it is key that they are checked regularly.

Article 17(1) of the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 (RRO) requires the responsible person to ensure that any fire alarm system are “subject to a suitable system of maintenance and are maintained in an efficient state, in efficient working order and in good repair.”

To comply with this legislation, you should check your fire alarms weekly.

All manual call points should also be checked at the same time for damage, and you must make sure they are easily accessible with nothing obstructing them.


2. Check your bins

Bins are a common target for arson, which according to The National Fire Chief’s Council (NFCC), are the leading cause of fires that require a response from the Fire & Rescue services. Therefore, maintaining and checking them regularly is key to minimising risk.

You need to check that external bins are not located close to buildings and are emptied regularly. You also need to check that fuels or anything that has been previously alight is correctly disposed of (e.g. cigarettes and matches).

Some other preventative measures you can take include:

  • Keeping large bins and waste locked away, so they are not accessible to anyone unauthorised
  • Ensure bins are not wall-mounted beneath a window, by a door, or an overhanging roof
  • Ensure they are kept away from the perimeters of the property

3. Check your fire doors and fire exits

Fire doors are key to preventing the spread of fire, as they can hold back smoke and flames between 30-60 minutes, depending on their quality. The first thing you should check:

Is the door structurally intact?

This means that there is no damage to the door and it is still fitted correctly, with the closing mechanism still automatically closing the door shut.

It is also important to check that your fire doors are not being propped open by an object.

Next, the condition of cold smoke seals and intumescent strips needs to be checked for damage.

Without these, the door loses functionality and will no longer meet the required standards. It is also important to check that the door’s opening mechanism works well every time.

And finally, for fire exits you should check that the path is clear and there is nothing obstructing them.


4. Check your signage

The law requires the responsible person to ensure that all emergency routes and exits are indicated by signage.

You need to check that signs are clean and visible, so that in case of an emergency the way out is clear and well-lit.

Also check that signs are not damaged or have a loose fixing, as this may become problematic if not fixed.


5. Check your electrical equipment

Faulty and misused electrical equipment is a common cause of fires, so it is important that they are checked regularly as part of your fire safety checks.

They often have many hazards to check for, from where they are placed to the sockets they are plugged into. You need to check that:

  • Plug sockets are not overloaded or hot
  • Wires and cables are not damaged

It is also important to make sure that anything that may get hot or has moving parts (like fans) are kept clear of any obstructions and are at no risk of falling over.

It is also good to make sure all electrics are PAT tested, as that is one of the ways you can fill the legal duty to maintain your electrical equipment to a safe standard, as per the Electricity at Work Regulations 1989.


6. Check your fire extinguishers

BS 5306-3:2017 is the British standard for fire extinguishing installations and equipment on premises, and Paragraph 11.2 recommends that all fire extinguishers are subject to a visual inspection by a competent person on a monthly basis. The result of the test should be recorded, and any deficiencies acted upon.

To meet this standard, the check must ensure:

  • Each extinguisher is correctly located in the designated space, is unobstructed, and accessible
  • The operating instructions are clean, legible, and face forwards
  • The reading of the pressure gauge is within the ‘green’ zone and any indicator is within safety limits
  • Each extinguisher has not been used, damaged, or tampered with

Fire extinguishers must be readily available for use throughout the building but especially on an emergency exit route. They need to be checked regularly for obstructions that may block access to them and for damage.

Also, are there enough of the right extinguisher type for the risks present?

For example, you should have enough CO2 extinguishers for use on any electrical fires that are accessible throughout the whole building – minimum requirements should be detailed within your fire risk assessment. For advice on this you, you can also try our free fire extinguisher calculator.


7. Check your emergency plan

It is also key to make sure that there is a suitable emergency plan for when a fire is detected. The law places a duty on the responsible person to manage arrangements for actions to be taken in the event of a fire on the premises.

The emergency plan should include:

  • A detailed description of everybody’s roles
  • The alarm systems in place to alert everybody
  • All assembly points
  • Arrangements for the evacuation of the vulnerable (young children, disabled, elderly etc.)
  • Contingency plans

Overall, these checks will help give you that little bit more confidence and peace of mind. If completed regularly, they will also boost the fire safety standards in your premises and make sure that any simple-to-fix flaws are checked for regularly.

These checks will also aid in helping you comply with your responsibilities as a ‘responsible person’, but they should ideally be used to complement established professional fire safety measures you follow, not replace them.  


Bibliography

The National Archives (2005) ‘The Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005’. Available at: https://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2005/1541/contents/made (Accessed: 28/04/2023)

Gov.uk (2023) ‘Fire safety in the workplace’. Available at: https://www.gov.uk/workplace-fire-safety-your-responsibilities (Accessed: 28/04/2023)

BSI (2017) ‘Fire extinguishing installations and equipment on premises – Commissioning and maintenance of portable fire extinguishers. Code of practice’. Available at: https://knowledge.bsigroup.com/products/fire-extinguishing-installations-and-equipment-on-premises-commissioning-and-maintenance-of-portable-fire-extinguishers-code-of-practice-1/tracked-changes (Accessed: 28/04/2023)

NFCC (2019) ‘Arson’. Available at: https://www.nationalfirechiefs.org.uk/Arson (Accessed: 28/04/2023)

Gov.uk (2023) ‘Fire statistics data tables’. Available at: https://www.gov.uk/government/statistical-data-sets/fire-statistics-data-tables (Accessed: 02/04/2023)

Contact Us