The Working Environment

Introduction

Welcome to Unit 6

Unit 6 is about the conditions under which you work.

Conditions

The working environment, or the conditions under which you work, are important for keeping you safe. Dust, noise, heat or cold are all problems that could occur at work.

Eight units

There are seven study units in this course plus a final examination unit at the end.

 

Trips and Slips

Top of the Flops

The top hazards that affect the most people are trips and slips. They’ve been top of the flops for years now and nothing seems likely to knock them off their number one spot.

A wet floor is lethal. Also, sometimes polished floors are too highly polished. A non-slip polish should always be used.

Carrying things

If you slip whilst carrying something, your level of injury could be severe. For example, if you slipped whilst carrying hot water, it could scald you. If you slipped whilst carrying something sharp, it could cut you.

Trailing wires

If someone leaves wires trailing on the floor or equipment lying about, you can be sure someone will trip over them.

In the way

Leaving things behind a door, round a corner, on a busy corridor or even on the stairs is asking for an accident.

Incident

“Mark Finn fell through a trap door in the lift control room in Safeways in Sheffield. It had been left open by maintenance workers who went for a break. Mark died.”

 

Accident

Accident and injury

An accident is an unplanned event which does or could cause harm, damage or injury. An injury is the damage to the person resulting from the accident.

The accident book: Reporting accidents

Every workplace should have a book where you write down any unplanned event (accident) which happened, even if it didn’t harm you.

The book has the amazing title of “Accident Book”.

Reasons

There are two main reasons why you should report an accident.

• It helps the employer notice a pattern of accidents which can then be investigated and the cause fixed.
• It’s a permanent record of what happened – hence, if you were entitled to compensation the evidence is there.

 

The Working Environment

Activity

Complete the sentences.

• The most common accidents at work are ____________________
• Carrying hot water in a kitchen is a ___________

(The most common accidents at work are trips, slips, and falls. Carrying hot water in a kitchen is a hazard.)

 

The Environment

Smoking

Passive smoking is breathing in someone else’s smoke. Employers must make sure non-smokers are not harmed from this. Usually this means banning smoking at work or providing special smoking areas.

Lighting

 

If the lighting is poor, you are more likely to have an accident. This is just obvious. So get it sorted.

 

Noisy Environment

Noise

Noise is a hazard at work as it can damage your hearing. The law sets limits on the level of noise which is allowed in the workplace.

Measure it

Your employer should measure the level of noise at work and take some action if needed.

Pardon

 

Using ear defenders because it’s too noisy at work is “The Last Resort”. Other ways of reducing noise at source should always be tried by the employer FIRST.

 

Question 1

Reducing noise at work by, for example, enclosing a noisy machine, is an example of:

• A hazard
• An accident
•  
• A control measure

(Reducing noise at work by, for example, enclosing a noisy machine, is an example of a control measure.)

 

Machinery and Equipment

Training

Only certain trained people are allowed to operate some machinery.

Fork lift trucks

Only people trained to use them can use them.

Authorized

Authorized user = trained to use it safely. If you are an “Authorized” user of a piece of equipment you have been trained to use it safely.

Incident

 

“A company was heavily fined after it allowed an untrained fork lift truck driver to use a fork lift truck. He killed another worker.”

 

 

You won’t believe this.

A building worker onsite at a hospital in Lancashire knew that he shouldn’t use a high-powered mechanical saw. He knew he wasn’t allowed to use it because he hadn’t been trained. But he had a few big posts to cut, no-one was using the mechanical saw and it wouldn’t take long.

Halfway through the third post everyone heard the scream. His mates rushed in and saw a thin three-foot piece of wood had gone right through the upper part of his leg. He was losing a lot of blood. Because he was working onsite at a hospital, his life was saved.

Incident

 

“Adding insult to injury’. He was off sick for weeks, lost loads of money and he was FINED for using the machine when he hadn’t been trained.”

 

Guards

There is a range of guards which can be fitted to machines to help prevent accidents and injuries.

Fixed guard

This encloses a hazard so you can’t touch it. The easiest example is the casing around an electric plug. 

Interlocking guard

If you try to move this type of guard, the machine will switch itself off straightaway. You won’t be able to start the machine again until you replace the guard.

Fail to safe

 

This means the machine won’t work if there’s a fault.

You’ve got to be sensible

All machines can’t be guarded all the time. There are lathes, drills, saws etc which you can’t totally guard.

Example

She used to think that she looked really good with her long hair flowing next to the machine. She’d been told about it but she didn’t think she looked as good with her hair tied up.

What happened?

 

“She remembers the day her hair got caught. There was nothing she could do. The machine ripped it out at the roots all down one side of the head. Her friends wouldn’t let her look at herself in a mirror on the way to the hospital.”

Prison

Peter Pell, an agricultural contractor was sent to prison for removing all the guards off a machine used in farming – a skid steer vehicle.

Death

It caused the death of Shaun Cooper of Skegness who had three young children. 

No training 

Shaun had received no training in using the machine. He was found crushed on the vehicle at the farm where he was working.

Removed

 

The contractor had removed all safety features such as safety cages and cut off systems.

 

Safety Signs and Signals

Types of signs

It should be obvious from the sign what you have to do.

Question:

Why do we have signs?

Answer:

 

Signs are easy to understand and you don’t need any real reading skills. So everyone should know what to do.

Do what it says on the sign

If you have to wear a hard hat then wear it. If you were injured and you were not wearing a hard hat you’re unlikely to get any compensation. 

If it says you should not be in the area and you deliberately go in without permission, you’re unlikely to be able to claim compensation if injured.

 

First Aid

Do a course

You will be much more useful and indeed employable if you have a first aid certificate.

Employers should

Employers should have trained first aiders. The usual ratio is one first aider for every 50 workers in a college, office or other low risk area. However, if the firm is considered high risk (ie there is dangerous machinery’ and equipment) then more first aiders are needed.

 

First Aid Box

What should it contain

The employer should have certain items in a first aid box. 

These may include: assorted dressings – medium, large and extra large, alcohol-free cleansing wipes, disposable gloves, safety pins, packet of plasters, packet of blue plasters for food preparation areas, triangular bandages, Resus face shield, safety scissors, tweezers, thermometer, sterilized pads, crepe roller bandages and adhesive micro-tape.

 

Drugs and Medicines

No paracetamol or aspirin

The first aider is NOT allowed to give out any pills, medicines or potions. Hence, you will never find any of these in the first aid box. So don’t even ask for an aspirin if you’ve got a headache as you won’t get anything apart from a glass of water.

Lethal dose

All pills, medicines and potions should be treated with care. On most boxes of paracetamol it states that you should not take more than eight in every 24 hours. 

The fatal dose for paracetamol is 13 tablets taken at once. Paracetamol affects the kidneys; hence the death is painful and slow. So taking lots of paracetamol for a headache is not the answer.