Health and Safety

This is to confirm that I have covered the knowledge questions and discussed the
answers with my assessor.

Learner Signature …………………………………………… Date ………………

Assessor Signature ………………………………………… Date ………………

 Health and Safety

The poster “What you should know” has been replaced by “What you need to
know” which will be issued to you at the start of your qualification. There are
some key points of information on these posters so we have picked out come of
the info in this booklet. There is also information on other elements of Health and
safety which will be covered in more detail in other work books.

What you need to know

What employers must do for you

A. Decide what could harm you in your job and the precautions to stop it. This
is part of risk assessment.

B. In a way you can understand, explain how risks will be controlled and tell
you who is responsible for this.

C. Consult and work with you and your health and safety representatives in
protecting everyone from harm in the workplace.

D. Free of charge, give you the health and safety training you need to do your
job.

E. Free of charge, provide you with any equipment and protective clothing you
need, and ensure it is properly looked after.

F. Provide toilets, washing facilities and drinking water.

G. Provide adequate first- aid facilities.

H. Report injuries, diseases and dangerous incidents at work to our Incident

Contact Centre : 0845 300 9923

I. Have insurance that covers you in case you get hurt at work or ill through
work. Display a hard copy or electronic copy of the current insurance certificate
where you can easily read it.

J. Work with any other employers or contractors sharing the workplace or

providing employees (such as agency workers) so that everyone’s health and
safety is protected.
 Health and Safety

What you must do

A. Follow the training you have received when using any work items your
employer has given you.

B. Take reasonable care of your own and other people’s health and safety.

C. Co-operate with your employer on health and safety.

D. Tell someone (your employer, supervisor, or health and safety

representative) if you think the work or inadequate precautions are putting
anyone’s health and safety at serious risk.

Health and Safety at Work Act (HASAWA)

The HASAWA is the main act of parliament which covers safety at work. \this is
further supported by The Management of Health and Safety at work Regulations
which require employers to put in place appropriate health and safety
arrangements.

Further “regulations” and “acts” support both of these and are covered in brief
below. Some will be covered in detail.

Background

Around a quarter of injuries in the warehousing industry are caused by slip or trip
accidents. It is important to understand why accidents happen. An understanding
will help prevention.

Display Screen Equipment (DSE)

The DSE regulations cover people who use Visual Display Units (VDU’s) as a
significant part of their work. In correct and excessive use can lead to upper limb
and visual disorders as well as discomfort. Employers have a duty to :-

 Assess and reduce the risk.

 Ensure work stations meet minimum standards.
 Plan work so there are breaks and changes in activity.
 Provide eye tests on request
 Provide H + S training and information.
 Health and Safety

Risk Assessment

The first step in managing H + S to carry out Risk Assessments. We will cover
this in detail later during your course but for now you will need to understand
there are five steps to Risk Assessment.

 Step 1 – Identify the hazards.

 Step 2 – Decide who might be harmed.
 Step 3 – Evaluate the risks and decided on precautions.
 Step 4 – Record and implement the precautions.
 Step 5 – Review and update.

This is an employer responsibility.

Fire Safety

This will start with a Fire Risk Assessment, good housekeeping, storage of
materials, maintenance of electrical equipment, smoking, knowledge of the fire
drill and use of extinguishers are the responsibility of both employers and
employees.
 Health and Safety

Working Time Regulations

The working time regulations are relevant to working patterns. The basic rights
and protections that the regulations provide are:

 A limit of average of 48 hours a week that a worker can be required to work

(though workers can choose to work more if they want to).
 A limit of an average of 8 hours work in 24 that night workers can be
required to work.
 A right for night workers to receive free health assessments.
 A right to 11 hours rest a day.
 A right to a day off each week.
 A right to an in-work rest break if the working day is longer than 6 hours
and,
 A right to four weeks paid leave per year.

This applies to both employers and employees. There are separate regulations
for 16 – 18 year olds.

Control of Substances Hazardous to Health (COSHH)

Many hazardous or chemical substances may be stored in warehouse and may

cause eye irritation, chronic lung disease or even death. We will cover this in
greater detail later so you have a greater understanding of the COSHH
regulations. This may cover cleaners, for example, and employer has specific
duties to perform.

Personal Protective Equipment (PPE)

Personal Protective Equipment comes in many forms and will be relevant to the
task and dependant in the outcomes of the Risk Assessment.
The demands of the job must be taken into account when choosing PPE.

These are:

 Physical effort to do the job,

 Methods of work,
 Length of time to be worn,
 Requirements for visibility and communications,
 Compatibility when more than one item is required.

The employer has a duty to carry out the Risk Assessment and both employer
and employee have the responsibility to make sure the PPE is worn.
 Health and Safety

Slips and Trips

This is the biggest cause of accident in the workplace is safe and maintained in
good order. Everyone has a duty to co-operate with the employer and to take
care of your own, and other’s safety.

First Aid

These are set out in the First Aid Regulations and are the employer’s
responsibility to cover:
 Adequate and appropriate equipment
 Providing an “appropriate person” to take charge in an emergency,
 Providing First Aiders.

Manual Handling

Manual Handling will depend on the relevant Risk Assessment taking place, we
can:
 Avoid the need to more loads manually
 Fully initialise the mechanical handling devices.

Remember, it’s what men invented machines for!

Key factors are identify, eliminate, prevent, report, inform train and monitor.

It will be the employer’s responsibility to carry out the risk assessment and
everyone’s to make sure they carry out the findings of the results. Again, you will
be issued with a separate assignment on Manual Handling.

To find out further information on legislation and regulations you can refer to:

 The supplier of the material, substance or equipment,

 Training centres or colleges of further education,
 Trade associations,
 Trade unions,
 HSE (The website is very useful),
 Local authority environmental health departments,
 Professional bodies (e.g. the Institution of Occupational Safety and Health),
 Voluntary bodies (e.g. the Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents, the
British Safety Council),
 Skills councils such as Skills for logistics,
 Notice Boards,
 Your Health and Safety advisor within the company,
 Company handbook/induction.
Health and Safety

Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations

(RIDDOR)

These must be reported to Health and Safety Executive (HSE) and we will cover
this in a separate exercise. It is the responsibility of the employer to make sure
the reporting takes place. If there is any confusion, the main contact number is
0845 300 9923
Records must be kept for up to 3 years.

Questions

1) List 5 points that your employer must do

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2) List 3 points that you must to

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3) Where would you find information on Health and Safety?

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4) What Health and Safety legislation and regulations apply to the work place?
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