NEBOSH International General Certificate

in Occupational Safety and Health

Unit IG2

Element 8: General Workplace Issues

Learning Objectives

• Describe common health, welfare and work environment requirements in

the workplace.
• Describe the hazards and control measures for safe working at height.
• Describe the safe work practices for working within confined spaces.
• Describe the hazards and controls associated with lone working.
• Describe the main causes of and controls for slips and trips in the
workplace.
• Describe the hazards and control measures for the safe movement of
people and vehicles in the workplace.
• Describe the control measures for work-related driving and the hazards
associated with electric and hybrid vehicles.
8.1 Health, Welfare and Work Environment
Requirements

3
Welfare Provision

ILO C120 - Hygiene (Commerce and

Offices), Convention, 1964 (No. 120)
ILO C167 - Safety and Health in Construction
Convention, 1988 (No. 167)
• Drinking water.
• Sanitary conveniences.
• Washing facilities.
• Changing rooms.
• Accommodation for clothing.
• Rest and eating facilities.
Welfare Provision
Minimum standards:
Drinking water • Wholesome, labelled if not.

• Sufficient numbers.
• Separate for men and women.
Sanitary conveniences • Protected from weather.
• Clean, lit and ventilated.
• Provision for the disabled.
• Close to toilets and changing rooms.
• Showers if required.
Washing facilities • Hot and cold water, soap, towels.
• Means of drying.
Welfare Provision
Minimum standards:
• For special workwear.
Changing rooms • Lit, cleaned and ventilated.
• Separate facilities for men and women.

• Lockers, etc.
Accommodation for clothing • Personal clothing clean and secure.
• Separate storage for dirty workwear.

• Sufficient seats and tables.

• Away from work location.
• Hygienic environment.
Rest and eating facilities
• Means of preparing hot food and drink.
• Separate facilities for new and expectant mothers.
Work Environment Requirements
Minimum standards:
• Adequate space to allow workers to perform
Space task safely.
• Appropriate seating.
Seating • Stable, backrest and footrest where
appropriate.
Ventilation • Sufficient supply of fresh or purified air.
• Reasonable temperature indoors:
○ Sedentary work 16oC (inactive or
Heating seated).
○ Manual work 13oC.
Lighting • Adequate lighting.
Work Environment Requirements
• Minimum levels achieved (measured in ‘lux’).
• Natural light is best.
• Lighting adjusted to the level of detail required.
• Local lighting may be necessary.
• Local lighting on critical areas.
• No reflections or glare.
• No creation of shadows.
• No flickering.
• Suitable for the environment.
• Emergency lighting should be provided if mains power fails.
Effects of Exposure

Hot Cold
environments: environments:
• Dehydration. • Hypothermia.
• Muscle cramps. • Frostbite.
• Heat stress. • Slip injuries (on
• Heat exhaustion. icy floors).
• Heatstroke. • Freeze burn
• Burns/skin injuries.
damage.

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Preventive Measures

Hot environments: Cold environments:

• Ventilation. • Prevent or protect from
• Insulate/shield heat draughts.
sources. • Shield/lag cold
• Provide cool refuges. surfaces.
• Drinking water. • PPE – insulating.
• Frequent breaks. • Provide warm refuges.
• Job rotation. • Frequent breaks.
• Appropriate clothing. • Job rotation.
• Access to warm food
and drinks.
• Treat icy floors.

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8.2: Working at Height

11
Introduction to Working at Height

Work at any height where there is a risk of a fall liable to cause

personal injury unless precautions are taken.

Workers at risk: Main risks: Accidents:

• Steel workers. • Worker falling. • Death.
• Scaffolders. • Object falling. • Neck or spinal
• Roofers. injury.
• Engineers. • Broken bones.

• Welders. • Brain damage.

• Maintenance staff.
• Painters.
• Window-cleaners.

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Vertical Distance

• Falls from any height can

cause injury.
• Vertical distance is only
one factor.
• Falls of less than two
metres can cause death or
major injury!
Roofs

Roof work includes construction and

maintenance. Particular danger arise with two
types of roof:
Fragile roofs:
• Roof structure not designed to carry loads.
• Cement, asbestos, glass, reinforced plastics,
etc.
Sloping roofs:
• Pitch greater than 10o.
• Injury made worse by acceleration down roof.
Risk Factors for Work at Height
• Deterioration of materials.
• Unprotected edges.
• Unstable access equipment.
• Weather.
• Falling materials:
 Crumbling brickwork, loose tiles.
 Bad storage of materials on scaffolding.
 Bad housekeeping – accumulation of debris.
 Gaps in platform surfaces.
 Open, unprotected edges.
 Throwing things on and off the roof.
Controlling the Risks of Work at Height
Hierarchy of Controls

Avoid work
at height

Prevent falls

Minimise the
distance and
consequences
of falls

Prioritise collective protection over personal protection when

applying the last two controls.
Avoiding Work at Height

• Modify the work process:

 E.g. work from ground level.
• Modifying a design:
 E.g. change design of
structure so that steel is
assembled at ground level and
craned into place.
• May not be possible to achieve.
Avoiding Work at Height
Factors to consider when selecting control measures:
• Nature and duration of task.
• Competence of workers.
• Training needs.
• Planning and supervision needed.
• Means of access and egress.
• Suitability of eqpt & its maintenance & pre-use checks.
• PPE requirements, e.g. helmets.
• Weather conditions.
• Health of workers.
• Need for a rescue plan.
• Compliance with regulations.
Preventing Falls and Falling Materials

Proper planning and supervision of work is important to

prevent falls from height and falling materials.
Those responsible for such work should be experienced
and should use their knowledge to ensure:
• The selection and use of correct access equipment.
• Correct provision and handling of tools and
materials.
• Adequate information, instruction and training.
• Regular inspection of the workplace, work equipment
and work methods.
• Avoiding work in bad weather.
Preventing Falls and Falling Materials

Falls hierarchy:
• Safe working platform.
• Properly installed suspended
access equipment.
• Equipment to arrest falls.
Falling materials:
• Fit toe boards and brick guards.
• If risk remains, debris netting and covered walkways.
Guardrails and Toe Boards

Guardrails:
• Fully enclose the unprotected edge.
• Robust.
• Securely fixed.
• High enough.
• No large gaps.
Toe boards:
• Toe board fitted at edge.
• Brick guards.
Work Platforms

• Large enough to allow safe use.

• Capable to bear required loads.
• Fully boarded.
Suspended Access Equipment

Suspended cradle:
• Fully guarded, toe boards.
Personal suspended access equipment:
• E.g. boatswain's chair:
 Light, short-term work.
 Similar control to abseiling.
Emergency Rescue

• Reasonably foreseeable events.

• Simple: putting up a ladder.
• Mechanical access: Mobile
Elevating Work Platform (MEWP).
• Trained operatives.
Fall Arrest

• Collective protection systems – nets,

airbags, soft bags:
 Best systems.

 Protect all workers.

• Personal protective systems – fall arrest

harness:
 Full-body harness.

 One or two lanyards.

 Anchor point.

 Training.

 Inspection of equipment.
Provision of Equipment, Training and Instruction

• Workers should be trained to work at

height safely.
• Content of training depends on the
nature of the work.
• Workers should have an awareness
of the hazards.
• Additional training may be required
by law for use of some equipment.
Ladders

Intended for short-duration work.

Risks:
• Falls from height:
 Falling off the ladder.
 The ladder toppling sideways.
 The ladder base slipping out from
the wall.
• Objects falling from height.
• Contact with live overheads.
Ladders

• Sited away from live overheads.

• Solid, flat base.
• Weight supported on stiles, never on
rungs.
• Correct angle (1:4 rule – 75o).
• Top of the ladder against solid support.
• Ladder secured at the top, or:
 guy ropes attached
 ladder should be ‘footed’.
Ladders

• Top of the ladder should extend 1m

(five rungs) above stepping off
point if used as a means of access.
• Only one person on ladder at any
one time.
• Nothing should be carried in the
hands while climbing.
• Maintain three points of contact.

• Wooden ladders should not be

painted.
Stepladders

Intended for short-duration, light work.

Precautions:
• Daily inspections before use.

• Fully open.
• Locking devices in place.
• Firm, level ground.
• Don’t work off top two steps.
• Avoid overreaching.
• Avoid side-on working.
Trestles and Staging Boards

Ensure trestles are:

• Large enough to allow passage of
equipment/materials.
• Free from trip hazards and gaps.

• Fitted with toe boards and

handrails.
• Kept clean and tidy.

• Not overloaded.

• Erected on firm, level ground.

Independent Tied Scaffolds

Standards Uprights or vertical tubes

Ledgers Horizontal tubes

Transoms Short, horizontal tubes spanning across ledgers

Bracing Diagonal tubes

Base plates Underneath the standards

Sole boards Timber under base plates

Work platform Fully boarded

Guardrails Enclose work platform

Toe boards Provide lip to platform

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Independent Tied Scaffolds

33
Independent Tied Scaffolds
Basic Components

34
Independent Tied Scaffolds
Bracing

35
Independent Tied Scaffolds
Working Platform

36
Independent Tied Scaffolds
Independent Tied Scaffolds
• Overloaded work platform.
• Soft ground.
• Scaffold not tied in.
• Insufficient bracing.
• Standards not upright.
• Standards bent or damaged.
• High winds.
• Incorrect couplers.
• Scaffold struck by mobile plant.
• Scaffold erected by incompetent workers.
• Scaffold not inspected prior to use.
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Mobile Tower Scaffolds

Risks:
• Falls from the work platform.
• Objects falling.
• Collapse of the structure.
• Overturn (toppling).
• Unintended movement of the
wheels.
• Contact with live overheads.
Mobile Tower Scaffolds

Precautions:
• Guardrails. • Outriggers used.
• Not overloaded. • No climbing outside of tower.
• Wheels locked. • Training (e.g. PASMA).
• Firm, level ground. • Tower not exceed relevant
base-to-height ratio.
• People, materials off mobile
tower when moved. • Tower inspected prior to use
and routinely during use.
• Avoid overheads.
Mobile Elevating Work Platforms
Risks:
• Falls.
• Objects falling.
• Collapse.
• Overturn (toppling).
• Contact with live overheads.
• Entrapment of the cradle/platform
against adjacent structures.
• Shearing against adjacent
structures.
• Unauthorised use.
Mobile Elevating Work Platforms
Safety precautions:
• Firm, stable ground.
• Clearance of obstructions and overheads.
• Barriers to exclude vehicles and people, etc.
• Guardrails not removed or modified.
• Harness and lanyard used (subject to risk assessment).
• Not driven with the cradle raised unless designed to do so.
• Not be overloaded.
• Correct use of outriggers.
• Inspected and maintained as items of lifting equipment.
• Trained, authorised staff only (e.g. IPAF).
Leading Edge Protection
Unprotected edges that are created and move as
work progresses. For example, when fixing roof
sheets to a steel-framed building. Safety netting is
the preferred protection system. Or other soft
landing systems. Safety netting provides collective
protection.
Safety nets must be:
• installed as close as possible beneath the roof
surface.
• securely attached and will withstand a person
falling onto them.
• installed and maintained by competent
personnel.
Inspection of Access Equipment

Should be inspected:
• When first erected.
• After substantial alteration.
• After incident affecting
stability.
Such as
• Periodically - typically every
seven days.
Inspection of Access Equipment

Points to consider:
• Condition of tubes (especially
standards).
• Tying and bracing.
• Condition of the work platform.
• Edge protection.
• Ground conditions.
• Safe access.
• Safe working load.
Prevention of Falling Materials Through Safe Stacking & Storage

If housekeeping is not properly

managed, it can:
• Hinder safe movement around the
workplace.
• Block light.
• Block access to essential services.
• Stacks and piles can present
danger of collapse.
• Lead to stacked materials toppling
over.
Prevention of Falling Materials Through Safe Stacking & Storage

Sufficient space needed for storage of

materials:
• Storage areas clearly defined.
• Separate areas for different items.
• Segregation of certain materials and
substances, e.g. gas bottles.
• Clean and tidy areas routinely
inspected.
• Appropriate warning signs.
• No work activities in storage areas.
Prevention of Falling Materials Through Safe Stacking & Storage

When stacking:
• Each stack for one material only.
• Set maximum stack height.
• Stacks should be vertical.
• Use pallets to keep materials off the
ground.
• Allow space between stacks for safe
movement.
• Protect stacks from being struck by
vehicles.
8.3: Working in Confined Spaces

49
Introduction to Confined Spaces

“Any place, including any chamber,

tank, vat, silo, pit, trench, pipe,
sewer, flue, well or other similar
space in which, by virtue of its
enclosed nature, there arises a
reasonably foreseeable specified
risk”.
Introduction to Confined Spaces

The foreseeable specified risks are:

• Fire or explosion.
• Loss of consciousness from gas,
fumes, vapour, lack of oxygen.
• Drowning.
• Asphyxiation/ entrapment in free-flowing
solid.
• Loss of consciousness from increased
body temperature.
Factors to be Assessed
• General condition of the  Sources of ignition.
confined space  Increasing temperature.
 Previous contents . • Hazards from outside the space
 Residues.
 Ingress of substances.
 Contamination.  Emergency rescue.
 Oxygen deficiency and
oxygen enrichment.
 Physical dimensions.
• Hazards arising from the work
 Cleaning chemicals.
Safe System of Work for Entry

• Do not work inside a confined space if

possible.
• Carry out a risk assessment.
• Develop safe system of work.
• Develop emergency arrangements.
• Use permit to work.
• Use only trained, competent personnel.
Safe System of Work for Entry

• Supervision. • Isolation, lock-off of

• Competency. electrical/mechanical
hazards.
• Communication.
• PPE.
• Atmospheric
testing/monitoring. • Access/egress.
• Ventilation. • Fire prevention.
• Removal of residues. • Lighting.
• Isolation, lock-off of • Suitability of individuals.
in-feeds and out-feeds. • Emergency/rescue
procedures.
8.4: Lone Working

55
Risk Assessment Factors for Lone Working

Workers who are separated from

their work colleagues.
Lack assistance if things go wrong.
Communication with colleagues
more difficult, i.e.:
• Out of eyesight.
• Out of earshot.
Safe System of Work for Lone Working

• No lone working for high-risk

activities, e.g. confined spaces.
• Remote supervision.
• Logging workers’ locations.
• Mobile phones or radios.
• Lone worker alarm systems.
• Procedures for lone workers.
• Emergency procedures.
• Training for workers.
8.5: Slips and Trips

58
Common Slipping and Tripping Hazards

Slip hazards:
• Smooth floor surfaces:
 Inherently slippery.
 Wet.
• Contamination.
• Frost and ice.
Common Slipping and Tripping Hazards

Trip hazards:
• Uneven or loose floor surfaces.
• Trailing cables.
• Objects on the floor.
Control Measures for Slips and Trips

Management principles:
• Eliminate the hazard.
• Create a safe place.
• Create a safe person.
Risk assessment, considering:
• Normal patterns of movement.
• Predictable/abnormal movements.
• Accident history.
• Adverse weather conditions.
• Maintenance requirements.
Slip-Resistant Surfaces

These will depend on the:

• Number of people.
• Footwear.
• Wear and tear.
• Spills and contamination.
• Environmental conditions.
Spillage Control and Drainage

• Maintenance and inspection.

• Containment of foreseeable spills and leaks
 E.g. bunds for containers
• Behavioural controls.
• Drainage for:
 Outdoor walkways.
 Wet floors, e.g. showers.
Spillage Control and Drainage

Essential in many workplaces.

Ensures that:
• Pedestrians stay within designated areas.
• Pedestrian areas are free of hazards.
Designated by:
• Guardrails, kerbs, pavements, markings.
Use of Signs and Personal Protective Equipment

• Use of signs:
 Prohibition.
 Warning.
 Mandatory.
• PPE in the form of safety
footwear with appropriate tread
pattern and gip characteristics.
Information, Instruction, Training & Supervision

• Hazards.
• What is required of them.
• How they can apply it.
• Supervision is essential –
ensures correct behaviour.
Housekeeping and Maintenance of a Safe Workplace

• Floors and walkways cleaned.

• Spill procedure.
• Housekeeping standards.
• Floors, walkways, guardrails and fencing,
access and egress inspected and repaired.
• Emergency exits kept clear.
• Lighting checked and maintained.
8.6: Safe Movement of People and
Vehicles in the Workplace

68
Typical Risks Relating to Vehicle Movements

• Loss of control:
Due to driver error, environmental or
mechanical reasons.
• Overturning:
Laterally or longitudinally.
• Collisions:
With other vehicles, pedestrians or fixed
objects.
Loss of Control and Overturning
Factors that can cause a forklift truck to overturn:
• Cornering while being driven too fast.
• Uneven loading of the forks.
• Driving over potholes.
• Driving with the load elevated, especially
cornering.
• Uneven tyre pressures.
• Driving across a slope (rather than straight
up/down the fall line).
• Excessive braking.
• Collisions, especially with kerbs.

70
Risk Factors
Factors that can increase the risk of collisions:
• Driving too fast.
• Inadequate lighting.
• Reversing without the help of a banksman.
• Blind spots, such as corners and entrances.
• Bad weather conditions (e.g. rain).
• Obstructed visibility (e.g. overloaded forklift truck).
• Poor design of pedestrian walkways and crossing
points.
• Lack of vehicle maintenance.
• Silent operation of machinery.
Non-Movement-Related Hazards

Typical non-movement-related hazards arise

from:
• Loading: manual and mechanical.
• Overloading: exceeding the safe working
load of the vehicle.
• Unloading: tipping operations, etc.
• Securing: to sheet a lorry.
• Coupling: attaching trailers.
• Maintenance work: working at height.
Workplace Transport Control Measures

• Eliminate the hazard.

• Create a safe place.
• Create a safe person.
• Risk assessment:
 Identify the hazards.
 Identify the groups at risk.
 Evaluate the risk.
 Record and implement.
 Review.
Risk Assessment

Measures necessary to control risks

created by vehicle operations can be
grouped under:
• Workplace environment.
• Vehicle.
• Driver.
The Workplace Environment
• Vehicle-free zones.
• Pedestrian-free zones.
• Traffic route layout.
• Segregation.
• Marked walkways and crossings
• Separate access points.
• Speed limits.
• Vehicle movements managed.
• Good visibility.
• Signage.
• Well lit, maintained roads/pathways.
• Avoid gradients.
• Barriers at changes in levels, e.g. loading docks.
The Workplace Environment

Site rules for safe vehicle parking of a

forklift truck:
• Apply the handbrake.
• Lower the forks and tip the mast
forwards.
• Remove the key.
• Do not obstruct a traffic route.
• Do not obstruct a pedestrian route.
• Do not obstruct emergency escape
routes.
The Workplace Environment
Control measures to reduce risk of accident
from reversing vehicles:
• Avoid reversing by using one-way systems.
• Segregate pedestrians and vehicles.
• Good visibility from vehicles.
• Reversing alarms and beacons.
• Mirrors to reduce blind spots.
• High-visibility clothing.
• Good lighting.
• Banksmen.
• Training for drivers and pedestrians.
Safe Vehicles

• Suitable for their intended use.

• Suitable for the environment and
conditions of use.
• Maintained in safe working order.
• Only driven by trained, qualified staff.
• Inspected routinely before use.
Safe Vehicles

• Seat for the driver (and any passengers).

• Seat belt(s).
• Roll bar or roll cage.
• Guard to protect the driver in the event of
falling objects.
• Horn.
• Mirrors and/or cameras to aid vision.
• Audible reversing alarm.
• Beacon or flashing light.
Safe Drivers

The driver should be:

• Competent to drive the vehicle.
• Medically fit to drive.
• Provided with specific information,
instruction and training.
• Supervised.
8.7: Work-Related Driving

81
Managing Work-Related Road Safety

• Many accidents occur on the public

roads while driving on business.
• No specific health and safety
legislation.
• Manage like any other risk.
Managing Work-Related Road Safety

Such as ISO 39001: Road Traffic Safety

Management System.
Based on the:
• Plan
• Do
• Check
• Act
cycle that was explained in Element 3.

83
Risk Assessment Factors
1. Identify the hazards:
• Journey distance.
• Driving hours.
• Work schedule.
• Stress.
• Weather conditions.
2. Identify who may be harmed.
3. Evaluate the risks:
• Eliminate the need to travel.
• Travel by a safer means.
• If road travel take sensible precautions.

4. Record the findings.

5. Review.
Evaluating the Risks

If road travel is the preferred option then look

at:
• The driver.
• The vehicle.
• The journey.
And base controls around these factors.

85
The Driver

Competency:
• Drivers’ licences checked.
• Experience and ability.
Training:
• Advanced or defensive driving courses.
• Vehicle safety, pre-use inspection.
Fitness and health:
• Medical examination.
• Eyesight checks.
• Drugs policy.

86
The Vehicle

Suitability:
• Minimum requirements,
standards.
• Insurance and valid
regulatory certificate if
private vehicles used.

Condition:
• Maintained.
• Pre-use inspections.
• Defect reporting.
The Vehicle

• Safety equipment:
 Seat belts, airbags, head restraints.
 Emergency triangles, first-aid kit, spare
tyre.
 Fire extinguisher.
• Safety-critical information:
 Tyre pressures, headlight and restraint
adjustments, etc.
• Ergonomic:
 Adjustability of seat position and posture.
• Mobile phone use
The Journey

Routes
• Avoid hazards,
e.g. town centres.
• Select low-risk roads,
e.g. motorways.
• Avoid roadworks.
Scheduling
• Avoid peak times.
• Avoid fatigue times,
e.g. 2–6am, 2–4pm.
• Flexible deadlines.

89
The Journey
Time:
• Realistic, e.g. route, weather, breaks.
• Rest breaks.
• Statutory requirements, e.g. lorry
drivers (HGV).
Distance:
• Use other transport.
• Not excessive.
Weather conditions:
• Reliable weather forecasts.
• No driving/additional safety advice in
bad weather.
Hazards of Electric and Hybrid Vehicles

• Silent operation.
• Unexpected engine start-up.
• High-voltage electricity.
• Charge retention.
• Batteries.
• Manual handling.
• Magnetic forces.
Complicated by remote key operating
systems – the key does not need to be in
the ignition for the vehicle to be
operational.
Summary
In this element, we have:
• Outlined the minimum welfare provisions.
• Identified basic workplace environment standards for seating, ventilation, heating and lighting.
• Outlined the effects of working in extreme temperatures and relevant control measures.
• Described the main risks associated with work at height.
• Noted how these hazards can be controlled by risk assessments.
• Outlined how work at height should be avoided, engineering measures used to prevent falls, and measures
taken to minimise the distance and consequences of a fall.
• Discussed the hazards and precautions relevant to scaffolds, mobile tower scaffolds, MEWPs and ladders.
• Outlined the meaning of the phrase ‘confined space’.
• Outlined the various issues that must be considered when developing a safe system of work for confined
space entry.
• Outlined the meaning of the phrase ‘lone working’.
• Outlined how lone working activities must be risk assessed, eliminated or
controlled using a safe system of work.
Summary
• Outlined key issues for the use of safe system of work as adequate levels of
training, supervision and monitoring.
• Outlined the hazards that can cause slips and trips for pedestrians and the relevant
control measures.
• Noted how hazards can be controlled by risk assessment process, careful design
and construction of workplace.
• Identified the hazards presented by vehicle operations.
• Explained how these hazards can be controlled through risk assessments.
• Outlined how the workplace environment should be designed, constructed and
maintained to allow safe vehicle movement.
• Identified the key requirements for vehicles and for drivers.
• Outlined the relatively high-risk nature of work-related driving on the roads.
• Explained how the risk assessment of work-related driving should focus on three
main areas of concern; the driver, the vehicle and the journey.
• Described some of the control measures to reduce driving risk.
• Identified the additional hazards associated with electric and hybrid vehicles.