Posts Tagged ‘Health Safety’

First Aid Kits – BS 8599

It has recently been reported that the BSI and the HSE have been working together on the introduction of a new standard concerning First Aid Kits in the Workplace that took effect on the 30 June 2011. Currently, the contents of First Aid Kits are determined by the First Aid Needs Assessment and Risk Assessment that must be carried out by an employer. Enshrined in Law under the Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999. Regulation 3 of the Management Regs states that an employer MUST make an assessment of reasonably foreseeable risk. Read the rest of this entry »

Is Health and Safety such a dirty word?

Mention Health and Safety and Im sure those of you reading this are no different to the people attending our courses and cringe in dread.  But why? Health and Safety has been in the workplace for all my working life and Im sure most of yours. Admitedly I cant remember Health and Safety being big in the 80s or early 90s but now it is unrecognisable from the introduction on the Health and Safety at Work Act in 1974. Read the rest of this entry »

In many of todays papers it has been reported that the Government is to give teachers new powers to enable them to use force against unruly pupils and also give them extended search powers.

Another ploy.

Teachers already have the power to use force IN school. Its is everyones Common Law right to use force to protect themselves others and property. The Education Act mentions teachers using force including restrictive and pain compliance techniques in exceptional circumstances.

Teachers have greater powers of search than Security Officers and can search without parental consent and without the individuals consent if the believe weapons are being carried or concealed.

In all of this Article 2 of the Human Rights Act provides that there is a positive obligation to preserve life so by not defending themselves others and property and using their powers of search they could be in breach of the Human Rights Act.

Teachers won’t exercise these rights as they have not had training. The buck stops with the Education Minister and Local Education Authorities as they should tell schools to provide training for staff. This is a fundamental part of Section 2 of the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974 (employers must provide information training and supervision)

In deciding whether to train or not its a simple question that has to be answered. Is it reasonably foreseeable that at some stage teachers are going to be victims of violence (threatened abused or assaulted in circumstances relating to their work) the answer has to be yes. Training must be given to reduce risk.

Ironically teachers are not trained due to the belief that they cannot restrain or indeed use pain on children. But the payouts for injuries and law suits that local authorities face for NOT protecting the Health Safety and Welfare of Teachers far surpass the cost of training. Sent via BlackBerry® from BT

New sentencing guidelines have been brought in for prosecution under the new Corporate Manslaughter and Health & Safety Offences causing death on Tuesday 27th October 2009.

In short, where a serious form of harm or where a death at work occurs, which can be attributable to a failure of the organisations risk management protocols and procedures, a company is looking at a minimum fine of no less than £500,000.00, and possibly an even higher fine of 2.5 per cent to 10 per cent of its annual turnover over the previous three tear period.

The bottom line baseline fine, for a first time offender (an organisation not an individual) pleading not guilty, is very likely to be 5 per cent of the organisations average annual turnover during the three years prior to sentencing.

After taking into account any mitigating factors, the Court would then arrive at a fine that will fall within the range of 2.5 to 10 per cent of the companies average annual turnover over the previous three years.

In addition, a minimum level of fine has also been set which a fine would not fall below. It has been proposed that this minimum fine would be no less than £500,000.00.The Sentencing Council, who published these guidelines on Tuesday the 27th October, stated that: ‘whilst the effect on employment of the “innocent” may be a relevant factor, the effect on shareholders, directors and prices will NOT be considered relevant’.

In short, where a serious form of harm or where a death at work occurs, which can be attributable to a failure of the organisations risk management protocols and procedures, a company is looking at a minimum fine of no less than £500,000.00, and possibly an even higher fine of 2.5 per cent to 10 per cent of its annual turnover over the previous three tear period.

This is in addition to any other proceeding that may be taken against individual directors or members of senior management who may be held responsible for the breach that caused the harm or death. You can view the Sentencing Consultation Guidelines at: http://www.sentencing-guidelines.gov.uk/Report

The new First Aid changes are nearly upon us.

This is the first major change to the first aid training requirements in 25 years. The changes will take effect on Thursday 01st October 2009.

The current 4 Day First Aid at Work (FAAW) programme will be shortened to 3 Days. The reason for shortening the course is to reflect the simplification of techniques namely CPR and casualty movement therefore requiring less training time.

Due to skill fade over 3 year certificate currency the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) STRONGLY advise a 3 hour refresher package at the end of the first and second years of the qualification. Candidates will not need to do a refresher in the year they complete a re-qualification (Year 3)

A new qualification will be added which will be known as the Emergency First Aider in the Workplace (EFAW) and will involve candidates completing a one day training course.

The 2 day Re-qualification course will remain unchanged.

Both the new 3 Day FAAW and EFAW qualification MUST be delivered by HSE registered training providers. As an employer you must ensure your training provider is HSE registered.

Holders of current FAAW certificates will not need to do the new course until their current certificate expires and then they will only need to do the 3 Day course if they fall outside the time lines for being able to attend a 2 Day re-qualification course.

The First Aid provision for your workplace should be established after conducting a suitable and sufficient assessment of risk. The HSE give guidance on First Aid Provision in the Workplace in the Health and Safety First Aid at Work Regulations 1981.

This is the first major change to the first aid training requirements in 25 years. The changes will take effect on Thursday 01st October 2009.

The current 4 Day First Aid at Work (FAAW) programme will be shortened to 3 Days. The reason for shortening the course is to reflect the simplification of techniques namely CPR and casualty movement therefore requiring less training time.

Due to skill fade over 3 year certificate currency the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) STRONGLY advise a 3 hour refresher package at the end of the first and second years of the qualification. Candidates will not need to do a refresher in the year they complete a re-qualification (Year 3)

A new qualification will be added which will be known as the Emergency First Aider in the Workplace (EFAW) and will involve candidates completing a one day training course.

The 2 day Re-qualification course will remain unchanged.

Both the new 3 Day FAAW and EFAW qualification MUST be delivered by HSE registered training providers. As an employer you must ensure your training provider is HSE registered.

Holders of current FAAW certificates will not need to do the new course until their current certificate expires and then they will only need to do the 3 Day course if they fall outside the time lines for being able to attend a 2 Day re-qualification course.

The First Aid provision for your workplace should be established after conducting a suitable and sufficient assessment of risk. The HSE give guidance on First Aid Provision in the Workplace in the Health and Safety First Aid at Work Regulations 1981.

This is the first major change to the first aid training requirements in 25 years. The changes will take effect on Thursday 01st October 2009.

The current 4 Day First Aid at Work (FAAW) programme will be shortened to 3 Days. The reason for shortening the course is to reflect the simplification of techniques namely CPR and casualty movement therefore requiring less training time.

Due to skill fade over 3 year certificate currency the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) STRONGLY advise a 3 hour refresher package at the end of the first and second years of the qualification. Candidates will not need to do a refresher in the year they complete a re-qualification (Year 3)

A new qualification will be added which will be known as the Emergency First Aider in the Workplace (EFAW) and will involve candidates completing a one day training course.

The 2 day Re-qualification course will remain unchanged.

Both the new 3 Day FAAW and EFAW qualification MUST be delivered by HSE registered training providers. As an employer you must ensure your training provider is HSE registered.

Holders of current FAAW certificates will not need to do the new course until their current certificate expires and then they will only need to do the 3 Day course if they fall outside the time lines for being able to attend a 2 Day re-qualification course.

The First Aid provision for your workplace should be established after conducting a suitable and sufficient assessment of risk. The HSE give guidance on First Aid Provision in the Workplace in the Health and Safety First Aid at Work Regulations 1981.