Coshh

One of the biggest challenges facing modern businesses today is making sure that they compliant with health and safety regulations. Health and Safety at Work Act (1974) The Health and Safety at Work etc Act 1974 , also referred to as HASAW or HSW, is the primary piece of legislation covering occupational health and safety in the United Kingdom. The Health and Safety Executive is responsible for enforcing the Act and a number of other Acts and Statutory Instruments relevant to the working environment Register your new business Decide whether you need to notify the Health and Safety Executive or your local authority about your business and where necessary, do so. Take out Employer's Liability Compulsory Insurance Employer's Liability Compulsory Insurance covers you against claims from employees who are injured or become ill as a result of their work. Appoint a competent person The law says you must appoint a competent person to help you meet your health and safety duties. This does not have to be an external consultant. Write your health and safety policy Your health and safety policy sets out the arrangements you have put in place for managing health and safety in your business. It is a unique document that says who does what, when and how. Assess the risksDecide what could harm people and what precautions to take. This is your risk assessment. You must act on the findings of your risk assessment, by putting sensible controls in place to prevent accidents and ill health and making sure they are followed. Provide basic welfare facilities You must provide a safe and healthy environment for all your employees. This includes toilets, washing facilities and drinking water, and appropriate lighting and temperature. Provide free health and safety training and supervision Everyone who works for you, including self-employed people, needs to know how to work safely and without risks to health. So you need to train them and supervise their work. Consult your workers Consultation means discussing health and safety with your workers allowing them to raise concerns and influence decisions. Display the health and safety law poster This is required by law. The poster includes basic health and safety information and lets people know who is responsible for health and safety in your workplace. Or you can give workers a leaflet. Understand RIDDOR reporting procedures The Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations 1995 (RIDDOR), require you to report work-related accidents, diseases and near-miss incidents. Make sure you know how to report, even if you never need to. Keep up to date Check regularly with the government website for any updates. C.O.S.H.H Coshh refers to Control of Substances Hazardous to Health Act. (2002) under which employers have a responsibility to protect employees and related person from hazardous substances used in the work place. COSHH is enforced by local authorities and the health and safety executive As an employer, taking your responsibility towards These guidelines stipulate that employers must undertake measures to prevent and protect people in their place of business from coming into contact with potentially dangerous substances. COSHH is very serious indeed. Breach of the regulations could result in a criminal conviction and this can lie with either an organisation or an individual. What the law requires is what good management and common sense would lead employers to do anyway, that is to look at what the risks are and take sensible measures to tackle them. Find out what the hazards are. Deciding how to prevent harm to health (risk assessment) Providing control measures to reduce harm, such as protective clothing, proper ventilation, and correct storage of substances and correct use of substance. MYTH I don’t work with harmful substances. REALITY Most businesses use substances that can be hazardous to health Even something as simple as flour can act as a substance hazardous to health. MYTH They wouldn’t sell it if it was harmful. REALITY Just because something is available to buy, does not mean its safe. You can buy cyanide for industrial use!