Recognising and Promoting Positive Safety Behaviour

For employers there is a legal duty to provide a safe place of work for their employees wherever the place of work maybe. In these COVID-19 times this can and does in many cases mean remote working from home. Health and Safety requires all the stake holders to actively participate in safe work practice and to understand what is involved to create a safe place to work. Giving staff the information and tools to do this is a first step. When on-boarding staff, it is important to carry out a risk assessment that is personal to the employee and their role. Making sure they have the correct training, and any necessary certification is the next step and thereafter the employer needs to monitor compliance and performance.

 

 

An effective way of doing this is through an online solution that provides the records and training required. Having such a system that provides 24/7 access to information you can then go further to promote positive safety behaviour. By encouraging ongoing engagement with the core safety information and training you can see which employees are performing well and keeping engaged and up to date. You can incentivise staff to make sure they are aware of safe behaviour and you can encourage them to report unsafe issues that may arise.

It is true that a safe place of work is likely to be a more productive environment for the employee which all contributes to your bottom line. Promoting positive safety behaviour will reduce the risk of accidents and incidents and will reduce days lost to illness or accidents. It will also help you protect your company from the negative publicity and potential legal action arising from an accident in the workplace. Everyone in a working environment requires knowledge and training on safety behaviour and how to ensure a safe and healthy workplace. A desk bound job requires proper ergonomics and knowledge regarding breaks and what to do in an emergency. Even working in the home carries significant risks if a workstation is not correctly set up.

Our pattern and location of work is changing rapidly as a result of the pandemic and is likely to change permanently with a much larger degree of blended work where people attend the office on a part time basis. In this scenario it will become increasingly important to promote positive safety behaviour as the employer will have less control of the work environment while still being legally responsible for it. Even more reason to recognise and promote positive safety behaviour.

Myelearnsafety.com can provide more information on this topic as well as providing a solution to safety training and compliance monitoring. We would be delighted to hear from you with any of your concerns or problems.

Article  by Vincent Traynor

Please feel free to contact Cormac on 01 278 1938 or cormac@elearn.ie,  if you would like to discuss your health and safety needs further,  or take advantage of a complimentary course.

Managing Mental Health for Remote Workers

 

Timely advice has been published by the Health and Safety Authority (HSA) on virtual assessment of working conditions for remote workers. While there is concentration in the advice on the physical conditions and equipment needed it is a good idea to consider how to help reduce stress for employees as part of a health and safety policy in the workplace.

 

Working in an office or remotely can produce a stressful environment for mental health. An employer is obliged under legislation to provide a safe place of work for their employees and employees are entitled to expect that provision is made by their employers regardless of where they are working. Mental health is an important part of a safe place to work. Mindfulness Practice can help reduce stress. A simple way to help reduce stress would be to provide access to a course on mindfulness practice.

 

People working remotely are missing out on the normal social interaction in the office environment which can create its own stress. People working in an office environment are subject to a different set of circumstances. Both can benefit from Mindfulness practice. Myelearnsafety.com provides a mindfulness practice course that can give you a simple guide to the topic and help start you on the way to reduce stress in your workplace, particularly if you are working remotely.

 

Other courses will also help you assess your workstation requirements when working remotely and the staff at myelearnsafety.com can provide expert competent assessment of remote working conditions and provide the relevant advice.

For further advice contact cormac@elearn.ie or on +353 1 278 1938.

 

Article written by Vincent Traynor 

 

 

Benefits of eLearning to COVID-19 Transmission Rates

eLearning Trends

eLearning was already on the rise pre-COVID-19. For some time there has been a phenomenal growth of eLearning use among the corporate sector. 90% of corporations now use e-learning compared to just 4% in 1995. And the reason for this is obvious; with employees delivering increased productivity for every euro/dollar invested in e-learning.

Though it was trending that way anyway, the onset of COVID-19 has meant that the growth of eLearning has spread well beyond the corporate sector, to now encompass the education, healthcare, computer & info tech, retail and eCommerce and construction sectors, among others.

People working remotely, businesses moving online and people choosing to learn online rather than in the classroom – the necessary restrictions caused by Covid-19, have seen technology take centre stage in so many aspects of business and life.

There has been a two-fold benefit when it comes to reducing the rate of transfer of COVID-19.

Reducing the Transmission Rate

As well as the positive environmental impact of an increased uptake in eLearning, there has been a two-fold benefit when it comes to reducing the rate of transfer of COVID-19. The first, and most obvious of these benefits, is the reduction in face-to-face contact. The second benefit is the opportunity to increase employee awareness, training and general education regarding COVID-19, with COVID-19 specific courses such as COVID-19 Infection Prevention & Control, COVID-19 Compliance Officer, and COVID-19 Lead Worker Representative courses.

Looking at COVID-19 Infection Prevention & Control courses as an example, this type course provides a better understanding of the basic principles of infection control and the ability to apply standard precautions while understanding the chain of infection and an employees’ own role in the prevention of the spread of infection. All going towards reducing the transmission rate of COVID-19.

 

“Students acquire knowledge and skills through online and offline eLearning as well as or better than they do through traditional teaching”

 

 

The World Health Organisation (WHO) itself has taken a proactive approach to providing eLearning courses aimed at controlling and preventing the spread of infection of viruses such as the novel coronavirus. This is not surprising, as the findings from a review commissioned by the WHO showed that students acquire knowledge and skills through online and offline eLearning as well as or better than they do through traditional teaching.

 

 

 

If you are interested in taking precautions to minimise the spread of COVID-19 either now, or upon return to work, speak to Cormac at: +353 1 2781938 or cormac@elearn.ie

5 Ways Mindfulness Practice Positively Changes Your Brain

In recent years mindfulness has become a buzzword in neuroscience, and mental health fields. Over thirty years of research has found that mindfulness practice, mindfulness meditation and mindfulness based stress reduction shares a symmetry  with mental, physical and emotional health. Some of the benefits of mindfulness practice include the following: 

 

• Great control over your attention
• Better  social relationships
• Lowered risk of physical illness
• Better immune system
• Better sleep quality

 

There are essentially five ways in which mindfulness practice positively changes your brain. 

 

Frontal  Cortex

 

Mindful states achieve through meditation, meditation training, mindfulness based stress reduction training and mindfulness practice boost frontal brain activity. Over time this increased cortical strengthening bolsters our capacity for rational  thought and intentional planning which promotes great emotional awareness and control and executive functioning. 

 

Amygdala

Mindfulness practice and mindfulness training helps reduce grey matter and activity in the amygdala (a roughly almond-shaped mass of grey matter inside each cerebral hemisphere, involved with the experiencing of emotions). This helps reduce feelings of fear and anxiety and promotes physiological well-being and calmness. 

 

Social Neural Circuitry

There’s a strong correlation between relationship practice and mindfulness practice. Mindfulness has been found to play a vital role in establishing and maintaining emotionally nourishing relationships. 

 

Mindfulness practice also impacts the hippocampus positively, helping us to better remember and lead to greater cognitive functioning. 

 

Anterior Cingulate Cortex

Mindfulness practice increases one’s attention levels and  enhances emotional control. With the online world constantly vying for our attention this can have a great benefit to us. 

 

Insula 

The insula controls the internal sense of the body, “gut” feelings and responses. This region is associated with how we perceive ourselves physically. The ability 

 

In his article,  Linder concludes that the ability of (mindfulness practice) to increase the thickness of your brain and protect against normal age-related brain thinning linked to dementia, in itself, is an especially compelling reason to practice (Linder, 2019). 

 

Why not put this into practice yourself and experience the fantastic benefits of mindfulness practice at https://myelearnsafety.com/product/mindfulness-practice/

 

Safeguarding of Vulnerable Adults

Vulnerable adults are those who are restricted in capacity to guard themselves against harm or exploitation. All persons have the right to be safe and to live a life free from abuse and/or neglect, regardless of their circumstances of gender, age etc.  The term ‘safeguarding’ in the context of these standards means putting measures in place in services to reduce the risk of harm, to promote people’s human rights, health and wellbeing, and empowering people to protect themselves.

Elder abuse defined

Elder Abuse is defined as a single or repeated act, or lack of appropriate action, occurring within any relationship where there is an expectation of trust which causes harm or distress to an older person or violates their human and civil rights. (Protecting our Future, Report of the Working Group on Elder Abuse, September 2002). Sixty five years of age is taken as the point beyond which abuse may be considered to be elder abuse.

Source – Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection 

The HSE Health Act Regulations

Health Act Regulations, 2013. This policy applies to older persons or persons with a disability that, as a result of physical or intellectual impairment, may be at risk of abuse. The person may be in receipt of a care service in his or her own home, in the community or be resident in a residential care home, nursing home or other setting. Equally, the person may not be in receipt of a care service.

Some of the principles underpinning the policy include:

• Respect for human rights
• A person centred approached to care and services
• Promotion of advocacy
• Respect for confidentially
• Empowerment of individuals
• A collaborative approach

Source – HSE 

Types of abuse

• Physical abuse
• Sexual abuse
• Psychological abuse
• Financial abuse
• Institutional abuse
• Neglect
• Discriminatory abuse

 

World Elder Abuse Day

On the 15th of this month (June 2019) it was World Elder Abuse Day. This day was first introduced back in 2006 and it was to bring attention to the issue of elder abuse in our global society and as a public health and humans rights concern.

World Elder Abuse Awareness Day provides an opportunity for all of us to focus our attention on elder abuse. It challenges each one of us to redouble efforts to promote respect and dignity for all older people and to help eradicate abuse of older people. Everybody has a role to play and the challenges posed by elder abuse cannot be met solely by any one individual, organisation, or state body, it is all our responsibilities.

 

Safeguarding of Vulnerable Adults Course

We at MyElearnSafety want to be part of the solution to this type of abuse so we are created a Safeguarding of Vulnerable Adults Course . This course will enable service users to understand fully what safeguarding a vulnerable adult entails: What is  a vulnerable adult? What constitutes abuse? How to respond to signs of abuse; How to respond to concerns of an elderly person who may have suffered abused.

Our ‘Safeguarding of Vulnerable Adults’ course is approved by the Irish Association of Healthcare Assistants (IAHA).

Safety Tips for Transportation Companies

We at My Elearn Safety are always looking to share valuable information with our followers. The Health and Safety Authority (HSA) has a publication on Workplace Transport Safety Management.

Workplace Transport Safety Management

What is a Risk Assessment?

A risk assessment is a careful examination of what could cause harm to people as a result of a work activity. It allows you to take precautions to prevent harm occurring. What’s involved in conducting a risk assessment? There are five key steps to a risk assessment:

1. Look at the hazards
2. Decide who might be harmed and how
3. Evaluate the risks and decide whether the existing precautions are adequate or whether more should be done
4. Record your findings
5. Review your assessment on a regular basis at predetermined intervals as part of the safety management procedures

What should the Workplace Transport Safety Management System include?

Vehicle safety in the workplace must be competently managed. The size and form of the management system will vary depending on the size of the operation – however it should address the following:

1. Definition of the policy and rules for the management of vehicles at the workplace and identification of responsible person for managing vehicle safety.
2. How to carry out and record risk assessments – this means writing down the most significant hazards, identifying who is at risk and listing the safety precautions which should be in place.
3. Determine the training needs of workforce and the preventative maintenance program required for ensuring ongoing workplace vehicle safety. Any changes to vehicles, workplace or personnel which might have implications for the safety of the system must be allowed for.
4. Employees who may be affected must be kept fully informed of the system and of any changes to it.
5. Details of how acceptable standards for workplace vehicle safety are achieved and should also be included in the site specific Safety Statement.

What areas need to be considered?

The Workplace Layout of the place of work;

• Are vehicles and pedestrians kept safely apart?
• Are there suitable walkways for pedestrians?
• Are there suitable parking areas for all parking needs?
• Do the vehicle routes avoid sharp or blind bends?
• Is there scope for introducing a one-way system on vehicle routes within the workplace to reduce the risk of collisions?
• Are the lighting arrangements adequate both inside and outside?
• Where loading bays are longer than the width of five vehicles are appropriate numbers of exits or safe refuge points in place?

Suitability of traffic routes;

• Are they wide enough?
• Are they well constructed and maintained?
• Are they free from obstructions and other hazards?

Suitability / provision of safety features;

• Are roadways marked where necessary e.g. to indicate the right of way at road junctions?
• Is there a need for direction signs, speed limit signs, and, where applicable, signs such as ‘Give Way’, ‘No Entry’ etc.?
• Is there a need for features such as fixed mirrors to provide greater vision at blind bends, road humps to reduce vehicle-speeds, or barriers to keep vehicles and pedestrians apart?
• Is there adequate warning at the interface of the site with public areas?

 

The publication goes on to include:

• Vehicles
• Employee Selection, Training & Supervision
• Loading & Unloading Operations
• Legislation

….. Continue reading publication here.

Check out our Transport and Tourism sector specific online Safety Courses here.

Management of Vehicle Risks

Health and Safety Authority campaign to target transport operations and vehicles at work

We at My Elearn Safety are always looking to share valuable information with our followers. The Health and Safety Authority (HSA) had a campaign in February of this year focusing on the management of vehicle risks in the workplace.

Management of Vehicle Risks

The Health and Safety Authority will begin a two week nationwide inspection and awareness campaign on Monday 18th February focusing on the management of vehicle risks in the workplace. Over the last six years, almost half (45%) of all reported work related fatalities involved vehicles. Last year, 18 people were killed in vehicle related incidents at work.

Inspectors from the HSA will be targeting transport and logistics companies, manufacturing premises, waste and recycling facilities and distribution and warehousing centres. Specific issues such as vehicle operations, particularly low speed manoeuvres, load securing and driving for work will be targeted.

Deirdre Sinnott, Senior Inspector with the HSA said, “Accident statistics show that the majority of vehicle related deaths at work occurred during low speed manoeuvring, reversing or coupling and uncoupling of vehicles. It is vital that procedures are developed and put in place to eliminate and control known risks associated with workplace vehicles. Once these written procedures are in place they should be communicated to all employees, contractors and visiting drivers in the workplace.”

Throughout the two week campaign, HSA inspectors will focus on:

• Pedestrian management near moving vehicles
• Reversing and slow speed manoeuvres
• Loading and unloading
• Vehicle maintenance
• Certification and safety of fork lifts, tail lifts and lorry loader cranes

… continue reading article here. 

 

Transport Safety Courses

We have a range of courses and bespoke courses available to the Transport and Tourism Sector here.

Transport Safety Case Study

Take a look at our case study on Dualway here.

Dualway Transport has grown over four decades to become one of the largest, family run, transport operations in Ireland.Myelearnsafety.ie worked with Dualway to develop a bespoke induction training program for new and existing staff members to ensure were properly inducted in the Health & Safety policies and procedures for the company.

Hospitality – Lets Talk Reputation

Lets Talk Reputation

A food business reputation can mean the difference between a packed house or a slow Friday night with empty tables and no one on the waitlist. All food business need to ask them selves, how much does their reputation truly weight in the eyes of the consumers and does it really impact the decision of going or not going to a restaurant? According to this Small Business Trends report survey, 94% of diners will choose your restaurant based on online reviews. Bad reviews can spread like wildfire, especially in this digital age.

This is a trend that isn’t likely to go away any time soon, if ever. Another study conducted by TripAdvisor revealed the same information, that the vast majority of diners consider online reviews before choosing a restaurant. The market is highly competitive nowadays.

Trip Advisor report

This report also revealed that more consumers than ever use and trust online review sites and social media for recommendations on where to eat – both at home and while traveling. Tripadvisor’s latest survey examines the impact of today’s most popular digital marketing channels and what factors influence diner decision making.

Closures

In April of this year, the FSAI closed down 6 premises in Monkstown and Booterstown for breaches of food safety legislation. This was announced by several news outlets including this Irish Times article and the Journal. This information will forever be on the internet , it will be difficult to restore their reputation.

Avoiding closures should be top priority for food businesses, one way to make sure you are compliant is to make sure your staff are up to date with courses under legalisation. From these courses your staff will know what is expected by law and the best practices for health and safety over a wide variety of topics.

Responding

Do you respond to your reviews? Responding to both positive and negative diner reviews can help you improve your restaurant’s service and reputation which will ultimately attract new customers to your business.

In fact, up to 94% of respondents to this survey indicated that they have read a Management Response to reviews, with the majority noting that they found it helpful and that it encouraged them to try a restaurant, despite a bad review as they saw the management taking constructive feedback on board and showing that they care about their customers and are always striving to improve themselves.

Let Us Help You

It has never been more important to make sure you are compliant with legislation. Let us help you. Not sure what you need to be compliant? We can help you with a FREE Training Needs Assessment.

 

New Course Packages

At the request of our clients, we have created Food Safety course packages at a cost savings if you bought them separately.

1. Food Safety (HACCP) 1 & Food Safety (HACCP) 2  Save €17 

2. Food Safety (HACCP) 1 & Management of Food Allergens Save €10

3. Food Safety (HACCP) 2 & Management of Food Allergens Save €11

4. Food Safety (HACCP) 1 & 2 & Management of Food Allergens Save €29

 

Food safety for hotels and restaurants

We at My Elearn Safety are always looking to share valuable information with our followers. The people over at Rentokil have written a great blog on Food preparation businesses in hotels and restaurants sector.

Food safety for hotels and restaurants

Food preparation businesses in the hospitality sector include hotels, restaurants, cafes, bars, sandwich shops and similar businesses that prepare food for customers to eat on premises or for takeaway. A key requirement for these businesses is to show that food handling and preparation processes are safe and to keep documentation to show this.

Good food hygiene ensures that food prepared for customers is safe to eat. It prevents harmful microorganisms that can cause serious illness from contaminating food, prevents cross contamination, enables businesses to comply with the law, and protects the reputation of the business.

The US FDA has analysed epidemiological data on food poisoning outbreaks and found that five major risk factors occur repeatedly:

• Improper food-holding temperatures
• Inadequate cooking
• Contaminated equipment
• Food from unsafe sources
• Poor personal hygiene

Food hygiene authorities can visit business premises to inspect them to check for compliance with legal requirements. It can include taking samples for scientific analysis and inspecting records. This can result in:

• A formal request to improve any failings
• A legal notice stating what actions must be taken, or what processes, equipment or premises must not be used
• Prosecution for serious failings to comply with the law

In some countries, such as the UK, authorities issue hygiene ratings that are made public or even displayed on the front of the premises, which can improve or damage business reputations, and provides added incentive to produce food of high quality.

In the EU the main legislation controlling food safety practices is Regulation (EC) No. 852/2004 on the hygiene of foodstuffs, which is the basis for each member country’s local regulations….

The blog goes on to include information on:

• Food safety requirements
• HACCP
• Premises
• Equipment
• Water Supply

To continue reading this blog please click here

Courses

• Food Safety  HACCP 1 
• Food Safety HACCP 2 
• Management of Food Allergens