Workplace accidents and their prevention are key priorities of anyone at work – employers and employees alike. Prevention of workplace accidents helps organisations prevent injuries and ill-health at work, damage to property, lost of productivity. In addition, workplace accident may cause significant legal issues. whilst accidents are usually regarded as unplanned and uncontrolled events, this is often not the case,. The truth is that many accidents can be avoided. An accident is an incident that may cause:
Each workplace has certain hazards associated with its operation. Being aware of these hazards and the control of associated risks is essential for accident prevention. You can find out about workplace hazards in our Workplace Hazards blog entry form 24 February 2023.
There are three factors that can cause problems in the workplace:
It is vital that all managing staff creates a positive attitude to health and safety matters and to make sure all members of the team take health and safety seriously. Everyone in the workplace must follow safe working procedures and must report safety issues and defects.
Employers need to be made aware of occurrences so they can be prevented from happening again. All accidents, including near misses and all incidents and ill-health must be reported. This is so these events could be investigated and corrective action taken. This is however not to ‘punish’ anyone involved, but to prevent the accident happening again and to learn from it. Employees have a legal duty to report occurrences to their employer.
Accidents and incidents can be reported in the form of of an Accident Book, which should contain, for example, the following information:
Under the Safety, Health and Welfare at Work (General Application) Regulations 2016 all employers and self-employed persons are legally obliged to report the injury of an employee as a result of an accident while at work. Injuries must be reported if an employee is unable to carry out their normal work for more than three consecutive days, excluding the day of the accident.
The injury at the workplace can be reported:
The number of fatal incidents for 2020 was reported as 54. There were 38 work-related fatal incidents in 2021.
In 2021, 8,279 non-fatal injuries were reported to the Authority, an increase of 8% from the 7,652 reported in 2020. This may be due in part to revived economic activity in 2021 following the partial relaxation of COVID-19 restrictions. Of the 8,279 non-fatal injuries reported in 2021, 97% related to workers. The highest number was reported in the NACE economic sector of Human Health and Social Work Activities, which accounted for over 22% of all incidents. For non-worker incidents, the highest number was reported in Wholesale and Retail Trade (118) representing 46% of all non-worker injuries.
Workplace Injuries, Illnesses and Fatalities (2020–2021) – Full Report.
Proactive Health and Safety training is critical to ensure safe workplace. An effective training program can reduce the number of worker injuries and deaths. It can also reduce instances of property damage, legal liability, illnesses, and missed time from work.
Health and Safety training helps establish a culture in which employees themselves help promote proper safety procedures while on the job. It is important that new employees be properly trained and embrace the importance of workplace safety. The role of training in developing and maintaining effective hazard control activities is a proven and successful method of intervention.
This is why we have established Myelearsafety school. We pride ourselves in how we guide, support and mentor our students. They receive support throughout their learning experience and into their working lives. Our staff have extensive training experience and also have many years industry experience. We understand the challenges that exist within Environmental and Occupational Health and Safety. Our priority is to ensure that all learners are fully prepared to differentiate themselves in the workplace after completing our Health and Safety courses.
Myelearnsafety offers fully online Health and Safety courses.
To find out more, please check our Courses page.
Alternatively, should you need any additional information, please do not hesitate to let us know via email info@elearn.ie
Occupational Health is the promotion and maintenance of physical and mental wellbeing of all staff. Health problems directly related to a person’s job are defined as an occupational illness.
Some hazards, such as skin contact with chemicals causing short-term irritation and/or rashes are known as acute illnesses. For more information try our fully online Chemical Safety course. Chronic illnesses develop gradually and their effects may be irreversible, e.g. loss of hearing. Some may even appear years after the time of employment, e.g. asbestosis. For more information try our fully online Asbestos Awareness course.
As well as specific health hazards there are some general things that may affect all workplaces:
Smoking
Smoking and passive smoking have been linked to lung cancer, irritation to the respiratory system and other harmful effects. The Public Health (Tobacco) (Amendment) Act 2004 (No. 6 of 2004) placed a ban on smoking at all enclosed places of work from 29/03/04 to protect persons at work from exposure to environmental tobacco smoke. This includes office blocks, aircraft, trains, company vehicles, health premises, schools, colleges, cinemas, theatres, licensed premises and clubs, if any of these places is your place of work. The smoking ban also applies to common areas within buildings. This means, for example, that corridors, lobby areas and reception areas of buildings such as apartment blocks and hotels are also covered. For more information, please consult Citizens Information service. In addition, try our fully online Workplace Safety course.
Alcohol
Alcohol increases the time it takes to react to situations, affects behaviour and reduces performance. For more information try our fully online Behavioral Safety course.
Drugs
Substance abuse may cause health problems and can cause safety hazards in the workplace. Many drugs are particularly dangerous because they cause mood changes and alter people’s perceptions. Even prescribed drugs may have a detrimental effect. As with alcohol, the condition must be addressed. For more information try our fully online Behavioral Safety course.
Violence
Verbal abuse, threats, bullying or assault can cause stress and concern as well as physical injury. Staff should be encouraged to report all occurrences to their supervisors who should record and objectively investigate the details and if necessary report to the relevant authority. For more information try our fully online Bullying Awareness course.
Stress
A large percentage of sick leave is due to stress, either due to personal reasons or the physical or emotional pressure of the job. Stomach and skin conditions, heart disease and depression have been linked to stress. Factors influencing stress in the workplace include poor working conditions, overwork, job insecurity, peer pressure including harassment, unrealistic targets and poor management.
Employees should be encouraged to report stress and management should be trained to recognise the symptoms and causes of stress such as inability or reduced ability to cope with normal tasks and situations, increased sick leave and/or poor time-keeping. For more information try our fully online Workplace Stress Awareness course.
It is very important to have an effective occupational health management system in place. There are sound economic reasons for reducing work-related accidents and ill-health, as well as ethical and regulatory reasons. Businesses that manage safety and health successfully invariably have a positive safety culture. Health and Safety training helps establish a culture in which employees themselves help promote proper safety procedures while on the job. It is important that new employees be properly trained and embrace the importance of workplace safety. The role of training in developing and maintaining effective hazard control activities is a proven and successful method of intervention.
Myelearnsafety offers fully online Health and Safety courses.
To find out more, please check our Courses page.
Alternatively, should you need any additional information, please do not hesitate to let us know via email info@elearn.ie
Food poisoning is an illness caused by consuming contaminated food or liquids (e.g. water). It’s not usually serious and most people get better within a few days without treatment. However, some infections spread by food are serious and can be life-threatening. In extreme cases, hospitalisation might be required. Furthermore, some illnesses caused by food poisoning might lead to other health problems, including:
For some people, these health problems can last for weeks or months after recovering from a foodborne illness. For others, they never go away.
Food poisoning is usually caused by:
Food poisoning usually occurs within one to 72 hours of eating contaminated or poisoned food. Symptoms normally last from one to seven days and include one or more of the following:
Every day thousands of people in Ireland suffer from food poisoning. Many of these will be very ill and some of them will die. Those most at risk include the very young, the elderly, persons who are already ill or recovering, and pregnant women and their unborn babies.
Most cases of food poisoning are the result of people not working properly in the kitchen, ‘taking chances’ and not paying proper attention to the delivery and storage of food. This is why training is important, so that you know what are you doing and are following a safe system when handling or preparing food at all times. That system is HACCP.
There are many causes of food poisoning, all of which are avoidable. Let’s look at the most common causes:
Bacteria are not only living hazard. Viruses are found in shellfish and ourselves, especially living in close quarters. Other hazards include chemicals such as cleaning solutions and objects such as steel wire that can cut someone’s mouth, and our own hair which can easily fall into food and many carry bacteria. Effective instruction and training will prevent food poisoning if the good practices food handlers are thought are implemented in the workplace.
Please remember – it is a legal requirement that staff who are involved in a food environment are trained and/or supervised commensurate with their work activity!
Myelearnsafety offers fully online Food Safety (HACCP) courses.
To find out more, please check our Courses page.
Alternatively, should you need any additional information, please do not hesitate to let us know via email info@elearn.ie
Starting a food business from home can be a rewarding business venture. However, it is only for those committed to maintaining the highest level of hygiene and food safety. Producing food in your home for many people to eat is a serious undertaking. It is not the same as cooking for the family! You will be entering into a highly regulated business area with serious legal obligations. Food business operators are legally responsible for producing food that is safe.
Operating a food business from home does not exempt your business from the requirements of the food hygiene legislation (Regulation EC 852/2004). This legislation sets out requirements for:
Where food of animal origin, e.g. meat, poultry, eggs, fish, unpasteurised milk, is being processed, you may also need to comply with the legislation setting down specific hygiene rules for foods of animal origin (Regulation 853/2004). In some cases, the business may require approval by the HSE.
You should contact your local HSE office as soon as possible to check if your home is suitable for the intended food business activities. Contact details for local HSE offices are available HERE (Contact details if you’ve made a complaint about a food business and want to follow it up with the local food inspector, or if you need to register your business).
Compliance with additional legislation may be required depending on the type of product which you intend to make, e.g. labelling, additives, marketing standards for eggs, nutrition and health claims etc.
Full details of all food legislation can be found on FSAI website page Food Legislation.
Starting a food business from home can present specific problems that you should be aware of.
Food which is prepacked by the manufacturer before being brought for sale at a farmers market or other food stall is subject to the full labelling rules. All of the mandatory information, must then appear on the product label. More information on what is required to be declared on the label is available in FSAI factsheet Food Information for Consumers at Markets Operated by Country Markets Limited. These rules also apply where it is intended to sell your produce in local retail premises.
Additional food safety related useful information can be found on FSAI website.
Please remember – it is a legal requirement that staff who are involved in a food environment are trained and/or supervised commensurate with their work activity!
Myelearnsafety offers fully online Food Safety (HACCP) courses.
To find out more, please check our Courses page.
Alternatively, should you need any additional information, please do not hesitate to let us know via email info@elearn.ie
