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Hidden Health and Safety Costs that are Easily Avoidable

VDU DSE

VDU or Video Display Units  and DSE or Display screen equipment are now widely used in the workplace and have been proven to be a significant factor to workplace injuries such as;

  • Repetitive strain
  • Eye Strain
  • Back Injury
  • Neck Injury
  • Stress

Along with these injuries, it can also decrease productivity of employees if they are not comfortable in work and are developing injuries. As well as reducing these sometimes hidden and underestimated health and safety costs, carrying out a VDU DSE assessment has also been proven to contribute to business success. As well as general duties under the Safety, Health and Welfare at Work Act 2005, there is a minimum health and safety requirements for work with display screen equipment, specific duties on employers and employees.

Who is affected?

Those who are covered by the VDU DSE regulations include;

  • If the employee has no choice but to use the VDU to carry out her/his work
  • If the employee normally uses the VDU for continuous periods of more than one hour
  • If the VDU is generally used by the employee on a daily basis

Those who are not covered by the DSE and VDU regulations include;

  • Drivers’ cabs or control cabs for vehicles or machinery
  • Computer systems on board a means of transport
  • Computer systems mainly intended for public use
  • Portable display screen equipment not in prolonged use at a workstation
  • Calculators, cash registers and any equipment having a small data or measurement display required for direct use of the equipment
  • Typewriters of traditional design, of the type known as “typewriter with window”

Source – HSA

Solution

Employers are required to evaluate health and safety at work stations with particular references to eyesight, physical difficulties and mental stress. Work station analysis is an important component of ensuring a safe place of work for all employees.

At Elearn we provide a VDU DSE Office course that all employers and staff who use these work stations for any length of time should do to learn how to avoid the range of adverse effects on the arm, hand and shoulder (WRULD’s) and other parts of the body. Click here to find out more information.

Fire Safety for Kids this Halloween

Fire Safety for Kids

Do you know what to do in the event of an out of control fire? Do you’re kids know? Taking fire safety precautions for yourself and your kids is vital but don’t forget to also education them about the importance of fire safety so they are able to carry out their own fire safety practises. its a vital skill to teach your children.

This Halloween night is the perfect time to talk with your kids, especially if they are attending or involved with organising a bonfire.

 

Put out the fire

Having a plan on place to put out a fire is vital, however also is showing your kids how to use the method you have selected. Most people will opt for a fire extinguisher, here are the simple steps you can go over with them;

  1. Pull the pin – release the pin with the nozzle pointing away from you
  2. Aim low – aim at the base of the fire not the flames its-self to suffocate the flames
  3. Squeeze the lever slowly and carefully – so as to avoid control loss
  4. Move the nozzle slowly from side to side – covering the surface where the fire is.

Teaching your kids these basic steps may prevent a bad situation and may even save lives. If there is no fire extinguisher to hand, the following is a list of alternatives that are suitable to grab;

  • Salt – this disperses heat and minimises oxygen supply to a fire
  • Baking soda – the powder substance smothers the fuel and cools the fire at the base of the flame
  • Bucket of water – smothers the oxygen
  • Bucket of sand – also smothers the oxygen

Although these are good to know alternatives to extinguish a fire, a conventional fire extinguisher is recommended to use where-ever possible.

 

Escape route Plan

Never put yourself in a position where if the fire spreads you have no route away from it. Ideally you should designate two ways away. Escape routes should be kept clear of all obstructions. Generally escape routes should be at least one meter wide which will ideally lead to an outside open space away from the building or the fire location. Security should never take precedence over safety.

When planning a fire, or not. All premises and events should have an escape plan that clearly identifies the action people should take in the event of a fire. This may include duties for an assigned fire officer to check areas are clear, close doors and assist others.

 

Stop, Drop and Roll

In the event that someone or your kids do catch on fire, its essential to teach them what to do in this event. Make sure they understand the ‘Stop, Drop and Roll’ procedure. Act it out with them and have them practise it a few times with you, the action should be quick and firm. Many fire related injuries could be avoided or greatly minimised if a child knows how to do this instead of the natural instinct of running.

Please keep yourself and your kids safe particularly this Halloween!

 

Working at heights can kill you

How working at heights can seriously harm you

If you are in a job where you have to take risks and are working at heights, it is imperative that you are protected. It is your employer’s duty of care but it is also your responsibility too. Your employer needs to make sure that there are certain safety procedures and protocol in place.  To adhere and comply with health and safety regulation.

It is also up to you to be safe and make sure your colleagues are too. Risk assessments needs to be carried out in every place of work in every sector.

There have been many deaths due to falls and collapses in Ireland with 21 of the overall total falls from heights in farming.

There are many work procedures for working at heights and here are some:

  • Stairs should not have an excessive pitch or angle
  • Each step should have an equal rise in height and width
  • The sides of stairs should be protected by a wall or railing of sufficient strength
  • Where a railing is used, there should be at least two rails, with the lower rail positioned mid-way between the top rail and pitch line
  • To prevent falls, lofts, work platforms and walkways should have a protective barrier at the edge
  • Over ground slurry tanks and grain or meal bins should have a secure working platform with protective rails and a safe means of access, such as a caged ladder
  • Surfaces of stairs and walkways should be firmly fixed and should not become slippery while in use
  • Sighting rails should be installed on silage-pit walls. The purpose of these is to indicate the location of the walls to the machine operator loading the silage when the silage is above the walls. They are not intended to prevent a machine overturning. In addition, sighting rails provide protection against a person falling

Requirements for employers

The Work at Height Regulations require employers to ensure that:

  • The risk assessment All work at height is properly planned and organised
  • A risk assessment is carried out for all work conducted at height
  • Appropriate work equipment is selected and used
  • People working at a height are competent
  • Equipment used for work at height is properly inspected and maintained
  • Risks from fragile surfaces are properly controlled

It should include a careful examination of what harm could be caused from working at height with a view to taking the effective steps to reduce the likelihood of this harm occurring, either through avoiding the activity or, where this is not reasonably practicable, by carrying it out in a safe manner using work equipment that is appropriate to the task and the level of risk.

If you want to know more about risk assessment to decide the best, take our working at heights online course. We will be able to help you to plan and organise, give you the correct legislation and safe work procedures using a ladder, MEWP and work platforms.