Look After your Construction Workers Health and Time
Do you have workers or are a worker yourself exposed to Chemicals, Silica Dust or Asbestos? It is the responsibility of the employer to make sure workers are protected and are informed of the best practices on how to work safely in a safe environment.
How to educate your employees
Doing a course is the easiest and most practical way to make sure your employees are educated. However taking a course can be expensive and time consuming for both the employer managing it and the employees taking the courses.
That is why many construction companies around Ireland have opted for Online Safety Training as a solution. Online training is a cost effective alternative to traditional class based learning. Courses can be taken with in a few hours of study time with 24/7 accessibility which your employees will prefer.
Below we have listed the most common health risks for workers in construction.
Construction Workers Health
Silica Dust
What is Silica Dust and route of exposer?
Crystalline silica is a basic component of soil, sand, granite, and many other minerals. Quartz is the most common form of crystalline silica. Cristobalite and tridymite are two other forms of crystalline silica. All three forms may become respirable size particles when workers chip, cut, drill, or grind objects that contain crystalline silica. Inhalation is the primary route which can penetrate deep into the lung
Legislation
The respirable fraction of the dust is invisibly fine and the OELV for Respirable Crystalline Silica (RCS) is 0.1mg/m3 averaged over 8 hours, as set down in the HSA Chemical Agents Code of Practice under the Safety, Health and Welfare at Work (Chemical Agents) Regulations 2001. A risk assessment under these regulations is required where exposures to RCS can occur. The Safety, Health And Welfare At Work (General Application) (Amendment) Regulations 2016 S.I. No. 36 of 2016 contains a Prohibition on silica – Regulation 128 “An employer shall ensure that no sand or other substance containing free silica is introduced as an abrasive into any blasting apparatus. Source – HSA
Health effects
Did you know that Silica Dust has been classified as a human lung carcinogen? Additionally, breathing Silica Dust can cause silicosis, which in severe cases can be disabling, or even fatal. When Silica Dust is inhaled, it enters the lungs and causes the formation of scar tissue, thus reducing the lungs’ ability to take in oxygen which causes many issues including silicosis. Since silicosis affects lung function, it makes one more susceptible to lung infections like tuberculosis.
See Course overview here – Silica Dust Awareness
Asbestos
What is Asbestos and route of exposer?
Asbestos a mineral that exists naturally in a fibrous form, what makes it so dangerous is that it is resistant to heat, water, chemicals and electricity. There are many products that have asbestos in them including; fireproof coatings, concrete and cement, bricks, pipes, gaskets, insulation, drywall, flooring, roofing, joint compound, paints and sealants. Asbestos also exists in electrical appliances, plastics, rubber, mattresses, flowerpots, lawn furniture, hats and gloves. Working with asbestos products puts your health at risk.
Legislation
The Safety, Health and Welfare at Work (Exposure to Asbestos) Regulations, 2006 (S.I. No. 386 of 2006) , aim to protect the health and safety of all employees who may be exposed to dust from asbestos containing materials, during the course of their work activities. The regulations apply to all work activities and workplaces where there is a risk of people inhaling asbestos dust. Source – HSA
Health effects
Asbestos is a Category 1 carcinogen and all six types can cause cancer. Blue and brown asbestos are known to be more dangerous than white asbestos. There is no cure for asbestos-related disease. Following exposure to asbestos, a person may develop one of the following three fatal diseases: Asbestosis: fibres penetrating deep into the lung causing scarring of the tissue. Asbestos-related lung cancer and Mesothelioma, a cancer of the cells that make up the lining around the outside of the lungs.
See Course overview here – Asbestos Awareness
Chemical safety in Construction
What is Chemical Safety in Construction and route of exposer?
Chemical safety is an important consideration on construction sites. There are also many hazards that may not be obvious, but they can still present a health hazard if they aren’t handled properly. Some of the most common chemicals that workers are exposed to include: Zinc, Cadmium, Beryllium and Mercury. There is a wide range of expose including, contact with the skin, inhalation and ingestion and injection.
Legislation
Safety, Health and Welfare at Work Act 2005. The Code of Practice contains the following elements: – Schedule 1 to this Code of Practice stipulates the OELVs, which are currently legally binding under the Chemical Agent Regulations. – Schedule 2 to this Code of Practice provides a list of substances which are under review by the Health and Safety Authority. – Schedule 3 contains a Chemical Abstracts Service (CAS) Number index of all substances included in the Code of Practice. Source – HSA
Health effects
As there are a vast amount of different types of chemicals used and each have their own health effects it’s not possible to list them however what we can say is that exposure, especially prolonged exposure is very dangerous to your health. Some chemicals may also have physical chemical hazards, e.g. flammable, explosive or have additional hazards if they are mixed or stored with incompatible chemicals. Chemicals can also have an adverse effect on the environment if they are used, stored or disposed of incorrectly.
See Course overview here – Chemical Safety
FM Ireland Conference – Shane Lynam Guest Speaker
FM Ireland
FM Ireland incorporates Health & Safety Ireland and Fire Safety Ireland. It is your opportunity to see and hear the latest in New Ideas, New Technologies, Best Practice, Products, Services, Suppliers and Solutions. These can help deliver safe and secure working environments that are cost effective, and which add value to an organisation.
As well as needing to be up to date with the latest relevant legislation (whether that be related to Health & Safety, Cleaning, Fire Safety, Working at Height, etc…) a modern Facility Manager with their team also have to address issues including Staff Well Being and creating an effective Work Space, which improves the well being of staff, this can have a direct impact on illness and staff retention.
As well as addressing all these issues the FM Ireland Conference will also look at how new technologies will impact the role of the Facilities Manager and the delivery of services. Whether that be drones to clean buildings and windows, autonomous robots designed to cut grass or clean floors, smart buildings and IOT delivering information on how the work space interacts with employees and occupants.
Source – FM Ireland
Shane Lynam
Who should do this course?
Any person or company for whom a building project is being carried out such as architects or engineers.
What will you learn on this course?
At the end of this course, participants will be able to:
- Describe the requirements for notification to the Health & Safety Authority
- Describe the requirement of the client with regards to appointment of competent designers and contractors, in writing, to carry out the work.
- List the reasons why it is important to comply with current legislation
….. find out more here.
Emergency safety procedures for your restaurant or bar
We at Elearn are always looking to share valuable information with our followers. Light Speed have written a great blog on how every restaurant needs to be prepared for an emergency;
Every restaurant needs to be prepared for an emergency. To have an effective emergency plan and you need to know the types of threats your restaurant is vulnerable to. But even after completing a risk assessment for your building and creating detailed safety procedures, you still have to make sure that the plan can be executed in the moment of truth. In order to get the most out of your emergency safety procedures, be sure to that you take the following advice to heart.
Perform effective drills
It is important to keep up to date on emergency preparation. The restaurant industry has changed a lot in the last 10 years, and that has demanded changes that could leave some security planning outdated. Updated floor plans, seating arrangements and server training can all affect an emergency plan. Or at least it should. Your planning should be specific enough that changes to any of these variables will need to be addressed. In order to know if your strategy is too vague or outdated, you need to test it.
Emergency procedure drills should be run with some level of frequency. And if things about the restaurant change, drills need to happen as soon as possible. These drills can be run before opening, or after closing, so customers and daily operations are not affected. The key to making these drills effective is to take them seriously.
Make sure to:
- Check doors to make sure they are opening properly
- Test lights to see if they are secured and providing the necessary visibility … Continue reading
Related courses
Safety Representatives – Why do you need them and what do they do?
Why do you need a Safety Representatives?
Safety, Health and Welfare at Work Act, 2005
It applies to all employers, employees (including fixed-term and temporary employees) and self-employed people in their workplaces. The Act sets out the rights and obligations of both employers and employees and provides for substantial fines and penalties for breaches of the health and safety legislation.
Section 25
Under Section 25 of the 2005 Act, all employees are entitled to select a safety representative to represent them on safety and health matters with their employer.
Section 26
Section 26 of this Act requires the employer to consult with employees to ensure cooperation with preventing accidents and ill health and in turn the workers can consult with their employer. Section 26 sets out the arrangements for this consultation on a range of safety and health issues.
Where a safety committee is already in existence, it can be used for this consultation process.
Regulation 23
Under Regulation 23 of the Construction Regulations where more than 20 persons are employed at any one time on a construction site, the project supervisor for the construction stage must facilitate the appointment of a safety representative.
Source – HSA.ie
What does a Safety Representative do?
Representative
Now you have assigned the role of the Safety officer, they are now representations on behalf of their members to their employer on any health and safety matter. The representative also represents their members in consultations with health and safety executive inspectors or other enforcing authorities.
Inspections
Safety representatives, after giving notice to the employer, have the right to inspect the whole or part of a workplace that they represent at a schedule agreed between them and the employer, based on the nature and extent of the hazards. A safety representative also has the right to inspect immediately where an accident or dangerous occurrence has taken place, or where there is an imminent danger or risk to the safety, health and welfare of any person. The frequency of these inspections depends on a number of factors:
- Changes to the building or layout
- The nature of work activities
- The nature of work locations
- Size of the workplace
Safety Representatives should be given learning resources and from that they will be able to ascertain the frequency of these inspections. If you are having difficulty with providing learning resources to your appointed Safety Representatives we have developed an Office Safety Package that can be tailored to your companies needs, we can also provide a bespoke package for you, just get in contact by emailing info@elearn.ie or calling us on +353 1 693 1421.
Other responsibilities
- Recommendations – Make recommendations to the employer on safety, health and welfare at the place of work
- WorkPlace Accidents – The employer may request the Safety Representative be present when the inspector interviews an employee about an accident or dangerous occurrence that took place.
- Inspector – The Safety Representative may be asked to accompany an inspector carrying out an inspection under Section 64 of the 2005 Act, other than the investigation of an accident or dangerous occurrence, although this may be allowed at the discretion of the inspector.
If you have any further questions about Safety Representatives please don’t hesitate to get in contact with us.
Free Poster – CPL Regulation Classification and Labelling
We at Elearn are always looking to share valuable information with our followers. The Health and Safety Authority of Ireland have a handy poster that explains the classification and labelling and packaging of chemical substances. This Poster clearly explains the elements of The CPL Regulation.
What is The CPL Regulation?
The GHS has been implemented in the EU by Regulation (EC) No 1272/2008 on classification, labelling and packaging of substances and mixtures (the ‘CLP Regulation’). The CLP Regulation entered into force on 20 January 2009. The deadline for substance classification according to the new rules was 1 December 2010; for mixtures, the deadline is 1 June 2015. The CLP Regulation replaces previous rules on classification, labelling and packaging of substances (Directive 67/548/EEC) and preparations (Directive 1999/45/EC) after this transitional period.
In line with the GHS standard, CLP allows for the identification of hazardous chemicals and the communication of these hazards to users through labelling. It also provides the basis for safety data sheets (SDS) regulated under the REACH Regulation, and sets requirements for the packaging of hazardous chemicals.
Source – https://ec.europa.eu
Poster Link – CLP Poster 1 (A4 size) – Classification and Labelling elements
Check out our Chemical Safety blog – How chemicals enter and effect the body
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”
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.
Why is it important to have Food Safety training?
Every restaurant needs to take pride in serving safe and great food to their customers. It is one of the most important focuses in all food establishments. A thorough understanding of food safety is essential for food handlers to demonstrate food hygiene best practice, to prevent risk of contamination or foodborne illnesses. Food handlers and food businesses are responsible for the safety of the food that they provide to consumers. Their responsibilities include ensuring food is safe for consumption, and that its quality meets expectations.
The different types of foodborne illnesses
Chemical contamination
Chemical contaminants may be harmful to health at certain levels. It is necessary to manage their levels in food and reduce exposure to consumers. This type refers to food that been contaminated with some type of chemical. Chemical contaminants can enter the food chain from multiple sources. Contamination can occur during primary production from various environmental sources including:
- Pollution
- Waste from factories
- Landfills
- Incinerators
- Fires
- During cooking and processing
- Storage – mycotoxins
- Transportation and handling
- Time, temperature and humidity
Common types of chemicals are in cleaning products you use to clean the kitchen. However there are certain chemicals that occur naturally in food. There are many natural chemicals present in our foods, including nutrients such as vitamin C as well as chemicals responsible for the aroma and flavour that we love in our foods. Natural food chemicals may also be poisonous to humans, which is why some plants are poisonous to eat.
Physical contamination
This type refers to contamination by a foreign object at some stage of the production process. These objects have the ability to injure someone and can also potentially carry harmful biological contaminants, which causes illness. Examples of physical contamination include;
- Band-aids
- Fingernails
- Pieces of cooking equipment
These are the last thing you would like to find on your meal. That is why all bandaids must be bright blue by people working with food so it is easily identifiable as its an unnatural colour in the food industry.
Biological contamination
This type refers to the food that has been contaminated by substances produced by living creatures, such as humans, rodants, pests or microorganisms. This includes bacterial contamination, viral contamination or parasite contamination that’s transferred through;
- Salvia
- Pest droppings
- Blood
- Fecal matter
Baterial contamination is thought to be the most common cause of food poisoning worldwide. Bacteria need a constant source of food to survive, especially protein. High protein foods such as meat are particularly vulnerable to biological contamination from bacteria, which means they’re considered high-risk foods.
If you are looking to get qualified in Food Safety (HACCP) have a look at our course breakdown here.
10 Rules for Food Safety in the Workplace
What is meant by Food Safety in the workplace?
If your workplace has a fridge, a microwave, or a kitchenette of any type, food safety rules apply to you. If your work has ever held a potluck, food safety rules apply to you. If your workplace has ever ordered in food, food safety rules apply to you. If you bring a lunch to work, food safety rules apply to you. Essentially, food safety rules ought to be followed anywhere that there is food! Below are ten rules for food safety. These are general tips that apply to all workplaces.
Rule #1
Keep raw food separate from cooked foods to avoid cross-contamination. If raw food is spilled, or comes in contact with cooked food, clean it up and discard cooked food.
Rule #2
Know the Danger Zone! Bacteria can grow in temperatures between 40F and 140F, so keep hot food hot (above 140F) and cold food cold (below 40FC)!
Rule #3
Place raw food on the bottom of fridge. Avoid having raw food thaw and rip on other refrigerated items by placing raw food on the lowest shelf.
Rule #4
Wash fresh fruits, vegetables, and bagged salads and spinach. Washing produce ensures that harmful pesticides or raw food bacteria are removed before consumption.
Rule #5
Clean your work fridge out from time to time. Removed outdated products, questionable looking items, and any Tupperware that looks like a science experiment.
Rule #6
Keep the work refrigerator cool (below 40F). Install a thermometer in the fridge to be sure.
Rule #7
If you work has a microwave, be sure to keep it clean and free of debris. Have all employees cover their food when microwaving to prevent food from splattering.
Rule #8
To avoid harmful bacteria growth after a pot-luck lunch, ensure that all left overs get packaged up separately, and refrigerated right away.
Rule #9
If your work has a barbeque and hosts cook-outs for staff, ensure that meat is grilled to the appropriate internal temperatures. Have a meat thermometer on hand.
Rule #10
After preparing your lunch, heating a dish for a pot-luck or a BBQ, or dishing out some ordered food, ensure that proper clean up and disinfecting of all prep areas is completed.
Did you know? Hospitality Hand Hygiene
Did you know?
Germs spread more quickly than you think. Most are passed from hand to hand. Careful hand hygiene is the most important means of defence against contagious diseases.
Hand hygiene is so important! Approximately 80% of all contagious diseases are transmitted via our hands – that figure comes from the World Health Organisation (WHO). This includes, for example, diseases like colds, flu and stomach bugs. “The germs themselves do not present a direct health risk on your hands and fingers,” explained Prof. Dr. med. Klaus-Dieter Zastrow, a specialist in hygiene and environmental medicine and Head of the REGIOMED-KLINIKEN hygiene institute in Coburg, Germany. “However, most people touch their mouth, nose and eyes regularly – putting their hands to their face up to five times an hour. This allows the germs to enter the body unimpeded via the mucous membranes.” Many studies have investigated and confirmed that hand-washing truly helps reduce the occurrence of contagious diseases. On the basis of different studies, it is estimated that thorough washing of hands with soap and water almost halves the risk of disease.
In Ireland, The Public Service Sick Leave Statistics for 2017 show the rate of sick leave at 4% and on average 8.8 working days were taken per full-time employee in the Public Service.
The overall cost of sick leave is estimated at €341.5 million for 2017.
German companies incur costs of around €130 billion a year due to employee sickness. That works out about €3,600 per person.
- 90% of colds are caused by viruses.
- Flu viruses can remain active on surfaces for 48 hours.
- 80% of all contagious diseases are transmitted via our hands.
You can slash the risk of catching a cold virus by 50% simply by washing your hands.