First Aid in Hospitality

We at My Elearn Safety are always looking to share valuable information with our followers. The people over at Research Gate have written a great publication on First Aid Responsibilities for Hotels and Resorts. ResearchGate is the professional network for scientists and researchers. Over 15 million members from all over the world use it to share, discover, and discuss research.

First Aid – Implications for Hotels and Resorts

Like other workplaces, hotels and resorts have health and safety duties in relation to first aid under the new code, which provides:

 

“A person conducting a business or undertaking has the primary duty under the
WHS Act to ensure, so far as is reasonably practicable, that workers
persons are not exposed to health and safety risks arising from the business or
undertaking.”

 

The WHS Regulations place specific obligations on a person conducting a business or under- taking in relation to first aid, including requirements to:

• Provide first aid equipment and ensure each worker at the workplace has access to the equipment
• Ensure access to facilities for the administration of first aid
• Ensure that an adequate number of workers are trained to administer this aid at the workplace or that workers have access to an adequate number of other people who have been trained to administer first aid.

While the focus of the new Code is on protecting workers and ensuring workplaces are safe, compliance also offers a wide safety net for visitors and guests. Indeed, in planning first aid resources the Code specifically recommends consideration of other people at the workplace who are not workers, for example, students in workplaces such as schools, members of the public in places of entertainment, fairgrounds and shopping centres.

 

The publication goes on to include:

• Example lawsuits
• Changing Status of First Aid and the Law

Continue reading publication here.

Have a look at our course here.

 

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.

Vehicles continue to be the biggest killers on Irish Farms

Vehicles continue to be the biggest killers on Irish Farms. Quad fatalities represent 19% of all farm vehicle fatalities the past 10 years (2008 – 2017)

75% of those that suffered fatal quad accidents were aged 60 years or older and over 25% were aged between 20-49 years of age.

In general roll-over bars are not provided with Quads because traditional roll over bar design depended for its effectiveness on the operator wearing a seat belt otherwise there was a risk of the thrown operator being struck by the bars in the event of a roll over.

More recently roll-over protection devices have appeared on the market designed for use with Quads with one of which has been certified in accordance with the requirements of the European Communities Machinery Directive and the Authority has been asked for its view on these devices. Fitting of CE Marked Roll-Over Protection Devices (ROPs), now available on the market for all-terrain vehicles (ATVs) or Quads, is at the discretion of the owner/operator.

The Health and Safety Authority does not have sufficient information at this time to form a view on the effectiveness of these novel designs and thus is not issuing an instruction or recommendation in respect of such devices.

HSA and Primary School principals join forces to promote farm safety

Farms Safety for Children

Schools Out… The Health and Safety Authority and the Irish Primary Principles Network (IPPN) have issued a joint appeal to primary schools to promote a strong farm safety message to children beofre they break for the summer.

Summer holidays are a high risk time for children who are off school and spend a lot of time on their family farm or visiting friends and relatives farms. It is also a very busy time for farmers when much work needs to be done.

Farm accidents have claimed the lives of 23 children in the last decade and account for 11% of all farm fatalities over the period.

Farms remain the only workplace in Ireland where children still continue to die. Farm deaths involving children are always a horrific tragedy for families and heart-breaking for communities and schools alike.

The HSA website has numerous online farm safety resources for teachers to use in the classroom which can be covered in an interactive, fun and stimulating way. IPPN is supporting the HSA in communicating this important message to its members.

Joanne Harmon, Education Manager with the HSA said: “Teachers can access a range of online farm safety resources for primary schools on our website at hsa.ie/education, under Teacher Supports and Resources and some available in gaeilge”.

Ms. harmon added:”Farm safety is an explicit topic in the SPHE curriculum at primary level. Schools can make a real difference by empowering children to raising their own awareness of farm hazards and encouraging them to bring the safety message home to parents and grandparents.