HSA marks 200,000 participants in Choose Safety young people at work programme
Choose Safety
- Young people as new recruits are at higher risk of workplace injury (ESRI).
- Young people (aged 18-24) are 50% more likely to be injured at work than any other group of workers (EU Agency for Safety and health at Work)
The Health and Safety Authority today (05/09/18) celebrated 200,000 plus learners over ten years of its flagship programme Choose Safety. This is aimed at post-primary senior cycle students and students in further education. Choose Safety aims to prepare young people with skills for the world of work through educating them about safety, health and welfare.
More than 28,000 students participated in the Choose Safety programme. These are from;
- Transition Year
- Leaving Certificate Applied (LCA)
- Leaving Certificate Vocational Programme (LCVP)
- Also across further education settings, in the 2017/2018 academic year.
A total of 647 institutions were involved last year and that included 63% of post-primary schools nationwide. Within further education, the programme is taught to growing numbers of students on plc courses. Courses at Levels 4 and 5 on the National Framework of Qualifications. Within Youthreach, and the National Learning Network.
Core Concern
Speaking at a seminar to mark the occasion was Chief Executive of the Health and Safety Authority, Dr. Sharon McGuinness. She said that the success of the programme comes from the wide recognition that safety, health and welfare is a core concern within employment. Young people need to be aware of their rights and responsibilities around safety, health and welfare at work.
Dr. McGuinness said;
“Young people, as new recruits, are at a higher risk of workplace injury than their more experienced colleagues. Their lack of experience, combined with being new to the world of work can leave them exposed and vulnerable to workplace accidents and injuries. They need a good common sense grounding in what it means to look after themselves and those around them in the workplace. The Choose Safety programme supports young people to develop a ‘safety first mind-set’ before they reach the workplace. This also makes a lot of sense for employers who are responsible for managing workplace safety and health and recruiting these young people.”
Free of charge
Choose Safety consists of safety, health and welfare programme texts for teachers and students. These are supplied, free of charge to schools/further education settings. It includes a free elearning course ‘Get Safe – Work Safe’ which can be found at https://hsalearning.ie. The programme is coordinated locally by the 21 fulltime Education Centres, and is rolled out from Kilkenny Education Centre. Certificates of completion can be awarded as well as online digital badges for any units completed.
Margaret Maxwell, Director of Kilkenny Education Centre said;
“Choose Safety gives students the opportunity to explore core principles of health and safety as it applies in their current or future work experience or workplaces. These are essential life skills for young people and the Education Centre network is committed to promoting this most valuable programme in schools. Choose Safety is designed to assist teachers in delivering key senior cycle skills such as good communication, critical thinking, working with others and being personally effective.”
Schools/FE centres wishing to participate in the Choose Safety programme should contact their local education centre. Or the HSA at: educationunit@hsa.ie or Kilkenny Education Centre at honorah@eckilkenny.ie or 056- 056-7760202.
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.