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Excavations

Excavations are a very dangerous high risk construction activity. The Safety, Health and Welfare at Work Act 2005 requires a risk assessment to be performed by contractors before undertaking any excavation work. The risk assessment must:

identify those hazards that are likely to be encountered;
determine the control measures; and
determine the safe system of work required to protect employees and persons affected by the activities taking place.

Control measures selected could be in the form of shoring (support for the excavation), battering (sloping the excavation) or other suitable means.

In addition, the Construction Regulations require contractors to guard against the dangers from a fall or dislodgement of material in an excavation.

Before Excavations Activates Start

Before excavations even take place, some planning has to take place. For example, we must plan to prevent danger to workers in or near excavations. To maintain the required precautions, a competent person must inspect excavation supports or battering at the start of the working shift and at other specified times. No work should take place until the excavation is safe. Furthermore, sufficient numbers of trained staff and adequate supervision must be present on site before works start. Additionally, sufficient and suitable plant and equipment for trench support must be on site before work starts. Information on ground conditions and location of existing services must be obtained before work starts.

Excavations and Basic Control Measures

To implement basic excavation control measures a competent person would need to decide what temporary support will be required and plan the precautions to be taken. Another key point to consider is the presence of any buried services. These must be addressed before excavation works begin. Signs and barriers must be provided to cordon off the place of work and precaution must be taken when considering location of excavated spoil and any material delivered to the site.

Excavations Related Management Procedures

To successfully manage any excavations activities, certain systems must be implemented. For example, a safe system of works must be provided taking into account weather, traffic conditions and existing structures. In addition, suitable personal protective equipment (PPE) must be provided. A competent person must inspect excavations:

At least once in every day during which persons are at work there.
If more than 2 metres deep, at the start of each shift before work begins.
After any event likely to have affected the strength or stability of the excavation or the shoring.
After any accidental fall of rock, earth or other material.
At least once every 7 days where persons are not at work there.

Training Requirements

Supervisors must be trained in the theory and practice of excavation work. In addition, they should be aware of COSHH regulations and requirements. Workers must be trained in excavation support procedures appropriate to the work method selected. To help with raising general workplace safety awareness, the eLearn Safety has developed a fully online Workplace Safety – Level 1 course. This course is ideal for every employee in any workplace that’s subject to Health & Safety Legislation. Safety in the workplace is everyone’s responsibility. It provides all employees who participate on this course with information on how to identify hazards and carry out simple risk assessments.

In addition, the HSA has published a range of useful information about excavations safety. This information can be accessed via their web page title Working in Excavations-Frequently Asked Questions.

In addition, Health and Safety Executive (UK) has published a number of useful information about excavations. This information can be accessed via their webpage Excavations.

Online Health and Safety Training

Proactive Health and Safety training is critical to ensure a 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 eLearn Safety 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.

eLearn Safety 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

eLearn Safety – Online Health and Safety Training

Abrasive Wheel Awareness

Abrasive wheels awareness is an extremely important aspect of an overall employee’s health and safety – where the employee is to use such tools. The abrasive wheel, if not properly used or maintained, is an extremely dangerous tool. The periphery of an abrasive wheel usually travels at a speed faster than a mile a minute. If a wheel should be broken while travelling at that speed, serious personal injury or damage to machinery or equipment might result. Unfortunately, serious injuries or fatalities are possible.

What is an Abrasive Wheel?

According to the Part 12 of the Safety, Health and Welfare at Work (General Application) (Amendment) Regulations 2016 (Regulations), an abrasive wheel can be:

wheel, cylinder, disc or cone which, whether or not any other material is comprised in it, consists of abrasive particles held together by mineral, metallic or organic bonds, whether natural or artificial,
a mounted wheel or point and a wheel or disc having (in either case) separate segments of abrasive material,
a wheel or disc made (in either case) of metal, wood, cloth, felt, rubber or paper and having any surface consisting wholly or partly of abrasive material, or
a wheel, disc or saw, to any surface of which is attached a rim or segments consisting of diamond abrasive particles,
which is, or is intended to be, power-driven, and is for use in any grinding or cutting operations.

Causes of Abrasive Wheel Accidents

Unfortunately, injuries or damage caused by use of abrasive wheels are in most cases not accidents at all. They are usually a result of carelessness or lack of knowledge in use of the tool. The most common causes are:

Using the wrong tool, or wheel for the job.
Careless handling, such as holding the tool and the material improperly, removing the guards, etc.
Improper mounting.
Incorrect speed of the disk and the tool.
Too much pressure applied.

The main dangers to an operator arise from pieces of the wheel or workpiece coming away, workers coming into contact with the wheel, and workers trapping their fingers between the wheel and the work rest.

Importance of Abrasive Wheel Awareness Training

Abrasive wheel awareness training is extremely important since the number of accidents and the circumstances in which they happen show that most can be avoided if workers know the risks and follow safety measures. The simple safety steps given below will help to prevent most accidents at grinding machines:

Step 1 – Inspection

When you receive a wheel, you should carefully inspect it, clean it with a soft brush and examine it for damage. In addition, you should carry out a ‘ring’ test as part of the examination. The ‘ring’ involves tapping the wheel with a non-metallic tool such as a screwdriver handle. If the wheel is safe to use a clear ring will be heard. But if the ring is ‘dead’ the wheel is cracked and you should not use it.

Step 2 – Storage

You should store wheels in a cool, dry area. Equally important is to provide suitable racks or bins and take precautions to prevent the wheels rolling or falling over.

Step 3 – Grinding Machines

All machines must be stable. Machines on benches should be bolted to the bench or securely fastened in some other way. A notice should be displayed on the machine showing the maximum speed of its spindle within each of its operating speeds. The operator should know how to start and stop the machine safely.

Step 4 – Choosing Wheels

The wheel must be suitable for the jobs in which it will be used. In general, soft wheels should be used on hard materials and hard wheels on soft materials. You should ask manufacturers for advice on which wheels to use. You should consider the following things when choosing the wheel:

The type of machine on which it will be fitted.
The speed of the machine or spindle – this must never be more than the maximum speed of the wheel.
The material to be used on the machine.
The finish needed.
The area of contact between the workpiece and the wheel.

Step 5 – Mounting the Wheel

The wheel must be mounted by someone who has been properly trained and appointed by their employer to do the work. The employer must keep a register of people who have been appointed to do this work. Abrasive wheels should only be mounted on the type of machine for which they were designed. It is essential that the speed of the spindle is not more than the maximum speed marked on the wheel.

Step 6 – Guarding

The wheel should be guarded so that only the area of the wheel needed for the work to be done is exposed. Guards should be fitted to contain the wheel parts if the wheel bursts and to prevent, as far as possible, the operator from coming into contact with the wheel.

Step 7 – Using Abrasive Wheels

Operators must be properly trained. In addition, operators should not wear loose clothing such as ties or jewellery. These items could become caught between the wheel and the workpiece. Furthermore, they should tie long hair back out of the way. Guards should always be in place. Equally important, eye protection should be worn for all dry grinding work, or transparent screens should be fitted to fixed machines to protect against sparks and particles. In addition, the floor space around the machine should be kept free of obstructions and slippery substances.

Obviously, the machine should only be used by one person at a time. It should be switched off always when not in use. To prevent the workpiece jamming between the work rest and the wheel, the work rest should be positioned as close as possible to the face of the wheel. It should be adjusted as the wheel wears. Lastly, the operator should hold the workpiece firmly and move it across the face of the wheel so that the wheel wears evenly. Clamps or similar devices can be used for small jobs.

Abrasive Wheels Awareness Training

The formal training in the safe use of abrasive wheels is required by law. There are no exemptions to this requirement. All personnel using any form of abrasive wheels must be trained in its proper use.

The Abrasive Wheels Awareness course developed by eLearn Safety is designed to supplement and provide additional training but not to replace formal training. It is the online part of a blended training program and students must also complete a practical session in order to be competent operators. Under the current legislation an employer must not allow any person to operate the wheel unless they are trained and competent to mount the wheel.

The Health and Safety Authority of Ireland (HSA) provides a wealth of relevant information via their website.

Online Health and Safety Training

This is why we have established Myelearnsafety 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

eLearn Safety – Online Health and Safety Training

Plant and Equipment Safety

Plant and equipment safety is an important factor to consider in ensuring overall workplace safety. It is the employer’s responsibility to provide and maintain suitable safe equipment. In addition, an employer is also responsible for providing training and information on risks and precautions. However, it is the employee’s responsibility to select the correct machine for the work to be undertaken. Employees must ensure to use only the equipment they are trained in its use.

Plant and Equipment Safety – Main Dangers

When we talk about plant and equipment safety, we must consider and address main dangers associated with its use:

Traps (Entrapment) – Moving equipment that can trap body parts, such as presses and hydraulic jacks.
Contact – Abrasions, bruising or friction burns can occur when people accidentally come into contact with moving parts.
Impact – Moving parts may hit operators or the public if unguarded or badly sited.
Ejection Some unguarded equipment, e.g., drills and saws, may throw off bits of metal or wood.
Entanglement – Moving machinery such as rollers, cogs and conveyors that can entangle hair, jewellery and clothes, even pulling whole bodies into machinery.

Guards and Safety Features

Guarding is often used as a method of controlling the risks associated with moving parts and machinery. For example, some guards act as a permanent barrier to prevent people from gaining access to a dangerous area. Other moveable types will prevent the machine from operating unless the guard is in place. Furthermore, it is important that guards and other safety features, such as emergency stop buttons and alarms, are working correctly. If they are not, the machinery must not be used.

Plant and Equipment Safety – Hand Tools

There are some basic rules to consider to ensure safe use of tools:

Select the right tool for the right job.
Make sure the tool is maintained and in good condition.
Report broken or worn tools to a supervisor.
Only use tools you have been trained to use.
Use the tools correctly.
Store correctly after use.

Plant and Equipment Safety – Machinery

Similarly, there are some basic rules to consider to ensure safe use of machinery:

Guards – Never attempt to remove or defeat machinery guards. Many guards operate on a ‘failure to safety’ system. For example, if the guard is not in place the machine will not work.
Power – Always turn off machines and power when not in use. Turn off and unplug for cleaning and maintenance.
Lighting – Use effective lighting to enable the machine to be used safely.
Housekeeping – Keep the workplace clean. Untidy areas around machinery can cause falls and provide fuel for fires.
Repairs – Report any faults or suspected faults immediately, including missing guards or safety equipment.
Clothing – Do not wear loose clothing around machinery. No ties, belts, straps or jewellery. Wear suitable personal protective clothing or equipment. Keep longhair tied up or covered if using machinery.
Training – Do not use equipment unless trained to do so.
Responsibility – Wear any protective equipment deemed necessary by risk assessment. Never distract colleagues who are using machinery or other equipment.

Ensuring Equipment Safety

When selecting equipment it is important to choose the safest possible option for any work activity. Whether selecting or purchasing you must:

Ask technical questions and compare the information provided by suppliers.
Check that the equipment has a CE mark.
Satisfy yourself that you have obtained all the relevant safety information.
Make sure sufficient, relevant training is given.
Undertake a risk assessment before any equipment is installed or used.

Equipment must be well maintained to make sure it is in safe working order. Likewise, the maintenance should be carried out according to the manufacturer’s instructions by a competent person. The Health and Safety Authority of Ireland provides a wealth of information on Plant and Machinery via their Construction Section of the website.

Online Health and Safety Training

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

eLearn Safety – Online Health and Safety Training

Diversity and Inclusion in the Workplace

Diversity and Inclusion in the Workplace is having a culture that values uniqueness: people of different backgrounds, cultures, genders, and races. Inclusion means inviting diverse groups to take part in company life.

Research into Ireland’s Diversity and Inclusion in the Workplace

First-of-a-kind Diversity and Inclusion (D&I) benchmarking for the Irish market has been launched by the Irish Centre for Diversity (ICFD). It draws from the most comprehensive research into D&I in the Irish market. It involved almost 100 organisations that employ 60,000+ people across both the public and private sectors. Organisations will now be able to compare their D&I performance both at a national level, and against those in similar areas such as Public Sector, Professional Services, Construction and Engineering, Insurance and Finance.

According to the ICFD, data from the research showed that 90% of workers in Ireland felt respected by their colleagues. However, 2 out of 5 employees do not feel their organisation advances equality of opportunity. Furthermore, just 51% of employees believe their organisation neglects diverse groups. In addition, 33% – a third of employees feel that their organisations do not treat everyone fairly.

Why are Diversity and Inclusion in the Workplace Important?

There is a significant body or research that outlines clear correlation between diversity and performance. This is because diversity, inclusion and feeling of belonging are interconnected. It is in combination that their true impact emerges. However, it is not only about ‘performance’ and business ‘achievements’. It is also very much about already mentioned – belonging. Belonging is the third critical piece to Diversity and Inclusion. It’s belonging that makes each individual feel accepted for who they are. It is the thing that – a feeling, that will drive personal motivation and satisfaction. It will also ensure keeping the workplace mentally (and possibly physically) healthy.

How can we Foster Diversity and Inclusion in the Workplace?

We can foster diversity, inclusion and belonging in the workplace by:

Ensuring that diverse talent is well represented.
Strengthening leadership accountability and capabilities.
Be fair and transparent, enabling equality of opportunity.
Promoting openness and tackling microaggressions, bias, and discrimination.
Fostering belonging through unequivocal support for all the ways diversity manifests.

In addition, you can explore the diversity, inclusion, and belonging (DIB) approach by completing eLearn Safety fully-online Diversity, Inclusion, and Belonging course. In this course, topics such as creating a culture of diversity and belonging and avoiding bias are covered.

Online Health and Safety Training

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

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eLearn Online Health and Safety Training

Women in Construction

Women in construction are underrepresented and most frequently found on construction sites in the fields of administrative and technical positions, such as architecture and civil engineering.

According to the CSO, women make up only 5.5% of the workforce in all construction-related sectors in Ireland (compared to 10% EU average).

According to the Construction Industry Federation’s Member Diversity Survey, “without female talent, the industry’s efforts to deliver critical Government housing and infrastructure strategies such as Rebuilding Ireland, the National Development Plan, and the National Planning Framework may fall short.” We must all do more to actively support women in the industry and encourage young women to pursue careers in construction.

Benefits of Gender Diversity in the Irish Construction Industry

Despite the low numbers of women in construction, there is evidence to suggest that women participation can bring many benefits to the construction industry. In addition, research has shown that gender diversity leads to improved decision-making, increased creativity, and enhanced innovation.

As a matter of fact, companies with greater gender balance are also more likely to outperform those that lack diversity. In other words, making the case for increased female representation in construction becomes more compelling.

Despite the fact that the construction sector is traditionally known as a male-dominated industry, the low number of women working in construction can be attributed to a number of factors, including:

a lack of awareness of the opportunities available in the sector,
a lack of female role models and mentors,
a perceived lack of flexibility in the industry.

However, there are many initiatives underway to address these barriers and promote the participation of women in construction.

Promoting Women in Construction

Some of the projects that promote women in construction by enabling information and education is FEMCON project. FEMCON’s mission is to create innovative vocational education and training tools to help women working in or considering a career in the construction industry advance to visible roles within the industry. The project’s goal is to make the industry more appealing to women, resulting in a greater number of women choosing the sector, creating conditions for positive change, and improving the industry’s gender outlook and quality of life in the male-dominated sector.

Diversity is having a culture that values uniqueness: people of different backgrounds, cultures, genders, and races. Inclusion means inviting diverse groups to take part in company life. But there’s a third critical piece: belonging. It’s belonging that makes each individual feel accepted for who they are. Explore the diversity, inclusion, and belonging (DIB) approach in this eLearn Safety fully online course Diversity, Inclusion, and Belonging. In this eLearning course we will explore the need for diversity, inclusion and belonging in the workplace, how to build a diverse workplace, your role in this, how to check your unconscious bias and also how to take on an ally role.

Online Health and Safety Training

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

eLearn Online Health and Safety Training

Understanding People in the Workplace Environment

Understanding people in the workplace environment is essential if we are to achieve a safe workplace. In reality, accidents in the workplace are ‘people’ problems. At some point in any work-related situation, immediate or distant, people and decisions were involved. Undoubtedly, it is the task of modern safety management systems to recognise that fact. Consequently, the opportunities for mistakes and the harm that can arise when they are made should be minimised.

To err is human. We all make mistakes. Awareness of our limitations is needed before we can set up systems successfully which take those limitations into account and maximise safety efforts in any workplace.

Behavioural factors

Understanding behavioural factors, or as often referred to as ‘human factors’ are essential in understanding people in the workplace environment. These factors which may affect human performance include:

Perceptual, mental and physical capabilities of people.
Interaction of people with their organisations, jobs and working environment.
Influence of equipment and systems design on human performance.
Organisational characteristics which influence safety-related behaviour.
Social and inherited characteristics of people.

Modern techniques of managing safety and health incorporate best practice within them so as to produce and influence a positive safety culture.

Promotion of a Positive Safety Culture

Promoting and fostering positive attitudes to safety and health can be done by:

Effective communication. Passing information to and from, and regular consultation with the employees.
Achieving a positive commitment to safety by senior management that is both real and visible.
Maintaining good training standards.
Maintaining good working environments with a high potential for safe working conditions to be achieved.

All these can be, and must be, found within organisations committed to a high standard of excellence in safety and health at work.

Maintaining Good Training Standards

Training for health and safety is not an end in itself, rather, it is a means to an end. With this in mind, a few conditions need to be present for any safety training to be successful:

The active commitment, support and interest of management,
Necessary finance and organisation to provide the opportunity for learning to take place, and
The availability of suitable expertise in the subject.

eLearn Safety is a training organisation which provides high quality online, blended and face-to-face safety training courses. To this end, eLearn Safety program development and delivery is driven by customer service values where the learner is able to engage in the learning process however and wherever they want. In addition, all eLearn Safety staff are highly trained and receive ongoing CPD. A number of fully online Occupational and Environmental Health and Safety courses is available through eLearn Safety courses website page.

Safety is not just for the workplace. Safety is part of everyday life; from first aid to food safety, these skills improve the quality of life not only in the workplace but at home and in the community.

In addition to eLearn Safety courses, there is a number of available workplace safety information available online. For example, the Health and Safety Authority (HSA) provides a wealth of information about the topic via their Workplace Health website page. Additionally, Citizens Information offers a number of relevant information via their website page Health and safety at work.

Understanding People in the Workplace Environment – Why does it Matter?

The main health and safety regulations in Ireland are the Safety, Health and Welfare at Work Act 2005 and Safety, Health and welfare at Work (General Application) Regulations 2007. The Act 2005 applies to employers, employees and the self-employed. Indeed, this is done in the interest of securing a preventive approach to occupational health and safety. In addition, the GA Regulations 2007 outline the specific workplace safety matters.

Many specific pieces of health and safety legislation contain requirements to provide training for employees engaged in certain tasks. However, it should be noted that there is a general duty placed on employers to ensure that all employees are trained and provided with information, instruction and supervision as necessary to ensure their health and safety so far as is reasonably practicable.

The support of management demonstrates the presence of the environment into which the trained person can return and exercise new skills and knowledge. The management team also demonstrates support by setting good examples. Workers are most likely to stop obeying safety rules if supervisors and managers are known to ignore them.

Online Health and Safety Training

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

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eLearn Online Health and Safety Training

Working in Confined Spaces

Working in confined spaces is a high risk working environment.

What does it mean Working in Confined Space

Any significantly enclosed space where there is a risk of death or serious injury from hazardous substances, lack of oxygen or other dangerous conditions is classed as a confined space. Confined spaces with small openings such as silos, drains, sewers and storage tanks are fairly obvious. Others are not. Ductwork, vats, open-topped chambers may be less obvious.

Before Working in Confined Space Commence

Before working in confined space commences, certain steps should be taken. All hazards present must be identified and the risks assessed. This information should then be used to determine what precautions are needed and safety procedures developed (including emergency rescue).

Confined Space Entry

If working in confined spaces can be avoided – it should be avoided.

According to the Health and Safety Authority of Ireland and the Safety, Health and Welfare at Work (Confined Spaces) Regulations 2001, Regulation 5 states that:

A person shall not carry out work in Confined Spaces if it is reasonably practicable that it could be avoided.

If the work must be carried out Hazard Identification and Risk Assessment must be carried out prior to the work commencing.

A person shall not enter a confined space unless there is a system of work in place that has been planned, organised, performed and maintained so as to render that work safe and without risk to health.

Anyone entering a confined space must be provided with appropriate information, training and instruction appropriate to the particular characteristics of the proposed work activities.

Questions to Ask

Before working in confined space commence, the following should be considered:

If someone is working in a confined space, think about the following:

If a worker gets overcome by fumes how will anyone know this is happening?
Once workers become overcome by fumes how can they be rescued?

Always:

Make sure you are fully aware of all the risks associated with working in confined space!
Make sure that the person performing work in confined space is competent (capable and trained) to work in confined spaces and in use of emergency equipment.

Never:

Work in confined spaces if it can be avoided.
Let unskilled people engage in confined space work.
Let anyone enter confined space unless sure it is safe to do so.
NEVER ignore risks associated with working in confined space.

Useful Resources

The Health and Safety Authority of Ireland (HSA) has a very useful info page titled Working in Confined Spaces. This page covers some of the most frequently asked questions about working in confined spaces.

In addition, the UK’s Health and Safety Executive info page titled Introduction to working in confined spaces can provide additional very useful information about working in confined spaces.

Tragic Example

As The Irish Times reported; on June 10th, 2015 brothers Alan (45) and Stephen Harris (32) were overcome by fumes while working in an underground sewer at Drumnigh Woods, Portmarnock, Co Dublin. They were taken from the sewer and taken to hospital but unfortunately died of hypoxia due to toxic levels of hydrogen sulphide.

The brothers were wearing wader boots and rain jackets and Stephen Harris was wearing a dust mask.

A toxic gas incident that claimed the lives of two brothers almost killed a fireman attempting to rescue them.

How It Could Have Been Avoided

Health and Safety Authority inspector Frank Kerins said the job required specialist equipment in accordance with confined space regulations, including a gas detector and breathing apparatus.

Online Health and Safety Training

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

Workplace Hazards

Workplace hazards are anything even remotely that has the potential to cause harm to a person.

Under the Safety, Health and Welfare at Work Act, 2005 an employer is required to carry out risk assessments, prepare a safety statement and implement what it contains. Health and Safety Authority inspectors visiting workplaces will want to know how safety and health is being managed. If they investigate an accident, they will scrutinise the risk assessments, safety statement, and the procedures as well as the work practices.

The Purpose of the Risk Assessment

The Risk Assessment should identify all workplace hazards, quantify the risks and introduce control measures to reduce the risk of injury or illness to the workforce. Some additional legislation also requires employers to conduct specific risk assessment for specific common hazards such as manual handling, hazardous substances, display screen equipment and fire safety.

What is Risk Assessment

A risk assessment is simply put a careful examination of workplace hazards and what could cause harm to people. This is so you can consider whether you have taken enough precautions or should you do more to prevent harm. Risk Assessment will help identify what could go wrong, how likely it is to happen and how serious the result could be. The employer then needs to put control measures in place to prevent the problem occurring.

What are Hazard and Risk

Hazard and Risk have two quite distinct meanings.

Hazard – means something that has the potential to cause harm or damage.
Risk – means the likelihood of the harm or damage being realised. The risk is a combination of chance (or likelihood) and severity, and how likely is that something is going to happen.

For example, a bottle of bleach at work falls under category of workplace hazards. If the bottle contains hazardous liquid, bur locked in the cupboard it does little harm. The risk increases when the bottle is used. When people are working safely there is less chance that an accident will occur.

Chance is a measure of how likely it is that an accident could happen.

Severity is a measure of how serious an injury or health effect could be, as a consequence of unsafe working or of an accident. The severity can be influenced by the following:
• the environment,
• the number of people at risk, and
• the steps already taken to control the hazard.

Five Steps of a Risk Assessment

Generally speaking, identifying and managing risks can be done in five steps:

1. Identify the Workplace Hazards

For example:

Slips and Trips – consider floor surfaces, housekeeping and different floor levels.

Working at Height – e.g. decorations using ladders and construction workers on scaffolding.

Fire Hazards – e.g. flammable substances and sources of ignition.

Moving Vehicles – e.g. forklift trucks and reversing lorries.

Dust – such as wood dust in a sawmill or flour in a bakery.

Hot Liquids – e.g. pans of hot water or oil in a kitchen.

2. Decide on who may be harmed and how

It is not just person conducting the task that may be affected but anyone nearby. For example, builders working on scaffolding above a public walkway may inure pedestrians if equipment or materials are dropped. Some employees will need a separate Risk Assessment, e.g. those who are more vulnerable, such as pregnant workers and young, inexperienced staff.

3. Evaluate the risk and decide on precautions

Consider the consequences of injury or harm. Could someone be seriously inured or even killed? Could lots of people be affected. How likely is it to occur? If the answer to any of these questions is yes, then these hazards should be addressed as a priority and further controls put in place to reduce the risk to an acceptable level, using the hierarchy of control (see below).

4. Record your significant findings and implement them

It is a legal requirement that businesses formally record their significant findings. It is important not only to implement the controls you identified, making sure staff are trained in the new procedures, but to check to make sure they are followed correctly. Some health and Safety training can be delivered on-line. For solutions, please check our Online Health and Safety Training portal myelearnsafety.com

5. Review and update Risk Assessments as necessary

Reviews should take place when:

Procedures are revised.
Workplace layout is reorganised.
New machinery is installed.
An accident or near miss occurs.
The law changes.

Reviews should also take place on a regular basis, possibly annually, just to make sure nothing has been missed and to identify new techniques or scientific developments that could be introduced to improve safety.

Hierarchy of Control

When considering control measures there is a scale of preference. the higher up the chart, the better or more preferable the method. Some measures will work for some tasks or activities and some for others, but not all will be suitable.

The following is a hierarchy of controls:

1. Eliminate.

If something is hazardous, the most effective option is to remove the hazard altogether if possible.

2. Substitute.

If hazard cannot be eliminated, can it be substituted for something safer?

3. Implement Engineering Controls.

For example;

Equipment – using work equipment as a preventive measure, e.g. to prevent falls from height.
Guards – placing or replacing guarding controls.
Insulation – an excellent method of noise control.
Ventilation – removing hazardous dust and fumes from the workplace using additional machinery if necessary.
Maintenance – making sure all equipment is well serviced and maintained.

4. Administrative Controls.

Procedures needed to work safely, e.g. limiting the amount of time the worker is exposed to a hazard, increasing safety signage, conducting risk assessments.

5. personal protective Equipment (PPE)

Equipment or clothing provided to protect an employee against risks to their health and safety. Must only be used once all other measures have been tried and found unsuitable.

Some hazards are obvious, such as unguarded moving parts of machinery, dangerous fumes, electricity, working at heights, moving vehicles or moving heavy loads. Less obvious, but at the root of many accidents, are hazards presented by untidy workplaces and poor maintenance. In the case of other hazards, such as excessive noise or exposure to chemicals, it may take months or even years before ill health materialises.

When deciding on the controls, you should consider the general principles of prevention. These are a hierarchy of controls that set out how to manage hazards. The focus should be to get rid of the hazard, so that people are protected. If this is not possible then you should work through the principles until you have made it as safe as reasonably practicable. Your reliance on personal protective equipment (PPE) should be one of the last steps in the process (not the first).

Always consider give training and instruction. Once you have assessed the risks and decided on your controls in line with the principles above, you will need to tell your employees about them and to make sure that they are competent to comply with them.

A Guide to Risk Assessments and Safety Statements

A guide to Risk Assessment and Safety Statements is a very useful publication by the Health and Safety Authority of Ireland (HSA), national body in Ireland responsible for the enforcement of workplace health and safety law, the implementation of a number of chemicals regulations, and accreditation. The information contained in the Guide can help an employer or self-employed person to manage safety and health in their workplace(s) by preparing risk assessments and a safety statement.

For online health and Safety training solutions, please check our Online Health and Safety Training portal.

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

Health and Safety Myths

Health and Safety

There are so many health and safety misconceptions out there. Employers and employees are not aware of how important health and safety is in the workplace. Here are five myths about health and safety in work.

Myth 1

“HSA inspectors are just looking to catch people out and issue fines”.

Myth 2

“Health and safety will cost me and my business money”.

Myth 3

“Health and safety is just more red tape hindering business”

Myth 4

Manual handling? You mean spending a day being told how to lift a box? What a waste of time”

Myth 5

“So many things to get banned because of health and safety. It’s the state gone mad”.

We all have a responsibility to protect and be protected in the workplace. These myths are not true and health and safety in the workplace is to safeguard you and is your legal right. Contact us for more details about all of our courses.