Safety Wise Advice Services were delighted to be involved with the Leitrim Business Expo held in Carrick on Shannon on October 20th 2011. Pictured at our Display Stand are L to R: Geraldine McGovern (Director) and Gerry O’Reilly. A Free Draw was held on the evening for a place on one of our Manual Handling Training Courses and the winner was Sean O’Reilly of Sean B O’Reilly & Co Accountants.
Contact us today for a free brochure and more information on the services we provide.
“The Health and Safety Executive for Northern Ireland (HSENI) is making changes to the first aid at work (FAW) training regime to make it more flexible – saving businesses time and money without compromising health and safety.
The new guidance which came into effect on September 1st 2011, will see the mandatory four day FAW training courses reduced to three days and there will also be an option for a one day course for smaller low risk businesses.
Those who have completed the three day course can maintain their certificate by attending a two day requalification course every three years. These changes bring HSENI in line with the Health and Safety Executive in Great Britain.
Dr Bryan Monson, Deputy Chief Executive of HSENI, said: “First aid at work can help to save lives and prevent minor injuries becoming major ones. The revised guidance will help employers to get first aid training that suits their business needs and saves them both time and money. First aid skills learnt at work are also useful in many other areas of life.”
The new guidance also suggests that refresher training taken annually would be beneficial to first aiders and their employers, with staff feeling better placed to deal with an incident in their workplace.
The new guidance is available at http://www.hseni.gov.uk/first_aid_at_work_approved_code_of_practice_2011.pdf”
Taken from the HSENI Website
Question: What is a Safety Statement/H&S Policy?
A Safety Statement/H&S Policy is your written and signed commitment to safeguarding the safety, health and welfare of all your Employees (including Directors/Owners of the Business) so far as is reasonably practicable.
The document is known as a Safety Statement in the Republic of Ireland and a H&S Policy in Northern Ireland.
All Employers are required to prepare one under the Safety, Health and Welfare at Work Act 2005 or the equivalent Health and Safety at Work (Northern Ireland) Order 1978 . Remember, the Self Employed is considered both an Employer and an Employee.
Question: How many pages does a Safety Statement/H&S Policy have to be?
There is no minimum or maximum number of pages required. All that is required is that all relevant information is provided in the document i.e.
Question: Is there a simpler document available than a Safety Statement/H&S Policy?
Codes of Practices have been prepared by the Health and Safety Authority for Construction Contractors with Three or less Employees and Farms with Three or Less Employees. These Codes of Practices have yet to be rolled out for other Industry Sectors.
However, the Health and Safety Authority earlier this year launched “BeSMART” which is part of the Taking Care of Business initiative developed for small businesses. According to the HSA, this tool will help small business owners and managers to identify the hazards in their workplace and will aid them in making their workplace safer.
Further information and the online risk assessment tool itself are available on the Health and Safety Authority website.
Question: Can I prepare a Safety Statement/H&S Policy myself?
There is no law that says that you must engage a Health and Safety Professional to prepare your Safety Statement.
No one will know your Business and its operations better than you do.
The important factor is “competency”; do you feel competent to prepare the document?
Competency is defined under the Safety, Health and Welfare at Work Act 2005 in Section 2(2) as follows –
“(2) (a) For the purposes of the relevant statutory provisions, a person is deemed to be a competent person where, having regard to the task he or she is required to perform and taking account of the size or hazards (or both of them) of the undertaking or establishment in which he or she undertakes work, the person possesses sufficient training, experience and knowledge appropriate to the nature of the work to be undertaken.
(b) Account shall be taken, as appropriate, for the purposes of subparagraph (a) of the framework of qualifications referred to in the Qualifications (Education and Training) Act 1999.”
In simple terms; competency is “training, experience and knowledge”.
Ask yourself this question: Does my Safety Statement/H&S Policy fully and adequately cover all the possible worst case scenarios that could happen in my business and its operations?
Question: My Safety Statement/H&S Policy is over 5 years old, is it still valid?
It is advisable that the Safety Statement/H&S Policy be reviewed on an annual basis as a minimum. It must also be reviewed as follows:
A Safety Statement/H&S Policy is a live document and a useful tool for helping you to avoid accidents in your workplace. Remember Keep it under review, it shouldn’t be a document that sits on a shelf gathering dust, make it work for you and your Employees or colleagues!
For more information and guidance on preparing or reviewing your Safety Statement/H&S Policy, please contact us today.
Fact:
Under the Safety, Health and Welfare at Work Act 2005, a Self Employed Person is considered both an Employer and his/her own Employee – both have legal responsibilities for health and safety.
The Act places responsibility for occupational health and safety on all stakeholders of a Business and allocates specific duties to the following persons:
Fact:
Aside from complying with the Legal aspect of running a Business there is also the Moral Point of View – all of us wish that no harm, injury or damage be caused to any person or object through our actions.
Basically everyone wants to come home to our families and friends at the end of the day in the same way that we went to work that day and not to have been involved in any accidents or near misses.
Fact:
Insurance Claims can add a great deal to Premiums thus placing greater burden on the Business to make ends meet. Claims can be avoided and/or greatly reduced by managing safety on a day to day basis in a practical manner e.g. ensuring that your equipment is in good working order, there are no trip of fall hazards which could result in someone falling and injuring themselves. This could apply to your own home/workplace or a hired Training room.
Fact:
Accidents resulting in personal injury to the Self Employed can result in loss of or a serious reduction in Income, reduced Productivity, ill health and low morale. It is like a domino effect which can result in a vicious circle.
Fiction:
It will never happen to me!
Managing health and safety is fundamentally about common sense; identifying the dangers in your business, the associated risks and deciding on control measures to eliminate or reduce the risk of injury or damage to you, work colleagues, members of the public and any other person who may be affected by your business operations.
Please contact us today for confidential advice and guidance on how to manage health and safety in your Business.
Event: Visit to Bellacorrick Power Station Demolition Site, Bellacorrick, Co. Mayo
Date – Wednesday 7th September at 2pm
Places are limited to a Maximum of 20 people so booking is necessary
Please bring your Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) with you e.g. safety boots, helmets, Hi Visibility Clothing, Eye and Ear Protection
Book your place with Geraldine McGovern (info@safetyadvice.ie)
Directions for those who confirm their place:
Bellacorrick is a village on the N59 between Ballina and Belmullet
Demolition Site is just outside the village and is signposted just after the bridge in the village
Park at the Site and register upon arrival
Spacious double room(s) to rent, walking distance to all amenities in Cavan town and in Drumalee (Sports Complex, Supervalu, New Health Centre) and the Cavan Institute.
Complete with all mod cons.; including cable tv and wireless broadband.
Would Suit Students or professional person. Weekly rent plus bills.
Rent allowance not accepted
Facilities include: Parking, Central Heating, Cable Television, Washing Machine, Dryer, Dishwasher, Microwave, Internet
For more Details and to view the room(s) Contact: Gerry (086) 6072302
The Health and Safety Authority is organising a “National Conference on Health and Safety in Agriculture” on Wednesday 22nd June from 9.30am -1.30pm in the Abbey Hotel, Roscommon.
Aim of the Conference
Last year, 2010 was a tragic year in the Agriculture sector when 26 deaths occurred. On average over the years about 30% of workplace deaths took place in the sector, but in 2010 this percentage increased to over 50%. In addition, an estimated 1,800 accidents causing serious injuries occur in the sector each year. Farm deaths, injuries and ill health cause pain, suffering and tragedy, and lead to economic losswhich can jeopardize the livelihood of farm families.
This year’s conference will address the following three themes: Changing the Culture of Health and Safety in Agriculture; enhancing the Health of Farmers and addressing Livestock Related Injuries.
Who should attend?
This Conference is particularly relevant to farmers, agricultural contractors, trainers and advisers and anyone with an interest in health and safety in Agriculture.
For full details on the conference and how to book your place (Free Admission), click here.
The Health and Safety Authority has published a new Information Leaflet to highlight control measures required in the healthcare setting to prevent sharps injuries occurring.
The leaflet is available for Free Download at this link: http://www.hsa.ie/eng/Publications_and_Forms/Publications/Information_Sheets/Prevention_of_Sharps_Injuries_in_Healthcare.html
Please contact us for more information and assistance in managing health and safety in your Healthcare workplace.
A Charity Masquerade Ball in aid of the Northwest Simon Community will be held in The Landmark Hotel, Carrick on Shannon, Co. Leitrim on Sunday June 5th 2011.
Tickets are €20
Doors Open at 10 pm
Music by Late Nite Radio Band
Fancy dress essential (strictly over 18′s)
Fore more details, contact Mary 087 7708865
Congratulations to the Leitrim Senior Football team on their victory over Sligo yesterday afternoon in Markievicz Park, Sligo.
Best of luck in the Connacht Football Championship Semi Final match against Roscommon on June 12th 2011.
