Hello and welcome to the fourth issue of the Ryder Partnership Ltd fortnightly newsletter The Alchemist, in which we will keep you up to date on all the latest developmentsin the world of health and safety.
This issue focuses on –
Slips, trips & falls, Getting winter ready – gritting, The risks of poor lighting, Meet the team! | |
Cleaning hazards in the workplace. | |
I attended a wedding this weekend and a couple of incidents got me thinking about a safety issue that can get neglected, slips and trips and cleaning. Lets start with cleaning – All companies need cleaning, some companies have their own cleaners, many contract out the service. Whatever the case there is a still a duty of care and risk assessments and training need to be undertaken, manual handling and COSHH awareness training spring to mind. If you have after hours cleaners lone working may be an issue also. | |
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The HSE list the following as the main health and safety issues as far as cleaners are concerned –
Slips and trips, Occupational dermatitis, Control of substances hazardous to health (COSHH) Back pain, Work at height, Window cleaning, Wet Mopping.
A bit of a party piece question of mine when training is to ask folks whether or not they dry mop. Often I get a bit of a look that says “what are you on about?” However I have known one organisation get an Improvement Notice because they did not dry mop in their kitchen and as a result someone had slipped and injured themselves on a wet floor. | |
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The HSE cite the example below which shows that you need to build this into your risk assessments where necessary.
A customer bought food and drink but spilled some of their coffee on the way to sit down. The spillage was small, about the size of a fifty pence piece.
The fast food company was aware of the risk of slipping from liquids or food spilled on their smooth floors and, almost immediately, a member of staff came to deal with the problem.
They mopped up the spillage (and also the surrounding area because it looked dirty), squeezed out the mop and went over the whole area again, leaving an area of approximately 2 square metres ‘mop dry’.
The researchers took measurements on the ‘mop dry’ area using pendulum and surface micro roughness techniques, and also timed how long it took to dry completely.
The 2 square metres of mopped floor, now almost indistinguishable in appearance from the rest of the floor, took approximately 7 minutes to dry and measurements showed that the area was extremely slippery during that time.
Research has shown that many slips are caused by a sudden change in floor surface characteristics. In this case, for the 7 minutes until the floor dried completely, it would be difficult for customers and staff to realise they were walking from a safe to an unsafe surface.
The company, who had a good awareness of slips and trips risks and an efficient system for identifying spillages, had, in fact, increased the risk of slipping because of the method of cleaning used in this instance. Simply cleaning up this spillage, and drying the small area of floor with a paper towel would have been far better.
The fast food company are considering a change to their spillage and general cleaning procedures. | |
Winter ready. | |
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Another example of the potential to slip is on ice, and should climate change relent and we have a spell of snowy and icy weather then it is important that you have your gritting procedures in place.
Again, our friends at the HSE have safe words of advice…. | |
Gritting.
The most common method used to de-ice floors is gritting as it is relatively cheap, quick to apply and easy to spread. Rock salt (plain and treated) is the most commonly used ‘grit’. It is the substance used on public roads by the highways authority.
Salt can stop ice forming and cause existing ice or snow to melt. It is most effective when it is ground down, but this will take far longer on pedestrian areas than on roads.
Gritting should be carried out when frost, ice or snow is forecast or when walkways are likely to be damp or wet and the floor temperatures are at, or below freezing. The best times are early in evening before the frost settles and/or early in the morning before employees arrive. Salt doesn’t work instantly; it needs sufficient time to dissolve into the moisture on the floor.
If you grit when it is raining heavily, the salt will be washed away, causing a problem if the rain then turns to snow. Compacted snow, which turns to ice, is difficult to treat effectively with grit. Be aware that ‘dawn frost’ can occur on dry surfaces, when early morning dew forms and freezes on impact with the cold surface. It can be difficult to predict when or where this condition will occur.
You need a gritting procedure and plan and you need to communicate to your staff when and where you are going to grit and any other rules etc that they need to be aware of. | |
Lighting. | |
Following the wedding many of my party had overindulged themselves in respect of alcoholic beverages, therefore I generously volunteered to go to the car and bring it nearer to the venue. On what was quite a large car park I made my way towards the vehicle.
I discovered quickly that the car park was pitch black and that I could not see a thing. I therefore used my keys and unlocked the doors from a distance in order that the lights would flash and I could see where I was aiming at. Unfortunately, having been on the car park for approximately twelve hours and only used it when it was light, I forgot that there was a small brick central reservation and I tripped as my leading foot hit it and I fell to the ground. I was caught in two minds as to whether to save my newly acquired suit jacket from the wet floor or save myself from injury.
I chose the former. The jacket was saved and I cut my hand. What this is all leading to is that it is important to ensure both externally and internally that there is adequate lighting. Slips and trips in poorly lit areas can lead to claims and more importantly, injuries.
As one of the many suppliers of lighting detailed in advertising article, a number of poor lighting situations can occur. | |
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Accidents can happen anywhere, from streets and parks to grocery stores and shopping malls. When injuries occur at places of business because the property owners fail to maintain a safe and well-lit environment, the accident that occurs will be considered negligence.
Slips, trips, and falls are common injuries at places of business. While these are often associated with liquids and tripping hazards, they can also be caused by poor lighting. | |
Problems Caused by Poor Lighting.
Whenever part of a business is poorly lit, it presents a number of serious risks to safety, both for employees and for people who visit the premises. Low light situations, broken lights, and outright darkness in parts of a business increase the risk of trips, falls, slips, and other kinds of serious accidents of occurring.
The bottom line is that adequate lighting needs to be in place at a business at all times. | |
Not Seeing Hazards in Hallways and Walkways
One of the major dangers of poor lighting is that hazards in hallways and walkways may not be visible. These may be objects in the way, such as products and supplies, or they may be tripping hazards, such a power cords, snags in the carpet or rug, and so forth.
Difficulty Seeing Slipping Hazards
Liquids and other items or objects that can lead to slips and falls are another hazard that may be obscured due to poor lighting or low-light situations. When this happens, the chances of a serious injury are likely. Even just a little bit of moisture on a slick surface can increase the dangers of a property.
Major Dangers in Stairwells and Stairways
When lighting is poor on stairways and in stairwells, the dangers are increased immensely. Even with banisters in place, the inability to see steps increases the risk of a slip or fall occurring. These dangers are increased if there are possible slipping hazards or tripping hazards.
What do you need to do?
Risk assess the lighting situation, If necessary, measure the lighting with a light meter, If necessary, improve the lighting in locations where it is not adequate, Reassess, Monitor and get feedback from your employees. | |
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If you need any guidance then HSG38 is the document you need to refer to. It provides according to the HSE, holistic study guidance of how lighting affects the health and safety of people at work. Although addressed primarily to employers and safety personnel, employees may also find it useful. The guidance reflects three primary considerations: the assessment and management of risks attributable to poor lighting; what constitutes good practice; and the minimum recommended levels.
Naturally the document examines the more obvious detrimental effects connected to poor lighting, e.g eyestrain, migraines and headaches. However, the guidance also explores less appreciated aspects of insufficient illumination, such as the established link to sick building syndrome, which, in turn, is known to induce symptoms such as headaches, lethargy, irritability and poor concentration. Information is supported throughout by photographs, illustrations, diagrams and easy-glance reference tables. | |
Meet The Team! | |
Here at Ryder Partnership, we have recently expanded our team and we would like to take the opportunity to introduce them to you!
Larry Ryder CMIOSH – Our Founder and Director, Health, Safety and Wellbeing Consultant and Lead Trainer, with over 30 years’ experience as a health and safety professional. Both in the industry as a Health and Safety Manager and as a Health and Safety Consultant.
Mick is a Health & Safety Advisor, regularly completing audits in the Construction Industry. He is also part of our Training Team, completing regular on-site
Rebeckah is a Health & Safety Advisor who also manages the Office, Accounts, Training, as well as also keeping our busy diaries in order.
Josh is a Health & Safety Generalist, who gets involved in a variety of tasks and is a fully qualified Portable Appliance Tester (PAT).
Jae manages our Marketing; producing our Bi-Weekly Newsletter and keeping all things social media up to date!
Jack – our COSHH guru! If COSHH Assessments are required, Jack is your man! – Through Jack, we have a library of many 1000’s of COSHH Assessments.
In order to ensure that we have the widest provision of service possible, we are also able to use services of partner companies to give provision in Occupational Health, Fire Safety (inc Risk Assessment), Industrial Hygiene (inc. Dust and Fume Monitoring) and Food Hygiene and Safety Matters. | |
If you have any questions relating to the topics covered in this issue of the newsletter, then please get in touch. | |
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COSHH Risk Assessment Training – Wednesday 15th November 2023; Telford
Mental Health First Aid, Level 2 – Thursday 16th November 2023; Telford
Manual Handling ‘Train the Trainer’ – Wednesday 22nd November 2023; Telford
IOSH ‘Managing Safely’ – Wednesday 29th, 30th & 31st November; Telford
Safe & Legal Update 2023 – Friday 15th December 2023; Telford
For more information on our training courses, please contact Rebeckah on reb@ryderpartnership.co.uk or call 07956734831. |
