A Quick Guide to Health and Safety

1st Edition - May 20, 2008
Author: R Gilbert
Language: English
Paperback ISBN:
9 7 8 - 1 - 8 4 5 6 9 - 4 9 9 - 9
eBook ISBN:
9 7 8 - 1 - 8 4 5 6 9 - 5 0 0 - 2

Health and safety issues now impose upon almost every part of business life. The system of enforcement is managed and implemented in the UK by The Health and Safety Executive (HSE)… Read more

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Health and safety issues now impose upon almost every part of business life. The system of enforcement is managed and implemented in the UK by The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) – but at times it can be difficult to know exactly which bits of this elaborate spider’s web should be applied in a given instance, and which are most important. This Quick Guide puts the subject into context, providing a rational overview and a valid starting point to applying health and safety in the workplace, and offers a concise and readily accessible interpretation of what health and safety legislation means in practice.

The Quick Guide Series
Invitation to New Authors
Introduction
Your 10 Minute A–Z Guide to Health and Safety
Chapter 1: Health and Safety Legislation – How Much is There?
- Publisher Summary
- 1.1 Some of the other legislation
- 1.2 Other sources of information
Chapter 2: Enforcement and the Legal Situation
- Publisher Summary
- 2.1 Who enforces the laws and regulations?
- 2.2 What is the purpose of enforcement and how is it done?
- 2.3 Provision of information and advice
- 2.4 Proportionality (action proportional to the risk)
- 2.5 Improvement notices and prohibition notices – what are they?
- 2.6 Reasonably practicable – what does this mean?
- 2.7 Who will receive the most attention from enforcing authorities?
Chapter 3: Health and Safety … so What Business are You in?
- Publisher Summary
- 3.1 Business survival
- 3.2 Good H&S should be good business
- 3.3 As well as hurting people, accidents and injuries cost the business
- 3.4 If you think training is expensive – try ignorance
- 3.5 What are the most common accidents and causes of injury?
Chapter 4: The Health and Safety at Work Act 1974 (HSW Act) and What it Means
- Publisher Summary
- 4.1 Basic concepts and duties
- 4.2 Duties of employers to employees
- 4.3 Duties of employers (and self-employed) to others
- 4.4 Duties of employees
- 4.5 Consultation with employees
- 4.6 Duties to provide safety equipment or PPE
- 4.7 Duties of manufacturers
- 4.8 Powers given to the enforcing authorities
- 4.9 What does ‘at work’ mean?
- 4.10 Management of H&S regulations – what are they?
Chapter 5: Risks and Risk Assessments – What are They?
- Publisher Summary
- 5.1 Everyday risks
- 5.2 Risk – what do we mean?
- 5.3 Risk assessments – what are they?
Chapter 6: Health, Safety and Welfare Requirements in the Workplace
- Publisher Summary
- 6.1 What are the applicable regulations?
- 6.2 What is a workplace?
- 6.3 The regulations and what they require you to do
- 6.4 Brief summary of the Construction Workplace Regulations
- 6.5 Enforcement
- 6.6 Regular tours of the workplace
Chapter 7: Machinery and Other Work Equipment
- Publisher Summary
- 7.1 What are the main regulations with which you have to comply?
- 7.2 What equipment is covered by these regulations?
- 7.3 How do you know that machines and equipment you buy are safe?
- 7.4 What do I have to maintain and inspect?
- 7.5 Instruction and training for use and safety
- 7.6 Stopping equipment and emergency stops
- 7.7 Guards and guarding
- 7.8 What to do about cleaning and maintenance
Chapter 8: Pressure Plant and Equipment
- Publisher Summary
- 8.1 What is pressure plant and equipment?
- 8.2 What is a relevant fluid?
- 8.3 Do the PSSR (Pressure Systems Safety Regulations) apply to me?
- 8.4 What do I have to do to comply with the regulations?
- 8.5 What is meant by safe operating limits?
- 8.6 What is a written scheme of examination?
- 8.7 Who is a competent person?
Chapter 9: Lifting and Handling
- Publisher Summary
- 9.1 Manual handling regulations
- 9.2 General guidelines for lifting, pushing and pulling
- 9.3 What to consider in a risk assessment and who does it?
- 9.4 Manual handling training and instruction
- 9.5 What about lifting equipment?
Chapter 10: Noise
- Publisher Summary
- 10.1 Noise at work
- 10.2 The regulations (the law) and what you have to do
- 10.3 Assessment of risk from noise and reduction of noise levels
- 10.4 Hearing protection and warning signs
- 10.5 Information and training
- 10.6 Health surveillance
Chapter 11: Hazardous Substances
- Publisher Summary
- 11.1 What is COSHH (Control of Substances Hazardous to Health)?
- 11.2 Which substances are hazardous to health?
- 11.3 If you have hazardous substances – what next?
- 11.4 Summary and conclusion
Chapter 12: Electricity
- Publisher Summary
- 12.1 Working with electricity
- 12.2 Which regulations do I have to comply with?
- 12.3 A summary of the main requirements and duties for users/owners
- 12.4 Employers’ duties for work ‘within their control’
- 12.5 What to do about portable equipment
- 12.6 What to do about isolations
- 12.7 Some good practices
Chapter 13: Working at Height
- Publisher Summary
- 13.1 The general situation and current regulations
- 13.2 What is work at height?
- 13.3 The main requirements of the regulations
- 13.4 What to do about working from ladders
- 13.5 What to do about fragile roofs
- 13.6 What to do about scaffolds and mobile access towers
- 13.7 What to do about falling objects
Chapter 14: VDUs
- Publisher Summary
- 14.1 Overview
- 14.2 The regulations
- 14.3 Do the VDU regulations apply to me?
- 14.4 What you have to do to comply with the regulations
- 14.5 Eye tests and provision of spectacles (required by Regulation 5)
- 14.6 Provision of information and training (required by Regulation 6)
- 14.7 Enforcement
Chapter 15: What to do About Protecting Employees
- Publisher Summary
- 15.1 First aid
- 15.2 Personal protective equipment
- 15.3 Working alone (lone working)
- 15.4 Emergency plans (like the fire drills)
Chapter 16: Other Health and Safety Matters
- Publisher Summary
- 16.1 Slips, trips and falls
- 16.2 Permits to work and lock off
- 16.3 Shift handover – do you have one?
- 16.4 Working in confined spaces – this is serious
- 16.5 RIDDOR and accident and injury reporting
- 16.6 Employee training records
- 16.7 Employee consultation on H&S matters
- 16.8 Other regulations
Chapter 17: Will You be Prosecuted?
- Publisher Summary
- 17.1 Investigation and the decision to prosecute
- 17.2 What events will trigger a prosecution?
- 17.3 Some examples of prosecutions
- 17.4 Prosecution under The Health and Safety at Work Act or other regulations
- 17.5 Who will prosecute?
- 17.6 What are the penalties?
References
Index

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A Quick Guide to Health and Safety

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