Welcome to this month's safety newsletter. The idea of these newsletters is to raise safety awareness and to get you involved. This month’s topic is about housekeeping.

Housekeeping
Tidiness is one of the foundation stones of safety and good environmental practice. Many accidents are caused through people tripping, slipping and falling over materials and equipment which should not have been left lying around. Environmental problems could be avoided if materials were disposed of properly instead of being allowed to escape into the surrounding area.
This is an area where everyone on site can make a significant contribution to safety merely by applying common sense.
• Do not leave rubbish lying about - clean up as you go.
• Do not rely on others to clear things up.
• Ensure all waste is disposed of in the correct skip or bin.
• Do not obstruct gangways, aisles or stairways.
• Make sure that spills are cleaned up.
• Make sure all waste containers are clearly marked.
• Position all cables out of the way. do not lay them across pedestrian walkways.
• Do not let large quantities of waste material to build up as this provides a good starting point for fire.
• Ensure the waste disposal area is kept tidy and containers are removed in good time.
Proper waste disposal is an integral part of good housekeeping. Not only does this improve site tidiness but it also improves safety and reduces the likelihood of pollution occurring and of individuals being fined.
A tidy site is safe and efficient.
Ref: A Health and Safety at Work etc Act 1974. B The Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999. C The Management of Health and Safety at Work (Amendment) Regulations 2006.

Key points
Everyone is responsible for Housekeeping
Prevent slips trips and falls through better Housekeeping
Accidents go up when the site is untidy
Further information
Company policy and arrangements on housekeeping

safety health and environmental services - she ltd

Environmental tip of the month

Set a trend in your office by taking a plant to work for your desk. Not only will you have a nicer working environment, but also all the extra plants will help produce oxygen and absorb harmful carbon dioxide. Remember to ask the Boss first!

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Accident Investigation

Persons who should investigate the accident include the middle management; health and safety officers; line manager/ supervisor; safety representatives (if in place); and any specialists.

Actions that need to be followed in order to collect evidence for an investigation of an accident include:

Steps in investigation

• Respond to the injury promptly and positively. First aid and emergency reactions.
• Put into place temporary controls to prevent it happening again.
• Collect information on the accident.
• Analyse significant immediate causes.
• Analyse significant underlying causes.
• Develop remedial long term controls.
• Implement long term controls.
• Brief all involved and employees who could have a stake in what is happening.
• Review findings and recommendations. Discuss at the health and safety committee.
• Follow through the actions.

Take control. Keep the scene of the accident intact prior to investigation.

Take pictures. Sketch and map.

Examine the equipment. Look at the tools and equipment. If they don't look right then ask for help from an expert. Take pictures.

The collation of statements from the person who suffered the injury, any witnesses, and the manager of the area. It would also be useful to have a statement from an "expert witness".

Information on previous risk assessments, controls, procedures and method statements applicable to what happened needs to be gathered.

Maintenance checks need to be found including operator checks and statutory checks, preventative and any breakdown maintenance conducted.

Training records would be useful of those involved would also be required.

Re-enact the accident if possible (and safe to do so). Consider material failure analysis if the loss is high.

Establish an outline of causal factors. Analyse each immediate cause in turn to establish underlying/ basic causes and loss control further down the chain (remember latent failures).

Review the existing risk assessments and if necessary write new ones. Recommend controls.

Write the report. Ensure this is written in good time. Remember that the report could be used in claims cases. Use salient points to brief to others.

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Accidents and Loss Causation

An accident is defined as unplanned, uncontrolled event leading to loss or an undesired event that results in physical harm to a person or damage to property.

Accidents need to be investigated for humane, economic and legal reasons. Humane to prevent an injury occuring again. Economic to reduce costs; costs from higher insurance premiums; costs from the investigation itself; costs from replacing the employee and costs from loss of face or loss of credibility. Legal reasons; to comply with the law, i.e. RIDDOR (the Reporting of Injuries Diseases and Dangerous Occurences); to reduce potential fines and in doing so potential claims.

Occupational safety is not the absence of accidents but the identification of accident causes and implementing measures to control these potential accidents.

Accident investigation is a tool to help prevent the accident occuring again.

Loss causation and the domino theory

Accidents are a result of failings in the health and safety management system. Accidents are rarely the result of a single event. The cause of the accident can split into active and latent failings. Active failures are the actions of the individuals involved in the accident. Latent failures are remote failings of the management system that could have been in place for long periods of time before the active failings resulted. Latent failures are often refered to as pathonogenic failings.

The model:

Lack of Control/ Basic Causes/ Immediate Causes/ Incident/ Loss

Loss includes injuries to people, property and processes

Incident is the result of contact with energy or substance

Immediate Causes includes sub-standard acts and sub-standard conditions

Basic Causes include Personal factors and Job factors

Lack of control is the result of inadequate standards, compliance to standards and inadequate programmes for safety.

Sub-standard acts and conditions are immediate causes of the accident. This is often the only thing that is investigated. For a truely in-depth investigation to occur a more thorough examination of underlying causes needs to be conducted. Substandard acts and conditions are often referred to as the symptoms of the accident.

The basic causes are the real causes behind the symptoms. Basic causes are the reasons that unsafe acts and sub-standard conditions occur. Job Factors include poor supervision, leadership, purchasing, engineering, maintenance, equipment, tools, materails and work standards. Personal factors include inadequate capabilities, lack of knowledge and competence to carry out the task, lack of skill, stress (physiological and psychological) and improper motivation i.e. cutting corners.

Lack of control includes inadequate policies, management systems, and control systems. Inadequate standards include poor rules and a lack of compliance to rules. Loss of management control.

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Risk assessment QAS40002 Preventing falls from snow and ice

she ltd have produced a new online questionnaire risk assessment entitled QAS40002 Preventing falls from snow and ice.

http://www.qservices.co.uk/she/questionnaires.asp

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safe walking in the snow and ice

Safety Tips walking in the snow and ice
It's important that individuals recognize the hazards of slippery surfaces. Here are helpful hints from winter-safety experts that will reduce the risk of falling when slippery conditions exist:
Wear boots or overshoes with soles. Avoid walking in shoes that have smooth surfaces, which increase the risk of slipping.

Walk consciously. Be alert to the possibility that you could quickly slip on an unseen patch of ice. Avoid the temptation to run to catch a bus or beat traffic when crossing a street.
Walk cautiously. Your arms help keep you balanced, so keep hands out of pockets and avoid carrying heavy loads that may cause you to become off balance.
Walk "small." Avoid an erect, marching posture. Look to see ahead of where you step. When you step on icy areas, take short, shuffling steps, curl your toes under and walk as flatfooted as possible.

Remove snow immediately before it becomes packed or turns to ice. Keep your porch stoops, steps, walks and driveways free of ice by frequently applying ice melter granules. This is the best way to prevent formation of dangerous ice patches. Using a potassium-based melter, such as Safe Step, instead of salt will prevent damage to concrete, grass and other vegetation or to carpets and floors should you track in some.

Falling Safely
Even when you practice safe walking habits, slipping on ice is sometimes unavoidable.
Sit on the floor with your legs out flat in front of you. To simulate a backwards fall, slowly begin to lie back toward the floor and quickly tuck your head forward, chin to chest. At the same time, lift your knees to your chest and extend your arms away from your body and "slap" the ground with your palms and forearms. This manoeuvre will help prevent your head, wrists and elbows from hitting the ground.

Assume the original position. To practice a sideways fall - which usually causes a shoulder, hip, elbow or wrist injury - begin to roll to one side or the other. As you do so, lay out your arm parallel to your body so that your forearm, not your wrist or shoulder, is first to contact the floor. Also, lift your head toward your shoulder opposite the fall. Next, practice the procedure in the opposite direction.
From a kneeling position, practice for a potential front fall. Begin to lean forward and as you fall, roll to one side, laying out your arm parallel to your body, again so the forearm and not your wrist makes contact with the floor. Lift your head to the opposite shoulder and continue to roll.
Following these guidelines may not qualify you to handle movie stunts, but they can help protect you from serious injury this winter.


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driving/ snow and ice safety

Driving in Snow and Ice
The best advice for driving in bad winter weather is not to drive at all, if you can avoid it.
Don't go out until the snow plows and sanding trucks have had a chance to do their work, and allow yourself extra time to reach your destination.
If you must drive in snowy conditions, make sure your car is prepared, and that you know how to handle road conditions.
It's helpful to practice winter driving techniques in a snowy, open parking lot, so you're familiar with how your car handles. Consult your owner's manual for tips specific to your vehicle.

Driving safely on icy roads
Decrease your speed and leave yourself plenty of room to stop. You should allow at least three times more space than usual between you and the car in front of you.
Brake gently to avoid skidding. If your wheels start to lock up, ease off the brake.
Turn on your lights to increase your visibility to other motorists.
Keep your lights and windshield clean.
Use low gears to keep traction, especially on hills.
Be especially careful on bridges, overpasses and infrequently traveled roads, which will freeze first. Even at temperatures above freezing, if the conditions are wet, you might encounter ice in shady areas or on exposed roadways like bridges.
Don't pass snow plows and sanding trucks. The drivers have limited visibility, and you're likely to find the road in front of them worse than the road behind.
Don't assume your vehicle can handle all conditions. Even four-wheel and front-wheel drive vehicles can encounter trouble on winter roads.

If your rear wheels skid...
Take your foot off the accelerator.
Steer in the direction you want the front wheels to go. If your rear wheels are sliding left, steer left. If they're sliding right, steer right.
If your rear wheels start sliding the other way as you recover, ease the steering wheel toward that side. You might have to steer left and right a few times to get your vehicle completely under control.
If you have standard brakes, pump them gently.
If you have anti-lock brakes (ABS), do not pump the brakes. Apply steady pressure to the brakes. You will feel the brakes pulse — this is normal.

If your front wheels skid...
Take your foot off the gas and shift to neutral, but don't try to steer immediately.
As the wheels skid sideways, they will slow the vehicle and traction will return. As it does, steer in the direction you want to go. Then put the transmission in "drive" or release the clutch, and accelerate gently.

If you get stuck...
Do not spin your wheels. This will only dig you in deeper.
Turn your wheels from side to side a few times to push snow out of the way.
Use a light touch on the gas, to ease your car out.
Use a shovel to clear snow away from the wheels and the underside of the car.
Pour sand, kitty litter, gravel or salt in the path of the wheels, to help get traction.
Try rocking the vehicle. (Check your owner's manual first — it can damage the transmission on some vehicles.) Shift from forward to reverse, and back again. Each time you're in gear, give a light touch on the gas until the vehicle gets going.


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