European Campaign for Safety and Health at Work 2008

Written By Julian Roberts | Jun 25th, 2008 | | | Category: Featured Articles

This Year’s campaign focusses upon- Risk Assessment

It’s always a bit difficult to try and explain to somebody who really doesn’t understand, why we need to conduct a risk assessment on what they’re about to do. I’ve a large tree outside my office window, it’s a green one and in the summer obscures my view of anything apart from the occasional squirrel. Every morning our handy man pops his head around the door to make his daily quip of ‘nice day, how’s the view?’.Most amusing. Last week he said ‘I’ve hired a cherry picker to be delivered here on Tuesday, so that I can chop back the branches outside your window and give you a bit of a view’. I asked Ray if this was something he was experienced at and had done before. ‘oh no’ he said ‘ but I like a challenge’. I said ‘I think perhaps we ought to conduct a risk assessment before you go any further’. Ray was a little taken aback as he thought I was implying that I thought he wasn’t capable of doing the job. I reassured him and explained that all I was trying to do was ensure that everything he was doing would not put him at personal risk. Our internal H&S expert conducted the risk assessment and with panic in his eyes stood in my office saying ‘please tell me you’re not going to let him do this?’.

What seemed to Ray to be a simple, helpful task that could be completed quickly and easily was actually a highly dangerous and risky exercise that should only be undertaken by a qualified expert. The hire company were not going to provide what we considered to be adequate PPE and fall arrest equipment plus Ray had absolutely no experience or training in this field. Of course, the cherry picker was cancelled and my view remains obscured.

Risk assessment can be seen by some as an obstacle to completing their work, however as we all know, it is there to protect the health and wellbeing of every employee as well as ensuring the business has done all that is reasonably practicable to reduce down any risks in the workplace. With this in mind the European Agency for Safety & Health at Work have announced the European Campaign for Safety & Health at Work (formerly known as Euroweek) will this time be a 2 year campaign focusing on risk assessment.

For more information please see http://www.hse.gov.uk/campaigns/euroweek/index.htm.

Don’t forget to have a look at the Safety Media news feed where there is a whole section dedicated to up-to-date news stories on risk assessment http://www.safetymedia.co.uk/news/risk_assessment

I think I’ll move my office to the other end of the building.

Take care and keep safe

Julian

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Anonymous December 19th, 2008 12:13 pm :
Many employers will be aware that there are restrictions on the employment of young people and that certain requirements must be met before a young worker can be employed. It is therefore important to be aware of the Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999, regulation 19 which requires that every employer should carry out a suitable and sufficient risk assessment before employing a young person (someone below the age of 18).
Following this risk assessment the employer must ensure that the young worker is protected from any risk to their health, safety and welfare whilst they are at work. In particular during the risk assessment the employer should focus on a number of specific factors that are highlighted by the Management Regulations, these include the young workers potential lack of experience or lack of awareness of the workplace and the existing risks.
There are additional issues that employers must take into account before employing a young person; these include ensuring that a young person is not subject to work that is beyond their physical or psychological capacity. The young worker must not be exposed to harmful substances which are carcinogenic or toxic, or involve harmful exposure to radiation. Employers must also avoid work where young workers may be exposed to extremes of heat, cold, noise and vibration. Finally, employers must also consider the risks from activities where is may be reasonably assumed that the young person cannot recognise the risks due to their lack of experience awareness and training.

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