Hearing Protection

Protecting hearing helps to reduce the likelihood of tinnitus, deafness, temporary hearing loss and related illnesses. Earplugs and ear defenders (earmuffs) are the two main types of hearing protection. Before ear protection is used it is a legal requirement for employers to initially carry out a risk assessment and to take action to reduce the exposure to workplace noise to acceptable low levels, ideally where the use of ear protection is not needed. "If exposure is below lower action values, the risk is low, and it is likely no action is required ¯ but if there are simple, inexpensive

Continue reading about this

  Hierarchy of Controls

An employer has a legal responsibility to provide a safe system of work (The Health and Safety at Work etc. 1974 Act) and to carry out a risk assessment, with subsequent implementation of preventative and protective health and safety measures for staff (The Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999). Regulation 4 states that “Where an employer implements any preventive and protective measures he shall do so on the basis of the principles specified in Schedule 1 to these Regulations.” A hierarchy of controls is used, in descending order, to reduce the risk to the lowest r

Continue reading about this

  High-visibility Clothing

Protective clothing made from fluorescent orange or yellow material, with reflective bands for increased visibility to others. Required for use in areas with moving traffic, such as working on roads, verges, depots, where construction or high intensity maintenance work is taking place. The clothing might be trousers, waistcoats, jackets, and coveralls., and is often shorten to the term high-vis.

  Hygiene

Maintaining good personal and workplace hygiene is important for a number of reasons. Employers have a duty under the Workplace (Health, Safety and Welfare) Regulations 1992 to provide adequate facilities; it is up to the employee to ensure they take advantage of the facilities. Handling soil and compost, in particular, will expose you to potential infection if you do not wash and cleanse your hands, arms, face after having contact with this material. Assuming you don't want to become ill due to work activities and wish to look after yourself then a simple wash and clean up after any wor

Continue reading about this

  Incident

This can be either a near miss, which is an event not causing harm, but has the potential to cause injury or ill health, and in which the HSE typically will include dangerous occurrences; or an undesired circumstance, which is a set of conditions or circumstances that have the potential to cause injury or ill health. (https://www.hse.gov.uk/toolbox/managing/accidents.htm) Schedule 2 of RIDDOR identifies dangerous occurrence events, which are known as a reportable incidence. (https://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2013/1471/schedule/2/made ) The differ

Continue reading about this

  Lifting Operations and Lifting Equipment Regulations 1998

Often referred to by its acronym of LOLER, this regulation states that any employer who uses lifting equipment has a duty to ensure that • “ (a) lifting equipment is of adequate strength and stability for each load, having regard in particular to the stress induced at its mounting or fixing point; “ and “(b) every part of a load and anything attached to it and used in lifting it is of adequate strength.” (Regulation 4); • Lifting equipment for lifting individuals doesn’t injury that person whilst in use through “being crushed, trapped or struck or falling from the carrier”, (Regulation 5);

Continue reading about this

  Long-Term Exposure Limit

A time period of 8-hours (TWA) which is used for managing workplace exposure limits. These long periods are set to help prevent the effects of substances which “require prolonged or accumulated exposure”. (Source: EH40/2005 Workplace exposure limits, HSE, p.28, https://www.hse.gov.uk/pubns/books/eh40.htm, accessed 10th June 2022)

  Manual Handling

The physical movement of materials, equipment and machinery by a human. This activity is the first which is usually carried out by an individual in the grounds care industry and is the one which needs to be learnt as part of initial induction training as incorrect manual handling techniques, even on seemingly easy to handle items, can lead to serious and potentially career wrecking outcomes. The HSE has developed numerous guides and aids to risk assessment for manual handling, including: A risk assessment filter, to identify low-risk manual handling and decide if you need to carry out a mor

Continue reading about this

  Manufacturers Guidance

It is important to follow manufacturers guidance in the use of tools and equipment because they understand how to use the tools and equipment in the most effective, efficient and safe way. They wish to pass this knowledge on to users to stop accidents occurring and to reduce the likelihood of a malfunction in equipment due to misuse. Safe tools and equipment are good tools and equipment - from a health and safety perspective. Manufacturers guidance will typically show how their product can be used to good effect. This will contribute to a longer lasting product: If a product has an enduring

Continue reading about this

  Maximum Exposure Limit

A term that was previously used to for a substance hazardous to health for which an individual must not have been exposed to a maximum stated quantity within a defined period of time. This term was removed form use by the Control of Substances Hazardous to Health (Amendment) Regulations 2004 and replaced (by Section 2(a)(iv)) with workplace exposure limit (WEL).