Hazards can be found everywhere in the workplace. Some are quite apparent. Others are so small or seemingly ordinary that they're easily overlooked, and every worker can be placed at risk in some way. A workplace hazard denotes any kind of object or situation that could result in injury, disease or death. Some indicators are things we wouldn't immediately consider: Age, for instance. Young workers new on the job (age 16 - 25) have more of a chance of getting hurt than older, experienced workers. Another invisible hazard would involve experienced workers who use that same tool or equipment all day, every day. They may be at risk of repetitive strain injury. So employers, managers and supervisors need to develop the correct mindset to recognize hazards and take account of potential employee difficulties in carrying out tasks safely. The Major/Significant Hazards Many industries have workplace health and safety issues that are very specific. But some issues are ...

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It’s often said that worse things happen at sea and this can be certainly said about the recent tragic event when the cruise ship Costa Concordia ran aground near to the coast of Tuscany. From early indications it would appear that the Concordia hadn't yet conducted the emergency drill required by international maritime law which state that a mandatory drill must be conducted by the ship within 24 hours of departure. This ship had only departed from the port Civitavecchia a couple of hours previously and the drill wasn’t scheduled until the second day of the cruise. Whether on land or sea, events such as this show the importance of conducting evacuation drills. It is essential to ensure that people can escape quickly from the workplace in the event of an emergency such as a fire. In the event of an emergency, chaos and panic often occur if people are unfamiliar with their ...

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Sitting in front of a computer for long periods of time can lead to all sorts of discomfort and pain especially in the back, arms, wrists or neck. The Display Screen Equipment (DSE) Regulations (1992), state that every employer should perform a suitable and efficient analysis of workstations to assess risks to which those persons using them are exposed. The assessment should be conducted at two yearly intervals or after an office rearrangement, as appropriate. DSE users should request a review or reassessment whenever significant changes take place. Significant changes include; changes to DSE equipment, software, furniture, lightning. What’s included in the Risk Assessment? The assessment will be conducted on the computer workstation and the surrounding environment and will include an assessment of the tasks carried out relative to the person’s abilities. We will: Correct anything that can be done immediately, such as; moving the mouse closer or repositioning the telephone and other frequently used ...

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Over a third of all major injuries reported each year are caused as a result of a slip or trip (the single most common cause of injuries at work). These cost employers over £512 million a year in lost production and other costs. Slips and trips also account for over half of all reported injuries to members of the public. More than 1,000 workers a month suffer a serious injury following a slip, trip or fall. Statistics show that particular groups of workers are more likely to be involved, injured, or incapacitated in some way as a result of a slip, trip or fall at work. Construction workers, electricians, gas fitters other trades people, and site managers, kitchen managers and chefs, food retail staff, area and store managers, food operatives and their shift managers feature prominently in the figures. However slips, trips and falls accidents do happen in any workplace and the ...

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The Queen has served the Country tirelessly for 60 years as our Monarch which has led to a year of celebrations across the UK, which will peak in June, with the late May bank holiday being moved to Monday 3rd June and an extra bank holiday given on Tuesday 5th June. But the age old question continues to rumble on, do you, as an employer have to honour the additional bank holiday? The answer is maybe not … depending on the wording within the Contract of Employment issued to your employees throughout your organisation. It could be that you have the choice as to whether the holiday is granted to employees or not. If the wording in your Contracts of Employment simply confirms that, “you are entitled to all bank and public holidays” then as an employer, you will need to allocate an additional day’s leave in order to mark the celebrations. However, if ...

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The latest statistics in relation to the volume of cases handled by the Employment Tribunals have been published recently by the Ministry of Justice. The current statistics relate to the quarter from July to September 2011 inclusive. Within this period, Employment Tribunals received 40,300 new cases, a 30 per cent decrease in overall claims, compared to the same quarter of the previous year. The number of single claims decreased slightly, whilst the number of multiple claims reduced by 41 per cent. The figure for the comparable period last year was however distorted by a number of re-submitted airline related cases received in July to September 2010. In July to September 2011, there were 26,700 cases fully disposed of by the Tribunals, a fall of 16% on the comparable period last year. The number of single cases completed fell by 4% and the number of multiple claim cases disposed of also fell, in this ...

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