Safety and health at work

is everyones concern
Its good for you
Its good for business
Good practice for
enterprises, social partners
and organisations
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A better workplAce for All
Making a success of a small business is demanding.
whether youre running the business yourself, working
for it, or doing both at once, you may think, the last thing
you need to worry about is safety and health . you may
believe that it is something only big organisations need
to consider. wrong.
Safety and health is everyones concern.
its good for you and good for the business
you work in.
Turning the healthy workplace initiative into
your reality: we show you how !
To those who say that safety
costs money, I would say that the
lack of it costs more.

Paul Lampit,
Director of Insurance Services
Taylor WoodrowPlc
WhenI goout totheconstruction
site and I am quickly reminded
by my boss to put my hard hat
on, he is also reminding me that
he cares.

Nigel Copthorne,
site worker
working towArds better
business together
placing safety and health at the heart
of your workplace will not only ensure
you avoid the expensive costs of injuries
and ill health. it will also improve the
productivity of your business. workers
who are enthusiastic, well motivated
and well trained, with equipment and
materials that are efficient and well
maintained, can result in better quality,
better productivity, and better economic
performance:
Just consider these results:

improved productivity

less staff absence

less staff turnover

improved quality
businesses with highly trained, effi-
cient workers, are recognised as quality
businesses, and are often very success-
ful. as a trained worker you will feel
valued, and by demonstrating respect
for you, employers can at the same time
earn your respect. you will work harder,
the business will perform better and the
work completed more safely. The result
is you will feel much safer and more
professionally secure:
Just consider these results:

improved morale

less emotional stress

better pay and conditions

better prospects
a
commitment
to people:
The businesss
case
better delivery on
quality, cost, time
More satisfied clients,
better profitability
happier, healthier, more
productive employees
better pay and condi-
tions for employees
ref: constructing excellence
(http://www.constructingexcellence.org.uk/)
Many small businesses in the european Union have
already discovered that placing safety and health at
the heart of their workplace enables employers and
employees to achieve better results for themselves,
and their customers. having a healthy workplace is
an integral part of a successful companys quality
management agenda.
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T h e h e a l T h y w o r k p l a c e i n i T i a T i v e i a n e w d e a l f o r a b e T T e r w o r k p l a c e
Your rights to sAfetY And heAlth
all european Union countries have
legislation that set out measures to
protect worker safety and health in order
to improve quality in safety and security
in the workplace. These laws are based
on european directives that lay down
minimumobligations for employers and
workers, covering the prevention of all
types of risks and each activity or sector
where risks exist. This legislation is in place
to protect workers against occupational
accidents and diseases and to assist in the
prevention of occupational hazards.
and ultimately, every employer in the
eU is responsible for health and safety
in his or her business and for taking the
appropriate measures such as ensuring
the availability of sufficient resources,
carrying out a risk assessment, informing,
training and consulting workers.
in the mixing section of a bakery, operatives had to
open and tip up to forty 25 kg sacks into a hopper
every hour. as the level of sacks on the pallet went
down, more stooping and lifting was required, with
resultant back injuries.
The installation of vacuum bag lifter removed
the manual element of the job, with a resulting
increase in productivity, improved employee
morale and a reduction in strains and sprains.
Avoiding workplAce Accidents
And injuries At All cost
even without the legislation setting
out the reasons why safety and health
should be an integral part of an
employers approach to management,
it is only logical, as productivity, quality
and safety at work are issues that are
intrinsically linked.
for any business, large, medium or
micro, the ultimate aim must be to
prevent injuries and illnesses. it goes
without saying that as an employer you
do not want anyone to get hurt, but
there is another good reason for a safety
and health strategy: accidents and
illnesses cost money !
Just consider these facts:
you and your employees lose a lot of productive time;
it's not just the person who is hurt or sick.

production time is lost while a process is down and
it can take time for production to get going again.

if there has been damage to equipment or the building,
you may have repair costs.

you may have to hire someone to replace an injured
worker and take the time to train the new person.

you will still have the costs of an injured worker's salary,
plus compensation costs.

accidents and illnesses can lower morale for the rest
of the workers and hurt their productivity.

you will have to spend time completing paperwork
about the accident.
also by law, every employee in the eU
has rights (whether they are permanent
staff, agency or simply a contractor)
to work in places where risks to
their safety and health are properly
controlled, to join and be represented
by a trade union and ultimately to look
after safety and health together with
their employers.
an operation involving putting on and taking off
tin lids in a bakery production line was causing
problems, because employees were forced to stoop
and twist to get at the lids. Two machines were
installed at a cost of 45,000 respectively to put
on and take off the lids.
noise and muscular injuries were considerably
decreased, employee morale was improved, and
bottlenecks in the production line removed. an esti-
mated 80,000 in annual running costs was saved.
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T h e h e a l T h y w o r k p l a c e i n i T i a T i v e i a n e w d e a l f o r a b e T T e r w o r k p l a c e
getting stArted
To enable your company to activate the right
responses to safety and health concerns in the
workplace, you need to prepare yourselves with
the right resources and competences. for a
start, verify what your legal obligations are as an
employer. if your firm employs more than one
person, you may wish to designate someone or
some people to be responsible for health and
safety, making sure that they have the necessary
time, resources, training and authority for this role.
alternatively you may employ competent services
or a consultant from outside.
The kind of support you need will depend
on the type of industry, the nature of the risks,
the size of your enterprise and what is specified
in your national regulations. but, whatever the
nature of your business, the best place to start
is with your own employees. as the closest to
the operational reality, they are indispensable in
assessing the risks: faulty or inadequate safety
procedures and equipment, poor ventilation,
workplace ailments that havent been reported,
maybe dangerous working practices you
werent even aware of ! your workers are there
in the front line of your business: they know
what could go wrong, so theyre often the best
people to tell you what needs to be done.
but dont overlook other aspects of your logistical
processes where safety and health concerns may
also apply:

The selection process for contractors

your purchasing policy for equipment, products
etc.

Making safety training part of your overall train-
ing policy

having supervisors and foremen
integrate risk prevention into
all their activities.
prioritising Your workers
a companys greatest asset is its
workforce, if this workforce is doing its
job properly, carefully, efficiently and
productively. keeping employees and
contractors informed about the job
they are carrying out is straightforward
enough, but telling them about
the risks and hazards they may face
and protecting them from these
hazards may seem tedious. yet it is
an important role for the employer
to ensure that workers are properly
trained and protected for their jobs.
an employer should inform workers
about the safety and health risks they
might face, the appropriate preventive
actions to be taken to overcome these
risks, any first aid measures, as well as
the necessary evacuation procedures in
the event of serious or imminent danger.
Training does more than just help to
ensure that work is done safely and that
you comply with the law. it contributes
to successful business performance.
effective communication and ensuring
that the workforce is appropriately
trained are key components of the
quality management systems of
successful enterprises. Trained workers
can work more efficiently and trained
workers will feel more valued and
respected by their employers. Training
should be given immediately on
recruitment, in the event of a change
of job or changes in work or where new
technologies are introduced into the
workplace , and repeated periodically
if necessary. information and training
should be based on the outcomes of the
risk assessment.

Some tasks or access to areas where there are serious
dangers can only be given to workers who have specific
experience/training and have received the appropriate
instructions. Typical examples might include electrical
work and maintenance activities.

information, instruction and training need to be suitable and
understandable. for example, you must consider the needs
of workers with disabilities who may need information
presented in different formats.
Training must take into account that:
Follow the risk assessment principles, which
incorporate the hierarchy oF prevention

avoid risks.

evaluate the risks which cannot be avoided.

combat the risk at source, for example if a
machine is making too much noise treat the
machine itself before soundproofing the room in
which it is housed.

adapt work to individuals, such as through adjust-
able work surface heights, choice of working
methods, avoiding monotonous work or paced-
work.

adapt to technical progress or other changes, for
example newer circular saws are better guarded
than older ones.

replace the dangerous by the non-dangerous or
the less dangerous, such as using paints that do
not contain harmful solvents.

develop a coherent overall prevention policy
which covers production, organization of work,
working conditions, dialogue between workers
and management and the influence of factors
related to the working environment.

Give priority to collective protective measures
and only resort to individual protective meas-
ures if the situation provides no other choice,
for example eliminate noisy equipment instead
of distributing ear protectors, or provide an
effective guard-rail rather than an anti-fall
harness.

Give appropriate instructions to the workers.

check that measures are actually implemented
and that they are effective.

revise your assessment regularly and when you
introduce changes.
and seek to ensure an improvement in the level of
protection.
key practical information on how to conduct a
risk assessment can also be found on the healthy
workplace initiative website at http://hwi.osha.
europa.eu http://hwi.osha.europa.eu
The employer should also bear in
mind that mind that certain categories
of workers are also more at risk
of accidents than others and take
this into account when planning
measures. These may include foreign
employees that do not speak the same
language and are unable to read safety
instructions or temporary workers who
are unskilled for the job they are asked
to undertake. or young people and
new recruits who, due to their lack of
experience, present hazards that are
not evident or even anticipated and
eventually need supervision: in fact
these categories record a significantly
higher rate of injury than older or more
experienced employees. on the other
hand, workers over a certain age may
not be able to handle the physical
exertion required. Safety and health
measures should be taken to protect
workers, adapting work to allow themto
work safely, not exclude them which
could be discriminatory.
a concerned employer is a clever
employer. ensure that you carry out
effective health surveillance of your
employees and workers in relation to
the risks they run in carrying out their
duties. health surveillance may be as
straightforward as workers reporting
about their own health on a regular
basis or perhaps regularly undergoing
a health assessment by a qualified
health professional or even a medical
examination from time to time by a
suitably qualified doctor.
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T h e h e a l T h y w o r k p l a c e i n i T i a T i v e i a n e w d e a l f o r a b e T T e r w o r k p l a c e

operatives assembling telephone exchange equipment

using electric wrapping guns with the assembly on a
fixed height table registered high rates of sick leave and
labour turnover over a seven year period.
a re-design of the working frame to make it more
accessible and provide better posture support at the
work station reduced turnover of staff by 75%and sick
leave by more than 92%. The company estimated that
the savings from the changes outweighed the costs by
a factor of ten to one.
test Your AwAreness
employee checklist

has your employer recently or ever
undertaken a risk assessment ?

have you received enough
information and training to
understand what hazards you
are exposed to and how you may
be affected ?

is this enough to know what you
have to do to keep yourself and
others safe?

can you spot when things are wrong,
and do you know whom you should
report any problems to ?

are you aware of the latest first aid

and emergency procedures ?

is your employer providing you with

the health monitoring services you
are entitled to ?
employers checklist

is there written information and clear
instructions at every workplace?

has the safety information from
equipment manufacturers handbooks
been made available in clear easy-to-
read instructions for use in your work-
ers daily routine?

has a risk assessment been carried
out and its findings communicated ?

are workers asked regularly about
potential safety and health problems ?

has all relevant information, instruc-
tion and training on the hazards
present in the workplace been pro-
vided to workers, including the pre-
cautions they should take to protect
themselves and their colleagues ?

do all employees know:
how to make full and proper
use of all the control measures
provided ?
to whom they should report
problems and defects with
any control measures ?
what they should do in the
event of an accident, incident
or emergency ?
a secretary had three months off work because of
pains in her neck and right wrist due to the poor
positioning of her vdU, chair and desk.
after observation of her at work, the layout of her
work station was re-designed (at a cost of 600).
better design ensured less stretching and bending.
The employee no longer has neck or arm problems
and has taken no more time off work. cost savings
include the cost of hiring temporary staff and the
associated loss of efficiency.
workers and their representatives have rights to actively participate in health and safety.
Studies looking at best practice to prevent risks show that effective consultation and participa-
tion of the workforce, making use of their knowledge and experience, is one of the key success
factors. So it makes good sense as well as being a requirement.

regarding health and safety, the employer must:

consult workers and/or their representatives to ensure their participation

provide them with the results of risk assessments

involve them in setting up preventive measures

respect their right to ask the employer to take appropriate measures and submit proposals

allow access to the information necessary for risk assessment and to accident reports

give them time off work, without loss of pay, and the necessary means to perform their func-
tions.
examples of things that employers must consult on include preventive measures, emergency
procedures and health and safety training. full details are given in national legislation, which,
depending on the number of workers in the company, could include having a safety commit-
tee.

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further prActicAl Advice
Keep a record of incidences and accidents

Speak to your employees and workers about potential near misses when something goes wrong.

draw up, for the responsible authorities and in accordance with national laws and/or practices,
reports on occupational accidents sustained by your workers.

you may consider using an outside consultant to conduct an accident investigation. you should
try to understand why the accident or near miss occurred and what actions can be taken to make
sure it doesn't happen again.
look out for potential trouble spots

accident frequency and severity: jobs where accidents occur frequently or where they occur
infrequently, but result in disabling injuries.

potential for severe injuries or illnesses: where the consequences of an accident, hazardous condition,
or exposure to harmful substance are potentially severe.

Modified jobs: new hazards may be associated with changes in job procedures.

infrequently performed jobs: workers may be at greater risk when undertaking non-routine jobs.
build safety and health into your standard practice

regularly track and monitor workplace safety and health: methods include workplace discussions,
surveys, inspections, analyses of accident records, employee surveys.

Screen the use of toxic materials, complex machinery and equipment, as well as any construction
or redevelopment work which could pose problems.

analyse all relevant data: Material Safety data Sheets, accident and illness records, exposure monitoring
records, and registers of injuries, illnesses, grievances and complaints made to management.

Undertake routine inspections of all workplaces and not just the high-risk ones !
ensure worker cooperation
The main responsibilities to ensure safety and health lie with you, the employer, but workers also have a
vital part to play. They must follow the instructions and training you have provided them and take care of
their own and fellow workers health and safety.
workers must:


Make correct use of machinery, apparatus, tools, equipment and substances supplied to them;

Make correct use of personal protective equipment supplied to them, returning it to its proper
place after use;

leave in place safety devices fitted to plant and machinery, and use such safety devices correctly;

immediately inform you, or the persons responsible, of any dangerous work situation and any
shortcomings in the protection arrangements;

cooperate in all tasks imposed by safety and health regulations and cooperate actively with you, the
employer, to ensure that the working environment and working conditions are safe and pose no risk to.
There are a number of ways you can motivate your employees, so that taking safety seriously comes
naturally to them and makes the process easier for you, too:


build safety into the culture and tradition of your business;

establish clear safety standards and measurements;

encourage your employees to point out potential improvements
(offer incentives: organise suggestion schemes, competitions ?);

reward, not penalise, the whistle-blower;

respond fast to concerns and suggestions, keep employees informed;

encourage an atmosphere of awareness:
place safety posters, pamphlets in the workplace
inform workers of their rights and responsibilities
invite guest speakers
offer work safety training programmes
publicise other workplace problems in your region and industry.
1
2
3
What is a risk assessment?
risk assessment refers to the process of
evaluating risks to workers' safety and
health from hazards at the workplace.
What is the purpose of a risk
assessment?
Many european directives relating to
safety and health at work require an
assessment of risks, but even without
a legal requirement to perform an
assessment, it is good practice to do
so as it allows effective measures to
be taken to protect workers' health.
The accident prevention process starts
with the reduction and, where feasible,
total elimination of potential risks,
followed by the implementation of
collective prevention measures and, in
the final instance, personal protection
solutions. by identifying the hazards
and evaluating the risks, the employer,
or person in control of the work should
be able to:
Take a decision as to the protective
measures required, taking into account
relevant legal requirements;
check whether the measures in place
are adequate;
prioritise any further measures found
to be required;
Show that an informed judgement
has been made on workers' safety
and health (e. g. to workers or to the
regulatory authorities);
See whether an improvement in
the level of protection to workers
has been achieved.
A risk assessment
a risk assessment should match the
hazards, risks and potential harm. for
example, a large chemicals plant is
likely to have a very technical system of
assessment, whereas a small enterprise
carrying out low-risk activities needs a
simple straightforward system.
The risk assessment should:
identify the hazards;
identify the workers potentially
at risk from those hazards;
estimate the risks involved;
consider whether these risks
can be eliminated, and if not;
Make a judgement on additional
measures needed (if any) to
prevent or reduce the risks.
4
risk Assessment:
A vitAl component of prevention
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A stepwise ApproAch to risk Assessment
1. Look for the hazards
Think about the work that is done and the materials, equip-
ment, and chemicals that are used and produced. what can
cause harm ? for example:

heavy lifting that can lead to back injuries

working in a noisy environment that can cause deafness

working in a high-pressure office with a bullying manager,
leading to work-related stress

operating a dangerous machine without any training.
insist that your employees inform you of any problems they
are aware of in the workplace.
2. Decide who may be harmed and how
Think about everyone who may be hurt. This means not just
employees, but also contractors, self-employed persons,
and members of the public.
3. Evaluate the risks and decide on action
is someone likely to be harmed ? if someone could be hurt:

can the hazard be removed completely ?

can the risk be controlled ?

can protective measures be taken to protect the whole
workforce?

is personal protective equipment needed to protect the
worker from a risk that cannot be adequately controlled
by collective preventive measures ?
4. Take action
after completing the risk assessment, list the preventive
measures needed in order of priority, then take action,
involving the workers and their representatives in the
process. The steps to reduce the risk to workers should be
part of the day-to-day work process.
Talk to the workers and worker representatives. involve themin
the risk assessment process and tell themwhat you are doing to
reduce risk.
5. Reviewthe findings
ways of working, along with changes in equipment and chemi-
cals specifications. when a significant change takes place, check
to make sure that there are no newhazards that need controlling.
Taking action on your level of risk:

if your risks are insignificant, then your assessment is complete.

if your risks are controlled to a set standard then, if possible,

make further improvements to ensure protection. with the
assessment complete, make sure the prevention strategy is
in place.

if risks are currently controlled, but the control system

could be prone to misuse, then determine actions needed
to improve protection systems and outline emergency
procedures in the event of failure.

if there are possible risks but no proof that these will lead
to illness or injury, then compare existing measures with
standards of good practice and determine how measures
can be improved.

if risks seem to be adequately controlled, but not necessarily

due to control measures in place, then adapt control
measures to meet potential risks.

if risks are high and not adequately controlled, then take

immediate action to prevent exposure to risk, by stopping
the work process if necessary.

if there is no evidence as to whether a risk exists, then keep a

look out for further information and apply principles of good
occupational safety and health practice.
The STeps of risK assessmenT

identifying hazards what might go wrong?

Judging who might be harmed and how seriously, including
employees, contractors, the public.

deciding how likely it is to happen.

deciding how these risks can be eliminated or reduced can
facilities, work methods, equipment or training be improved ?

Setting priorities for action based on size of risk, numbers
affected etc.

implementing control measures.

reviewing, to check that control measures are working.

including employee consultation in the process and providing
information on risk assessment results.
operators at a whisky bottling plant where one
brand of whisky needed to have a brass wire mesh
fitted round it found the angle at which they
needed to do the job was imposing repetitive
strain injury and the danger of upper limb injuries.
Six new machines were installed to do the twisting
of the wire once the mesh had been fitted (at a total
cost of 40,000.) productivity was increased with
operators deployed elsewhere, there was 20%less
waste of wire mesh, and noise levels were reduced
from 90 to 80 db(a). estimated efficiency gains to the
business of 60,000 per annum.
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T h e h e a l T h y w o r k p l a c e i n i T i a T i v e i a n e w d e a l f o r a b e T T e r w o r k p l a c e
introducing the heAlthY workplAce initiAtive
An initiative of the European Agency for Safety and Health
at Work to provide employers and employees with easy
access to quality information about safety and health, the
Healthy Workplace Initiative provides all the tools needed
for a safe, healthy and productive workplace.

Essential links to local trade associations, employer groups,
service providers for the latest in assistance with occupational
safety and health.

information about Government regulations in the
field of safety and health.

How other small businesses have overcome similar
challenges with simple, efficient solutions.

Immediate access to EU information on legislation,
initiatives and funding.

Practical risk assessment tools.
visit us today at:
http://hwi.osha.europa.eu

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European Agency for Safety and Health at Work
Gran va 33, 48009 bilbao Spain, tel.: +34 94 479 43 60, fax: +34 94 479 43 83
e-mail: [email protected]
where to obtain further information