Workplace Health & Safety
North Ayrshire Council enforcement of the Health and Safety at Work Etc Act 1974 covers what is referred to as the service industry sector. This includes retail and wholesale premises, offices, hotels, catering premises, leisure activities, consumer services and exhibitions.
Enquiries regarding health and safety matters in any of these premises can be made to Environmental Health online or e-mail us at contactus@north-ayrshire.gov.uk
Further guidance on the relevant enforcing authority can be found on the Health & Safety Executive website.
Much of the enforcement activity includes providing businesses with advice and guidance on how to comply with the requirements of the Act and Regulations. Guidance on general health and safety or specific subjects can be found through the following links:
Enforcement
North Ayrshire Council is responsible for enforcing health and safety in over 2,200 premises. This enforcement is carried out by:
-
Implementing a planned inspection programme based on a risk assessment of the work activity. The higher risked premises will come within the planned inspection programme and the higher of these will be inspected more frequently;
-
Investigating accidents and dangerous occurrences that are reported to them in terms of the Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations;
-
Investigating complaints regarding health and safety in premises;
-
Providing advice on health and safety to employers, employees and members of the public;
-
Working with the Health and Safety Executive and other local authorities and relevant organisations in the promotion of health and safety in the workplace.
Information covering the main risk topics in places of employment can be found on the HSE website.
Guidance leaflets on the requirements of the law and how to comply are given to businesses following visits and requests for information. The main source of information is leaflets published by the Health and Safety Executive and copies these can be downloaded from their website where other information and guidance on health and safety matters can also be found.
HSE also publish priced publications that are available from HSE Books, PO Box 1999, Sudbury, Suffolk, CO10 2WA Tel: 01787 881165 Books can be ordered via the website or phone, or downloaded for free.
Advice and help on complying with health and safety requirements is available to small businesses from Health Working Lives Scotland.
These Regulations require that an employer carries out an assessment of any hazardous substance used by his employees. Hazardous substances can be found in many workplaces from offices to factories. They include cleaning agents, fumes, dust and micro organisms and can result in effects such as skin irritation, respiratory diseases, cancer or infections.
Contact dermatitis is an infection of the skin caused by contact with a range of materials such as detergents, toiletries, chemicals and even natural products and water (where contact is prolonged or frequent). Employees most at risk of developing symptoms include healthcare workers, hairdressers, beauticians, painters, cleaners, catering and construction workers.
Employers are required to adequately control exposure to materials in the workplace that can cause dermatitis. The Control of Substances Hazardous to Health Regulations 2002 require employers to carry out a risk assessment of such products and provide and ensure the use of adequate control measures and in some cases health surveillance.
Advice and guidance is available for employers and employees on how to recognise skin diseases and how to prevent them
These Regulations apply to persons who carry out work on gas services and appliances. They require that any person carrying out work on gas appliances and systems is competent to do so and has a Gas Safe Register appropriate authorisation. (From April 2009 the Gas Safe Register replaced the former CORGI registration) All Gas Safe registered engineers will hold an ID card indicating what work they have been assessed as being competent to do.
The Regulations also require that an employer maintains gas appliances in a safe condition.
Further guidance on the requirements of the Regulations is available.
Employers are required to provide employees with information either by displaying a poster or by the provision of leaflets to employees. A new poster and leaflet was introduced in April 2009 and employers have until April 2014 to replace the old ones.
A starter pack is available and has been designed to provide a comprehensive and low cost introduction to health and safety for new and small businesses.
The Control of Noise at Work Regulations 2005 has the effect of ensuring employees' hearing is protected at their workplace from excessive noise that could result in a loss of hearing. They apply not only to work activities involving the use of noisy tools and equipment but to entertainment activities where employees may be exposed to high noise levels, i.e. in pubs and nightclubs.
The Regulations state levels at which employers must carry out an assessment of the risks to workers' hearing and health and provide information and training to employees.
Risk assessment is essential to safe working. Employers are required by the Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations to carry out a risk assessment of their work activities and to take appropriate action to control the risks. Not all risks can be eliminated but the law requires that people are protected from risks to their health and safety as far as reasonably practicable.
Guidance on how to do a risk assessment can be found in leaflet 5 Steps to Risk Assessment (PDF 107Kb)
The single most common cause of injuries at work is due to a slip or a trip and these result in major injuries not only to employees but to members of the public. Slippery floor surfaces can be due to the inappropriate choice of floor finishes and of training methods and work procedures.
Employees who deal with the public can be at risk from violence such as physical attacks, threats or persistent verbal abuse. The employer's risk assessment should include the possibility of violence to employees and where this is foreseeable appropriate action should be taken to prevent it and reduce the risks of injury.
Falls from height remain the single biggest cause of workplace deaths and one of the main causes of major injury. The Regulations replace earlier Regulations about working at height and were introduced to implement the European Council Temporary Work at Height Directive. The Regulations define work at height as working at a height from which a person falling could be injured.
The movement of vehicles in and about workplaces can result in accidents and even fatalities. However, most accidents can be avoided through good planning of the workplace and the provision of training to employees on the safe movement of vehicles. Guidance has been produced by the Health and Safety Executive to help people involved with transport activities in the workplace reduce the chances of accidents happening and is aimed at both managers and operators.
Young people are more at risk of injury at work especially in catering where many are employed. When carrying out a risk assessment of work activities particular consideration must be given to those involving young people. Further guidance on this can be found on Health and Safety of Children and Young People in Catering (PDF 105.6Kb)