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Safe Systems of Work
'Health' and 'safety' are not always separate issues correct use of protective clothing and equipment, for example, may deal with both.
To develop a safe system think of both aspects, whether dealing with people, animals, machines or substances.
Health
Would a worker know what might happen to his or her overalls or skin if they were splashed with chemicals?
Could poor design of working areas, poor posture or repetitive movement lead to pain and soreness - in a keyboard operator's arms, for instance?
Is there any risk of animals transmitting diseases?
What is the likely level of exposure when using a toxic solvent to clean a machine?
Can exposure be reduced by substitution or alterations to the process.
When is a safe system needed?
Many hazards are clearly recognisable and can be overcome by physically separating people from them, e.g. by using guarding on machinery.
A safe system of work is needed when hazards cannot be physically eliminated and some element of risk remains. You should apply these principles to routine work as well as to more special cases such as:
Cleaning and maintenance operations; Making changes to work layouts, materials used or working methods; Employees working away from base or working alone; Breakdowns or emergencies; Controlling activities of contractors on your premises; Loading, unloading and movements of vehicles.
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Take account of:
What is used, e.g. the plant and substances, potential failures of machinery, toxic hazards, electrical hazards, design limits, risk of inadvertently operating automatic controls.
Who does what, e.g. delegation, training, foreseeable human errors, short cuts, ability to cope in an emergency where the task is carried out, e.g. hazards in the workplace, problems caused by weather conditions or lighting, hazards from adjacent processes or contractors, etc.
How the task is done. e.g. the procedures, potential failures in work methods, lack of foresight of infrequent events
Safety
Would an electrician working near a roof covered in fragile materials know of the danger unless told about it?
What control methods or standard of housing would be required for the safety of an animal, its handler and the public bearing in mind its behaviour and temperament?
Would there be any hazard if a machine or its guard failed, or if the operator chose to do the job a different way?
Are staff vulnerable to physical violence from robbers, hooligans or the people they deal with?
Is there any fire hazard from the use and storage of a cleaning chemical, or from disposal of contaminated cloths?
Health risks may be less obvious than safety hazards but are just as important. Once you have identified the risks, a safe system will provide adequate protection against them - and workers should be encouraged to keep to it.
Five steps to a safe system of work
Assess the task |
Identifying the hazards
When you have assessed a task, you should spot its hazards and weigh up the risks Where possible you should eliminate the hazards and reduce the risks before you rely upon a safe system of work.
Involve the people who will be doing the work. Their practical knowledge of problems can help avoid unusual risks and prevent false assumptions being made at this stage.
People
Don't forget the needs of the individuals doing the job - for instance:
Protective gear, seating, working space and machinery Guarding which is suitable for each individual; Ability to work safely if they are affected by medicines, drugs or alcohol, or have recently suffered illness or injury; Ability to understand safety instructions, through differences of language or culture; Appropriate methods, facilities or emergency procedures for those who have partial sight, poor hearing or some other handicap e.g. epilepsy; |
Checklist
Ask yourself some questions about the jobs - regular, irregular and the 'one-offs' - in your workplace:
Who is in charge of the job? Do their responsibilities overlap with those of anyone else? Is there anything which is not someone's responsibility? Are there any established safe ways of doing the job? Are there any relevant codes of practice or guidance notes? Are there safe working procedures laid down for the job? Can the job be made safe so protective clothing is not needed? Have people been instructed in the use and limitations of protective clothing? Has anyone assessed whether equipment, tools or machines have the capacity for the job? What will be the consequences if you are wrong? How will the person in charge deal with any problems? If things do go wrong, would your people know what to do? Could emergency services get to the site? If the job cannot be finished today can it be left in a safe state? Are clear instructions available for the next users? Are staff aware of what maintenance staff are doing, and vice versa? Is there a system for checking that jobs are done safely in the way intended. |
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