Easy guide to health and safety

Do you need to get to grips with health and safety principles but don't have time to wade through reams of legislation and guidance? Do you need practical step-by-step guidance on health and safety issues for your small business? Then this is the book for you. The jargon-free Easy Guide to Health and Safetyintroduces the health and safety issues which the self-employed and managers, directors and staff with health and safety responsibilities in small businesses face every day. Words and legislation are kept to a minimum and the text is supported by numerous relevant illustrations. The book is packed with practical guidance and solutions, as well as handy checklists and forms for your basic health and safety needs, especially useful when setting up a new business. The book is also suitable for students on IOSH Working Safely and NVQ level 1 and 2 courses from City & Guilds and other NVQ awarding bodies. Phil Hughes is a well known UK safety professional with over thirty years world wide experience. He was Chairman of NEBOSH from 1995-2001 and President of IOSH in 1990-91. Phil received the RoSPA Distinguished service award in May 2001 and became a Director and Trustee of RoSPA in 2003. He received an MBE in the New Year Honours List 2005 for services to Health and Safety. Liz Hughes taught psychology in further and higher education. She went on to qualify as a social worker specializing in mental health, and later moved into the voluntary sector where she managed development for a number of years. Liz has achieved NVQ training modules D32, 33 and 34 and has tutored students completing NVQ awards. Her psychology and education background means that she is skilled in preparing readable, easily accessible information.

Author Notes

Phil Hughes MBE is a well known UK safety professional with over thirty years world wide experience

Preface	p. ix
Acknowledgements	p. xiii
Chapter 1 What is health and safety all about?	p. 1
Summary	p. 1
1.1 Introduction	p. 2
1.2 Why is health and safety such an important topic?	p. 3
1.3 What is health and safety all about?	p. 8
1.4 Role and function of other external agencies	p. 9
1.5 Getting started - hazards, risk assessment and control	p. 10
1.6 How do you make a risk assessment?	p. 12
Appendix 1.1 Hazard prompts	p. 21
Appendix 1.2 Risk assessment record sheet	p. 28
Appendix 1.3 Example of risk assessments completed using a slight variations on the record forms	p. 30
Chapter 2 Managing health and safety	p. 45
Summary	p. 45
2.1 General management responsibilities	p. 46
2.2 Organise the work so that it is safe	p. 47
2.3 Health and safety assistance	p. 49
2.4 Provide adequate supervision	p. 49
2.5 Provide information, instruction and training	p. 50
2.6 Monitor and review of health and safety performance	p. 52
2.7 Major occupational health and safety management systems	p. 53
Appendix 2.1 Health and Safety - How do you comply?	p. 55
Appendix 2.2 Example of a simple health and safety policy	p. 60
Appendix 2.3 Example checklist for workplace audits (walk-through inspection)	p. 65
Chapter 3 Framework of health, safety and fire law	p. 69
Summary	p. 69
3.1 Legal framework	p. 70
3.2 What the HSW Act requires	p. 72
3.3 Management Regulations	p. 75
3.4 Consultation and safety representatives	p. 77
3.5 Safety signs and notices	p. 80
3.6 Checklists for starting a new business	p. 82
Appendix 3.1 Your health, your safety: A guide for workers	p. 86
Chapter 4 Control of safety hazards	p. 89
Summary	p. 89
4.1 The workplace and basic welfare	p. 90
4.2 Movement of people and vehicles	p. 95
4.3 Driving for work	p. 97
4.4 Fire	p. 101
4.5 Electricity	p. 111
4.6 Work equipment	p. 116
4.7 Manual handling	p. 122
4.8 Slips and trips	p. 126
4.9 Working at height (WAH)	p. 129
4.10 Confined spaces	p. 134
Appendix 4.1 Manual handling risk assessment	p. 135
Chapter 5 Hazardous substances - Health hazards	p. 137
Summary	p. 137
5.1 Hazardous substances	p. 138
5.2 Asbestos	p. 143
5.3 Dermatitis	p. 149
5.4 Drug and alcohol policy at work	p. 154
5.5 Legionnaires' disease	p. 157
5.6 Personal protective equipment	p. 158
5.7 Smokefree workplaces	p. 160
Appendix 5.1 COSHH assessment forms	p. 168
Appendix 5.2 Smokefree policy	p. 170
Appendix 5.3 Smokefree sign	p. 171
Chapter 6 Physical and psychological health hazards	p. 173
Summary
6.1 Display screen equipment and computer workstations	p. 174
6.2 Musculoskeletal disorders	p. 177
6.3 Noise	p. 182
6.4 Stress	p. 192
6.5 Vibration	p. 194
6.6 Violence and bullying	p. 201
Appendix 6.1 Workstation self assessment checklist	p. 203
Chapter 7 Construction and contractors	p. 207
Summary	p. 207
7.1 Introduction	p. 208
7.2 Contractors	p. 208
7.3 Suppliers	p. 209
7.4 What people need to know	p. 211
7.5 Construction and maintenance jobs	p. 212
7.6 Providing a health and safety method statement	p. 214
7.7 Subcontracting work	p. 216
7.8 Safety rules for contractors	p. 217
7.9 Working with a permit-to-work system	p. 218
7.10 Construction hazards	p. 218
Appendix 7.1 Sample safety rules for contractors	p. 224
Appendix 7.2 Health and Safety Checklist for contractors	p. 226
Chapter 8 Accidents and emergencies	p. 229
Summary	p. 229
8.1 Introduction	p. 230
8.2 Accidents can cost a great deal	p. 230
8.3 Causes of accidents	p. 231
8.4 Emergency procedures	p. 233
8.5 Investigating accidents and incidents	p. 235
8.6 Accident book	p. 236
8.7 Reporting of accidents	p. 237
8.8 First aid	p. 239
8.9 Role and powers of enforcement officers	p. 242
8.10 Insurance claims	p. 243
Appendix 8.1 Manager's incident/accident report	p. 245
Appendix 8.2 Example of a shop emergency procedure	p. 248
Appendix 8.3 Typical Fire Action Notice	p. 250
Chapter 9 Sources of information and guidance	p. 251
Summary	p. 251
9.1 Principal health, safety and fire websites	p. 252
9.2 HSE books publications referenced in the text of various chapters and other booklets that are worth consulting	p. 258
9.3 Books by Phil Hughes MBE and Ed Ferrett	p. 267
9.4 A few acronyms used in health and safety	p. 267
Index	p. 271

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Author Notes

Table of Contents