What Is Health and Safety?

Archive for August, 2011

The home and the workplace can be a dangerous place. But one thing you can do to make these places less hazardous is by making sure you have the right equipment and information signs in place. Here are 10 spots you might want to consider.

The cooker

Of course, the kitchen one of the most dangerous places you’ll find in the home. Therefore it can be wise to make sure you have fire extinguishers, blankets and fire safety signs near to your oven, hob and grill.

Next to your fire extinguisher

It’s important to have fire extinguishers around the home or at work, but if don’t know what purpose they are to be used for, it makes them less effective. Information signs can let people know exactly type of extinguishers are available so they can more safely out a fire if they need to.

Around cables and wires

This is particularly a problem for offices – as phone lines, computers, printers and internet connections all come with their own set of cables and wires. In addition to cable tidies, you should also consider simple warning signs to stop people from tripping over them.

In rooms with vinyl or tiled floors

Sure, it’s the name of a Bon Jovi album, but ‘Slippery When Wet’ is also a handy piece of information to have in a kitchen, bathroom or anywhere where there is a vinyl or tiled floor. Simple slips and falls can cause serious injuries, so protect against them.

Around first aid points

Should someone have an accident, you want to know that they are able to get the attention they need as soon as possible. So let them know where there is an appointed first aider or kit with first aid signs to guide them.

At fire exits

Getting people out of the building quickly when there is an emergency is already something of a challenge, but if you are able to make people aware of fire exits in advance with the right fire exit signage, you could be giving yourself valuable extra time.

Around recycling points

More people are keen to make sure they are recycling to help protect the planet. But you need to make sure people know where they can easily place their plastic, paper and cans – so putting up recycling signs is a great idea.

Staff only / private rooms

More for the workplace than the home, there will inevitably be areas you don’t want the public to roam. A simple no entry sign will keep people from dangerous areas or places that are only meant for authorised staff.

Over door frames

All buildings are different – and some have ceilings and doorways that can be hazardous to those over a certain height! A head injury can be nasty, so simply putting up a sign alerting people could be useful.

Around small steps

Just like low ceilings and doorways, small steps can surprise people and cause accidents. However, putting down some trip hazard signs around them is an easy way to help stop this.

Every workplace will have medical emergencies or mishaps at different times. It could anything from a heart attack to a cut finger. It could be anything from an injury to an illness. Professional medical staff will hopefully arrive for serious cases in as short a time as possible. But in the meantime having a first aid representative on site is important, offers peace of mind and is potentially life-saving.
Ordinary workers from management to staff are able to obtain a qualification in first aid. There are regulatory bodies in your country which provide training and issue certificates to those who pass the course. There are different levels of first aid training from beginner to advanced and both general first aid and specific first aid courses such as administering medicine, CPR-only and first aid with regard to hazardous substances are available.
A basic first-aid course will last a day and give participants confidence in helping anyone with a medical problem in the workplace. More advanced qualifications can last two days with additional study required on modules back at the workplace. Employees who obtain a first aid qualification increase their worth as a valued and valuable member of staff.