What Is Health and Safety?

Archive for October, 2011

OHSAS 18001 is a certification that is available to companies throughout the UK to demonstrate that their procedures relating to occupational health and safety are of a certain standard. While it might sound daunting, the process for achieving it is actually very simple and often only requires a small amount of your time out of the business.

So why should you consider investing in OHSAS 18001?

First, it gives your business a reputation for caring about its employees’ safety at work, and gives your employees peace of mind that their safety has been considered. Not only does this mean that your employees are happy, but it will make your clients and potential customers happy too – knowing that they are doing business with a responsible company.

Of course, OHSAS 18001 also means that if any problem relating to health and safety does arise, the process to follow will already have been covered and any consequences will be far easier to deal with – they will also most likely be cheaper as well if you have already prepared!

One of the best things about OHSAS 18001 and other business accreditations is that they open the doors to new business opportunities. Many organisations, especially within the public sector, will only work with organisations that have this certification to ensure that they only work with companies of quality. If you are applying for tenders in any business sector, you will find that it is an advantage to be able to show that you are OHSAS 18001 certified.

Finally, OHSAS 18001 can be very beneficial in the case of an accident happening at work. By being able to show that you had achieved this certification and actively covered health and safety in the workplace, if an accident turns into a claim, it won’t be nearly as complicated to disprove negligence.

OHSAS 18001 is also not as expensive as many people think that it must be. Most certification companies cost their certifications by the size of the company they are assessing – the larger the company, the larger the fee. This is mainly because a larger company will of course have more processes and procedures to audit and therefore the certification process will take longer. There will also be an annual audit charge so that you can ensure that your processes stay up to date in line with your certification.

If you’re interested in learning more about how OHSAS 18001 can be beneficial to your business, contact a OHSAS 18001 certification company who will be able to provide you will all the information you need.

All workplaces must arrange adequate health and safety provisions, which incorporate first aid kits, somewhere suitable for the equipment to be administered and training so that nominated staff are able to use the kit.

However, if you’re responsible for this area of office safety, there are a number of things you need to keep in mind in terms of the type and quantity of kit you order. It’s not good enough to simply buy the first kit you see on the shelf of a general retailer, especially if you’re working for a medium-sized business or bigger.

The size of the kit is dependent on a combination of factors, including the level of assessed risk in the workplace and the number of employees. As a guide, shops, offices and libraries are considered to be low-hazard, while more industrial-type environments – such as building sites, factories or other places where dangerous machinery is used – are considered to be higher risk.

However, each workplace should be assessed on its individual merits and stocked with first aid equipment accordingly. For example, you could work in a low risk environment but be in a remote area, meaning you need to stock up on extra provisions in the knowledge that help could take a little longer to arrive in the event of a casualty.

Meanwhile, if you’re working in an industrial environment, you need to ensure that your first aid kit is durable and stocked with adequate provisions for the type of injuries that typically happen here. So getting a kit that comes in a durable case and is filled with bandages, sterile wipes and dressings is probably your best course of action. On the other hand, serious cuts and bruises tend to be less common injuries in offices, where you’re more likely to find people requesting plasters for paper cuts or blisters.

If you have offsite staff, don’t forget to issue them with their own travel first aid kit, which should also be stocked with the problems that can be encountered during life on the road. For example, if your offsite staff spend a decent amount of time driving between appointments, a foil blanket is a must in case of a breakdown in freezing weather.

Ultimately, it’s important to be prepared for all eventualities, whether your staff work in an office, factory or on the road. With the Health and Safety Executive liable to prosecute businesses which do not make adequate provisions for staff health and safety, you’ll be looking after much more than your workers’ wellbeing by getting the right first aid kit.