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Health & Safety Update

Health & Safety Update

Welcome to September’s Health and Safety Update.

This month, the spot light is on work-related skin problems - we share some quick hints and tips to help make your workplace skin irritation free. Also, we update you on news about the Buncefield blast, and the repercussions which are still being felt.

Preventing skin related problems

Skin irritation and injuries are common work-related medical problems, which must be catered for by all employers alike. However, some skin problems are more common in certain high-risk jobs such as manufacturing, catering, printing, metal work and farming. If necessary precautions are not made, they can turn out to be very costly, not through the employee’s suffering, which could lead to ending their careers, but also it can be a problem for employers who are left to deal with absence, recruitment, training and compensation claims.

Some of the most common work-related skin problems in the UK include irritations and rashes, skin allergies, and skin cancer. With the right preparation, these problems can be avoided. There are simple, cost-effective steps employers and workers can take to avoid skin problems at work, and to manage them if they do happen.

The following can help keep your workplace safe if you work with chemicals or other hazardous substances:

What can employers do?

• Keep your workplace clean.
• Keep proper waste containers in place.
• Store all chemicals safely and label them correctly.
• Keep eye baths and safety showers available if you use strong acids or dangerous chemicals in your workplace.

There are some measures that your employees can take:

• Wear gloves, aprons, and other protective clothing to keep your skin from coming in contact with oils, greases, and chemicals.
• Wear clean clothes to work, and take off oil-soaked or chemical-soaked work clothes right after work.
• After hands are washed, skin can be protected by using petroleum jelly, a lotion, or a cream.
• Do not eat, drink, or smoke in your work area. Doing so can bring chemicals in close contact with skin.
• If working outdoors, apply sunscreen to skin several times a day. In addition, wear sunglasses, a wide-brimmed hat, and a shirt or jacket with long sleeves.

£9million fine for Buncefield blast

The five companies responsible for the Buncefield oil dept explosion have been fined more than £9million. The blast, which took place on December 11th thought to be the largest in peacetime Europe and was reported to be heard up to 125 miles away. Upon investigation, it was revealed that a massive vapour cloud had ignited after 250,000 litres of petrol leaked from one of the tanks at the Hertfordshire depot.

Sentencing the firms, Judge Sir David Calvert-Smith said: "Had the explosion happened during a working day, the loss of life may have been measured in tens or even hundreds." Jurors heard earlier that the environmental damage from the blast was still not known and could last for decades.

Keep on track with your Health and Safety and you’ll not only be providing a safe and healthy working environment for your employees, but you’ll also be significantly reducing your risk of facing costly penalty and fines, which can be very easily avoided.