Workplace Safety: A Practical Guide for Your Business and Employees

All businesses, no matter how large or small, are governed by health and safety laws. As an employer (even if you’re self-employed) your company’s health and safety is your responsibility. And even as an employee you have certain duties to ensure the health and safety of a business is carried out properly. Everyone within the workplace is responsible for putting the right precautions in place to create a safe working environment by reducing the risks of dangers.

Managing your business’s health and safety should be relatively straightforward, making up part of your overall management strategy. You’ll need to put practical steps in place that help to protect you and your employees from danger whilst also helping you to look after the growth and future success of your business. Any good business practises good health and safety.

This resource will explain what the potential hazards are and what safety measures need putting in place. It’ll also provide you with helpful advice as to how you can apply these approaches to your business.

Common Workplace Injuries

The following statistics demonstrate the most common workplace accidents in 2015/16:

• • 144 employees were killed as a result of an accident at work. Of these fatalities:
    • 26% fell from a height
    • 19% were struck by a moving vehicle
    • 10% were struck by a moving object
    • • This figure is 7% lower than the average for the last five years (155

• Approximately 621,000 workers suffered a non-fatal injury in the workplace. Of these injuries:
  • • 200,000 led to more than 3 days off wor
    • • Which resulted in 152,000 having more than 7 days off work
    • 20% were injured whilst carrying, lifting or handling
    • 19% were injured due to tripping or slipping
    • 10% were hit by a moving object

• 72,702 non-fatal injuries sustained by employees were reported by employers (this includes injuries that lasted over 7 days and specified injuries)
  • • Employers are substantially un-reporting non-fatal injuries that occur to their employees

■     It’s currently estimated that around half of the injuries are being reported

• • The amount reported among self-employed people is even lower
  • 4.5 million days were lost in total due to workplace injuries that were self-reported
    •  Per case, this is an average of 7.2 days
  • In 2014/15, the economic cost of workplace injuries and work-related ill health in Britain was:
  • •         £14.1 billion

■     £9.3 billion was due to work-related illness

   ■      £4.8 billion was due to workplace injuries, equating to:

• • £1.6 million per fatal injury
  • £7,400 per non-fatal injury

Health & Safety Laws

In the UK, the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974 (HSW Act) is the main law that governs workplace health and safety. To ensure the health and safety of all employees, it lists general duties that you need to do that are “reasonably practicable”. This essentially means that you need to balance the level of risk against the measures you need to control it, including time and money. However, taking action is not required if it is grossly disproportionate to the risk.

The HSW Act is supported by a number of other regulations that provide more specific legal duties for different industries and activities. 

An Introduction to Workplace Safety

It needn’t be time-consuming or complicated to provide a safe and healthy working environment for your employees but it’s vital that you do take their well-being into account. This applies to a whole host of different workplaces, not just offices, factories and shops but hotels, hospitals, schools, cinemas and so on. 

What’s Classed as a Workplace?

A workplace is defined as any premises (including a part of one) that is made accessible as a place of work to any person. It does not include domestic premises. 

The term ‘workplace’ also includes paths and private roads on business parks and industrial estates and common parts of shared buildings. 

Other things to consider are washing facilities, toilets, temperature, ventilation and lighting, for example. You must also consider the needs of disabled people who may have specific requirements, such as adapted washing facilities and toilets and wider gangways and doorways. 

Creating a Safe Place to Work

In order to create a safe workplace, you must: 

• • Ensure the building is in good repair
  • Maintain the building and all its equipment so that it works efficiently and is safe
  • Fix any dangerous defects straight away or put steps in place that protect those who are at risk
  • Put precautions in place that prevent materials or people from falling from open spaces, e.g. guard rails or fencing
  • Cover or fence floor openings when they’re not in use, e.g. a vehicle examination pit
  • Provide enough space for access and safe movement
  • Offer safety glass (if required)
  • Make sure stairs, corridors and floors etc. are free from obstruction, e.g. cables
  • Provide adequate drainage in any wet process
  • Ensure any windows that are capable of being opened can be adjusted, closed or opened safely
  • Make sure all skylights and windows are constructed and designed so they can be cleaned safely (anchor points may need fitting if the window cleaner will need to use a harness)
  • Minimise any risks caused by ice or snow on outdoor routes, using sand or salt, for example

Lighting

You must provide:

• • Good light (avoiding glare but using natural light where you can)
  • Workstations with local lighting, where necessary
  • Suitable emergency lighting
  • Well-lit corridors and stairs
  • Well-lit outside areas

Moving Around the Building

You must have:

• • Safe passage for vehicles and pedestrians (it may be necessary to have separate routes)
  • Level, even surfaces and floors without broken boards or holes
  • Handrails on ramps and stairs, where necessary
  • Safely constructed gates and doors
  • Surfaces and floors that aren’t slippery

Cleanliness

You must: 

• • Provide clean stairs and floors, providing effective drainage where required
  • Provide clean fittings, furniture and buildings
  • Provide containers for any waste
  • Remove trade waste, refuse and dirt on a regular basis
  • Clear up any spillages promptly
  • Keep internal ceilings and walls clean

Hygiene and Welfare

You must provide:

• • Clean wash hand basins and toilets with running cold and hot water, soap and a means of drying (e.g. towels)
  • Drinking water
  • Somewhere to eat meals and rest, including facilities where employees can eat food so it doesn’t become contaminated (if necessary)
  • Showers for emergencies or dirty work
  • Drying facilities for work clothes that are wet (if necessary)
  • Handing space or accommodation for personal clothing that isn’t worn at work (and changing facilities if employees need to change into work clothes)
  • Rest facilities for nursing mothers and pregnant women

Comfortable Conditions

You must provide:

• • A reasonable working temperature in a workplace that’s inside a building, unless it’s impractical to do this (e.g. in the food industry). For strenuous work, this is a minimum of 13°C and 16°C for other types of work
  • Local cooling or heating when a comfortable temperature cannot be maintained in each workplace
  • Good ventilation which offers a sufficient supply of fresh air that’s drawn from a ventilation system or outside
  • Heating systems that do not give off offensive or dangerous levels of fumes
  • Enough workspace, including suitable seating and workstations

Working Outdoors

If your employees are working outdoors, you should consider other things such as the temperature, weather and sun exposure. 

Designing Workstations

Display Screen Equipment

As an employer, you’ll need to assess the risks to employees and self-employed persons who are using display screen equipment (e.g. laptops and computers) on a daily basis for at least an hour.

Some workers may experience problems with their posture or discomfort, pain or injuries. For example, this may be to their arms/hands from improper use or overuse or from a poorly designed workstation. They may also suffer from sore eyes or headaches, which could be due to poor lighting. 

As an employer, you need to:

• • Identify what display screen equipment your staff are using and which employees are using them
  • Review all workstations to make sure they meet the minimum requirements of your employees
  • Plan your employees work so they have regular changes in activity or breaks
  • Provide eye tests and glasses when requested and if necessary
  • Provide information and training on using display equipment correctly

Electrical Safety in the Workplace

Electricity can severely injure or kill people, causing damage to property in the process. However, when working near to or with electrical equipment and electricity, there are a number of precautions you can take which will help to reduce the risk of injury to you and your employees. 

Identifying the Potential Hazards

When working with electricity, the main hazards are:

• • Live parts causing burns or electric shocks
  • Faulty installations or electrical equipment causing injury by fire or arcing
  • Explosions caused by flammable dust/vapours igniting with static electricity or unsuitable electrical apparatus 
  • Other types of injury can also be caused by electric shocks, e.g. causing the person to fall from scaffolding or ladders.

Electrical Safety Precautions

• • Make sure workers have been trained to use electrical equipment safely
  • Ensure enough sockets are provided and aren’t overloaded with unfused adaptors that could cause a fire
  • Make sure no one will trip or fall because of trailing cables
  • Unplug and switch off appliances before adjusting or cleaning them
  • Ensure all your employees are looking for electrical equipment or wires that they work near to, checking that they’re free from any hazards
  • Make certain that anyone who is working with electricity has been sufficiently trained and has the relevant experience to do so. Even wiring a plug incorrectly can lead to fires or fatal injuries
  • If equipment appears to be faulty, stop using it immediately and have it checked by a professional
  • Make sure any electrical equipment that’s borrowed, hired or brought to work by employees is safe to use and is maintained, if necessary
  • Especially when working outdoors or in a wet environment, consider using a residual current device (RCD) between the equipment and electrical supply
  • Stop using equipment and replace, repair or check it, if:
• There’s damage to the connector or plug
• Internal wires are visible, the cable’s not secure or it’s been repaired with tape
• Stains or burn marks are indicated 

Overhead Electric Lines

• • Be alert for dangers when working underneath or near overhead power lines. Even if your equipment or machinery isn’t touching them, electricity can jump
  • Never work underneath them without getting advice if your equipment is going to come within 6 metres of the lines (e.g. scaffolding or ladders). Before commencing work, speak to the owner of the power line
  • When digging near buildings, pavements or in the street, always be aware that cables can be present in this area
  • Find out where the cables are located by contacting your local electricity company 

Underground Cables 

• • When digging near buildings, pavements or in the street, always be aware that cables can be present in this area
  • Find out where the cables are located by contacting your local electricity company 

Fire Safety in the Workplace

In most cases, a fire is preventable. If you are responsible for a workplace or building that the public has access to, putting the right procedures in place can help to prevent fires from occurring.

Identifying the Potential Hazards

For a fire to start, it needs oxygen, a source of fuel and a source of ignition. With that in mind, these are general fire safety hazards you may come across:

• • Sources of oxygen - the air around us
  • Sources of fuel - furniture, waste rubbish, loose packaging materials, foam or rubber, plastic, paper and wood
  • Sources of ignition - cigarettes, matches, electrical equipment, naked flames, lighting and anything else that can cause sparks or get very hot

Fire Safety Precautions

• • Perform a fire safety risk assessment
  • Keep flammable substances and sources of ignition apart
  • Make sure accidental fires are avoided, e.g. heaters can’t be knocked over
  • Practice good housekeeping, e.g. making sure piles of rubbish that could burn aren't accumulated
  • Think about how you’ll warn people if there’s a fire and how you’ll detect them, installing fire alarms and smoke detectors in the necessary places
  • Ensure you’ve got all the right equipment on-site to put a fire out
  • Keep escape routes and fire exits clear at all times and make sure they’re clearly marked
  • Host regular fire drills so your workers are trained on the correct procedures
  • Regularly update and review your fire risk assessment

Working with Dangerous Substances

If your work involves working with hazardous substances that could cause a fire, here are a few points to remember:

• • Consider how you might reduce or remove the risks involved in the substances you use or create
  • Understand which substances are flammable by reading supplier safety data sheets
  • Look at reducing how many explosive/flammable substances you have on site
  • Get rid of these substances safely

Machine and Equipment Safety in the Workplace

Using machinery and equipment in the workplace presents a number of different safety aspects that need considering. As an employer, it’s your job to make sure employees know how to use machinery and that you ensure the equipment is maintained properly and remains safe to use. 

Identifying the Potential Hazards

Injuries can be caused by moving machinery in a number of ways:

• • Ejected materials or moving parts can strike people, causing injury
  • Body parts can be trapped or drawn into parts of equipment, including pulley drives, belts and rollers
  • Severe injuries and cuts can be caused by sharp, pointed edges
  • Abrasion or friction to the skin can be caused by rough surface parts
  • People can become crushed between a machine and a wall or between two moving parts
  • Burns or scalds can be caused by emissions, materials or parts of the machine that are very hot or cold
  • Electrical burns or shocks can be caused by electrical parts of the machine
  • Injuries can be caused due to machines developing faults or becoming unreliable
  • Injuries can be caused by lack of training or inexperience when using machinery

Machinery and Equipment Safety Precautions

To avoid these risks, there are a number of things you can do:

• • Check that all machinery/equipment is complete, free from defects and has all of the necessary safeguards fitted
  • Create a safe system for maintaining and using the machine
  • Make sure any static machines are stable and have been correctly installed
  • Ensure the right machine is being used for the job in hand and that any visitors/customers aren’t put at any unnecessary risk
  • Make sure any new equipment you buy is CE marked, comes with instructions in English and has a Declaration of Conformity with it
  • Where machines are programmed by electronic systems, make sure any changes that are made to these are done so by a competent person and keep a record of these changes
  • Place emergency stop controls in the necessary places
  • Don’t let untrained, unqualified or unauthorised people use machinery
  • Provide adequate training to make sure anyone who’s using the equipment is doing so safely
  • Make sure supervisors are competent and trained
  • Keep areas around the machines clean and tidy and free from trip or slip hazards and obstructions

Safety Tips for Workers Using Machinery 

• • Check that the machine you are using is fit to use and has been maintained properly
  • Use the machine in accordance with the instructions provided by the manufacturer
  • Make sure you’re wearing the right equipment and protective clothing for the machine, e.g. safety shoes, hearing protection and safety glasses
  • Don’t remove any safeguards
  • Don’t distract others when they’re using machinery
  • Don’t wear loose clothing, rings, dangling chains or have your hair loose (if it’s long)

Manual Handling Safety in the Workplace

A third of all injuries in the workplace are caused by manual handling. These include repetitive strain injuries as well as injuries and pain to joints, legs and arms (musculoskeletal disorders - MSDs). 

‘Manual handling’ refers to a wide range of activities including carrying, pulling, pushing, lowering and lifting. There is a risk of injury if any of these aren’t carried out correctly.

Your Responsibility as an Employer

Injuries caused by manual handling can have serious consequences for the person who’s injured and you as an employer. These types of injuries can occur in almost any area of the workplace with repetitive movements, awkward postures, previous injuries and heavy manual labour adding to the risk.

As an employer, it’s your job to avoid these injuries in your workplace, making sure tasks that involve manual handling are avoided as much as possible. However, when handling loads is necessary, you’ll need to put the right health and safety measures in place to prevent injuries from occurring.

Safety Precautions When Lifting

Always consider:

• • The capability of the individual
  • The type of load
  • Training
  • Work organisation
  • Environmental conditions
  • Reduce the amount of reaching, stooping and twisting
  • Avoid lifting items above shoulder height when picking them up off the floor - especially when dealing with heavy loads
  • To minimise the need for such movements, adjust storage heights to suit
  • Look at how you can reduce carrying distances
  • Assess how heavy the item is that is being carried and whether the worker will require any help. Can the load be broken down into smaller parts?
  • Assess whether you need a lifting aid to help you, e.g. a conveyor, hand- or electric-powered hoist or a forklift truck
  • Consider storage areas in the delivery process, perhaps having heavier items delivered nearer to the designated storage area
  • Look at how you can reduce carrying distances

When Lifting Something Manually

• • Reduce the amount of reaching, stooping and twisting
  • Avoid lifting items above shoulder height when picking them up off the floor - especially when dealing with heavy loads
  • To minimise the need for such movements, adjust storage heights to suit
  • Look at how you can reduce carrying distances
  • Assess how heavy the item is that is being carried and whether the worker will require any help. Can the load be broken down into smaller parts?

When Using Lifting Equipment

• • Assess whether you need a lifting aid to help you, e.g. a conveyor, hand- or electric-powered hoist or a forklift truck
  • Consider storage areas in the delivery process, perhaps having heavier items delivered nearer to the designated storage area
  • Look at how you can reduce carrying distances

Safety Tips for Workers Who Are Handling Loads Manually 

• • Plan the lift before you do it, considering whether you can using handling aids and where you’re going to place the load
  • Make sure there are no obstructions to your route
  • If you are going to be lifting something for a long time, plan a rest stop halfway, using a bench or table to change your grip
  • Keep the load close to your waist
  • Keep the heaviest side of the item near to your body
  • Make sure your feet are apart and one foot is slightly forward to keep your body stable
  • Avoid leaning sideways or twisting your back, especially when your back is bent
  • Always look straight ahead when handling
  • Adjust the load once you’ve put it down, sliding it into position
  • Don’t lift more than you can manage

Noise Safety in the Workplace

Hearing damage that is disabling or permanent can be caused by noise in the workplace. This can be caused by a sudden noise that’s extremely loud or can happen over time when exposed to noise on a regular basis. 

Loss of hearing isn’t the only problem as other people may develop tinnitus (a humming, buzzing, whistling or ringing in their ears), which can be a distressing condition that disturbs their day-to-day life and sleep.

Noise at work can also cause problems with communications, making warnings difficult to hear. It can also reduce a worker’s awareness of their surroundings. These are additional safety risks that also need addressing.

Identifying the Potential Hazards

If any of the following apply to your workplace, you will probably need to address the noise: 

• • The noise created is intrusive, like a crowded restaurant, vacuum cleaner or busy street, or is worse than this for most of the day
  • To have a normal conversation with someone 2 metres away, employees need to raise their voices for at least some of the day
  • For over half an hour per day, your employees are using machinery or noisy power tools
  • Your industry sector is renowned for having noisy tasks, e.g. engineering, demolition, construction or road repair
  • Noises are created by impacts (e.g. pneumatic tools, drop forging or hammering) or explosive sources (e.g. guns, detonators or cartridge-operated tools) 

You will need to address the noise when verbal communication is needed for working practices, the work involves being around traffic or mobile machines or warning sounds are given off to warn of dangerous situations.

Noise Safety Precautions

Noise and exposure to noise can be reduced in a number of cost-effective ways, including:

• • Trying to remove the source of noise completely. Placing noisy machines in an area that can’t be heard by workers, for example
  • Using a quieter process, or quieter equipment
  • Reducing the source of the noise through technical/engineering controls
  • Using absorbent materials, enclosures, barriers or screens to reduce how much noise people are exposed to
  • Laying out and designing the workplace to create quiet areas
  • Limiting how much time workers are spending in noisy areas

Using Hearing Protection

Your employees should be issued with hearing protection when: 

• • Additional protection is required above the precautions that have been put in place
  • They need protecting for a short period of time whilst other noise control methods are being put in place

Hearing protection should not be used as the sole way of controlling noise and any employees using hearing protection should be trained to do so.

Slips and Trips Safety in the Workplace

The majority of slips occur when workplace floors become contaminated or wet whilst many trips are caused by poor housekeeping. To remove these risks, the solutions are often cost-effective and simple with a basic assessment providing you with the potential hazards that you need to prevent.

As the most common cause of injury at work, slips and trips account for over a third of all major injuries and can often cause other accidents, such as a fall from height. They also account for half of the injuries caused to members of the public who are visiting a workplace, such as restaurants, shops and hospitals. 

How to Prevent Slips and Trips in the Workplace

To prevent these accidents in your workplace, you need to identify potential hazards and deal with them straight away. For example:

• • Stop floors from becoming contaminated or wet
  • Have the correct procedures in place for responsive and routine cleaning
  • Clean up any spillages quickly
  • Stop anyone walking on floors that have been cleaned until they’re dry
  • Look out for any trip hazards, e.g. trailing cables or uneven floors, encouraging your workers to practice good housekeeping
  • Make sure workers are wearing the right footwear for their working environment
  • Ensure your flooring is suitable, using non-slip flooring in areas where it’s likely to be wet a lot

Working at Height Safely in the Workplace

Working at height is one of the biggest causes of major injuries and fatalities in the workplace. Common accidents include falling through fragile surfaces and falling from ladders. Anyone can ‘work at height’ as this means that if they were to fall from the height they’re working at (due to no precautions being in place) the person would suffer personal injury due to the distance they have fallen.

Safety Precautions for Working at Height

• • Make sure work is properly organised and is carried out by a competent person who has the necessary experience and skills to do the job
  • Ensure the correct equipment is being used for working at height
  • Avoid work at height if possible
  • Prevent falls by using the right equipment or by using an existing area that’s already been made safe
  • Minimise the consequences and distance of the fall by using the correct equipment when you cannot eliminate the risk
  • Provide workers with protective gear such as a safety harness
  • Provide protection from objects that may fall
  • Consider rescue procedures and emergency evaluations
  • Do as much work as you can from ground level
  • Make sure it’s safe to get to and from the area where you’re working at height
  • Ensure all the equipment being used is strong, stable and suitable and has been checked and maintained regularly
  • Take precautions when working near or on fragile surfaces
  • Don’t overload the ladders you’re using, taking into consideration what equipment you’re carrying on them
  • Don’t overreach on step ladders or ladders
  • Don’t rest your ladders on a weak surface, e.g. plastic guttering
  • Only use ladders for a short period of time (a maximum of 30 minutes at once)

Safety Tips for Workers Working at Height    

• • Do as much work as you can from ground level
  • Make sure it’s safe to get to and from the area where you’re working at height
  • Ensure all the equipment being used is strong, stable and suitable and has been checked and maintained regularly
  • Take precautions when working near or on fragile surfaces
  • Don’t overload the ladders you’re using, taking into consideration what equipment you’re carrying on them
  • Don’t overreach on step ladders or ladders
  • Don’t rest your ladders on a weak surface, e.g. plastic guttering
  • Only use ladders for a short period of time (a maximum of 30 minutes at once)

Issuing Personal Protective Equipment

Personal protective equipment (PPE) helps to protect workers from health and safety risks that they’re exposed to at work. This can include items such as safety harnesses, safety footwear, high-visibility clothing, eye protection, gloves and safety helmets. It can also include respiratory protective equipment (RPE).

 Providing workers with PPE is crucial, especially when hazards remain after safe systems have been put in place. Potential risks include injuries to: 

• • The body - from extreme cold or heat
  • The skin - from corrosive materials
  • The eyes - from corrosive liquids or flying particles
  • The head and feet - from falling materials
  • The lungs - from contaminated air 

To reduce the risks in these cases, PPE is needed. But it should only be used as a last resort when other controls have been implemented and PPE is still required. It should be provided for your workers for free and should be chosen carefully. All staff members should be trained efficiently on how to use it properly and how to detect any issues with it. 

How to Choose Personal Protective Equipment 

• • Only select products that have been marked with ‘CE’ to comply with the Personal Protective Equipment Regulations 2002
  • Opt for equipment that’s right for the user, considering the fit and size
  • Ensure all items of PPE can be worn together if your worker requires more than one piece. For example, a respirator may be affected if they’re wearing safety glasses at the same time
  • Make sure workers know how to use the PPE, telling them how to use it effectively, why they need to use it, when they should use it and what the limitations are with it

Additional Resources

A guide to workplace transport safety: http://www.hse.gov.uk/pubns/priced/hsg136.pdf

Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974: http://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/1974/37/contents

Legislation owned and enforced by Local Authorities and HSE: http://www.hse.gov.uk/legislation/enforced.htm

Workplace temperatures: https://www.gov.uk/workplace-temperatures

Health and safety on ships: https://www.gov.uk/health-and-safety-on-ships 

Health and safety using farm vehicles/machinery: https://www.gov.uk/health-and-safety-for-farm-vehicles

Employees’ health and safety responsibilities (Northern Ireland): https://www.nidirect.gov.uk/articles/employees-health-and-safety-responsibilities

Employers’ health and safety responsibilities (Northern Ireland): https://www.nidirect.gov.uk/articles/employers-health-and-safety-responsibilities

Workplace injuries - all industries: http://www.hse.gov.uk/Statistics/causinj/index.htm

More in depth statistics in this report: http://www.hse.gov.uk/statistics/overall/hssh1516.pdf