Only use Personal Protective Equipment as a last resort

Wearing Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) can actually cause injury…

You should know that Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) is equipment that will protect the user against health or safety risks at work… but you need to know that PPE should be only be used as a last resort!!!

The Health and Safety Executive’s accident investigation reveals how a manufacturer was fined £100,000 when they failed to carry out a suitable and sufficient risk assessment.

£100,000 fine when a manufacturing company failed to inform employees not to wear gloves when using this machine.

Do you know the Law?

Employers have a legal duty to make the workplace safe, including providing instructions, procedures, training and supervision to encourage people to work safely and responsibly.

If an employer has identified what could cause injury or illness (Hazards) and determined how likely it is someone could be harmed and how seriously (Risk), then taken appropriate action to eliminate the hazard and still some hazards, remain, only then must an employer look to use PPE as a further control measure.

For the risks to health and safety that cannot be adequately controlled in other ways, employers need to ensure PPE:

• Is properly assessed before use to make sure it is fit for purpose.
• Maintained and stored properly.
• Provided with instructions on how to use it safely.
• Used correctly by employees.

Employers need to understand that Health and Safety offences are concerned with failures to manage risks to health and safety and do not require proof that the offence caused any actual harm – The offence is in creating the risk of harm.

Are You Failing to Manage Health and Safety as the Law Requires?

Have you correctly assessed if there are other ways than using PPE to control the risk adequately?

Simply issuing PPE as the first line of defence is poor awareness and an inadequate control measure to reduce risk. More importantly, you will be failing to manage health and safety as the law requires.

If your assessment has confirmed that Personal Protective Equipment is the last resort, then you will need to check the PPE selected offers adequate protection for its intended use and those using it are adequately trained in its safe use.

Failing could result in a prosecution: The Company highlighted in the Health and Safety Executive Press release (link above) was not fined £100,000 because an employee severed index finger, but because the Company failed to train and carry out a suitable and sufficient risk assessment – The offence is in creating the risk of harm.

Why our Safety Alert are important?

A Safety alert is issued when a specific safety issue could result in a serious or fatal injury without immediate action being taken.

The Company highlighted in the Safety Alert 088 failed to complete a suitable and sufficient risk assessment, employee training and failed to inform employees NOT TO WEAR GLOVES when using this type of machinery.

The result was a severed index finger, lacerated thumb and the Company paying* a £100,000 fine. – *Any injury claim is additional to the fine.

Make sure you use this Safety Alert to prevent and protect – Our Smart Safety Alert tool allows you to send out alerts based on your workers’ role and responsibility. Safety PAL standard package also gives management access to detailed reports and analytics.

Success comes when your workers are better informed and trained.

Safety PAL offers all companies of any size, nationality or location a cost-effective suite of tools to provide instant information, support and training directly to every employee.

Our unique suite of tools gives your managers instant access to complete PPE assessments, record PPE issued and disseminate risk assessments. Online competence training gives your management the evidence to prove that workers know how to use equipment safely.

Click here to see how Safety PAL can help, use the links to book a product tour and see Safety PAL up close and in action.

Client Testimonial:

“Having spent several years looking for a total solution for ensuring our health and safety documentation remained fit for purpose but very much supported the reduction of the liability window and met our legal requirements always seemed to be just out of reach.

Safety PAL, an all in one H&S repository file that the more you use it, the more infectious it becomes and you wonder how you did your job without it. Great product; great support.”

Crystal Staniland, Blue Whale Spa Group

 

The Facts!

If the company detailed in the HSE press release had completed a suitable and sufficient risk assessment and provided appropriate training, then the company would not have been prosecuted as they had done So Far As Is Reasonably Practicable – What the law requires.

Safety PAL is a go-to tool for all your health and safety requirements, giving you a more comfortable and proactive way to prevent injury and protect your business.

Useful links.

HSE Press release for manufacturing company prosecuted £100,000 – https://press.hse.gov.uk/2020/12/21/precision-tool-manufacturer-fined-after-worker-severs-finger/

Personal Protective Equipment (A Brief Guide) INDG 174 – https://www.hse.gov.uk/pubns/indg174.pdf

Risk at Work – Personal protective equipment (PPE) – https://www.hse.gov.uk/toolbox/ppe.htm

The Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999 Risk Assessments – https://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/1999/3242/regulation/3/made

Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974 Employers General duties of employers to their employees – https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/1974/37/section/2