Page 29 - BOSS Today Issue 24

ACCIDENT

SEEN

Safeguard the future of your business by safeguarding

your staff from accidents.

ccidents in the workplace n Temporary cover/overtime July 2014, the European Union’s Don’t Keep It A Secret!
Acan occur for many reasons, n Investigation time ‘right to be forgotten’ ruling Carry out machinery risk
but in many industries the n Morale of staff and bad was found to be ‘unworkable, assessments for your workplace
majority of them are connected publicity, leading to the unreasonable, and wrong in and involve your employees. You
with machinery and processes. loss of contracts/orders etc principle’. must consider all work activities,
The most common injuries are n Penalties from improvement/ The committee argued including non-routine activities
lacerations, cuts and bruises, prohibition notices following that not only was the ruling such as making ready, freeing
fractures/dislocation and crushing an HSE visit. These will also problematic, but that the blockages, setting, cleaning and
injuries to fingers or hands from have added costs to the 1995 directive which the maintenance. Ensure that you
contact with moving parts. business with Fees for ruling was based on is itself communicate your findings
People tend to look for Intervention, which are outdated, and it called on with the operators; it is no good
‘things’ to blame when an £124 an hour the government to continue having a risk assessment in a file
accident happens, but once n Compensation claims from its fight to ensure that the stored in the office!
the investigation is completed, the injured person updated Regulation no longer You should also ensure
the underlying causes of n Loss of skilled operators includes any provision on the that you provide information,
machinery accidents are always n Increase in insurance lines of the Commission’s ‘right instruction and training to
one or more of the following: premiums to be forgotten’ or the European machine operators, and don’t
inadequate or absent guarding; Parliament’s ‘right to erasure’. forget that supervisors need
inadequate maintenance of Can The Slate Be For all these reasons, it is to understand the process or
guards or control measures Wiped Clean? vital that – prior to using any control measures required if
being changed in some way; or If a large H&S accident occurs, equipment – you think about they are to monitor compliance.
unsafe interventions (eg unsafe it is likely that this will show what may occur and how Operators should never remove
or no safe systems of work). up in internet searches for potential accidents can be any safeguards, even if their
Accidents and ill health are the company well into the prevented by following the presence seems to make the
costly, but the indirect costs future, and this could have a Provision and Use of Work job more difficult. Training will
involved are often substantially big impact on turnover and Equipment Regulations 1998 be required on safe working
greater than the direct costs. potential customer or employee (PUWER). Ensure that checks are practices.
Although insurance will cover faith in the company. So it is carried out on the machinery
some of the costs of accidents, worth bearing in mind that the and that it is adequately n FOR FURTHER ADVICE
many of these cannot be recent ‘right to be forgotten’ guarded to prevent access to ON THIS SUBJECT, PLEASE
covered, such as: ruling is not something that can dangerous parts, or ensure you CONTACT LYNDA TAYLOR,
be relied upon. According to a have procedures that stop the HEALTH, SAFETY &
n Product and material damage report by a committee of the machine before a person enters ENVIRONMENTAL ADVISER,
n Lost production time House of Lords published on 30 a danger zone. ON 07801 981340.

October/November 2014 | BOSS TODAY 29

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