Health, Safety and Environment Monthly Messages (2018)
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September
The Health and Safety Executive’s ‘Go Home Healthy’ Campaign has identified critical areas which can have an adverse effect on workers’ health and wellbeing. One of these areas is stress, which is defined as the adverse reaction people have to excessive pressures or other types of demand placed on them.
The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) have identified six factors which can contribute to work-related stress:
- the demands of your job;
- your control over your work;
- the support you receive from managers and colleagues;
- your relationships at work;
- your role in the organisation;
- change and how it’s managed.
It must, however, also be acknowledged that other factors, such as family, housing or personal issues may contribute to stress.
Stress affects all people differently, however, the NHS have identified 10 general stress busters, which can help tackle the effects of stress:
- Be Active – exercise can reduce some of the emotional intensity that you're feeling, clearing your thoughts and letting you to deal with your problems more calmly.
- Take Control - There's a solution to any problem. The act of taking control is in itself empowering, and it's a crucial part of finding a solution that satisfies you and not someone else.
- Connect with People - A good support network of colleagues, friends and family can ease your work troubles and help you see things in a different way.
- Have some ‘Me Time’ - We often don't spend enough time doing things we really enjoy.
- Challenge Yourself - Setting yourself goals and challenges, whether at work or outside, such as learning a new language or a new sport, helps to build confidence and deal with stress.
- Avoid Unhealthy Habits - Don't rely on alcohol, smoking and caffeine as your ways of coping.
- Help Other People – There is evidence that people who help others, through activities such as volunteering or community work, become more resilient.
- Work Smarter, Not Harder - Working smarter means prioritising your work, concentrating on the tasks that will make a real difference.
- Try to be Positive - Look for the positives in life, and things for which you're grateful.
- Accept the things you can't change - Changing a difficult situation isn't always possible. Try to concentrate on the things you do have control over.
Further information relating to these tips is available at: https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/stress-anxiety-depression/reduce-stress/
Members of the Health, Safety and Environment Team will also be attending the University’s Health and Wellbeing Event, taking place on Thursday 13th September. Further information relating to the event is available here.
August
Periods of high temperatures can cause discomfort, particularly during periods of prolonged warm weather. Although there exists no legal limit for the maximum permitted working temperature, the Workplace (Health, Safety and Welfare) Regulations 1992 note that “during working hours, the temperature in all workplaces inside buildings shall be reasonable.” In this context, a reasonable temperature for a workplace depends on the work activity and the environmental conditions of that workplace.
Colleagues and Line Managers can introduce a number of control measures to attempt to mitigate the effects of working in hot temperatures, particularly during prolonged periods of warm weather. Possible control measures may include, but will not be limited to:
- Ensuring that windows are open to promote air movements throughout the building and reduce heat build-up during the day (Note: Building security should also be considered when unoccupied, and windows shut during such periods e.g. at the end of each working day).
- Moving or locating workstations away from direct sunlight and any objects which may radiate heat.
- Ensure that blinds, curtains or reflective window film are available and in good working order to reduce heating effects.
- Relax any formal dress code for staff which may exacerbate discomfort e.g. permit smart, light and loose fitting clothing, rather than suits and ties (Note: Any Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) will continue to be required and used for identified tasks).
- Ensuring the availability of cooler spaces and comfortable environments to be used by staff during break periods.
- Consider the availability and potential effectiveness of oscillating fans.
- Ensuring a plentiful supply and unrestricted access to drinking water is available.
- Permitting more regular rest breaks during the working day, to reduce the length of time that an employee is exposed to hot conditions without rest.
- Consider job rotation of tasks aimed at limiting the amount of physical activities undertaken during warm periods. It should also be acknowledged that work activities may take longer to complete than normal during periods of warm weather.
- Consider the additional impact of warm weather on colleagues with particular circumstances, such as new or expectant mothers, individuals with particular illnesses or taking specified medications.
Individuals can also reduce the effects of hot temperatures through the following changes to their own behaviours:
- Wear light coloured and loose fitting clothing.
- Avoid caffeine and very sweet drinks, which can dehydrate the body.
- Drink and encourage others to drink plenty of water.
- Use available blinds or curtains to reduce the heat from direct sunlight.
- Ensure that all non-essential electrical equipment is turned off when not in use, to reduce radiated heat.
- Notify your Line Manager immediately if you begin to feel unwell.
For further information relating to working in hot weather, please contact the Health, Safety and Environment Team at hasstaff@aber.ac.uk or on extension 2073.
April
February
All incidents and near misses should be subject to local investigation, with the level and nature of each investigation dependent on the severity of the incident and likelihood of recurrence for each event. Blaming individuals is ultimately fruitless and sustains the myth that incidents and cases of ill health are unavoidable when, in fact, the opposite is true. Well though-out control measures, combined with adequate supervision, monitoring and effective management will ensure that work activities are safe. An incident may result in more serious consequences should it happen again, therefore the primary aim of any investigation will be to prevent any reoccurrences.
These general considerations should be applied to all manner of incident investigations, which may include but may not be limited to: incidents which have resulted in injuries or the potential for injuries; incidents which have resulted in damage to property or equipment, or which had the potential to do so; or environmental incidents which have resulted in pollution or the potential for pollution.
The benefits of conducting effective incident investigations include:
- Identifying why existing control measures failed and what improvements or additional measures are required;
- Planning to prevent such incidents from reoccurring;
- Identifying areas where the relevant risk assessments require reviewing;
- Improving future risk control arrangements in the workplace.
Colleagues undertaking incident investigations within their Institute or Professional Service Department should consider the following questions to guide their analysis during the process:
- How the event happened and what equipment was involved?
- What effect difficulties in using the equipment had?
- What activities were being done at the time?
- Any abnormal working conditions?
- Whether safe working procedures were adequate and whether they were followed?
- The nature of the injuries or other harm?
- How the injuries occurred?
- How well known the risk was and whether control measures were adequate?
- The influence of work organisation, workplace layout and/or the materials in use?
- Whether maintenance and cleaning were good enough?
- Whether the people involved were competent and suitable?
- Whether there was enough safety equipment?
The primary purpose of all incident investigations should be to identify and address the following causes of the incident:
- Immediate Causes – agent of injury or ill health (e.g. object, substance, etc.);
- Underlying Causes – unsafe acts and/or unsafe conditions (e.g. guarding removed, ventilation switched off, etc.);
- Root Causes – failure from which all other failings grow, often removed from the incident or adverse event.
Following the identification of these causes, colleagues should use their findings to implement actions to prevent future or further occurrences. This can be achieved by ensuring that corrective action is taken, learning is widely shared, and any necessary improvements are put into place.
For further information and guidance for conducting incident investigations, please contact the Health, Safety and Environment Team at hasstaff@aber.ac.uk or on extension 2073.