The Health and Safety Handbook : A Practical Guide to Health and Safety Law, Management Policies and Procedures

Health and safety at work is a diverse area of study and a difficult subject for many employers. However, employers need to get to grips with the subject due to their extensive criminal and civil liabilities under health and safety law. This book is an essential guide for medium sized enterprises who do not have access to a health and safety professionals but for whom compliance with health and safety law is still essential. This book takes the reader through all the key issues relating to health and safety and provides up-to-date guidance on employers' statutory duties and how best to achieve compliance with the law. Highly practical, "The Health and Safety Handbook" also provides a CD ROM with policy documents, procedures, forms and all relevant templates for dealing with key health and safety issues. This book covers the main areas of law, health and safety management, the working environment, occupational health and human factors together with specific areas of safety such as that relating to engineering, electrical and construction safety. It is essential reading for employers, senior and line managers and for students on management courses in which health and safety is included. Copyright......Page 5 Contents......Page 6 Abbreviations......Page 9 INTRODUCTION......Page 12 CIVIL LAW......Page 13 CRIMINAL LAW......Page 14 COURTS AND TRIBUNALS......Page 15 EMPLOYMENT TRIBUNALS......Page 18 STATUTES, REGULATIONS, APPROVED CODES OF PRACTICE AND HSE GUIDANCE NOTES......Page 19 HEALTH AND SAFETY AT WORK ETC ACT 1974......Page 20 ENFORCEMENT PROCEDURES......Page 23 STATEMENTS OF HEALTH AND SAFETY POLICY......Page 29 MANAGEMENT OF HEALTH AND SAFETY AT WORK REGULATIONS (MHSWR) 1999......Page 30 EMPLOYERS’ LIABILITY INSURANCE......Page 35 HEALTH AND SAFETY MANAGEMENT......Page 38 ACCIDENT PREVENTION......Page 46 SAFETY MONITORING......Page 50 HAZARD IDENTIFICATION AND RISK ASSESSMENT......Page 53 SAFE SYSTEMS OF WORK......Page 58 EMERGENCY PROCEDURES......Page 61 VULNERABLE GROUPS......Page 62 ACCIDENT AND ILL-HEALTH REPORTING AND RECORDING REQUIREMENTS......Page 63 THE INVESTIGATION OF ACCIDENTS AND INCIDENTS......Page 71 THE COSTS OF ACCIDENTS, INCIDENTS AND ILL HEALTH......Page 72 THE PROVISION OF INFORMATION, INSTRUCTION AND TRAINING......Page 74 JOINT CONSULTATION AND HEALTH AND SAFETY......Page 75 SAFETY PROPAGANDA......Page 77 THE WORKPLACE REQUIREMENTS......Page 79 SAFETY SIGNS AND SIGNALS IN THE WORKPLACE......Page 83 MANAGEMENT SYSTEMS......Page 85 MACHINERY HAZARDS......Page 91 PROVISION AND USE OF WORK EQUIPMENT REGULATIONS 1998......Page 94 MACHINERY GUARDING......Page 104 SAFETY DEVICES......Page 107 SECOND-HAND, HIRED AND LEASED WORK EQUIPMENT......Page 109 MOBILE HANDLING EQUIPMENT......Page 110 MECHANICAL HANDLING EQUIPMENT......Page 111 LIFTING OPERATIONS AND LIFTING EQUIPMENT REGULATIONS (LOLER) 1998......Page 113 SCHEDULE 1: INFORMATION TO BE CONTAINED IN A REPORT OF A THOROUGH EXAMINATION......Page 116 SAFE LIFTING OPERATIONS......Page 117 PRESSURE VESSELS......Page 118 SIMPLE PRESSURE VESSELS (SAFETY) REGULATIONS 1991......Page 119 PRESSURE SYSTEMS......Page 122 INTERNAL TRANSPORT......Page 123 INTRODUCTION......Page 125 SOURCES OF IGNITION......Page 126 FIRE SPREAD CONTROL......Page 127 CLASSIFICATION OF FIRES......Page 128 FIRE EXTINCTION......Page 129 FIRE ALARM SYSTEMS......Page 131 FLAMMABLE SUBSTANCES......Page 132 FIRE SAFETY LAW......Page 133 FIRE RISK ASSESSMENT......Page 140 ELECTRIC SHOCK......Page 143 FIRST AID......Page 144 LEGAL REQUIREMENTS......Page 145 PRECAUTIONS AGAINST ELECTRIC SHOCK......Page 149 PORTABLE ELECTRICAL APPLIANCES......Page 151 ELECTRIC STORAGE BATTERIES......Page 153 CONSTRUCTION ACTIVITIES – THE PRINCIPAL HAZARDS......Page 155 CLIENTS AND CONTRACTORS – CIVIL AND CRIMINAL LIABILITY......Page 159 CONSTRUCTION SAFETY LAW......Page 161 CONSTRUCTION ACTIVITIES – THE PRINCIPAL PRECAUTIONS......Page 169 WHAT IS OCCUPATIONAL HEALTH?......Page 176 OCCUPATIONAL HEALTH PRACTITIONERS......Page 177 CLASSIFICATION OF OCCUPATIONAL HEALTH RISKS......Page 179 PRESCRIBED DISEASES......Page 180 THE PRINCIPAL OCCUPATIONAL DISEASES AND CONDITIONS......Page 181 OCCUPATIONAL HEALTH PRACTICE......Page 184 FIRST AID......Page 186 NOISE......Page 187 DISPLAY SCREEN EQUIPMENT......Page 188 STRESS AT WORK......Page 189 OCCUPATIONAL HEALTH-RELATED LEGISLATION......Page 191 CLASSIFICATION OF PERSONAL PROTECTIVE EQUIPMENT......Page 199 PERSONAL PROTECTIVE EQUIPMENT AT WORK REGULATIONS 1992......Page 200 PEOPLE AT WORK......Page 203 THE PERCEPTUAL, PHYSICAL AND MENTAL CAPABILITIES OF PEOPLE......Page 204 HUMAN ERROR......Page 206 THE INFLUENCE OF EQUIPMENT AND SYSTEM DESIGN ON HUMAN PERFORMANCE......Page 208 ORGANIZATIONAL CHARACTERISTICS WHICH INFLUENCE SAFETY-RELATED BEHAVIOUR......Page 209 COMMUNICATION......Page 210 HEALTH AND SAFETY TRAINING......Page 211 ERGONOMICS......Page 212 THE TOTAL WORKING SYSTEM......Page 213 THE RIGHT SAFETY CULTURE......Page 215 ATYPICAL WORKERS......Page 217 LONE WORKING......Page 219 VULNERABLE GROUPS AT WORK......Page 220 CLASSIFICATION OF HAZARDOUS SUBSTANCES......Page 223 THE PHYSICAL STATE OF HAZARDOUS SUBSTANCES......Page 224 PRINCIPLES OF TOXICOLOGY......Page 227 OCCUPATIONAL EXPOSURE LIMITS......Page 229 CONTROL OF SUBSTANCES HAZARDOUS TO HEALTH (COSHH) REGULATIONS 2002......Page 231 HEALTH RISK ASSESSMENTS......Page 233 Index......Page 237 Health and safety at work is a diverse area of study and a difficult subject for many employers. However, employers need to get to grips with the subject due to their extensive criminal and civil liabilities under health and safety law. This book is an essential guide for medium sized enterprises who do not have access to a health and safety professionals but for whom compliance with health and safety law is still essential. The book takes the reader through all the key issues relating to health and safety and provides up-to-date guidance on employers' statutory duties and how best to achieve compliance with the law. Highly practical, ''The Health and Safety Handbook'' also provides a CD ROM with policy documents, procedures, forms and all relevant templates for dealing with key health and safety issues. This book covers the main areas of law, health and safety management, the working environment, occupational health and human factors together with specific areas of safety such as that relating to engineering, electrical and construction safety. It is essential reading for employers, senior and line managers and for students on management courses in which health and safety is included. Health and safety at work is a diverse area of study and a difficult subject for many employers. Employers need to get to grips with the subject due to their extensive criminal and civil liabilities under health and safety law. This book is an essential guide for medium sized enterprises who do not have access to health and safety professionals but for whom compliance with health and safety law is still essential. The book takes the reader through all the key issues and provides up-to-date guidance on employers' statutory duties and how best to achieve compliance with the law. The book covers the main areas of law, health and safety management, the working environment, occupational health and human factors, together with specific areas of safety such as those relating to engineering, electrical and construction safety. It is essential reading for employers, senior and line managers and for students on management courses in which health and safety is included. Taking the reader through all the key issues relating to health and safety, the book provides guidance on employers' statutory duties and how best to achieve compliance with the law. An accompanying CD-ROM features policy documents, procedures, forms and all relevant templates Health and safety law is concerned with both the criminal and civil liabilities of employers towards their employees and to other persons who may be affected by their activities, such as the employees of contractors, visitors and members of the public.