“The Farm Safety Partnership, an advisory committee of the Health and Safety Authority, has published its Farm Safety Action Plan 2016-18. The new action plan lays out a series of specific actions and priorities for tackling the high rates of illness, injury and death on Irish farms.
Farming continues to be the most dangerous sector in which to work with annual fatalities in recent years as high as 50% of the overall total from a sector that employs just 6% of the workforce. So far this year* seven people have lost their lives in work-related accidents on farms. Over the five year period between 2011 and 2015, 106 people were killed on farms and many thousands more seriously injured.
Welcoming the publication of the action plan, Minister for Employment and Small Business, Pat Breen TD said: “It is appropriate that this action plan has been developed with input from a wide range of key farming stakeholders. We must encourage all farmers to prioritise safety and health on their farms. There is no task so urgent or important to justify risking death or serious injury. The vast majority of accidents on farms are preventable and levels of awareness within farming communities are high. The key now is for farmers to put safety at the centre of their activities and take just a few minutes each day to think about what they’re doing.
“I know that farming is a very tough job and that farmers can feel isolated and overwhelmed. But this is exactly why it’s vital to set aside some time to make sure an accident doesn’t occur. I urge all farmers to think the unthinkable and Take Five Minutes to do whatever is necessary to make sure it doesn’t happen”.
Speaking after the publication of the plan Jim Phelan, HSA Board member and Chairman of the Farm Safety Partnership said: “This is our second three year action plan and although we’ve seen significant increases in awareness and understanding of the hazards on farms, this is not being borne out by sustained reductions in the number of fatalities occurring each year. Certain hazards are still causing the majority of fatal and serious injury. In particular, working with machinery and livestock must be carried out with greater care. Make sure the tractor is in perfect working order, that the PTO guard is in place, get the handbrake fixed, be alert for signs of aggressiveness in livestock, stay off fragile roofs – simple steps like these will save lives and prevent serious injuries”.
Copies of the Farm Safety Action Plan 2016-18 can be downloaded from http://www.hsa.ie/!0QCZYZ”
Courtesy of The Health & Safety Authority.

 
“A film production company has admitted health and safety breaches after an incident in which Hollywood star Harrison Ford was crushed by a hydraulic door on the set of the Millennium Falcon spaceship while filming the latest Star Wars movie.
Harrison, who was knocked to the ground and pinned down by the heavy door, could have been killed in the incident as he rehearsed during shooting for Star Wars: The Force Awakens at Pinewood Studios in Buckinghamshire on June 12 2014, a court heard.
The then 71-year-old was reprising his role as Han Solo when he was hit by the door, which had been designed to mimic the action of a door on the original set.
Foodles Production (UK) Ltd, which is owned by Disney, admitted two breaches under health and safety law.
Prosecuting at Milton Keynes Magistrates’ Court, Andrew Marshall said that the actor had gone through the door with another actor and hit a button,
He started to walk back through the door, believing the set was not live and that it would not close.
But the court heard it was remotely operated by another person, and that as the star passed underneath it he was hit in the pelvic area and pinned to the ground.
Mr Marshall said there was a “risk of death”, saying: “It could have killed somebody. The fact that it didn’t was because an emergency stop was activated.”
The actor was severely injured and left with a broken left leg in the incident, and was airlifted to hospital in Oxford.
Mr Marshall said the circumstances created a risk of death and had the emergency stop button not been pressed the situation could have “eventuated differently”.
The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) said the the power of the rapidly closing metal-framed door meant Harrison was hit with a power comparable to the weight of a small car.
The Hollywood star himself talked about the incident during an appearance on The Jonathan Ross Show before Christmas, referring to the “f****** great hydraulic door”.
Foodles pleaded guilty to one count under section two of the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974, which related to a breach of duty in relation to employees, and a second under section three, a breach over people not employed by the company.
Two further charges, under Regulation 3(1) of the Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999, and one under Regulation 11(1) of the Provision and Use of Work Equipment Regulations 1998 were both withdrawn as the facts will be incorporated into the two admitted breaches.
The company will be sentenced at Aylesbury Crown Court over the breaches, expected to happen on August 22.”
Courtesy of the Evening Echo.
EMS & Associates would be more than happy to look over your Safety Statement and update where needed. Please call our office on 041-9822933 to arrange a consultation.

“Do I need a qualified first aider in my workplace?
A risk assessment in the context of the Safety Statement should consider the numbers employed, the nature of the work, the degree of hazard, the level of accidents arising, the size and location of the workplace, the distribution of the employees, shift working, availability of an occupational health service with the workplace and the distance and duration from external medical services etc.
If the designated occupational first aider is absent from the place of work, what must the employer do?
If the occupational first aider is absent in temporary or exceptional circumstances, the employer may designate a person, to take charge of an injured or ill person until medical assistance is obtained. Such person’s functions, if they have not received training in basic life saving skills, would, primarily be to seek appropriate assistance as soon as possible and to ensure that nothing further is allowed to occur which would exacerbate the problems of the injured person.
Foreseeable absences such as planned annual leave are not considered “temporary or exceptional circumstances” In these situations the employer must ensure that there is an adequate number of trained occupational first aiders to cover the foreseeable absences or leave, if the need for an occupational first aider in the workplace has been identified.
 
How are the emergency services contacted?
The names, addresses and telephone numbers of the local emergency services must be clearly displayed in the workplace. Emergency plans and procedures must be in place and people designated and trained to implement them. It must be clear who makes contact with the emergency services.
Where do I find an occupational first aid training provider?
Employer should only use occupational first aid providers registered with the occupational first aid assessment agent (OFAAA) to deliver training. Details of registered organisations and individual instructors can be found at www.ofaaa.com or by phoning 1890 223 223. EMS & Associates is a registered organisation with OFAAA and can deliver QQI Level 5 – Occupational First Aid and Occupational First Aid Refresher training courses.
How long is an occupational first aid training course?
A training course is run over a minimum of 3 days or 24 hours with a 2 hour assessment/exam. Courses can be delivered over a number of weeks.
What is the retraining requirement?
Occupational first aiders must do a 1 day refresher and assessment to be re-certified.
When do occupational first aiders need additional training?
Occupational first aiders may need additional specialised training if a work place has employees exposed to any special hazards such as:

• risk of poisoning by toxic substances, e.g. certain cyanides and related compounds
• risk of burns from corrosive or oxidising substances, e.g. hydrofluoric acid
• risk of accidental exposure to hazardous substances, e.g. toxic, irritant or asphyxiant gases, requiring oxygen for resuscitation
• Other specific risks identified in the Safety Statement
• Additional provisions in other regulations such as administration of oxygen

What type of a certificate does a first aider receive?
An occupational first aider will receive a QQI Level 5 certificate in Occupational First Aid.
The first aider will also receive a certificate from the registered training provider stating the first aider successfully completed the training and the date of issue will be on this certificate.
Thereafter, the first aider will receive a certificate from the registered training provider for 2 yearly refresher training as QQI does not issue refresher certificates.
How long is certification valid for?
Occupational first aid certification is valid for 2 years after which refresher training is required.
What happens if a first aider’s training lapses?
Where training for an occupational first aider lapses, a 1 day refresher training is required if the lapse is less than 3 months, otherwise the full 3 day training is required. The important date to note is the date on the certificate from the training provider and not the date on the QQI certificate.
QQI certificates are dated the date of issue which is some time after the training date while refresher certificates issued by training providers will normally have the date of the training.
What first aid records and documentation need to be kept?
The names of occupational first aider must be recorded in the Safety Statement along with the location of the first aid rooms, equipment and facilities.
Written records of the dates of all first aid training, including refresher training should be kept at the workplace and be made available on request to the Health and Safety Inspector.
Records of all cases treated by the first aider should be kept in a suitable secure place, respecting their confidential nature and be made available on request to the Health and Safety Inspector.
 
What is an AED?
A defibrillator is a device that delivers an electric shock to the heart muscle through the chest wall in order to restore a normal heart rate.
An automatic external defibrillator (AED) is a portable defibrillator designed to be automated such that it can be used by persons without substantial medical training who are responding to a cardiac emergency.
Are occupational first aiders trained in the use of AED?
Yes, AED is part of the Cardiac First Response (CFR) Unit of the QQI Level 5 OFA Standard and first aiders are trained in its use.
Do I have to have a first aid room at my workplace?
Premises must have one or more first aid rooms if the Safety Statement risk assessment shows that it is necessary and based on the following criteria:

• Premises size
• Type of activity being carried out
• Frequency of accidents arising
• Existence of special hazards
• Distance from nearest appropriate medical facility.

What should be considered when planning and designing first aid rooms?
A number of factors need to be considered when planning, designing and equipping first aid rooms:

• Location to take account of proximity to work areas and access for transport to hospital
• Sufficient size to include equipment
• Entrance wide enough to accommodate ambulance trolley, stretcher
• Impervious floor covering, with surfaces easy to clean
• Sink facilities with hot and cold running water
• Provision of telephone

What is the maximum number of learners/trainees to an instructor?
10 is the maximum number. This is to ensure learners have sufficient time to develop first aid skills. The instructor is required to have a mannequin and training AED for every 4 learners.
Who does the first aid assessment?
For a 3 day course a separate instructor (examiner) must do the assessment.
For the 1 day refresher course, the same instructor or a different instructor can do the assessment.”
Courtesy of The Health & Safety Authority.
If you find you still have some unanswered questions, please contact our office on 041-9822933 and we would be more than happy to offer our advice. EMS & Associates are regularly running Occupational First Aid training courses in Dublin and Drogheda. If you would like to book a place please call 041-9822933 or email susan@emsandassocitaes.com.

Working on fragile roofs
“Since 2011 fourteen people have lost their lives in Ireland while carrying out roof-work. This makes for stark reading as all of the fatalities were preventable. Moreover many people have suffered serious accidents, including permanent and life-changing disabilities.Have you ever been tempted to climb onto a roof to fix a tile or slate or to repair a leak?
Roof-related accidents can happen anywhere. However the statistics show that they are particularly prevalent in the construction and agricultural sectors. They occur on the roofs of factories and houses, warehouses and farm buildings, and often when minor repair work, maintenance or cleaning is being carried out.
So while climbing onto a roof may seem like a quick and easy way to do a minor repair job or clean a roof light, it is fraught with danger and should be avoided at all costs.
In May 2016, the Authority issued a safety alert to highlight the need for stringent health and safety procedures when carrying out work on fragile roofs. The alert, which was prompted by the sharp increase in fatalities, identified the surfaces that present particular risks as well as the key steps to avoid accidents.
A fragile roof is one in which part of the roof can be easily broken or shattered. The Authority’s Code of Practice for Safety in Roof-work identifies fragile surfaces as roof-lights and perspex sheeting, linear sheets on built up roofs, unreinforced cement sheets (including asbestos cement sheeting), glass (including wired glass), wood wool slabs and any other similar fragile roofing material. Roof-lights are a particular risk because they can be hard to identify due to weathering conditions or because they are sometimes painted over.
So how can accidents arising from working on fragile roof surfaces be prevented? Firstly, before carrying out any work at a height, a comprehensive site specific written risk assessment should be carried out by a competent person. This should clearly identify all hazards including fragile roofs.
When carrying out roof-work near fragile surfaces it is important to ensure the work is well-planned so that workers are kept away from the hazard. This may involve carrying out work from below the fragile surface by using either a suitable working platform or a mobile elevated work platform (MEWP) where possible.
Training is also critical. The SOLAS Construction Skills Certification Scheme (CSCS) provides training in certain roofing activities, namely roof cladding, PVC built up roof felt and bitumen built up roof felt.
Fragile roof accidents can also be prevented by abiding by the Authority’s Code of Practice, displaying warning signs at access points to the roof and clearly marking all fragile parts to prevent entry.
So in summary:

• pre-plan all roofing activities,
• use suitable equipment for the job and make sure its properly maintained,
• engage trained and experienced workers who are competent in carrying out this aspect of work safely and
• ensure a high level of supervision by competent staff.

And above all, let’s save lives and prevent serious accidents by ensuring that work on fragile roofs is carried out safely.”
Courtesy Of The Health & Safety Authority.

 

Construction occupational health inspection campaign findings

“This campaign took place over one week (13-17 June 2016) and focused on the prevention of occupational ill-health when working on construction sites. During the week 302 inspections were carried out.
The inspectors looked at the prevention of silicosis, COPD and cancer from silica dusts generated by, for example, cutting concrete kerbs and slabs with concrete saws without adequate controls.
They recommended the use of water suppression systems and on-tool extraction, using the correct respiratory protective equipment to FFP3 level protection, particularly during wall chasing, floor scabbing and when sweeping up internal spaces. Inspectors also advised duty-holders and workers on preventing skin cancers from the effects of excessive sunlight, on using sun creams and wearing long sleeved tops.
Preventing cancers from disturbing asbestos containing materials during demolition work and when refurbishing older buildings was also considered. Inspectors looked for evidence of asbestos surveys being carried out before demolition or refurbishment work started. Inspectors promoted compliance with the Authority Guidance on Asbestos in older buildings. Poor manual handling leads to increased risks of back problems and inspectors concentrated on the manual handling of glazing units and compliance with the recently published Authority Guidance on this issue.
Some positive findings from the campaign included more prevalent use of con saws with water based dust suppression systems, block splitters in use, asbestos surveys being carried out prior to demolition, correct filtered hoovers being used for housekeeping , FFP3 level protection RPE being used and method statements and risk assessments prepared which covered dust controls.
Adverse findings included inadequate control measures when cutting roof tiles, ordinary non CE marked face masks being used for dust control and no RPE being used when coring concrete. Our analysis of how contractors’ had dealt with the risks from dusts on their sites showed that over 60% had analysed the risks correctly and taken the appropriate safety measures.
We used our social media channels to promote the campaign and greater awareness of occupational ill-health among construction workers. The topics promoted included the campaign launch, the role of the Construction Safety Partnership Committee in promoting better occupational health in construction, the adverse effects of silica dusts, manual handling hazards on site and occupational skin cancers. On our Facebook page we reached 41,241 people and on Twitter we reached 8,716 people.
Further Guidance on Occupational Health for Construction workers is available on the Authority website.”
 
Courtesy Of The Health & Safety Authority.
 
 

Introduction

“One of the key objectives in the Authority’s Strategy 2016-2018 is an increased focus on health and wellbeing. This has come about for a number of reasons:

• Recent Central Statistics Office (CSO) Quarterly National Household Surveys and Economic and Social Research Institute (ESRI) reports citing more absence due to work related illnesses than accidents at work.
• Musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs) and work related stress (WRS) are stated as major causes of absence on Department of Social Protection (DSP) Illness Benefit (IB) certificates by general practitioners (GPs).
• Reflects similar developments in other European countries.

Actions

The increased focus on workplace health and wellbeing will be achieved over the 3 year period of the strategy in a number of ways:

• Increased training and involvement by inspectors in areas such as ergonomics and manual handling (MH) risk management, respiratory dust control and sun protection for outdoor workers.
• Continued development of occupational health section of the HSA website.
• Involvement of inspectors dealing with psychosocial issues such as work related stress (WRS) and bullying.
• Continued guidance on management of manual handling and MSDs in different sectors.
• Manual handling projects in sectors such as construction, agriculture and manufacturing.
• Gathering data on work related illnesses from sources such as CSO, ESRI and DSP.

Alliances

The Authority cannot achieve this strategic objective on its own. For this reason it supports and is involved with a number of organisations as follows:

• Financial support annually to The Health and Occupation Research (THOR) ROI network by physicians in Ireland. This involves occupational physicians, chest and skin specialists and GPs reporting cases of occupational illness online to the University of Manchester. An annual report is produced showing the number of new cases, the total number of cases since reporting commenced in 2005 and comparisons between ROI, GB and NI.
• Membership of the across Government Health Ireland (HI) steering group and workplace subgroup.
• Membership of the board of the Anti-Bullying Centre in Dublin City University.
• Membership of Institute of Occupational Safety and Health (IOSH)/National University of Ireland Galway (NUIG) steering committee on workplace behaviours study.
• Membership of European committees involved in MH, psychosocial risk and occupational illnesses.

 Awareness

The increased focus on workplace health should bring about a change by employers in how they manage health. Many employers now have the knowledge and tools to manage safety in their workplaces and the results are evident in reduced accident rates. Health is more difficult as it is not as visible as safety and workplace illnesses tend to develop over long periods of time.
Employees develop back problems, repetitive strain injuries, respiratory illnesses and illnesses associated with stress over many years. However once developed these illnesses tend to result in longer absences from work than accidents and long term health problems that don’t go away easily. The thinking has to change, so that workplace health is proactively managed and illnesses prevented and employees can remain productive and in good health up to and beyond retirement.”
Courtesy of The Health & Safety Authority.