Risk Assessments
Take accountability for well-being
Ergonomic assessments are about taking into account the variability of people in the workplace. Any risk assessment must therefore apply directly to the people undertaking, or being affected by, the task being considered.
A Legal Requirement
Employers have a legal requiremnet and obligation to protect their health and safety and that of their workforce. Regulation 3, of the Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999, requires, among other things, that all employers assess the risks to the health and safety of their employees while they are at work.
Types of Assessments
In relation to upper limb disorders a full on site risk assessment will help employers identify the potential risks and possible ways to reduce them.
The Display Screen Equipment Regulations 1992 require employers to undertake an analysis of the workstation to assess and reduce risks.
It is a legal obligation to carry our regular reviews of a workplace including specific workstations as required. All employers are required but not legally obliged to carry our risk assessments on newly expectant mothers to ensure that a full work place risk assessment is carried out and that no risks are present to mother or unborn child. Any risks identified must be remedied as soon as is reasonably practicable.
Your workplace risk assessment should already consider any risks to female employees of childbearing age and, in particular, risks to new and expectant mothers (for example, from working conditions, or the use of physical, chemical or biological agents). Any risks identified must be included and managed as part of the general workplace risk assessment.
If you are notified that an employee is pregnant, breastfeeding or has given birth within the last six months, you should check your workplace risk assessment to see if any new risks have arisen. If risks are identified during the pregnancy, in the first six months after birth or while the employee is still breastfeeding, you must take appropriate, sensible action to reduce, remove or control them.
It is essential that if you have an employee that is a diabetic, you know how well controlled this is.
When carrying out a risk assessment for someone with diabetes, it is essential to ensure that control measures are in place (e.g. provision of appropriate welfare arrangements; issuing personal protective equipment (PPE); offering instruction, training, and supervision). Risk assessments should be reviewed at least annually or when there has been a significant change in working practice or the health of the employee.
There are a number of questions that require to be asked of the individual to ensure that diabetes is managed and controlled. These include medical factors that required to be considered including if a person is mentally fit, vision, blood glucose levels and monitoring.
If you have employees at work who suffer from epilepsy, you have a duty of care as a responsible Employer to ensure their wellbeing and safety.
It is a good idea to have a risk assessment or care plan in place. This can discuss what happens in the event of a seizure and what should happen after a seizure.
Information should be collected about the individual including type of epilepsy, medication taken and how well controlled this is.
We serve the full of the UK
Appointments are available at our offices in Ayrshire or we offer a UK wide service, visiting your premises. By using an onsite service. The loss of productivity in your organisation is minimised. By promoting health surveillance, morale in the workplace is increased and statistics have shown that sickness absence is reduced.