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The future of first aid approvals – an update on the review of the Health and Safety (First-Aid) Regulations 1981
A joint statement by the Health and Safety Executive and the Scottish Qualifications Authority

 

 

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Ice Safety

 

 

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  • Sun-care Guidelines for Nurseries and Pre-schools

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    Johnston Children learn about site safety at Kircudbright creamery.

    Children from Johnston School in Kircudbrightshire learned about the dangers of building sites and had fun to boot at kirkcudbright Creamery,

    Milkline, the company who operate the creamery, had organised activities as part of European Safety Week, which is run by the European agency for Health and safety.

    The theme for this year was construction and Milkline, in partnership with Story Construction, have been running safety courses for staff and sub-contractors. But they also invited the primary class from Johnson school along to learn about the dangers of construction sites.

    Dick McDemid from the creamery said: Construction sites are extremely dangerous places and the idea was to get the message across they had a bit of fun operating a mini-digger under controlled circumstances.

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    Bonfire and Firework Safety

    Through the eyes of our young people

    The young people of Dumfries and Galloway are clearly concerned about the potential dangers associated with fireworks and bonfires.

    A group of 12 fourth year pupils from Castle Douglas High School have produced a website promoting the safe use of fireworks and how to enjoy bonfires on the big night. The 'Working with Others Group' were commissioned to produce the website following the success of a similar project last year.

    The details of the website will be forwarded to all schools in the area and pupils will be encouraged to visit the site and spend time exploring other fun links.

    In another effort to encourage younger pupils to think about safety the police, in partnership with Dumfries and Galloway Fire Brigade, hosted a competition for Primary School pupils to design a Firework and Bonfire safety Poster. Over 1000 entries were received from 26 schools across Dumfries and Galloway with the two winning entries being published on the internet along with their elder peers website.

    The two prize-winners in the Primary 1-4, and Primary 5-7 categories respectively were, Alex Shearman, Primary 1 from Lochmaben Primary School and Eilidh Little, Primary 6 from Troqueer Primary School.

    Primary 1-4 category
    Alex Shearman, Primary 1 from Lochmaben Primary School
     View the winning poster as a PDF document

    Primary 5-7 category
    Eilidh Little, Primary 6 from Troqueer Primary School
     View the winning poster as a PDF document

    Sergeant Mike Kneeshaw from the Galloway Crime Reduction Unit -

    " The standard of entries we received was commendable. Everyone who entered the competition should congratulate themselves on their efforts. The job of adjudication was extremely difficult.

    The idea of publishing the winning entries on the world wide web along with the website created by Castle Douglas High School will hopefully encourage a significant number of young people to access the mini web and learn from the work of other young people. "

    The message from Firemaster David Wynne of Dumfries and Galloway Fire Brigade is

    " Fireworks are dangerous and can be lethal.

    The utmost care is necessary in their storage, handling and use, whether you are organising a display for the family, friends or the general public . Dumfries and Galloway Fire Brigade want you to have a safe event - by following some simple do's and don'ts risks can be greatly reduced."

    Firework Safety

    • Keep fireworks in a closed metal box and take them out one at a time.

    • Follow the manufacturer's instructions on each firework. Read them by torchlight - NEVER a naked flame.

    • Light fireworks at arm's length using a safety firework lighter or fuse wick.

    • Stand back after lighting.

    • NEVER go back to a firework once lit - it may go off in your face.

    • Keep a bucket of water handy.

    • Used fireworks should be collected after the display with care. Douse with water, bury or place in a metal container.

    • Keep children under control.

    • Keep pets indoors.

    Visit the DTI Fireworks and You website to read the Firework Safety Code and find out more about how to have fun with fireworks, safely.

    Bonfire Safety

    Bonfires present additional hazards when it's dark. If you must light a bonfire, in connection with a fireworks display, then:

    • Site well away from houses, garages, sheds, fences, overhead cables, trees and shrubs AND ALWAYS AWAY FROM FIREWORKS.

    • Before lighting the fire check that no pets or children are hiding inside it.

    • Build the stack so that it is stable and will not collapse outwards or to one side.

    • NEVER use flammable liquids - paraffin or petrol - to light the fire.

    • Don't burn foam-filled furniture, aerosols, and tins of paint or bottles.

    • Keep everyone away from the fire - especially children, who must be supervised all the time.

    • For an emergency keep buckets of water, the garden hose or a fire extinguisher ready.

    • Pour water on the embers before leaving.

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    SLIPS AND FALLS ON ICY SURFACES

    The cost of accidents to staff includes the cost of sick pay, replacing that member of staff and in many cases compensation.  The Education Institute of Scotland (1) reported 3 out of the 20 claims for compensation were due to falls on ice (2004 – 2005) and totalled £5,360  It also won compensation for a single member who slipped on ice of £11,805 (2)

    Claims for slips and falls at work can be even more costly.  According to the Evening Standard, (06.02.03) Carol Harper, a 57 year old teacher who slipped on a chip on a Stafford school’s stair in May 1999 won £44,650 in compensation.  She fractured a bone in her left ankle, was off for a year and had to retire.  The judge ruled that the stairs should have been swept. (3)

    Sometimes the cost is more than simple compensation, in November 1996, a 37 year old mother from Lancashire, out walking with her toddler, slipped on ice, and died from a head injury. (4) 

    A Government paper covering accidents in the print and publishing industry showed that the main causes of falls were poor housekeeping, poor maintenance and inclement weather conditions.  The three main slip hazards were water and wetness, oil and ice. (5)   More accidents occurred on ice than where forklifts, trolleys or trailing cables were involved. 

    Unlike small liquid spillage and other physical hazards which could cause slip injuries if encountered accidentally, icy conditions and the attendant risks, are normally very obvious.

     While the court is still out on the lengths that local authorities must go to, to keep roads and pavements clear, public access areas on private premises are a different matter.  Schools in particular not only have a duty towards the safety of their pupils and public, but also their employees including teachers and caretaking staff.

    The biggest danger in icy conditions comes from un-cleared areas and areas where thawing has occurred followed by refreezing to a smooth, slippery icy surface.  Regular outdoor inspection and re-clearing of surfaces that have frozen over after snow has melted should be coupled with internal area checks to eliminate the risk of slipping on a wet patch. 

    Caretaking, or premises management staff, are at the front end in terms of Health and Safety Accident Prevention.  In the case of ice and snow, it is their job to clear the pathways of public access areas to make them safe.  Yet by the very nature of their work, they must risk their own safety in doing so. 

    One way to ensure the safety of the staff responsible for clearing ice and snow from school premises is to provide them with proper ice safety footwear to prevent them from slipping on the ice as they clear it.   

    The BBC’s web site has a layman’s scientific guide on the Internet explaining why we slip on ice wearing ordinary winter footwear (6).  Snow is at it’s most dangerous underfoot when it thaws a little and then refreezes on heavy footfall areas. 

    From there is easy to understand how ice safety devices which fit over the top of shoes and boots can grip into the ice below.  They have the added advantage that they can be worn by whichever employees are on duty, provided their shoes are in a similar size range. 

    One example of such a device is the American product Yaktrax  (  http://www.yaktrax.co.uk ) which is now available in the UK in black and safety green and orange.   The design covers a large, evenly distributed, surface area and uses the wearer’s bodyweight to grip into the ice below to ensure good traction on packed snow and ice. (7)  These will not, however, prevent slipping on thin, black ice, as they need a certain depth of ice to grip into.

    Health and safety pedants are urged to “get a life”

    “Focus on the real risks that cause real harm, and stop concentrating effort on trivial risks and petty health and safety.” This was the message driven home by HSC chair Bill Callaghan at the launch of the HSC’s newly revised ‘Principles of sensible risk management’ on 22 August.

    “I’m sick and tired of hearing that ‘health and safety’ is stopping people doing worthwhile and enjoyable things,” Callaghan added, “when at the same time, others are suffering real harm and even death as a result of mismanagement at work”. Health and safety pedants should “get a life”, he said and “concentrate on saving lives, not stopping them”.

    Commenting on the public perception of a compensation culture, where the ‘conkers bonkers’ and ‘egg box-banning’ approach to health and safety were distractions from the excellent work being done, Callaghan went on: “Some health and safety stories are just myths. There are also some instances where health and safety is used to justify unpopular decisions, such as closing facilities. But behind many of the stories, there is at least a grain of truth – someone really has made a stupid decision. We’re determined to tackle all three.”

    The ‘Principles’ that health and safety professionals should bear in mind in the interests of effective risk management include protecting workers; balancing benefits and risks to society; managing risks responsibly; and enabling innovation and individual responsibility rather than stifling learning.

    Creating a totally risk-free society, generating mountains of paperwork, exaggerating and publicising trivial risks, and stopping important recreational and learning activities for individuals where the risks are managed are listed as things that should be avoided in the interests of sensible risk assessment.

    HSE deputy chief executive, Jonathan Rees, said he had seen risk assessments for something as simple as a school field trip run to as many as 60 pages. Simple bullet points would do for such risk assessments, he said, and those seeking guidance could look on the HSE’s website.

    IOSH president Neil Budworth joined the DWP, CBI, LACORS (Local Authorities Coordinators of Regulatory Services), the Chartered Institute of Environmental Health, EEF and the Association of Personal Injury Lawyers in welcoming the Principles, saying: “It’s about time common sense made a come back.” He added: “Health and safety practitioners are here to help get things done, not to stand in the way of business decisions, or people living their lives.”

    The minister with responsibility for health and safety, Lord Hunt, also welcomed the Principles, saying: “The work of the Ministerial Steering Group on Compensation, and the recent Compensation Act, have made important contributions in rebutting the myth that we have a compensation culture and ensuring that one does not develop in the future.”

    Principles of sensible risk management (HSE)

    1. Sensible risk management is about:

    • Ensuring that workers and the public are properly protected

    • Providing overall benefit to society by balancing benefits and risks, with a focus on reducing real risks – both those which arise more often and those with serious consequences

    • Enabling innovation and learning not stifling them

    • Ensuring that those who create risks manage them responsibly and understand that failure to manage real risks responsibly is likely to lead to robust action

    • Enabling individuals to understand that as well as the right to protection, they also have to exercise responsibility

    2. Sensible risk management is not about:

    • Creating a totally risk free society

    • Generating useless paperwork mountains

    • Scaring people by exaggerating or publicising trivial risks

    • Stopping important recreational and learning activities for individuals where the risks are managed

    • Reducing protection of people from risks that cause real harm and suffering

     

     

    Campaign to stop 'trivial risks'

    A campaign is being launched to encourage schools and local authorities to stop worrying about "trivial" concerns over safety.

    The Health and Safety Commission said unnecessary concerns over paperwork and the fear of being sued were being used to cancel school trips and outings.

    Instead it is urging people to focus on risks that cause harm and suffering.

    A set of guidelines on sensible risk management has been released to coincide with the campaign.

    The HSC is concerned that too much concern over paperwork and bureaucracy will stifle learning and innovation.

    Author, TV presenter and adventurer Ben Fogle lent his support to the launch.

    He said: "I probably take more risks than most - and I wouldn't want my life to be any other way.

    "No one wants a world where children, in fact anyone, is wrapped in cotton wool, prevented from taking any risks and scared of endeavour."

    Chair of the HSC Bill Callaghan, who launched the initiative, said some health and safety stories were "just myths".

    "There are also some instances where health and safety is used as an excuse to justify unpopular decisions such as closing facilities," he said.

    "My message is that if you're using health and safety to stop everyday activities - get a life and let others get on with theirs."

    Jonathan Rees, HSE deputy chief executive, said the aim of the campaign was to "cut red tape and make a real difference to people's lives".

    "These principles... will hopefully drum home the message that health and safety is not about long forms, back-covering or stifling initiative.

    "It's about recognising real risks, tackling them in a balanced way and watching out for each other. It's about keeping people safe, not stopping their lives."

    HSE figures show 212 workers and 384 members of the public were killed due to workplace accidents in 2005/06.

    In 2004/2005, 35 million working days were lost due to work-related ill health or injury, and more than 150,559 major injures were reported.

    The HSC has overall responsibility for occupational health and safety in Great Britain, while the HSE is an enforcing authority that works in support of the commission.

    EEC support sensible risk management and have developed our database in such a way that enables schools to sensible manage their risks without stifling ambition and experiences and at the same time supporting teaching and learning. A totally paper free system.

     

    Flash-bang science safely in the classroom

    School science teachers are being urged not to fear breaking health and safety rules and bring back exciting and engaging practical classroom science demonstrations.

    In a bid to show her support of this message, Judith Hackitt CBE, Chair of the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) demonstrated to a classroom of children the principles of combustion by setting her hands alight - safely.

    Ms Hackitt and Dr David Brown, Chief Executive of the Institution of Chemical Engineers (IChemE), performed ‘The Flaming Hands' science demonstration, one of IChemE's safe, risk-assessed ‘Top 10 Flash Bang Demos' in a bid to encourage more engaging, hands-on science lessons in schools.

    By releasing methane into a bubble mix solution of soap solution, glycerol and distilled water, Ms Hackitt and Dr Brown were able to set alight the bubbles on their hands, safely displaying the scientific principles of combustion.

    The IChemE’s demo campaign was launched in October 2008 after Schools and Learning Minister, Jim Knight called for “more flash-bang science in the classroom”. Since its launch, there have been more than 11,000 downloads of the demonstration videos and more than 8,000 downloads of the supporting instruction sheets.

    Judith Hackitt said: "This demonstrates to teachers that they can do more exciting classroom lessons without unduly worrying about health and safety.
     


    "Classroom demos can be spectacular and safe, and here are 10 of them that can be easily downloaded and put into lessons - as hundreds of other teachers have done because they've already been fully risk-assessed. So, no excuses!"
     


    The demonstrations can be downloaded from the IChemE website:

    www.whynotchemeng.com/uk-and-ireland/teachers/top-ten-flash-bang-demos

     

    Rugby chiefs play it safe and rewrite rules to safeguard boys from injury

    SCOTTISH rugby's governing body will today unveil sweeping reforms to the sport's grassroots designed to protect young players from serious injury.

    New guidelines will prevent boys under 16 playing at under-18 school or club level, and male players under 18 will not be allowed to participate in senior games.

    Only "exceptional cases" will allow the rules to be bypassed, where a player can demonstrate the physical and mental maturity and skill to face off against older and more experienced opponents.

    Referees will also be required to carry out risk assessments before every youth and school game, where the weight, size and experience of participants will be taken into account.

    The changes are being introduced by Scottish Rugby following a spate of serious injuries at school level in recent years.

    In February, a 14-year-old at Stewart's Melville College in Edinburgh lost the use of an arm after a neck injury while playing against Dollar Academy. And last year Nick Watt, a pupil at Merchiston Castle, suffered serious spinal injuries during a game against Stewart's Melville.

    In all, six schoolboy players in Scotland have suffered serious injuries in the past three years.

    Scottish Rugby has pointed to "varying degrees of interpretation" among club and school teams surrounding age banding, refereeing and first-aid cover.

    At present, boys aged 15 can play in under-18 competition, while those aged 16 and 17 are eligible for adult matches.

    The ruling body believes the new rules will improve safety without compromising the ethos of the game. As part of the new policies, volunteers at school and club teams must ensure their games are covered by a minimum standard of pitchside care, with volunteers required to undertake a specialised rugby first-aid qualification by the start of the 2010-11 season.

    Having expressed concern that not every injury suffered by players is reported by clubs and schools, Scottish Rugby will also move to implement a review of the injury reporting process, while working with the Scottish Government to monitor injury rates in school rugby in an attempt to manage risk.

    John Beattie, the former Scotland international forward, praised the reforms. "Rugby has to realise it has to provide a safe environment for teenage boys to play in, as some get hurt," he said. "If we run away from that, we're kidding ourselves on. The ethos of the game is still great. It's just an anomaly in rugby where teenage players can get hurt when they go up against someone bigger and older – these changes are an excellent way of addressing that."

    The changes follow a four-month consultation period carried out by Scottish Rugby in which it has consulted former players, orthopaedic specialists, clubs and local authorities.

    A spokesman for Scottish Rugby said: "We are always looking to ensure that game evolves in a way which not only enhances safety, but also continues to make it accessible and fun for all those who participate."

    Jim Littlefair, a director of Hearts and Balls, a charity set up to support players impacted by serious injury, welcomed the changes as part of an evolution of the sport. He said: "I think the responsibilities being put in place across all areas of the game are to be welcomed."

    Mr Littlefair added: "What is being put forward is wholly reasonable, and no-one has any issue with it."

     
     
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