Health and Safety is not the most exiting subject in the world to read about and in fact most of us do not read much about it at all until a tragic accident happens and it is in all the papers and on the news.
The good thing is, if you employ a professional contractor, they will have all the necessary training and accreditations in place so the risk of any health and safety issue will be cut down.
Here are some top tips to help with health and safety:
- Ensure communal hallways and stairs are clear of boxes, push chairs, bikes, furniture and any other bulk belongings, because if there is a fire then this will cause obstructions when trying to evacuate the building and for any fire fighters trying to enter.
- Slips and trips hazards – make sure that stair nosings are secure, carpets are in good condition, path ways and steps have anti slip measures. According to the HSE website, slips and trips are one of the most common reasons forthe public to be hurt with breakages of limbs and hips on the increase.
- Working at height should be kept minimal so use long life bulbs in high/hard to get to light fittings. Use window cleaners with the water fed pole systems.
- When choosing a contractor, ask what accreditations they have – SAFEcontractor, Chas, Safe4site and Constructionline are all recognised and proves that the contractor cares and practises good health and safety.
- Fire safety – check that you have a fire risk assessment in place – this has to be done regularly by law and could save lives.
- If you see something that could potentially be a risk, do not presume someone else has reported it.
- Ensure lighting in the communal areas is adequate and that if bulbs are out, they are changed immediately – poor lighting can attribute to slips and trips.
- Try and think ahead, if you have external car parks and paths that in snow and ice are lethal, order your rock salt well in advance of the bad weather, because when the snow comes, supplies of rock salt are very hard to get.
- If any works are to be carried out, ask your contractor for a copy of the risk assessment and method statement and when they come to do the work, check with the employee that they also have this so that the works are carried out in a safe manner.
- Most health and safety issues are caused by not using common sense and not being aware of your surroundings – so if carrying out any work, check it is safe to do so and that all measures are taken to ensure the safety of yourself and others.
This is not an exhaustive list and each job carried out, requires different health and safety measurements and as said at the beginning, employ a professional contractor and they will take the worry out of health and safety for you.
