What is the Health and safety at work Act 1974, and who does it relate Describe the roles and responsibilities employers have within an engineering environment (provide examples) What is the Health and safety Executive (HSE) The health and safety work act is basically a duty that all employers must ensue that its taken place amongst the employees. For example the employers must make sure machines/equipment is protected for use and maintained well.
Adequate training of staff to ensure safe use, handling and storage of dangerous substances. This act applies to almost everyone in a working engineering workplace, Both including the employers and employees. Employers must be obliged to give you information about the risks in your workplace and how you are protected, moreover to instruct and train you on how to deal with the risks if they do occur.
For example, in a small fabrication engineering workplace they should ensure all employees and subcontractors are suitably skilled to carry out the given task and that the essential licenses/certificates of capability are in force and suitable. As regulation such as manual handing/PUWER etc, will need to be taken into consideration by the employers. For instance this part of engineering will be dealing with different materials, transporting goods, cutting/welding and using complex machines.
For that reason for this to be successful then its vital that the employees are dexterous and sensible to work in the workshop This means the responsibility the employers have is making sure that worker’s are fully aware of the rules and dangers that could occur within the workplace and to also make sure they are well sheltered from anything that may cause destruction and effectively controlling any hazardous that may lead to dangerous detrimental effect or possible injuries or health that could arise in the workplace.
This is significant as the employers have a legal sense of duty under the (HSIER) to demonstrate the approved poster in a imperative position in each workplace or to provide each worker with a copy of the standard leaflet outlining the British health and safety law. Without this in place it would mean the company will have higher percentages of injuries occurring in the workplace, and in worst cases if the employees are hurt seriously then they have the authority to ask for compensation which will lead the company to dept and possibly bankrupt.
Another role is employers have duties under health and safety law to consider risks in the workplace. A risk assessment should also be carried out to concentrate on the risks that may be hazardous in the workplace. For instance, this could be applied to a waste water facility. As the manger should monitor and perform risk assessments on actions within their responsibility, ensuring that the methods and systems of occupation are in safe hands. As well as the essential procedures, rules, designed to achieve this are formulated and applied. In this workplace the employers should encounter regulations such as RIDDOR/ COSHH etc.
Reason being is because the workers will be using all sorts of chemicals and certain machines linked in for its job role as its extracted sewage water for other useful purposes. The responsibilities the employers should have here are providing written instructions of work methods outlining the potential hazards and safety measures and ensure they are complied with. As an employer’s task is to protect the health safety and welfare of their employees and other people who may be affected. Without a doubt each employee must know their responsibility and are fully equipped to play their part.
Therefore, this must be achieved by the employers in order to do their jobs correctly. This is to ensure that all employees are safe when working with machinery. This should also be including the use and to obtain the correct equipments/tools for work and aware of putting the protective equipment in its approved place after use. Without this in place the workers wouldn’t know where it will be after use, meaning the company would be breaking the law as they employers are not doing their role correctly which could lead to the company permanently shutting down or any possibility of employers getting sacked.
The Health and safety executive is where it’s responsible for enforcing the health and safety at work legislation. Besides this it also plays a major role in producing advice on health and safety issues and guidance on relevant legislation. As its also negotiating with the engineering manager with and concerns or problems dealing with the health and safety of the workers Identify three roles and three responsibilities of the HSE, describe one of each (use specific examples) Describe two roles and responsibilities employees have whilst working in an engineering environment in regards to the Health and safety at work Act (include examples)
Director responsibility In any job every worker has duties to be aware of their own health and safety and that of others who may be pretentious by your actions at work. Meaning all workers must collaborate with employers and co-workers to help meet their legal requests. An example of where this will be demonstrated is by a supervisor. Here the safety manager main role is to make sure that he’s responsible and aware of his own safety and the employees working in the same environment as him/her. S of these responsibilities they will tackle are the control measures and inform on the standard PPE that should be issued o all the employees.
Due to it being part of the HSW act, its shows that the employees are in a good working safe environment and the supervisor is doing the job precisely. However if this wasn’t followed or monitored then it could result in the employees possibly getting injured or serious damage could be caused to others around and to the machines. Resulting in the employers to change and possibly go through the HSE again. Another role a safety manger will need to meet is keeping track with any changes in the current legislation and bringing the alertness to the Director responsible for Health and Safety.
Thus in order for this to be achieved the safety manger responsibility is to make sure he attend courses that are run by implementation within the organisation. Moreover, in a small fabrication engineering workplace this would be vital as it means new enforcement would be input and possibly new machines that could make the employees life’s much easier to work with and communicate more efficiently Secondly, all workers are obliged to work in environments where the risks to their health and safety are accurately controlled, as under the health and safety law, responsibly this is up to employers to keep an eye on.
An example of this in a working engineering workplace is subcontractors. These are when employees have been hired to carry out a specific task as part of the overall project. All SubContractors and their employees must respond to promptly with any instructions issued where it affects health and safety. The responsibility here is providing the employees with all necessary personal protective clothing and equipment needed to operate well in an engineering workplace. Therefore hitting the target of the HSW act.
On the other hand if this wasn’t carried out then again the employees wouldn’t be obliged to work in the environment as it wouldn’t be safe enough and secure. Other responsibilities that they need to ensure of are the materials or substances brought onto the site must be correctly labelled and in standard containers or packages. These would then need appropriate COSHH assessment to ensure that the substance poses no risk to HSE. This will then be showing that all the employees are aware of the substances that they will be using and how to use the substances safely.