Unit 27 Understanding Health and Safety in the Business Workplace (GC01295)
Contents
Introduction.
P1 Explain the legal requirements and regulations for ensuring the health, safety, and security of those employed in the business.
P2Describe the requirements for a healthy and safe workplace, as applied to the physical environment and equipment used in ASDA.
P3Explain the roles and responsibilities for the health and safety of key personnel in ASDA.
P4Plan a risk assessment for a selected administrative work environment
Conclusion.
References.
Introduction
Promoting healthy environments in companies is less likely to make employees sick which not only improves their attendance but also affects their work performance for professional work. The chosen organization for this assignment is ASDA. This assignment focuses on four key tasks. The first task of this assignment explains the legal requirements and regulations for ensuring the health, safety, and security of those employed in the business.
The second task describes the requirements for a healthy and safe workplace, as applied to the physical environment and equipment used in ASDA. The third task explains the roles and responsibilities of the health and safety of key personnel. Finally, the fourth task plans a risk assessment for ASDA’s administrative work environment. If proper health and safety rules are followed and implemented, then several minor risks can be easily avoided and uncertain situations are much more controlled.
P1 Explain the legal requirements and regulations for ensuring the health, safety, and security of those employed in the business
Organizations have a legal duty to put in place suitable arrangements to manage health and safety. It should be part of the everyday process of running a business and an integral part of workplace behaviors and attitudes. Workplace health and safety is an important issue for the employer but that is not where it starts. The safety of oneself and other colleagues should be high on the list of priorities (Pattinson, 2017). Besides which it is necessary that you be aware of a few facts mentioned below:
Health and Safety at Work Act 1974
If ASDA wishes to protect all of its work associates, employees, and customers, then it must uphold the health and safety standards set out in both MHSWR and the Health and Safety at Work, etc. Act (HSWA) 1974. Training and knowledge of both of these acts are therefore of the utmost importance. The Health & Safety at Work Act 1974 requires employers to take “reasonably practicable” precautions in various areas to safeguard employees. To do this an assessment of the risk and the steps needed to remove or reduce them need to be made.
Hierarchy of control
The law requires ASDA, as an employer, to carry out risk reduction using a clear hierarchy of controls. Where it is reasonably practicable to do so, ASDA should always adopt the following controls in descending order of priority: Eliminate the risk completely by removing the hazard, e.g. arrange for a competent security company to handle the cash-in-transit procedures; exclude known troublemakers. Where elimination is not possible or reasonably practicable in the circumstances, ASDA should substitute a hazardous activity or process with one which is less hazardous or use improved equipment or technical solutions that reduce the level of risk, e.g. ensure that high-value goods are effectively tagged; use CCTV or improved surveillance by staff.
If this is not possible ASDA should redesign the equipment or work activity to reduce the risks, e.g. arrange for cash handling to be carried out in a secure area or when the premises are closed to the public rather than in front of customers; redesign the layout of the workplace to give better lines of sight and better CCTV coverage (Pattinson, 2017). If the redesign is not possible it may be reasonably practicable to physically remove exposed people from risk, e.g. help to provide safe transport home for staff working late. Finally, ASDA should put in place controls such as training, safe systems of work, and personal protective measures.
Control of substances hazardous to health regulations 1999
Hazardous substances in the ASDA typically include cleaning chemicals and reagents. The manufacturers of these substances are required to provide the correct information in terms of potential harm from the chemicals, the protective equipment needed to use them, and what to do if something goes wrong (Pattinson, 2017). Substances deemed as hazardous to health may be gases, vapors, liquids, chemicals, fumes, and dust, or mixtures containing such components.
If there is a potential for inhalation, contact with skin or eyes, or ingestion into the body of any classified substance, then those risks to the health of employees must be assessed. Complying with the regulations does not have to add substantially to the ASDA workload. Keep records and make them available for inspection by employees or medical advisers. This may seem like an onerous task in the short-term, but once they have produced a full record, updating it will be simple.
The Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations 1995
These Regulations revoke and replace, with amendments, the Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations 1995 and the Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences (Amendment) Regulations 2012. They maintain requirements that the responsible person must notify and subsequently send a report to, the relevant enforcing authority by an approved means in relation to fatal and certain non-fatal work-related accidents, specified diseases contracted by persons at work, and certain specified dangerous occurrences. Reporting under RIDDOR is a legal requirement for all companies and organizations………………………
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