Unit 27 Understanding Health and Safety in the Business Workplace (GC01297)
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 BOOTS.
Physical Environment.
P3Explain the roles and responsibilities for the health and safety of key personnel in Boots.
P4Plan a risk assessment for a selected administrative work environment.
Conclusion.
References.
Introduction
Health and safety is an important aspect of the corporate world. The selected organization for this assignment is Boots. 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 Boots. The third task explains the roles and responsibilities for the health and safety of key personnel in Boots. Finally, the fourth task plans a risk assessment for the administrative work environment of Boots. This guide explains how to assess and reduce the risks of using workplace equipment
P1 Explain the legal requirements and regulations for ensuring the health, safety, and security of those employed in the business
Whoever creates the risk manages the risk. HSWA requires health and safety work risks to be managed. This means consideration of the potential work-related health conditions as well as the injuries that could occur. Health conditions include both physical and psychological acute and long-term illnesses. Legalization is used to keep employees in the workplace safe and protect the rights they have as employees within a business. Employers have a legal responsibility to ensure the health and safety procedures are followed in the workplace. Employers have a legal responsibility to ensure the health and safety procedures are followed in the workplace.
Safety Representatives and Safety Committees Regulations 1977
Safety Representatives nominated by recognized trade unions represent all staff on all matters of health and safety and can be an effective way of reducing the likelihood of accidents and ill health. Under the above Regulations, employers are legally required to consult with any nominated representatives in their workplaces. Safety representatives can take up any issues of concern and they have legal rights to raise health and safety complaints with management; investigate hazards and complaints; inspect workplaces; investigate accidents/incidents; obtain information and facilities from employers/inspectors to help them carry out the safety representative role; insist on safety committees. Under the Health and Safety (Consultation with Employees) Regulations 1996, employers must inform and consult with employees on all matters relating to their health and safety (Machony, 2016).
Health and Safety at Work Act 1974
An act to make further provision for securing the health, safety, and welfare of persons at work, for protecting others against risks to health or safety in connection with the activities of persons at work, for controlling the keeping and use and preventing the unlawful acquisition, possession, and use of dangerous substances, and for controlling certain emissions into the atmosphere; to make further provision with respect to the employment medical advisory service; to amend the law relating to building regulations, and the Building (Scotland) Act 1959, and for connected purposes (Machony, 2016).
The Workplace (Health, Safety, and Welfare) Regulations 1992
The Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1992 requires that employers also have to record significant results and the information based upon risk assessments. The Workplace (Health, Safety, and Welfare) Regulations 1992 cover a wide range of basic health, safety, and welfare issues and apply to most workplaces (Machony, 2016). Boots follow these acts and it will help employers understand the regulatory requirements on issues such as ventilation, temperature, lighting, cleanliness, room dimensions, workstations and seating, floor conditions, falls or falling objects, transparent and translucent doors, gates and walls, windows, skylights and ventilators, traffic routes, escalators, sanitary conveniences, and washing facilities.
The Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations 1995
The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) has recently published amended guidance outlining the requirements of the new regulations and the main changes from the Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations (RIDDOR) 1995. The new regulations will clarify and simplify the reporting requirements while ensuring that the data collected gives an accurate and useful picture of workplace incidents.
Boots have an on-site medical room that has the latest first aid kit and other appropriate equipment needed in case of a potential injury or illness, however, if they feel it is serious or needs further action they will fill out a risk assessment immediately and refer them to the hospital or where necessary (Machony, 2016).
Provision and use of work equipment regulations 1992
Work equipment that poses risks in the office environment usually refers to paper cutting and stapling equipment, shredders, etc. As with all assessments employers are required to identify the risks to health and safety and provide employees with the appropriate information, training, instruction, and supervision (Machony, 2016).
Manual handling operations regulations 1992
A manual handling operation means any transporting or supporting of a load (including lifting, putting down, pushing, pulling, carrying or moving) by hand or bodily force (not mechanized). Employers of Boots should ensure employees avoid hazardous manual handling operations wherever possible but assessments need to be made for those that are unavoidable.
The Control of Substances Hazardous to Health Regulations 2002
Control of Substances Hazardous to Health Regulations (2002) exists to ensure that both employers and employees do all they can in a workplace to minimize people’s exposure to hazardous substances and work in ways that are safe. This means that all hazardous substances need to be identified and precautions need to be taken to ensure that workers know how to use and handle them safely (Machony, 2016).
The legislation requires employers to carry out a risk assessment in order to identify potentially hazardous substances to which their employees may be exposed. In practice, this means systematically looking around the workplace, noting down hazardous substances and jobs that may lead to exposure to them. Accident logbooks should be reviewed for any areas of concern that employees may already have reported. After appropriate control measures have been implemented, and safety equipment provided, they must be routinely maintained and tested to ensure that they are in good condition and continue to provide adequate protection (Machony, 2016).
P2Describe the requirements for a healthy and safe workplace, as applied to the physical environment and equipment used in BOOTS
The environment can be termed as a man’s closest surroundings which he can manipulate for his survival or existence. If this surrounding is wrongly manipulated, it may lead to unsafe situations rising and making it difficult for man’s survival. Hazards as a result of poorly managed surrounding can hinder employees’ productivity rate and lead to low morale. This makes the workplace environment a very crucial determinant of employee performance, morale, and productivity (Robertson, 2018). The workplace of BOOTS entails an environment in which the worker performs his work while an effective workplace is an environment where results can be achieved as expected by management.
Physical Environment and Equipment
Obstacles
Dealing with obstacles is a common topic among all of us. What sets us apart is how we deal with obstacles. Some people prevent them from doing transactions; others have learned to hurdle while running. Most obstacles can be avoided (Robertson, 2018). These are the consequences of unmanaged emotions, infected habits, and habitual mistakes we make with other people. Without worry, these obstacles become emotional thieves that we enter into our lives.
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