Unit 27 Understanding Health and Safety in the Business Workplace with Sainsbury’s (GC01276)

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 Sainsbury’s.

Physical Environment

P3Explain the roles and responsibilities for the health and safety of key personnel in Sainsbury’s.

P4Plan a risk assessment for a selected administrative work environment.

Conclusion.

References.

Introduction

Health issues in business areas critical in the early twenty-first century as they were in the mid-twentieth century. Many of the injuries and illnesses have changed but their impact is no less dramatic. The increased use of computers and job specialization have contributed to a new generation of occupational hazards, especially repetitive motion injuries, also known as cumulative trauma disorders. The chosen organization for this assignment is Sainsbury’s. 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 Sainsbury’s. The third task explains the roles and responsibilities for the health and safety of key personnel in Sainsbury’s. Finally, the fourth task plans a risk assessment for Sainsbury’s administrative work environment. It is a duty and moral responsibility of the company to look after the employee’s protection (Sun, 2016).

P1 Explain the legal requirements and regulations for ensuring the health, safety, and security of those employed in the business

In modern society nowadays, both the proprietors and the employees must know about and comprehend the legal requirements. In other words, legal requirements for the bosses and workers here mean that being aware and understanding industrial laws are extremely significant for both the proprietors and employees. Industrial laws require people to be treated equally. The laws of various countries require that in employment, in purchaser transactions, and in political participation people must be dealt with on an equal foundation regardless of ethnicity, sex, race, religion, and nationality.

Understanding industrial laws are important for the proprietors because it assists the managers or proprietors of a company in advertising a position, the arrangements for employing a new employee, the data sought to form a forthcoming employee, and the conduct of an interview (Williams, 2017). Moreover, industrial laws also protect the benefits and interests of employees because establishments cannot have the idiosyncrasy rules of the race, marital status, pregnancy, sex, and the like.

These are the reasons for the importance of industrial laws toward employees. Industrial laws are vital for both the proprietors and employees, so establishments and corporations must ensure they apply the legal requirements or industrial laws in recruitment and selection.

Health and Safety at Work Act (HSWA) 1974

This Act places a legal duty on employers to ensure, so far as reasonably practicable, the health, safety, and welfare of employees, and to ensure that employees and others are kept safe. Under the Act, Sainsbury’s has an obligation to ensure any potential risk of work-related violence is eliminated or controlled. If Sainsbury’s has five or more employees Sainsbury’s must have a written health and safety policy statement, setting out how Sainsbury’s manage health and safety in the organization(Williams, 2017).

Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations (MHSWR) 1999

These Regulations require employers to consider the health and safety risks to employees and to carry out a risk assessment to protect employees from exposure to reasonably foreseeable risks. Those risks include work-related violence. A risk assessment is an examination to determine what hazards exist in the workplace; establish the significance of the risk; identify and implement prevention and control measures; produce a clear management action plan. If Sainsbury’s have five or more employees Sainsbury’s must record the significant findings of the risk assessment and any groups of employees identified by it as being especially at risk.

In addition, employers have a requirement to appoint competent people, set up emergency procedures, and provide information to employees and work together with employers sharing the same workplace. Employees, on the other hand, are required to use the information/training they have received, and to report dangerous situations/shortcomings in health and safety arrangements(Williams, 2017).

The Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations (RIDDOR) 1995

Under these regulations, employers must make a report to the Incident Contact Centre in the event of an accident to an employee resulting in death, major injury, or absence from work for three or more days. Incidents involving members of the public which resulted in them being taken directly to the hospital must also be reported. This includes violent incidents that result in physical injury. However, RIDDOR does not cover threats and verbal abuse(Williams, 2017).

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(Williams, 2017).

Hierarchy of control

The law requires Sainsbury’s, as an employer, to carry out risk reduction using a clear hierarchy of controls. Where it is reasonably practicable to do so, Sainsbury’s 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. Wh

ere elimination is not possible or reasonably practicable in the circumstances, Sainsbury’s 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 Sainsbury’s 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(Williams, 2017)

. If a 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, Sainsbury’s should put in place controls such as training, safe systems of work, and personal protective measures.

……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

Full Documents Click Download Button

Free – Download Checkout Added to cart