Unit 27 Understanding Health and Safety in the Business Workplace with SSE PLC (GC01288)

Table of Contents

Introduction.

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

P2 Describe the requirements for a healthy and safe workplace, as applied to the physical environment and equipment used in SSE

Physical Environment

P3 Explain the roles and responsibilities for the health and safety of key personnel in SSE.

P4 Plan a risk assessment for a selected administrative work environment

Conclusion.

References.

Introduction

The Health and safety of the employees are very much important issues that affect the satisfaction and the performance of the employees (Eaton & Nocerino, 2013). This assignment has focused on the health and safety functions of SSE PLC as my sample. SSE plc (formerly Scottish and Southern Energy plc) is an energy company headquartered in Perth, Scotland. SSE operates in the United Kingdom and Ireland. It is involved in the generation and supply of electricity and gas, the operation of gas and telecom networks, and other energy-related services such as gas storage, exploration, and production, contracting, connections and metering.

SSE is considered as one of the “Big Six” companies that dominate the energy market in the United Kingdom. In 2018, the Revenue of SSE PLC was £31,226.4 million, operating income was £1,678.9 million, and Net income was £920.1 million. At this moment the number of employees is 20,786 (SSE plc, 2019).  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 SSE. The third task explains the roles and responsibilities for the health and safety of key personnel in SSE. Finally, the fourth task plans a risk assessment for the SSE administrative work environment.

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

I am acting as a health and safety assistant at SSE PLC. The operational manager of SSE has asked me to prepare a health and safety meeting where I will explain the different health and safety regulations that affect the business working environment and also the health of the employees (Nelson, 2016).

The Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1974

The Health and Safety at Work Act 1974 is an Act of Parliament that sets out the framework for managing workplace health and safety in the UK. The act defines the general duties of both employers and employees for maintaining health and safety within most workplaces. The specific legislation for business includes the construction industry, chemical manufacturing, etc (Health and safety authority, 2016). The act itself is a primary piece of legislation set out by the government. Statutory instruments serve to make small changes, updates, or additions to existing legislation without having to create an entirely new Bill.

This lays down wide-ranging duties on employers. It will protect staff in the operational department but also will protect people not working by people who are working. There are a lot of potential hazards that could occur inside the operational department because they use heavy and fragile equipment that is extremely expensive to obtain and to replace therefore this needs to be handled correctly. In this regard; SSE plc should very careful about the health and safety of the employees especially the management of health and safety at work regulations 1974.

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; and to amend the law relating to building regulations (Health and safety authority, 2016). In this regard; SSE plc should very careful about the health and safety of the employees especially the health and safety at work regulations 1974.

The Workplace (Health, Safety, and Welfare) Regulations 1992 

The Regulations do not apply to construction worksites, but they do apply to facilities, design, and equipment in buildings used as workplaces and modifications and extensions of such buildings (Health and safety authority, 2016). The employer and/or the person in control of premises must maintain the workplace and contents so that they remain safe and without risk to health and fully comply with the detailed requirements of the regulations. Certain items will require a formal system of maintenance, such as emergency lighting, fencing, fixed equipment used for window cleaning, anchorage points for safety harnesses, window opening limiting devices, powered doors, escalators, moving walkways, etc.

The Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations 1995

RIDDOR is the Reporting of Injuries, Diseases, and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations 2013. These Regulations require employers, the self-employed, and those in control of premises to report specified workplace incidents (Health and safety authority, 2016). In early October 2018, the HSE completed its post-implementation review (PIR) of the 2013 Reporting of Injuries, Diseases, and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations (RIDDOR 13). RIDDOR 13 requires employers and others in control of work premises to report and keep records of:

• Work-related accidents which cause death;
• Work-related accidents which cause certain serious injuries (‘reportable injuries’);
• Diagnosed cases of certain occupational diseases;
• Certain incidents with the potential to cause harm (‘dangerous occurrences’).

Control of Substances Hazardous to Health Regulations 1999

According to this law; the sources of information about the hazardous properties of substances include the labels complying with the Chemicals Regulations 1994 together with detailed Safety Information Sheets which must also be supplied with the substance under the same regulations; a manufacturer or supplier of the substance under section 6 of the Health & Safety at Work Act 1974 and the Guidance material published by the HSE or other authoritative body (Health and safety authority, 2016).

P2 Describe the requirements for a healthy and safe workplace, as applied to the physical environment and equipment used in SSE

In order to ensure the safety of the employees, SSE plc generally maintains a good physical environment and ingredients.

Physical Environment and Equipment

All sides of a workplace are generally known as the environment. The environment of the workplace is very important for people who work there. There can be occurred any hazard in the workplace (Lynch, 2017). The circumstance of all surfaces like unsafe conditions, overcrowding, poor ventilation systems, etc is also important. There are some physical agents that can causes hazards.  These are the temperature of the workplace, light, noise, etc which are also to be analyzed. Housekeeping hazards should be considered whether there is any problem of inhalation………………………………………..

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