A safe place of work
You must:
- n make sure your buildings are in good repair;
- maintain the workplace and any equipment so that it is safe and works efficiently;
- put right any dangerous defects immediately, or take steps to protect anyone at risk;
- take precautions to prevent people or materials falling from open edges, eg fencing or guard-rails;
- fence or cover floor openings, eg vehicle examination pits, when not in use;
- have enough space for safe movement and access, eg to machinery;
- provide safe glazing, if necessary (eg protected, toughened or thick) which is marked to make it easy to see;
- make sure floors, corridors and stairs etc are free of obstructions, eg trailing cables;
- provide good drainage in wet processes;
- have windows that can be opened and cleaned safely. They should be designed to stop people falling out or bumping into them when open. You may need to fit anchor points if window cleaners have to use harnesses; n provide weather protection for outdoor workplaces, if practical;
- keep outdoor routes safe during icy conditions, eg salt/sand and sweep them.
Also think about:
- siting machinery and furniture so that sharp corners do not stick out; not overloading floors;
- providing space for storing tools and materials;
- marking the edges of openings like vehicle pits;
- finding out the views of employees on the design of the workplace.
Lighting
- good light – use natural light where possible but try to avoid glare;
- a good level of local lighting at workstations where necessary;
- suitable forms of lighting. Some fluorescent tubes flicker and can be dangerous with some rotating machinery because the rotating part can appear to have stopped;
- special fittings for flammable or explosive atmospheres, eg from paint spraying;
- well-lit stairs and corridors.
Think about:
- having light-coloured walls to improve brightness (but darker colours to reduce arc-welding flash).
Moving around the premises
You must have:
- safe passage for pedestrians and vehicles – you may need separate routes (see Chapter 11);
- level, even surfaces without holes or broken boards (see Chapter 3);
- hand-rails on stairs and ramps where necessary;
- safe doors, eg vision panels in swing doors, sensitive edges on power doors;
- surfaces which are not slippery;
- well-lit outside areas – this will help security.
Think about:
- marking steps, kerbs and fixed obstacles, eg by black and yellow diagonal stripes.
Designing workstations
Make sure:
- workstations and seating fit the worker and the work;
- backrests support the small of the back and you must provide footrests if necessary;
- work surfaces are at a suitable height;
- there is easy access to controls on equipment.
Think about:
- providing well-designed tools to reduce hand or forearm injury from repeated awkward movements;
- reducing exposure to hazardous substances, noise, heat or cold, eg by using local exhaust ventilation or engineering controls – there is more about these in later chapters.
Cleanliness
You must:
- provide clean floors and stairs, which are drained and not slippery (see Chapter 3);
- provide clean premises, furniture and fittings (eg lights);
- provide containers for waste materials;
- remove dirt, refuse and trade waste regularly;
- clear up spillages promptly;
- eliminate traps for dirt or germs, eg by sealing joints between surfaces;
- keep internal walls or ceilings clean. They may need painting to help easy cleaning.
Hygiene and welfare
You must provide:
- clean, well-ventilated toilets (separate for men and women unless each convenience has its own lockable door);
- wash basins with hot and cold (or warm) running water;
- showers for dirty work or emergencies;
- soap and towels (or a hand dryer);
- skin cleansers, with nail brushes where necessary;
- barrier cream and skin-conditioning cream where necessary;
- special hygiene precautions where necessary, eg where food is handled or prepared;
- drying facilities for wet clothes;
- certain facilities for workers working away from base, eg chemical toilets in some circumstances;
- lockers or hanging space for clothing;
- changing facilities where special clothing is worn;
- a clean drinking water supply (marked if necessary to distinguish it from the non-drinkable supply);
- rest facilities, including facilities for eating food which would otherwise become contaminated;
- arrangements to protect non-smokers from discomfort caused by tobacco smoke in any separate rest areas, eg provide separate areas or rooms for smokers and non-smoking or prohibit smoking in rest areas and rest rooms (see Chapter 19);
- rest facilities for pregnant women and nursing mothers (see Chapter 23).
Comfortable conditions
You must provide:
- a reasonable working temperature in workrooms – usually at least 16OC, or 13OC for strenuous work;
- local heating or cooling where a comfortable temperature cannot be maintained throughout each workroom (eg hot and cold processes);
- thermal clothing and rest facilities where necessary, eg for ‘hot work’ or cold stores;
- good ventilation – avoid draughts;
- heating systems which do not give off dangerous or offensive levels of fume into the workplace;
- enough space in workrooms.
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