Posted By Bill Fisher Uday We have hot water dispensers in the kitchen areas of a new office block. My view is that if you provide good, maintained equipment there does have to be a balance on user care. Bill

Posted By SK It's this sort of rubbish that gives health and safety a bad name. I certainly don't want to be associated with people in this profession who have nothing better to do with their time than RA staff making a cup of tea. ....better ban ovens because they get hot and someone could burn themself....oh and don't forget to ban microwaves because someone could burn their mouth on hot food....better still why not just get a life!!

Posted By Heather Collins Uday - I think you may be in danger of going over the top here. We have similar hot water dispensing units and consider it sufficient to do the following: a) provide a work surface nearby so that staff can put their coffee jars and so on down while filling the cup so they aren't trying to juggle three things at once. b) Putting up a sign that says "Caution - Boiling Water". c) making sure the dispensers are properly maintained so they don't drip or leak from the tap. SK - we once had a claim from soeone who scalded his hand while using the tea urn so it's not as daft as you seem to think. Heather

Posted By Sally As someone who did once receive a sizeable burn from one of these tea urns I feel able to comment. In my case I was pouring the water when someone started talking to me and I turned slightly moving my hand and cup without realising it resulting in my hand being under the stream of hot water not my coffee cup. The approach I would go for is one of putting up a notice reminding people to take care and pay attention and also of the action to be taken if water does splash ie run burn under cold water. There is an idenifiable risk of injury there and therefore simple, proportional control measures should be put in place.

Posted By Steven John Nelson Why are urns safer than kettles ? John ?

Posted By Frank Hallett Hi Uday I would like to offer some advice that is specific to your question but find there is really insufficient information to do so without a great range of "if, but, or however" type comments. Please define what temperature the water actually is, the types of cups that are allowed to be used, the range of persons who will be allowed to use it, the range of persons who may be in the vicinity when dispensing the water, and the type of environment in which this all takes place. All of the above is relevant as they will have an effect on the percieved level of risk to be gurded against. The answer may be that it appears OK [or "defensible" for those afraid of civil suits for damages]; alternatively, if the additional info provides for a different perception, then it may be relevant to provide some controls. Frank Hallett

Posted By steven bentham I bet the regulators are just waiting to find your workplace and slap PN's on this one!

Posted By Paul Oliver I also have the problem of employees falling over sometimes when they tie their shoelaces at work, what can be done!!!!!!!!!!!!!! :-O :-) :-O

Posted By Ron Hunter There are a couple of issues of relevance. Most of these geysers have a 'tap' which can be locked over onto the 'on' position, and where persons are distracted, the cup can overflow (been there, done that). I can understand and agree with increased risk in that respect. Maybe the 'tap' could be changed to a more 'failsafe' variety! This type of problem obviously doesn't occur with kettles therefore there is some justification in the argument that 'the work activity compounds the risk'. Other issue is with staff carrying hot cups away from a central urn to various work areas. Either you implement a strict policy of refreshments in the refreshment area only (which will never work when the boss is entertaining guests in his office) or ensure staff only use cups with lids provided by the employer? A proliferation of kettles around offices can tax already loaded ring-main circuits and lead to additional and random risks associated with trips, spills and slips, scalding, burnt-out unattended empty kettles, etc; and can quickly lead to additional toasters, microwaves, fridges, etc all over the workplace. I could go on (I usually do, I hear you say!)

Posted By Dan dan OK SK you made your point quite clear. however in this age of blame culture and the continuous onslaught of ambulance chasers snapping at your heals at the mere hint of a bandaid being issued, the first thing any legal representative is going to ask you to provide is the "previously prepaired" risk assessment / method statement and evidence that they have been effectively communicated to all users. I know of one such case already. It looks like injuries from workplace kitchens are not uncommon and as other subscribers to this forum have already intimated they have the scars to prove it!!!

Posted By Scottie CMIOSH How I wish that tea making was amongst my top 10 risks to address. Uday - you are a lucky person!

Posted By Heather Collins My response to your friend's response. 1. Tell your friend that textspeak is not acceptable in a report :) 2. Just because you have more important risks doesn't mean you don't have to consider this one as well. Do people really think in my industry (polymer producst manufacture) we don't have more serious risks than this as well? Do people really only consider their "top ten"? I hope not. 3. I agree that kettles are not a more acceptable alternative for the reasons they give. We got rid of kettles in favour of hot water boilers in fact. 3. The shelf idea was to be combined with the water boiler idea not with the kettle so that's a red herring. 4. "there has been no history of claims for hot water burns" - and that's a reason not to do anything is it! Blimey that's a novel approach - wait for the claim/accident before you take action.... 5. "Putting up sign that says " CAUTION - BOILING WATER" seems too infantile for an adult workforce who are approaching the unit for hot water." You'd think so wouldn't you, but it's most certainly a reasonably practicable approach to an obvious risk and will be of great help when you do get that inevitable claim for damages. No offence Uday but you are being poorly advised by whoever wrote this response for you IMHO Happy New Year