Rank: Guest 
|
Posted By Ronan
I have recently started as a Health and Safety Officer for a joinery factory, the health and safety is seriously lacking and the task infront me is rather daunting.
I have revised the company's health and safety policy and conducted a risk assessment first day. This was a rather long assessment as the state of things was dire. Today I have conducted a fire risk assessment and found that the company does not comply with any of the fire regulations in place.
Can anyone with experience in this field please advise me as to what I should prioritise or give me any guidance regarding fire assembly points, machine guards, forklift etc. As I say it really is a daunting task but I believe with a lot of hard work it will be possible to drag the factory out of the victorian times and upto compliance with existing h and s standards.
Any help will be greatly appreciated.
|
|
|
|
|
|
Rank: Guest
|
Posted By Ron Hunter
Things can't be all bad Ronan, they have after all appointed a H&S Officer (i.e. you!)so there must be some recognition and "buy in" soemwhere amongst the managers!
As regards priorities, I'd put COSHH and wood dusts fairly high on my list, looking at LEV & housekeeping. Might want to get an expert in to give a report on the LEV, conduct some WEL sampling, etc.
Machine guarding is an obvious one, as well as PUWER machine run-down times.
Success of fire safety and evacuation systems are dependant on the effectiveness of good housekeeping practices - i.e. stop people tripping and slipping on their way to the (blocked!) fire exit door!
At least the woodworking industry is well served by HSE publications and videos, and the British Woodworking Federation may help too.
|
|
|
|
|
|
Rank: Guest
|
Posted By Robert K Lewis
Just rapidly check the dust extraction units if they have them - make sure they are suitable for flammable dusts - there have been a number of serious incidents from this.
Following on start with housekeeping/ cleaning and storage of waste sawdust etc.
The general fire arrangements should then fall into place.
Bob
|
|
|
|
|
|
Rank: Guest
|
Posted By Darren J Fraser
Sorry not a specialist when it comes to woodworking environments, you may need to seek this specialist advice externally if you do not feel comfortable, but on a general note -
Get copies of the last 3 or 4 insurance liability surveys and see what has been identified and rectified if anything. Review all the LEV testing to ensure that it is carried out according to the regulations.
Pick a fairly easy starting point, such as risk assessments (have they got them, how suitable and sufficient, when was the last time they were reviewed etc), talk to the employees they will point you in the right direction in most places.
Be seen by all, this will help you in the long run, be approachable.
Take managers on walk rounds, asking them to identify any issues they feel they need help with.
Discuss the possibility of setting targets for managers to achieve over the next 3, 6 and 12 months (improve housekeeping etc).
Review all accident and near miss data, again this may highlight any areas that are for whatever reason needing closer examination.
One important point to consider - go slowly and introduce new things one at a time, get everyone on board and it will make your life easier when it comes to changing things, be prepared to bend or approach things from a different angle.
Remain positive in the face of adversity and you shall succeed. Good luck.
|
|
|
|
|
|
Rank: Guest
|
Posted By GavinR
Hi Ronan,
Everyone previous to my response seem to have pointed you in the right direction but i remember a similar feeling when i first graduated and was managing a situation similar to what you've mentioned. I found the best thing i did was spend a day or two familiarizing myself with the whole site and its processes and then completed an initial audit with the assistance of the department mgt and supervisors so i could prepare an action plan for myself and the depart managers. Identify your priorities as previous members have stated, e.g. COSHH and PUWER assessments. Previous accident trends to identify quick fixes that will help promote H&S at the site and have an immediate impact as well as identifying any potential issues that may be re-occurring. Involve the workforce with your Risk assessments- this was hugely important for me as it provided me with an understanding of the equipment and processes and gave ownership to the operators so it wasn't H&S safety rules and regs making their life difficult! Pretty average stuff that I'm sure you've already considered. Hope it all goes well and you experience the buzz when things start improving!
Gav
|
|
|
|
|
|
You cannot post new topics in this forum.
You cannot reply to topics in this forum.
You cannot delete your posts in this forum.
You cannot edit your posts in this forum.
You cannot create polls in this forum.
You cannot vote in polls in this forum.