Hi Staff have been pulled up about their uniform appearance so have asked if they could have an iron and ironing board in their Staff Changing room which also have showers and toilets. The issues I see are - the user and their understanding on how to put up/down an ironing board with potential trapped fingers and crushed toes, and the potential of burns whilst ironing; and the cooling of the iron - suggested wall bracket for the iron. I have 2 queries - is this common practice in industry to allow staff to iron uniforms on business and with business supplied equipment; and does 'the iron' come under PUWER Class 1 (any idea where I can review the list please) and therefore should the ironing facility be allowed or not be allowed? Many Thanks Jacqui

Plenty of simple solutions around. http://www.wallmountedironingboard.co.uk/ *Other manufacturers are available

Jacqui Getting back to basics. Who is responsible for laundering the uniforms. Is it the company or is it the employee? That said, doesn't laundering also include ironing? Why does the uniform have to be ironed on site, surely it should be done immediately following washing and drying at the place where it is washed and dried. This whole thing seems to be a needless complication

SOunds like your maintenance department are just making excuses not to help you. An iron 'high risk' - really? I despair!! Just go back to them/your organisation - and tell them there are no 'real' h&s issues - its then a company decision.

I've never heard of PUWER Class 1. What is it?

http://www.ikea.com/gb/e...talog/products/90090384/ ...combined with a wall mounted ironing board should allevbiate any problems. As has previously been stated; ironing is an every day task which most adults should be familiar with. As long as any installed equipment is suitably maintained, I don't really see a problem.

Yes, ironing is an everyday but the way you do something at home is different from the way it is done at work. Think about how you would change a light bulb at home and how you would expect it to be changed in a workplace. So we can start with the hierarchy of controls to deal with this risk. The first question is can we eliminate the risk. So the point rasied by Jay and PL53 valid.. is getting the staff to iron their own uniforms, at work, such a good idea? If we have decided that it is then we can look at the equipment that would be needed… iron and ironing board. These are now work equipment so PUWER applies ( Cat 1 is a red herring) . Before we acquire the equipment, we have ton decide what sort of iron we want, taking into account the people who will be using it and the amount of use it will get eg do you want a steam iron or not? Are you in hard water area and will the iron need a supply of deionised water or to be regularly treated? Who will be responsible for ensuring that the iron is maintained and kept in a safe condition? Will it need PAT testing and how often? Are you staff familiar with ironing? Don’t assume that everybody has used an iron before. So the answer is yes of course you can use an iron in the workplace ( it is as several people have pointed out not the most hazardous piece of equipment that people work with) but I not convinced just telling people to get on with it is right either.

No different to having a toaster or kettle in the staff kitchen or tea room! These aren't band and don't come with a SSOW or training sign off.......or do they?? maybe i'm just too lax!

Workplace (Health and Safety and Welfare) Regulations Regulation 23 & 24:- .......... where an employee has to wear special clothing (such as a uniform) for the purpose of work, then suitable and sufficient changing facilities should be made available. In addition, where special clothing has to be worn, secure facilities for storing the personal clothing should be available. http://www.hse.gov.uk/pubns/priced/l24.pdf Please note that uniforms are "special clothing"

IMO this is a HR issue first and H&S second. Try going backwards a little to see if issuing the equipment is acceptable then do your risk assessment. I don't think original permission and purchase is a H&S matter?

Having irons and small steaming devices are very common in retail, especially fashion retail. Never seen as a problem, I have never seen a regulator have a problem with it either. Slightly different circumstance on use here I agree but for having irons in work if required no issue. Make sure it's fit for purpose and it no different to any other tool. As previous post states most hotels have ironing rooms.