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Posted By Jason911
I am really confused. I have been advised that employees exposed to substances covered under coshh, in this case flour dust, must be provided with health surveillance.
If that is the case then there are plenty of everyday household chemicals out there used for cleaning for example. Are we expected to supply health surveillance for employees using these once a week as well?
Jay
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Posted By Paul Leadbetter
Jay
You need to read Reg 11 to see when health surveillance is required.
Paul
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Posted By Jason911
Apparently from what I can gather for any employees exposed to a controlled substance that is linked to a specific illness. My issue is with flour and the minimal exposure that are employees within 'in store' bakeries are exposed to as the vast majority of items are merely 'baked off' and not made from scratch, which would involve the use of a lot of flour.
I have found only one company on the Internet who apparently perform airborne monitoring tests for flour and have drawn a complete blank with the HSE and anyone else on exactly how you are supposed to measure your employees exposure limit(WEL). I mean to say if you apply reg 11 of Coshh, you would have to supply health surveillance to a school dinner lady using a bag of flour a week to make toad in the hole, ridiculous!!!
I don't have time for this rubbish and lack of information supplied by the HSE, I am too busy focusing on the real issues such as WPT, rather than the risk of occupational illness caused by flour! I mean we employ over 100,000 employees worldwide, approximately 15000 of which work within our 'in store' bakeries and we have never had a single proven, or even alleged case of occupational illness caused by flour!!!
Am I really the only one with this issue?
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Posted By Paul Leadbetter
Jay
'Health surveillance is appropriate where there is a reasonable likelihood that the disease or effect may occur under the particular conditions of the work.' COSHH Reg 11(b)(ii).
If exposure to flour during 'baking off' is low then health surveillance should not be required. However, although long term exposures may be low, is there any chance of high transient exposures which might trigger sensitivity?
Paul
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Posted By Adrian Watson
Jason,
Not only must the person be exposed; there must also be a reasonable likelihood of the disease or health effect occurring.
Reg 11 states - (2) Health surveillance shall be treated as being appropriate where—
(a) the employee is exposed to one of the substances specified in Column 1 of Schedule 6 and is engaged in a process specified in Column 2 of that Schedule, and there is a reasonable likelihood that an identifiable disease or adverse health effect will result from that exposure; or
(b)the exposure of the employee to a substance hazardous to health is such that—
(i)an identifiable disease or adverse health effect may be related to the exposure,
(ii)there is a reasonable likelihood that the disease or effect may occur under the particular conditions of his work, and
(iii) there are valid techniques for detecting indications of the disease or effect,
and the technique of investigation is of low risk to the employee.
For example:
1) If a person works in a general kitchen a health effect (asthma or dermatitis) could occur, but are there is not a reasonable likelihood that they would occur, so health surveillance is not appropriate.
2) If a person works in a patisserie, there is a reasonable likelihood that dermatitis would occur but there is not a reasonable likelihood that asthma would occur, so health surveillance for dermatitis but not asthma is appropriate.
3) Finally if the person works in a bakery or flour mill there is a reasonable likelihood that both asthma and dermatitis would occur so health surveillance for both is appropriate.
The possibility of the health effect occurring is of course dependent upon the type of flour (hard flours being worse for asthma), the dose (intensity, duration and frequency of exposure), environmental conditions and individual susceptibility.
Regards Adrian Watson
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Posted By Adrian Watson
Jason,
Not only must the person be exposed; there must also be a reasonable likelihood of the disease or health effect occurring.
Reg 11 states - (2) Health surveillance shall be treated as being appropriate where—
(a) the employee is exposed to one of the substances specified in Column 1 of Schedule 6 and is engaged in a process specified in Column 2 of that Schedule, and there is a reasonable likelihood that an identifiable disease or adverse health effect will result from that exposure; or
(b)the exposure of the employee to a substance hazardous to health is such that—
(i)an identifiable disease or adverse health effect may be related to the exposure,
(ii)there is a reasonable likelihood that the disease or effect may occur under the particular conditions of his work, and
(iii) there are valid techniques for detecting indications of the disease or effect,
and the technique of investigation is of low risk to the employee.
For example:
1) If a person works in a general kitchen a health effect (asthma or dermatitis) from exposure to flour could occur, but there is not a reasonable likelihood that they would occur, so health surveillance is not appropriate.
(dermatitis could occur from wet work!)
2) If a person works in a patisserie, there is a reasonable likelihood that dermatitis would occur but there is not a reasonable likelihood that asthma would occur, so health surveillance for dermatitis but not asthma is appropriate.
3) Finally if the person works in a bakery or flour mill there is a reasonable likelihood that both asthma and dermatitis would occur so health surveillance for both is appropriate.
The possibility of the health effect occurring is of course dependent upon the type of flour (hard flours being worse for asthma), the dose (intensity, duration and frequency of exposure), environmental conditions and individual susceptibility.
Regards Adrian Watson
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Rank: Guest
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Posted By Adrian Watson
Jay,
Not only must the person be exposed; there must also be a reasonable likelihood of the disease or health effect occurring.
Reg 11 states - (2) Health surveillance shall be treated as being appropriate where—
(a) the employee is exposed to one of the substances specified in Column 1 of Schedule 6 and is engaged in a process specified in Column 2 of that Schedule, and there is a reasonable likelihood that an identifiable disease or adverse health effect will result from that exposure; or
(b)the exposure of the employee to a substance hazardous to health is such that—
(i)an identifiable disease or adverse health effect may be related to the exposure,
(ii)there is a reasonable likelihood that the disease or effect may occur under the particular conditions of his work, and
(iii) there are valid techniques for detecting indications of the disease or effect,
and the technique of investigation is of low risk to the employee.
For example:
1) If a person works in a general kitchen a health effect (asthma or dermatitis) from exposure to flour could occur, but there is not a reasonable likelihood that they would occur, so health surveillance is not appropriate. (dermatitis could occur from wet work!)
2) If a person works in a patisserie, there is a reasonable likelihood that dermatitis would occur but there is not a reasonable likelihood that asthma would occur, so health surveillance for dermatitis but not asthma is appropriate.
3) Finally if the person works in a bakery or flour mill there is a reasonable likelihood that both asthma and dermatitis would occur so health surveillance for both is appropriate.
The possibility of the health effect occurring is of course dependent upon the type of flour (hard flours being worse for asthma), the dose (intensity, duration and frequency of exposure), environmental conditions and individual susceptibility.
Regards Adrian Watson
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Rank: Guest
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Posted By Jason911
Many thanks to all for all your assistance in this matter.
Jay
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