Rank: Guest 
|
Posted By Shaun Taylor
A number of staff have turned into work with "eyebrow rings",
do we (under the hygiene regs) hold a responsibility to ask the personnel to remove the jewellery? does this breach any health & safety legislation?
Kind regards.
|
|
|
|
|
|
Rank: Guest
|
Posted By Tabs
Are they dealing with food?
That is the only area where there MIGHT be a problem (even then I struggle to be definitive).
|
|
|
|
|
|
Rank: Guest
|
Posted By Dave Merchant
You may have a corporate dress code rule about jewellery but there's no hygiene issue with facial piercings - there are far more bacteria in your mouth and nose (and spread from them) than will ever occur on an eyebrow ring, and even for food preparation the obvious question would be not if the jewellery is clean, but "so.. why did you push your face into the pasta?"
The only cases I know where jewellery (general, not facial) is an H+S issue is when working with magnetic fields, high-power radio antennas or high-voltage circuits.
|
|
|
|
|
|
Rank: Guest
|
Posted By Karen Todd
Could they cover it with a detectable blue plaster?
I worked in a chicken factory as a student and the code there was no jewellery apart from a plain wedding band (no stones) and if you wore one it had to be covered by a plaster.
I've been round a few slaughter halls & meat processing plants in my time and I'm nearly sure I recall seeing blue plasters over piercings...
KT
|
|
|
|
|
|
Rank: Guest
|
Posted By CFT
Shaun
Do they prepare food, or for others, is there a possibility of an item coming loose and interfering with a work process, do you have a dress code,and finally what industry is this if you are able to comfortably say?
CFT
|
|
|
|
|
|
Rank: Guest
|
Posted By Shaun Taylor
It's not in the food industry,
it's simply a distribution centre, i cant see any particular reason for these persons not to wear them?
however the question was presented and i was not sure, judging from your response i will be taking no further action so far as a H&S perspective.
Thanks all.
|
|
|
|
|
|
Rank: Guest
|
Posted By Alan Hoskins
My concern would not be hygiene related, Shaun.
It would be from the possibility of them catching on something or something catching in them and being ripped out.
That's why rings are usually covered with tape when operating workshop machinery.
Alan
|
|
|
|
|
|
Rank: Guest
|
Posted By CFT
Yes, I'm with Alan with that one, and is there any possibility that the products you distribute may become contaminated by the inclusion of jewellery?
I assume your products are sealed and boxed and you have assessed whether this is a possibility; Non food and entrapment not withstanding, I don't see any major concerns; what do the suppliers say, no doubt you have to meet set requirements or are you distributing to yourself.
All the best
CFT
|
|
|
|
|
|
Rank: Guest
|
Posted By Dave Merchant
Apart from some of the taper designs, eyebrow rings don't just "fall out" and are far more secure than the normal items such as earrings, neck chains or bracelets. The blue plaster thing is common for finger rings as it avoids them sliding off when handling slippery produce, but in that case you'd also be wearing hairnets and hats (and have to field awkward questions about false teeth and eyeballs).
On a vaguely related topic I've just had to rule if a friend who's a performance artist is or is not subject to the Work at Height Regulations for an insurance application (answer yes).
She suspends herself from meat hooks.
|
|
|
|
|
|
Rank: Guest
|
Posted By Tim
Shaun,
Is this a case of someone trying to use health and safety because they don't like what they see?
Just a thought
|
|
|
|
|
|
Rank: Guest
|
Posted By Ian
I am really really tired this morning, read this and thought it said 'fatal piercings?' at a glance - and there was me about to go and get a my liver pierced!
|
|
|
|
|
|
Rank: Guest
|
Posted By dbh
During my first safety role in pick-pack warehouse operation (a few years ago now nostalgic sniff) I wrote my 2nd favourite accident form description of all time:
"snagged nipple piercing (left) whilst packing carton for dispatch"
Some you remember and some you don't!
Incidentally I advised the IP to cover the piercing with a plaster to prevent recurrence, he declined due to problems associated with removing adhesive dressings from hairy nipples (ouch!).
Professionally I wouldn't have a problem with exposed facial piercings in the warehouse environment or in food preparation, they are far less likely to snag on people or objects (unless the wearer is rubbing their face about the place) and are probably less likely to contaminate food than an equivalent ear piercing due to their more robust design & manufacture.
In either way I would recommend a bar-bell fitting with ball bearing ends or a small bead closure ring avoiding the spiked ends or dangling feather designs for obvious reasons.
|
|
|
|
|
|
Rank: Guest
|
Posted By Richard Beevers
One place I know that facial piercings, as well as any other piercings, rings and metal watches, is a big safety issue is in scrap metal yards.
I worked in one over a summer, and there was a ban on anything metal being worn outside of the changing rooms.
The lovely big magnets would just snatch your hand or head up if you got too close. One chap I remember covered an eyebrow piercing with a plaster, but got found out when it looked like he was attempting to headbutt a magnet.
I'm assuming operators of NMR machines in hospitals would also have to take off metal items.
Al.
|
|
|
|
|
|
Rank: Guest
|
Posted By Frank
I agree Tim.
|
|
|
|
|
|
Rank: Guest
|
Posted By Jack
'The lovely big magnets would just snatch your hand or head up if you got too close'.
I hadn't realised iron and steel was such a popular material for jewellery.
|
|
|
|
|
|
Rank: Guest
|
Posted By Glyn Atkinson
It is if you can't afford gold or silver or are remotely "Goth" !
One of the old apprentice test pieces used to be make yourself a finger ring from a suitable sized nut either mild steel or stainless steel, and go through all of the ways that poor finishing would affect the fit.
This was to ensure that if the ring hurt you on fitting, you would learn the differences the hard way with interference fit and smooth fit on future work that you did.
Prior to HASAWA 1974 by the way - just !
It was a cruel apprenticeship, but you learnt quickly !
|
|
|
|
|
|
Rank: Guest
|
Posted By Dave Merchant
The issue with metal jewellery and magnets is not restricted to ferrous metals - the main problem is that the variable fields used for medical imaging, radio broadcast etc. will cause eddy currents in any metal object of suitable dimensions. These currents heat the metal, and given enough power can burn the wearer or even melt it.
|
|
|
|
|
|
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.