Following are four topics that have been on the HSE agenda via their website this month.
HSE has taken great strides recently to update its website and make its online forms more user-friendly. We at Kingfisher also strive to keep our Guidance up-to-date and our Records and Forms easy to use, all of which can be found on our Health and Safety Portal.
Control of Substances Hazardous to Health (COSHH)
The working environment can present any number of instances where substances hazardous to health can be encountered. It is knowing how to control these safely that will protect you, your employees, and others from harm.
HSE provides webpages which will help any employer to understand how to protect their own and their employees’ health and safety when managing.
Kingfisher can conduct on-site COSHH Awareness Training, including how to identify and define hazardous substances and how to fill out COSHH Risk Assessments. COSHH guidance and document templates, which allow employers to keep up-to-date inventories are available from our client portal.
Investigating accidents and incidents
Accidents and other incidents can happen at any time, with the consequences needing to be managed sufficiently so that lessons can be learned, and the same incidence is less likely to occur again.
HSE provides a workbook for employers, unions, safety representatives and safety professionals to find out what went wrong after an accident or incident and identify risk so that they can be better managed.
It offers a step-by-step guide to help organisations carry out their own accident/incident investigations. HSG245 can be downloaded from the HSE’s website.
Alternatively, Kingfisher offers Incident Investigation Training, which includes the steps of investigation and RIDDOR reporting. Guidance and templates can be accessed via our client portal and used to determine what to do and how to record the findings of an investigation.
Storing and handling airbags and seat belt pretensioners safely
Guidance has been provided by HSE to aid all of those who work in motor vehicle repair centres (MVRs) to safely store and handle airbags and seat belt pretensioners. When these devices are not handled properly then there is a possibility of physical injury and even poisoning.
To find this guidance which provides information regarding the precautions to take visit here and learn about:
- Licensing
- Safe storage
- Safe handling
- Requirements for supply
Improved guidance now available from HSE for self-employed workers
HSE has redesigned its webpages for self-employed workers to make it easier for them to understand when health and safety law applies and to find the guidance they need.
The refreshed pages explain:
- When health and safety law applies;
- Deciding if your work activity creates a risk to others;
- High-risk work activities that apply to self-employed workers;
- How to comply with the law if it applies to you.
Find out more here.
To avoid the possibility of prosecution, ensure your business does not fall foul of health and safety law in 2025 by:
- Conducting risk assessments as and when required (prior to undertaking activities).
- Providing training regarding the risks involved and how to manage them.
- Supervising risk management, as necessary, until competence is demonstrated.
- Formally reviewing risk assessments and associated safe systems of work, regularly.
- Updating (refreshing) training provided (toolbox talks, in-house or external formal training).
- Keeping/updating records of all the above processes.