In an effort to reduce serious health effects to employees who are exposed to wood dust in the workplace, the Health and Safety Executive will soon be visiting manufacturers who produce wood dust within their operations, especially those visited and found wanting in previous campaigns. If your business conducts any of the following activities in your workplace, these inspections could be happening to you;
With Occupational Lung Disease being the cause of some 400,000 working days lost per year, 18,000 new cases of the disease being diagnosed a year and the death of 12,000 people a year attributed to the disease in the UK, more action needs to be taken. Examples of Occupational Lung Disease which are connected with the woodworking industry are:
These inspections will specifically be looking for failures in health and safety management arrangements, so it can be determined where risk control is lacking and will not only give the Inspectorate information regarding a company’s ability to administer its risk control measures effectively but will influence their thinking when considering the arrangements being considered for a significant intervention being planned for 22 / 23.
The main purpose of this later campaign is thought to be to improve the management of risk controls, thereby reducing the risk from wood dusts in the hope that a real difference will be made regarding the later health outcomes of these workers.
The Inspectors will be looking to see whether you are providing:
The business will also be required to demonstrate that:
Inspectors will also, during these inspections, deal with any other infractions or infringements of health and safety legislation which is seen to impact an employees or other’s safety, health and or welfare, as they deem necessary at the time.
If this alert has raised questions or you need to discuss any other health & safety related issue do not hesitate to contact your health & safety consultant or the main office for advice / assistance.