Remember, remember ..........

So, that time of year is almost upon us again. I can already hear the occasional BOOM of a firework going off close to my home (they sound so loud these days). And though I am known for sometimes talking about health and safety at work, everyone's health and safety at home is equally important.

Although there are many large organised events around the county and country these days, some people still prefer to invite friends and family over to have a fireworks party in their own garden.

As exciting as it all is, however, there are some important precautions to consider before lighting the first touch paper to ensure that everyone stays safe to enjoy the celebrations without injury or harm.

Keep fireworks in a closed metal box and take them out one at a time.

Follow the manufacturer's instructions on each firework.

Read the instructions by torch light  and not a naked flame.

Always buy fireworks from a reputable source.

Light fireworks at arm's length using a safety firework lighter or fuse wick.

Stand well back after lighting a firework.

Never go back to a firework once lit, it may go off in your face.

Collect used fireworks with care, douse with water and bury them or place in a metal container.

Keep children away from fireworks and bonfires.

Keep pets indoors.

Take care with sparklers − young children should not handle these.

Never throw fireworks.

Never keep fireworks in your pocket.

Keep a bucket of water handy.

Do not consume excessive alcohol before or during lighting fireworks.

If you must light a bonfire, follow these safety tips:

• Site the bonfire well away from houses, garages, cars, sheds, fences, overhead cables, trees and shrubs and well away from your fireworks
• Before lighting, make sure there are no animals hiding inside.
• Be careful when building the bonfire, so it does not collapse once lit.
• Don't burn foam filled furniture, aerosols, tins of paint, or bottles.
• Never use flammable liquids − paraffin or petrol − to light the fire.
• Do not consume excessive alcohol before lighting a fire.
• Keep everyone, especially children, away from the fire.
• In case of emergency, keep buckets of water, a garden hose of a fire extinguisher ready.
• When the party is over, pour water on the embers before leaving.

We all know that fireworks can be great fun if handled responsibly, however, accidents can and do happen. Last year the Fire Service saw a 44% increase in the number of emergency calls during the bonfire night celebration period. Please take every precaution to ensure you and your loved ones stay safe this bonfire night.

Keep it real!!!

Chairs ........

We sort of take them for granted, don't we? 

We don't really give them much thought, because they are always there. Always there whenever we need them, even though we never really think about them.

Whichever building we enter, whichever room we use, we can always rely on chairs being there. And the chairs we use at CT Skills come in many different styles, designs and colours. Some are cushioned and upholstered, some are fitted with castors, some have fitted arm rests, some have head rests, some are fully adjustable and some are just plain standard four-legged chairs that don't stand out in any way at all. The one thing all of these chairs have in common, though, is their capacity to always be there and be ready for us to use to rest our bottoms on at any time of the day.

Chairs are also always ready and waiting for our learners to sit on.

Of course, the other thing all these chairs have in common is that they are all covered under health and safety legislation. 

"NO", I hear you say in unison, but it is true. Indeed, chairs are classed as Work Equipment, and the Provision and Use of Work Equipment Regulations (PUWER) 1998 require employers to ensure that all work equipment provided is maintained in an efficient state, in efficient working order and in good repair. In fact, seating at work is covered by all the following legislation:

• Health and Safety at Work etc Act 1974
• Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999
• Workplace (Health, Safety and Welfare) Regulations 1992
• Health and Safety (Display Screen Equipment) Regulations 1992 (which we touched on in relation to seating in the last blog)
• Manual Handling Operations Regulations 1992
• Provision and Use of Work Equipment Regulations 1998 

The Health and Safety Executive guidance hsg57 (Seating at Work) explains everything that employers and employees need to know and do about workplace seating, and is available to download from www.hse.gov.uk.

So, what does it all mean to us as employees? Quite simply, it means that we have duties to ensure we do not misuse any work equipment provided, and that we use work equipment correctly and solely for the purpose for which it is intended. 

Therefore, we should never use chairs to prop open doors for example. 

Clinton House 1st floor.

Clinton House ground floor.

Using chairs as a means of transport to move from one side of the office to the other is another example of misuse. So is leaning back so that only the rear two legs of a chair are being used. I don't want to spoil everyone's fun, but that's my job.

Additionally, I have lost count of the amount of times over the past seven years that I have caught people using chairs as step ladders .... to hang Christmas decorations, stick posters to walls, to open windows or to climb up to reach something placed on top of a cupboard. 

Imagine standing on a chair and this happens ......

This chair collapsed recently whilst being used correctly by a learner at Clinton House. Fortunately, the chair user was unhurt, though an incident report had to be produced. 

Imagine the sort of injury that could have been caused if this happened while someone was standing on the chair. It really doesn't bear thinking about.

Over time, chairs will become worn. They are subjected to frequent use and abuse on a daily basis and their condition may deteriorate as a result. We should, therefore, periodically check our chairs (and tables) for any signs of wear and tear - loose or wobbly legs, for example - and report any potential defects to our Facilities team, who will repair or replace the item. Tutors should carry out a brief check of the chairs in their classrooms as part of their lesson preparations and remove/replace any that are suspect. 

So, rather than taking them for granted, we need to think a little bit more about our chairs and check that they are in a fit condition and safe to use to prevent a recurrence of the collapse incident above, which may not have as lucky an outcome.

Keep it real.

         
 X

The number of employees who use display screen equipment (DSE) in the UK is increasing every
year, and over the past ten years or so the use of portable computers has become more widespread in all businesses.
A considerable body of evidence indicates that using display screen equipment of any kind, whether desktop computers or portable computers, can cause musculoskeletal problems, visual discomfort, stress and fatigue. A major causal factor appears to be that display screen work encourages fixed and sometimes awkward postures for long periods of time, but many of the risks associated with using DSE can be avoided by applying simple controls, such as sitting in the right position and organising your desk correctly.

A correctly adjusted chair will help reduce strain on your back by ensuring your lower back is properly supported. The chair height should be adjusted so that you can use the keyboard whilst keeping your wrists and forearms straight and level with the floor.  Your elbows should be by the side of your body so that the arm forms an L-shape at the elbow joint. Your feet should be flat on the floor. If they’re not, ask if you can have a footrest, which lets you rest your feet at a level that’s comfortable. Don't cross your legs, as this can cause additional posture related problems.
Make sure your chair is easily adjustable so that you can change the seat height, back position and tilt to suit you. If your chair will not adjust properly, report it to our friendly Facilities Dept.

Your display screen/monitor should be directly in front of you approximately an arm's length away, with the top of the screen roughly at eye level. Portable users may need to use a docking station (stand with separate keyboard and mouse) in order to achieve this. If the screen is too high or too low, you may cause unnecessary strain and discomfort to your neck.
The keyboard should be positioned in front of you when typing, approximately 4 to 6 inches from the edge of the desk to leave space to rest your wrists. Your wrists should be straight when using a keyboard, and some users like to use a wrist rest to keep their wrists at the same level as the keys.
The mouse should be kept close to you to prevent stretching; using a mouse mat with a wrist pad can help keep your wrist straight.

Position frequently used items, such as telephones, staplers and documents within easy reach to avoid repeatedly stretching or twisting for them. If your job requires a lot of telephone use, consider replacing the handset with a headset, as repeatedly cradling the 'phone between your ear and shoulder can strain the muscles in your neck.

Where possible, during prolonged DSE use, take short breaks to prevent fatigue or eye strain. It's great when someone offers to make you a coffee, but getting up to make your own will enable you to stretch your legs and rest your eyes for a minute or two. Where your job permits, a change of activity, such as photocopying or filing, can provide a suitable break away from DSE use also.

The following may help users:

■ Forearms should be approximately horizontal and the user’s eyes should be the
same height as the top of the screen.
■ Make sure there is enough work space to accommodate all documents or
other equipment.
■ Arrange the desk and screen to avoid glare, or bright reflections. This is often
easiest if the screen is not directly facing windows or bright lights.
■ Adjust curtains or blinds to prevent intrusive light.
■ Make sure there is space under the desk to move legs.
■ Avoid excess pressure from the edge of seats on the backs of legs and knees.
A footrest may be helpful, particularly for smaller users.
■ A space in front of the keyboard can help you rest your hands and wrists when
not keying.
■ Try to keep wrists straight when keying.
■ Position the mouse within easy reach, so it can be used with a straight wrist.
■ Sit upright and close to the desk to reduce working with the mouse arm stretched.
■ Make sure the screen surface is clean.
■ Breaking up long spells of DSE work helps prevent fatigue.

Hopefully this information will help all DSE users to think about their work areas and activities and enable them to use their computers, whether desktop or portable, safely and without risk from musculoskeletal problems, visual discomfort or fatigue.  Over the coming weeks, starting in July, individualised VDU/DSE assessments will be completed on CT Skills employees to ensure they are not at significant risk.

Waste batteries

To follow on from one of Mariel's previous posts, it was identified by Facilities that we use a considerable amount of batteries in our operations, which is an environmental aspect that could cause serious environmental impacts if the batteries are disposed of incorrectly.

Before regulations came into force, batteries were mostly discarded into landfill, which is damaging to the environment as batteries contain hazardous metals such as Lead, Mercury, Cadmium, Zinc, Manganese and Lithium. Incinerating batteries also causes harmful pollution to the air.
Additionally, the resources regained by recycling batteries are the same as those being mined (at a significant cost) in other parts of the world, which is creating further environmental damage.

CT Skills is continually looking for ways to reduce and minimise its environmental impacts and participate in green initiatives to combat pollution and waste, so over the next few days containers similar to the one pictured will appear in all CT Skills centres. Our aim is to act as a collection point, in conjunction with BatteryPack Plc, under the Non Waste Framework Directive 4 to collect and temporarily store waste batteries for treatment and recycling.

BatteryPack Plc has become one of the UK's premier Producer Compliance Schemes and has established over 30,000 collection points across the UK to help meet recycling targets of over 45% by 2016.

Please use these containers to recycle your used batteries, whether they were issued for work purposes or ones you have used at home. Also encourage learners to use the containers for their used batteries. By helping to recycle batteries, we will all be making a difference together to help the environment.

More on this will follow soon.

Water, water everywhere, but ......

      Looking out through the window at all the raised umbrellas moving up and down Derby Road, as the rain patters against the glass, it's difficult to comprehend that water is increasingly becoming a scarce commodity.
Really?
Nottingham always seems to be a pretty wet city and there's a massive river running straight through the middle of it, and every time I turn on the tap to fill the kettle there's always an instant supply of fresh, clean water, so how could it be that I need to think about the impact of water risk in the UK?

Water is one of the Earth's most valuable resources, and one that we probably take for granted in the UK. I suppose that's because we have a steady, regular rainfall throughout the year, rather than see-sawing between dry seasons and wet seasons. Whenever we do get heavy rain it runs off into rivers and eventually out to sea, rather than seeping into the ground to top up the water table.

I also suppose we don't always think about how much we rely on or use water. Of course, we know we use water for drinking, taking a shower or bath, doing the washing or cleaning the car. But what about our virtual water use? Every product we use every day will have used water in its production, packaging and transport before it even reaches us. For example, have you considered how much water is used to produce our food?

Did you know it takes 12 litres of water to produce just one tomato? Wow! And it takes 650 litres of water (54 buckets) to produce one chicken breast. 1kg of chocolate consumes over 17,000 litres of water, whereas 3,000 litres are needed to produce 1kg of cheese (source IME). And when you consider how much food we waste .....
Analysis by the Uk's Institution of Mechanical Engineers (IME) has found that as much as 50% of all food produced globally ends up as waste, blaming unnecessarily strict sell-by dates, buy-one-get-one-free offers and consumer demand for cosmetically perfect produce. That's a lot of wasted food (don't get me started on world hunger) and a lot of wasted water used in its production. Some major supermarkets are also guilty of senseless waste by rejecting fruit and vegetables that do not meet their exacting standards for size, shape and colour.

In 2014 the World Economic Forum placed water crisis third on its list of global risks when looking at the likelihood and potential impact water shortages would bring economically, environmentally and socially. Water risk is not just about over-use and scarcity, but also about water pollution and water waste, and we should all individually, and collectively, think carefully about how we use water and how to avoid wasting it.

We've all heard about carbon footprints, but now we can assess out water footprint also. There will be more on this in future posts :-)

Return of the BLOG

It's quite a while now since Mariel and I used to enthral everyone with Health, Safety and Environmental anecdotes and posts about relevant Safe & Green topics. In fact, looking back, the last post was published back in 2010 or 2011, and so much has changed since then, hasn't it?
For a start, we've changed our name from CTEM to CT Skills; we've closed Central Skills and opened two new centres, Millstone Lane and Priory Court. We've said farewell to many dear colleagues, yet also welcomed a fair amount of new ones. That's quite a lot of change!

One thing that hasn't changed, though, is our commitment to the environment and to ensuring every aspect of our business activities does not have a negative impact on it. Nor has our commitment to maintaining  safe and healthy centres in which to work and learn. These commitments are core principles firmly embedded in everything we do.

Of course, our very own Eco Knight is currently taking "time out" as a new mum, though I'm sure she would welcome the Return of the Blog with her characteristic enthusiasm, and delight us with recycling initiatives and tips on how to save the planet. In the meantime, I thought I would just publish a simple post to declare that the Safe and Green blog is making a comeback and will include (hopefully) interesting facts, ideas and information about CT Skills and our efforts to promote health and safety awareness and to drive sustainable business practices throughout all our centres.

Please watch this space :-)