5.2. Rights & Responsibilities: Health & Safety, Basic Level

Module 5: Rights and Responsibilities

5.2 Health and Safety

(BasicLevel)

Explanation

[1]The Safety, Health and Welfare Act 2005 & 2010, is the main piece of legislation (law) covering health and safety in Ireland.

The Health and Safety Authority, alongwith local authorities is responsible for making sure, that companies and employees follow these laws.

It is important that when you start a job here you become familiar with the particular Health and Safety Laws that apply to your new company.

[2]Employer’s Duties:

UnderSection 8of the Act the employer has a duty to ensure the employees’ safety, health and welfare at work as far as is reasonably practicable. In order to prevent workplace injuries and ill health the employer is required, among other things, to:

Provide and maintain a safe workplace which uses safe plant and equipment
Prevent risks from use of any article or substance and from exposure to physical agents, noise and vibration
Prevent any improper conduct or behaviour likely to put the safety, health and welfare of employees at risk
Provide instruction and training to employees on health and safety
Provide protective clothing and equipment to employees
Appointing a competent person as the organisation’s Safety Officer

Employees’ Duties

The duties of employees while at work are set out inSection 13of the Act. These include the following:

To take reasonable care to protect the health and safety of themselves and of other people in the workplace
Not to engage in improper behaviour that will endanger themselves or others
Not to be under the influence of drink or drugs in the workplace
To undergo any reasonable medical or other assessment if requested to do so by the employer
To report any defects in the place of work or equipment which might be a danger to health and safety

Protective Equipment and Measures

The employer should tell employees about any risks that require the wearing of protective equipment. The employer should provide protective equipment (such as protective clothing, headgear, footwear, eyewear, gloves) together with training on how to use it, where necessary.

An employee is under a duty to take reasonable care for his/her own safety and to use any protective equipment supplied. The protective equipment should be provided free of charge to employees if it is intended for use at the workplace only. Usually, employees should be provided with their own personal equipment.

There is a range of measures that employers must take in regard to visual display units (VDUs). These include examining the reflection and glare, the operator's position in front of the VDU, the keyboard and the software used.

Operators must be given adequate breaks from the VDU. In addition, employers must arrange for eye tests and, if required, make a contribution towards the purchase of prescription eyeglasses.

Reporting Accidents

All accidents in the workplace should be reported to the employer, who should record the details of the incident. Reporting the accident will help to safeguard social welfare and other rights which may arise as a result of an occupational accident. An employer is obliged to report any accident that results in an employee missing 3 consecutive days at work (not including the day of the accident) to the Health and Safety Authority.

Bullying

One of the employer’s duties is to prevent improper conduct or behaviour (which includes bullying). An employer should have established procedures for dealing with complaints ofbullying in the workplaceand deal with such complaints immediately. Ignoring complaints of bullying could leave an employer open to a possible claim for damages by an employee. It is advisable for an employer to have an established grievance procedure to deal with complaints of bullying. An employee who feels that he or she is the victim of bullying can also refer the matter to aRights Commissioner. TheCode of Practice for Employers and Employees on the Prevention and Resolution of Bullying at Work (pdf)sets out guidance notes for addressing bullying in the workplace.

Harassment

TheEmployment Equality Acts 1998-2011place an obligation on all employers to preventharassment in the workplace. Under this law, you are entitled to bring a claim to theEquality Tribunaland your employer may be obliged to pay you compensation if you are harassed by reason of your gender, civil status, family status, sexual orientation, age, disability, race, religious belief or membership of the Traveller community.

Health and Safety Authority

The Health and Safety Authority is responsible for enforcing health and safety at work. It provides information to employers, employees and self-employed people on workplace health and safety. Its publications include aShort Guide to the Safety, Health and Welfare at Work Act 2005 (pdf)and a set ofSimple Safetyleaflets which are aimed at small retail or food businesses in particular.The Simple Safety leaflets are available in other languages.

Health and Safety Signs

In almost every workplace you will (or should) see various Health and Safety signs.

These signs warn people that something might be dangerous and tell you what to do to keep the danger to a minimum.

We see some signs so often in shops, cinemas, schools, Job Centres etc., that they just become part of the everyday world! Signs like Emergency Exit, Fire Alarm andSlippery Floor are as much a part of our daily lives as the Male and Female signs on public toilet doors! But they are safety signs and they are there to give everyone important information that can prevent injury or even save people’s lives.

Some signs you only see in a particular work place - for instance, in a factory there will be signs that warn you aboutdangerous machinery, sharp objects, very loud noiseetc.; whilst in a care home, you may come across signs that remind you to keep fire exits clear, to take care when lifting and so on.

Health & Safety Signs

When you start a new job, your employer has a responsibility to ensure that you know where the safety signs are, and most importantly, that you know what they mean.

Colour is a great way of communicating different information quickly.

Red = it is warning you of a danger or telling you that something is not allowed
Yellow/orange = this is a warning sign telling you to be careful
Blue = it is telling you that there is something that you have to do
Green = it is telling you where something is

Colour / Meaning / Instruction
Red / Prohibition (something is forbidden)
Danger alarm / Dangerous behaviour;stop;shut down;emergency cut-out devices;evacuate
Yellow/amber / Warning sign/Caution / Be careful; take precautions; examine
Blue / Mandatory sign (something you must do) / There is something that you must do, e.g. wear goggles
Green / Emergency escape
First aid kit
No danger / Doors; exits; escape routes; equipment and facilities
Return to normal

[3]What shapes should be used on safety signboards?

ODiscs for prohibitions and instructions
ΔTriangles for warnings
□Squares and rectangles for emergency and information signs

Examples of Prohibition Signs

Examples of Mandatory Signs

Examples of Warning Signs

See more at:

Most Health and Safety signs are easy to understand. There will be a simple picture that shows the danger as well as a few words. Even if you can’t understand the words, you should be able to tell by the picture what the hazardous situation is.
Remember, your employer has the responsibility to make sure that everyone understands what the signs mean and what they should do if there is a dangerous situation. This is especially important if your English isn’t very good.
Follow the link to find Health and Safety information provided in 12 other languages by the Health and Safety Authority-

Some of the most commonly used signs that you may see in a factory/warehouse include the following:

/ Be aware that there are forklift trucks being used in the area.
/ Fire Exit is in the direction of the arrow.
/ No Entry in this area.
/ Protective Footwear/Ear Protectors/Helmets etc. must be worn to prevent injury.

Signs that you may see in a care home include:

/ The first aid kid is here.
/ No smoking in this area.
/ Lift heavy items correctly to avoid injury.
/ All workers must ensure that nothing is blocking the fire exits.

Signs that you may see in a catering job(restaurant/bar/hotel) include:

/ A reminder to wash your hands before handling food!
/ Staff must cover and date food to ensure freshness and prevent contamination.
/ Hair must be covered by a hairnet to prevent contamination.

The signs in the tables above are just a few examples of the many Health and Safety signs that you will come across in various different workplaces.
When you start a new job, take time to become familiar with any Health and Safety signs and policies that they have – remember, they are there for a reason…to keep everyone safe!
Information and signs taken from , (applicable to Ireland also)

Activity 1

Distribute the information found at this link:
The trainer should ask the students to discuss in small groups or with a partner why we have Health and Safety laws.

Activity 2

The trainer should ask the students to work with a partner to find pictures online showing examples of workplace situations where Health and Safety laws are being broken/have been broken and discuss the possible problems.
Students should then be directed to play the RISE Health and Safety game, Risky Business,which looks at health and safety issues in a factory environment.

Activity 3

The trainer should print off (copyright free) pictures of everyday health and safety signs and a simple definition of what they are for on separate pieces of paper.
Students should work alone or in pairs to match the definitions to the images.

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