Health and safety made simple for the waste industry - workplace audit
Designed by the wish support for smes group to support waste businesses to meet their obligations under uk health and safety law.
What does this form include?
This form contains 19 sections:
Who is this guide for?This guide is for employers and those who want some basic information on what t
How the guide can help you There are health and safety laws to protect you, your employees and the pu
If you think health and safety has to be complicated – it doesn’t. This guide will make it easier for
As an employer, you must appoint someone competent to help you meet your health and safety duties. A
You must manage the health and safety risks in your workplace. To do this you need to think about wha
A good starting point is to walk around your workplace and look for any hazards: a hazard is anything
Safe Premises - slips, trips, falls, housekeeping.
- Check the premises are kept clean - a tidy workplace contributes to a safe workplace.
Safe Plant and Machinery - maintenance, servicing, lock-off
- Check hand tools are in good condition, well maintained and used correctly. Never by-pass a safety guard.
- Check there is a formally documented, planned preventive maintenance schedule for machinery.
- Check machines are maintained in an efficient working order and in good repair.
- Check machines are checked before use. Check if there is any defective machinery in operation.
- Ensure machinery and plant can be cleaned safely.
- Ensure power sources to machinery is properly connected, capable of being locked off, emergency stops tested.
- Ensure machines are adequately guarded and fitted with appropriate safety devices. Follow manufacturer's advice.
Safe Processes
- Check the various operations are carried out safely with Manual Handling.
- Check operations are carried out safely - think vehicles / plant on site. Think deliveries or collections.
- Ensure raw materials and finished products are stored safely.
- Check machine operations are carried out appropriately and safely - think about repetitive work. Think about hearing and respiratory protection measures.
- Check the various operations are carried out safely with the use of hazardous substances - control of substances hazardous to health (COSHH). Check assessments are in place and communicated.
- Check and monitor "custom and practice" to spot unsafe working.
Safe Materials - asbestos, dust, waste
- Check materials are being handled safely.
- Check materials that are dangerous, such as chemical substances and clinical wastes are identified.
- Ensure these substances are correctly packaged and labelled.
- Ensure there is adequate information on the safe handling of materials and substances. Material Safety, Data Safety sheets are made available.
- Asbestos is still killing people. It requires specialist handling. Check if relevant and correctly identified and handled.
Safe Systems of Work - confined space, lock-off.
- Check safe methods of work are established for potentially hazardous tasks and that they are followed. Safe Systems of Work.
- Ensure a documented permit-to-work system is used where there is a high degree of foreseeable risk.
- Check confined spaces have been identified and safe procedures established.
- Check lock-off procedures are identified and followed so machines can't come to life unexpectantly.
Pedestrian and Vehicle Seperation
- Check people and vehicles travel on different routes and are kept separate.
- Monitor - check if drivers look out for pedestrians.
- Check for clear visibility on access routes.
- Check people and vehicles travel at safe speeds.
- Check that audible and flashing alarms are working where fitted - that they warn people of potential danger.
Safe Access to Work
- Check there are safe walkways provided for access to working areas.
- Ensure the access roads and internal gangways are kept clear, maintained and well-lit.
- Check specific provisions made for ensuring safe work at height, in confined spaces and below ground level, e.g. scaffolds, mobile access equipment, excavations and tunnels.
- Ensure ladders are not damaged and used correctly. Identified and secured.
- Check safe access to trucks and plant - ensure steps are designed to reduce risk of slipping and kept clean.
- Check safe sheeting of trucks or trailers - check work is planned to avoid working at height.
- Check competency levels by monitoring working practice - trained workers require experience to become competent.
Adequate Supervision - knowledgeable eyes on.
- Check the level of supervision is adequate.
- Check line managers and staff are adequately trained in their duties including those of health and safety.
Competent and Trained Personnel - understand safe behaviour
- Check that a health and safety induction is given to staff, subcontractors and site visitors.
- Check records are kept of the training carried out and any refresher training tracked and booked as required.
- Check competent persons, e.g. for electrical maintenance work, clearly identified. Correctly appointed contractors.
- Check operators adequately informed, instructed and trained in safe systems of work. Check staff know what they are not allowed to do.
- Check that first-aiders and fire marshals adequately trained. Check emergency measures are practiced - what to do in an emergency. Test a scenario.
- Ensure it is understood what equipment cannot be interfered with or altered.
Care of the Vulnerable - asthmatic, pregnant, young, English not first language, illiterate.
- Check vulnerable groups are identified and if exposed to specific hazards. Check controls are in place to reduce any risk.
- Check if such persons need to receive some form of medical or health surveillance - check controls in place.
- Check specific provisions are made for the supervision of vulnerable groups. Clear communication is vital and avoids misunderstanding.
Personal Hygiene
- No eating or drinking when Waste is present.
Personal Protective Equipment
- Check the personal protective equipment (PPE) provided meet the requirements necessary for the particular hazards and risks of the workplace.
- Check there is a formal procedure for selection and assessment of PPE. All users understand what they should wear. Beware fake or sub-standard items are on the market.
- Check employees exposed to hazards wear their PPE correctly and all the time that they are exposed to the associated risks.
Careful Conduct - see it, sort it, report it
- Check operators behave safely during their work and protect their health too.
- Check if any unsafe practices are noted. Especially check for custom and practice "we've always done it like that" because it may be unsafe.
- Check if risk assessments are being completed to control risks from hazards in the workplace.
- Check if fire risk assessments include fire fighting equipment, fire drills, clear access routes, addresses flammable materials.
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