1. Understanding potential dangers, risks, hazards and accidents

1. 1. Understanding potential dangers, risks, hazards and accidents

2. What do you think a hazard is?

3. Hazards Hazard is ‘a potential danger or risk’ (oxford dictionary) Examples of work hazards • Slips, trips and falls • Hazardous substances • Fire • Electricity • Hazardous substances (e.g. solids, liquid gasses, mists and fumes.

4. Dangers Danger is the possibility of suffering harm or injury (Oxford dictionary) • Slips, falls and trips (damages to bones, muscles and joints) • Fire (Hazardous smokes and toxic fumes ,burns can cause death/harm) • Electricity (Faulty electrical appliances can also lead to fires. As well as causing injuries and loss of life, fires cause damage to plant, equipment and property) • Hazardous substances (injury or even death through inhalation, ingestion and dermal exposure.

5. Risks ‘A probability or threat of damage, injury, liability, loss, or any other negative occurrence that is caused by external or internal vulnerabilities, and that may be avoided through pre-emptive action.’ (Business dictionary) Who is most at risk at work ?

6. Answer Anyone can be exposed to the dangers of electricity while at work and everyone should be made aware of the dangers. Those most at risk include maintenance staff, those working with electrical plant, equipment and machinery, and people working in harsh environments such as construction sites.

7. How are risks controlled?

8. Controlling the risks As part of managing the Health and safety at workplace you must control risks. Risk assessment process must be carried out to identify what might cause harm to people and ways of controlling and preventing them from happening. • Identify hazards • Who might be harmed • Evaluate the risks • Record your findings • Regularly review your risk assessment

9. Accidents ‘An unfortunate incident that happens unexpectedly and unintentionally, typically resulting in damage or injury’ (Oxford dictionary) Most accidents occur when: • Smooth cleaned floors are left wet • Spills are not cleaned up quickly and effectively • Floor in bad condition

10. 2. How to identify hazards

11. Dangerous Material • What types of material can be classed as dangerous? • Plastic • Paper/cardboard • Prevention • Correct disposal of materials • Store in a secure area

12. Unstored Tables and Chairs • Common cause of accidents and injuries • Prevention • Stack appropriately • Store in ‘out the way’ areas or easily avoidable areas.

13. Manual Handling • Most common cause of injuries in a retail environment • Correct technique when lifting

14. 3. How to ‘fix’ hazards

15. SLIPPERY FLOOR

16. What would you do?

17. Answer? • Proper use of warning signs • Advanced training for cleaning personnel • Look out for shiny floors • Secure a appropriate ventilation system

18. UNSECURED CORDS

19. What would you do?

20. Answer? • Use of cable fixers and -covers • Report old cords and electronics • Replace systems within a certain time frame

21. GASLEAKS

22. What would you do?

23. Answer? • Leave the building immediately • Warn your colleagues on your way out • Call local Fire department/Police • Keep a safe distance

24. 4. Customer safety

25. Customer/Employee Safety • Businesses have a ‘duty of care’ for staff and importantly customers who are temporarily visiting the premises. • "Slip and fall" is a term used for a personal injury case in which a person slips or trips and falls, and is injured on someone else's property. (Adviceguide.org.uk, 2013) • Dangerous conditions must be present, such a loose tiles, loose carpeting, loose shelf fixtures, spillages, and other hazards which could a potential accident BUT have not been sign posted or made aware of with the business involved, and the business has made NO ATTEMPT to remove the hazard.

26. What to do if a accident happens in store? • First a customer should try and make a record of details such as: • Time and Date accident occurred? • Where did the accident occur? • What was the cause of the accident? • Any witnesses present at the time of accident? *And if possible photographs of evidence can be taken to help back the customers claim. • And finally it is advised a customer reports the accident to a member of staff in store so it can be recorded in their accident book so it does not occur again.

27. Questions a customer should ask if hurt? • Firstly it has to be established that the possessor or property owner had knowledge of the dangerous condition, in order to prove this a number of questions have to be asked: • Did the owner/Possessor create the condition? • The Owner /Possessor knew about the condition which existed but failed to correct it? • Or the condition which caused the accident existed for a certain length of time the owner/possessor had time to correct it after the accident. Why didn’t they do this prior to a consumer getting hurt? (Matthews, 2013)

28. How the customer makes a claim? • First the customer has to make a employee aware of the accident. • The accident should be recorded in a “Accident Book” • In every case, medical evidence will be required and it is necessary to show that the person you are making a claim against owed you a duty of care, that they breached that duty of care (were negligent), and that the injury you sustained was a reasonably foreseeable consequence of that negligence. (Thelegalline.co.uk, 2013) • Seek legal help once evidence and medical information has been gathered from a legal solicitor.

29. How employees can prevent this… • If a hazard is found, it is advise a employee sign posts or removes the hazard. • Or if a spill is too large, cleaning staff or management is informed of the area which is affected and the employee stands near the area to make others aware. • If boxes are left lying around, clean them up. To prevent obstruction of fire exits or even accidents. • If items don’t fit shelves or are too heavy remove them and make someone aware. • If loose wires are present make a manager aware and try and stay close until the right person is contacted.

30. Spot the hazard… In the pictures handed out there is numerous hazards. As groups: • Identify the hazards how it can be dangerous for customers. • Are any signs needed or anyone need to be made aware of? • Acting as an employee, How you as an employee would act if coming across the hazard.

31. Wet Floor

32. Blocked Fire Exit

33. Smashed Bottles

34. Cluttered Space

35. 5. What to do if a co-workers is working unsafely?

36. What would you do?

37. Stages of Danger

38. Low Level Dangers (Examples) A Colleague Could: • Leave Wires On The Floor (Non Walkways) • Leaving Hanging Wires, Or Other Hanging Objects • Slippery Surfaces (Non Floors) • Larger Items Blocking Walkways • Tripping Hazards (Larger Items) • Dusty Or Dirty Floors • Dirty Counters

39. Answer? Dirty counters! Did you know that kitchen areas harbour more germs than any room in your home or workplace, including the bathroom! So if your retail outlet serves food, make sure you keep counters clean.

40. Medium Level Dangers (Examples) • Slippery Floors (Spillages) • Smaller Tripping Hazards • Noise And Vibration • Asbestos • Lack Of Training • Electronics Near Water • Dirty Counters (Food) • Sharp Edges

41. Answer? Lack Of Training! Some Of The Results Of Not Training Staff Properly Are: • Unhappy Staff • Low Productivity • Unsafe Working Environment • Increased Expenses • Loss Of Customers

42. High Level Dangers (Examples) • Working Unsafely At Heights • Misuse Of Hazardous Substances • Improper Disposable Of Hazardous Substances • Lack Of Control System (Safety Procedures) • Improper Use Of PPE • Lack Of Equipment • Lack of training

43. Very High Level Dangers (Examples) • Fires • Floods • Major electricity problems • Asbestos disturbance • Gas leaks

44. Asbestos Information • http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JpwBwYIa9EM

45. Who to speak to?

46. Low level Dangers?

47. Speak with your colleague personally • Your first point of call will be to discuss with the colleague in question • You can point out what is dangerous about their activity and possible consequences • Give suggestions to ‘fix’ the problem • If employee is continuing to work unsafely, report to supervisor

48. Medium Level Dangers?

49. Speak with your supervisor • Explain the situation • Why? Where? When? What? How? • If regarding another member of staff, explain you have pointed out the potential dangers to them, (which will hopefully save time) • If supervisor refuses to do anything take the matter to management

50. High Level Dangers?