November 2007

Working at Height - HSE Warning

The Health & Safety Executive (HSE) has reminded employers to ensure that they have safe systems of work in place when working at height.

On average, one person dies every month at work after falling through a fragile roof or skylight and many others suffer permanent disabling injury.  Contractors and building owners have a joint legal responsibility to ensure that construction, repair or cleaning is planned properly and carried out safely.

An HSE representative stated 'If your company does not have the specialist knowledge for this type of work, it should not be attempted.  Repairing a fragile roof is potentially high risk.  Before work starts, ensure that a competent person assesses the roof using a safe system of work.  All those carrying our the repair work must be suitably trained and supervised and follow a method of work based on a risk assessment'.

Similar advise exists for other work at height.

More information can be obtained from the Health & Safety Executive website.

Refix have recently been successful in our re-accreditation against the SAFEcontractor scheme, assuring our clients of our health & safety arrangements.

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September 2007

Fire Safety Reform - One Year On

It is now almost a year since the Fire Safety Reform came into effect.  Is your business complying with the new rules?

Responsibilty for complying with the Fire Safety Order rests with the 'responsible person'.  In a workplace, this is the employer or anyone else who may have control over any part of the premises e.g. the occupier or owner.

Fire risk assessments must be carried out and should take into account the following points:

• Fire escape routes and fire doros

• Emergency lighting

• Fire detection and alarm systems

• Signage

The Fire Safety Order requires an appropirate fire detection and alarm system to be provided in premises.  Escape routes and exits requiring illumination must be provided with emergency lighting.  The fire alarm and emergency lighting system must be subjected to a suitable system of maintenance.

More information can be obtained from the Department for Communities and Local Government.  You can also download their guides from this website.

Refix can help you comply with the rules by installing signage, emergency lighting, fire doors etc.  Why not enquire about our NICEIC approved inspection, testing and maintenance services?

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August 2007

Working at Height Safely

The Health & Safety Executive (HSE) have been running a 'ladder exchange' programme throughout August, with a stark reminder of the dangers of working at height incorrectly.

In 2005/6, 46 people died and there were 3351 major injuries as a direct result of falls from height.  The 1200 fatal and major injuries each year from falls from ladders costs the economy more than £60million.

The Work at Height Regulations 2005 came into force on 6th April 2005 and introduces a hierarchy for use when planning and risk assessing work at height.  Duty holders should consider how to avoid working at theight.  If this is not possible, they should take steps to prevent a fall occuring.  Where they cannot prevent a fall, they should take steps to minimise the distance and consequences of a fall.

A ladder should only be used where a risk assessment demonstrates that the taks is low risk and of short duration, or where there are existing features on site that cannot be altered and the use of other equipment is not practical.  Such features include restricted space preventing other equipment from being put in place correctly or ground conditions that mean that there is no suitable area to set up alternative equipment.

Further information and guidance can be found on the Health & Safety Executive website.

Refix work to the highest standards of health & safety which is attested by our accreditation to the SAFEcontractor standard.

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May 2007

HSE Issues Maintenance Warning

The Health & Safety Executive have reminded Councils, Councillors and Chief Executives of the importance of cayying out prompt and effective repairs to communal areas of their properties.

The reminder comes after the death of a 13 year old boy on a stairwell which was in an unsafe condition in a building managed by the London Borough of Newham.

The Health and Safety at Work Act 1974 Section 3 (1) states 'It shall be the duty of every employer to conduct his undertaking in such a way as to ensure, so far as is reasonably practicable, that persons not in his employment who may be affected thereby are not thereby exposed to risks to their health or safety.'

All landlords who have communal areas in their buildings have a duty of care to ensure these areas are safe for all who have access to them.

Things to think about include keeping stairwells clear of any rubbish; ensuring there is adequate lighting, including emergency lighting; making the necessary repairs promptly; ensuring fire doors are working etc.

Refix can help ensure your communal areas are kept safe by making any necessary repairs, installing adequate lighting etc.

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April 2007

Reducing Your Carbon Footprint

There is more and more focus on our duty to preserve precious natural resources for the future and to reduce our carbon footprint.

One way an organisation can achieve this is by fitting washrooms with environmentally-friendly warm air hand dryers.  They are a more responsible choice because there is no need to fell trees to produce paper towels.  They are also hygienic in that there is no risk of cross-infection from soiled towels.

From a cost point of view, warm air hand dryers can save up to 80% of the cost of supplying and maintaining a washroom with paper or roller towels.

Once installated, low maintenance means that servicing is virtually eliminated, which means that protecting the environment needn't be a costly option.

Refix can supply and install warm air hand dryers for you as well as fulfil all your other electrical requirements.

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March 2007

BS 7671:2008 IEE Wiring Regulations - 17th Edition

BS 7671:2008 Requirements for Electrical Installations is due to be issued on 1 January 2008, and after a six month transition period, is intended to come into full effect on 1 July 2008.

The purpose of the revision is to bring the regulations in line with the European requirements and much of the revised content will be based on European Harmonisation Documents that have already been accepted by the UK.

Among other things, the 17th edition will include a new series of regulations concerning lighting installations, emergency escape lighting and fire protection applications.

The requirements of inspection and testing are generally similar to those in BS7671:2001.

The full extent of the changes will not become apparant intil the consultation period is over and the new requirements are issued on 1 January 2008.  In the meantime, further information can be found on the IET Website.

Refix will keep you up to date with progress as we receive it.  Why not give us a call to discuss your current electrical requirements?

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January 2007

Smoking Ban

A smoking ban in workplaces will be in force across the UK by the summer of 2007.  If you have yet to consider this new legistation and its practical effects, you will need to do so soon!

Premises: The smoking ban will mean the closure of dedicated 'smoking rooms'.  Only smoking outside in open air will be permitted.  However, employers can provide limited shelter for staff as long as these are not considered 'enclosed or substantially enclosed'.  Premises will be considered to be enclosed if they have a ceiling or roof and, except for doors, windows or passageways, are wholly enclosed, whether on a permanent or temporary basis.

Premises are substantially enclosed of they have a ceiling or roof, but there are permanent openings in teh walls which are less than half of the total area of walls, including other structures which serve the purpose of walls and constitute the perimeter of premises.  When determining the area of an opening, no account can be taken of openings in which doors, windows or other fittings can be open or shut.

Signage*: Premises and vehicles that are to be smokefree under the law will be required to have no-smoking signs in place at each entrance, displayed in a prominent position.

Signage should be a minimum area of any shape that is equal to the size A4 showing the international no smoking symbol at lease 70mm in diameter (the most commonly used minimum size currently); and contains in characters that can easily be read, the following words:

"No smoking.  It is against the law to smoke in these premises".

More information about the full regulations can be found at Smoke Free England.

Call Refix to discuss modification to existing smoking rooms, the erection of new shelters and installation of 'No Smoking' signage.

Call Refix now on 023 8045 5250 or click here.

*The Smoke-free (Signs) Regulations, which relate to required signage under snokefree legislation are currently being considered by Europe under the Technical Standards Directive and will be laid before Parliament after the 3 month consulation process is complete.  There is no intention to change these regulations any further; they therefore should be used as the final regulations until these are laid.

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