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General Safety
Training Pack
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3. Introduction
This training pack is for use by all operational staff. You need to keep this training pack as it has health and safety information you need for your job.
If you are having difficulty with this pack, approach your supervisor or manager for help or call the Safety Section.
This symbol in the top right corner of the page means you need to find something out and write it in the space provided.
This symbol means that the page contains example answers

4. Training Pack Objectives
In this training pack you will learn about basic health and safety and
help you to get the information you need to keep well at work.
This training pack will give you the following information:-
Basic health and safety legal requirements
People’s responsibilities for safety
What risk assessments are and where to find them
What to do if you or anyone else has an accident

5. Why is Safety Important?
Safety is important because:-
it helps us to look after staff and service users
it improves the quality of the service we provide
it helps to stop people from being injured in accidents at work. Less accidents means less people get injuries or illnesses
it is the Law. Employers can be prosecuted by Inspectors for accidents or sued by injured workers
it saves the Authority money. Less accidents means less people have to have time off work.

6. Who is Responsible for Safety?
Your manager has responsibility for health and safety where you work.
The Safety Section provides advice and guidance to your manager to help them with this responsibility.

7. What Does the Safety Section Do?
provides advice and guidance to managers to help them fulfil their health and safety responsibilities
answers queries on health and safety issues
visits Council establishments where necessary to give advice
collects information on accidents and incidents to report to HSE where necessary

8. What Does the Safety Section Do?
Facilitates staff training, e-learning and open learning packs
Drafts policies, procedures and guidance for health and safety
Collects information and statistics and provides health and safety reports
Looks at new safety laws and decides what action the Council needs to take
Audits health and safety performance within the Council

9. The Health & Safety At Work Act 1974
The Health and Safety at Work Act 1974 is a very important law. Before this Act was passed, most Council work was not covered.
When the Act was introduced it brought all employers and all employees under the protective “umbrella” of health and safety. It even provides for the safety of other peoples employees, members of the public and service users.
The Act also lets the Government make Regulations for health and safety, some of which are described later on in this learning pack.

10. Manager’s Duties for Safety
Your manager must make sure that your health, safety and welfare
as an employee is reasonably protected.
They should provide:-
a safe place of work
a safe working environment
adequate welfare facilities
safe equipment and ways of working
information, instruction, training & supervision
Your manager has to do what is reasonable to provide
these things.

11. Your Duties for Safety
As an employee, you also have duties under the law.
These are:-
to take reasonable care of your own health and safety
to take reasonable care of the health and safety of others who may be affected by your work
to co-operate with your manager for safety

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13. Risk Assessment
By Law, managers must carry out risk assessments for all work activities.
The Aim of Risk Assessment
The aim of a risk assessment is to make working reasonably safe. To do this your manager should look at the risks to you and other people who may be affected by the work. They must then take reasonable action to reduce these risks and make the job safer.
Your manager will show you the risk assessments for your job and tell you about any action taken to make your job safer.

14. Risk Assessment
Please answer the following questions. You may need to ask your manager for help if you have not been shown the risk assessments yet.
Where are the written risk assessments kept?
______________________________________
Have you been shown the ones that apply to your job?
YES/NO
(if you answered NO to this question you will need to ask your manager to show you)

15. Risk Assessment What risks do they cover?
____________________________________________
(if you run out of space here, just add an extra sheet)

16. Risk Assessment Your risk assessments may cover the following areas:-
Internal environment
External environment
Entrances & exits
Violence
Housekeeping
Slips, trips & falls
Fire
Stress
Manual handling
Electricity
First aid
Gas
Personal safety
Any other risks specific to the work
These examples are only a guide. You may find others where you work.

17. Hazard Spotting
If you notice anything in your workplace which you think may be a hazard, you
need to tell your supervisor/ manager about it as soon as possible so that it can
be dealt with. A hazard is something that may cause an accident to you, service
users or anybody else, if it is not reported.
Examples of Hazards:-
working alone
a potentially violent service user or relative
fire hazards (see Fire Precautions pack for further details)
trailing cables or leads which people could trip or fall over
wet floors or liquid spillages
corridors blocked with boxes, chairs or anything else
hazardous substances (see Substances Pack for further details)
broken or uneven paving stones
These examples are only a guide. You may find others where you work.

18. Hazard Spotting
Think about the job you do and try to think of things that may be a hazard to you, your service users or anyone else likely to be on the premises. Write them in the spaces below. The list on the previous page may give you some ideas. You can report them to your manager
________________________________________________
(if you run out of space here, just add an extra sheet)

19. First Aid By Law your manager should:-
make sure that there is enough equipment available so you can get First Aid if you need it
make sure that there are enough trained people available to give First Aid to anyone who needs it
You need to know where to go to get First Aid
treatment if you need it. Your manager will tell you
the arrangements that have been made.

20. First Aid
If I become ill or injured at work, I can get First Aid from:
________________________________________________
My First Aid Box is kept:

21. Accident Reporting
By Law, managers must record all accidents and incidents at work that cause injury to somebody.
If you are injured in an accident, or are assaulted or threatened at work, you should tell your manager and the person responsible for reporting and recording accidents where you work.
You must do this as soon as you possibly can.

22. Reporting Accidents to Staff
The names of the staff members who record accidents are:-
__________________________________________
They will record your accident in the accident reporting books.
Please give them as much detail as you can and answer any questions they may ask you. If the injury is going keep you off work for any time, make sure you tell them.
By Law we have to meet strict deadlines to officially report all “major” accidents, so it is very important that you report your accidents as quickly as possible.
Don’t be afraid to report accidents - you will not get into trouble. You need to report them so that we can do something to stop it happening again.

23. Reporting Accidents to Non-Employees
If a non-employee has an accident you should report this to your manager.
Non-employees means members of the public, pupils, service users, residents, customers etc.
You should do the same as you would for your accidents or accidents to staff.

24. Personal Accident Insurance
If you are injured in an accident at work and you end up with a permanent disability, personal accident insurance will pay you compensation. Personal accident insurance is available to all Council Employees.
If you need more information on the personal accident insurance scheme, ask your manager. Claims can be made via the Insurance Section at Britannia House.
Industrial Injury Benefit
If you have an accident at work and you are off
work long term because of the injury caused, you
can claim Industrial Injury Benefit. You will need
to contact the DWP to apply for this benefit.

25. Violence
If you are the victim of an assault or violent threat, you should report it to your manager immediately.
If you are dealing with someone who is getting very aggressive, or you feel threatened in any way:-
Stay calm and speak gently, slowly and clearly
Give them plenty of space, both personal and verbal
Don’t be afraid to get help from a colleague if you cannot resolve the situation yourself

26. Self Assessment General Safety
Please tick the answer you feel is correct:-
1. The reason Safety is important is that …
(a) it improves the quality of the service we provide
(b) it is the Law
(c) it helps to stop people being injured due to accidents
(d) all of the above
2. The most important piece of Health and Safety law is …
(a) The Social Services Safety Act
(b) The Health and Safety at Work Act
(c) The Personal Protective Equipment Regulations
3. What are your managers duties for safety under the Law?
(a) to be environmentally friendly
(b) to pay you for the work you do
(c) to provide you with a safe place of work and working environment
4. What are your duties for safety under the Law?
(a) to work hard and work safely
(b) to take care of your own health and safety and that of others
(c) to provide and wear your own protective equipment

27. Self Assessment General Safety
5. What is the aim of a risk assessment?
(a) to look at hazards in your job and do something to make working safer
(b) to make insurance claims easier
(c) to help managers report accidents
6. What should you do if you spot a hazard at work?
(a) Don’t let it get in the way of your work
(b) Call Safety Section immediately
(c) Report it to your manager immediately
7. What does your manager have to do under First Aid law?
(a) Provide adequate equipment and staff to give First Aid
(b) Give everyone their own First Aid box
(c) Have a Doctor present at all times
8. How should you deal with a potentially aggressive person?
(a) Ignore them and hope they go away
(b) Speak calmly and clearly and give them plenty of space
(c) Keep telling them to calm down

28. Self Assessment Answers
General Safety
1. D
2. B
3. C
4. B
5. A
6. C
7. A
8. B