Frequently Asked Questions

Health & Safety

 

Please also see Health & Safety Information plus Health & Safety Advice Sheets - available to view and download from this website

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How to contact...

Tel: 01978 298989 - ask for Health and Safety and Licensing

email: public_protection_service@wrexham.gov.uk

Address:
Public Protection Service
Housing and Public Protection Department
Wrexham County Borough Council
Ruthin Road
Wrexham
LL13 7TU

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What is Health and Safety all about?

Preventing people from being harmed by work or becoming ill by taking the right precautions and providing a satisfactory environment.

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Do Health and Safety laws apply to me?

Yes to al businesses, however small; also to the self-employed and to employees.

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How can I find out more/keep up-to-date with Health and Safety?

The most up-to-date information is available on the HSE’s website in the form of news concerning HSE campaigns, free information leaflets and the main issues currently influencing health and safety – www.hse.gov.uk. Subscription services and some publications are available from HSE books – 01787 881165.

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Who enforces Health and Safety Law?

The Public Protection Department enforces health and safety law in the following types of businesses:

  • Office based
  • Retail or wholesale
  • Warehousing
  • Hotel and Catering
  • Sports or leisure (non-Council)
  • Residential accommodation, excluding nursing homes
  • Places of worship
  • Pre-school childcare
  • Mobile vending

For all other types of business it will be the Health & Safety Executive.

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What do enforcement officers actually do?

They visit workplaces to check that people are complying with the law. They investigate some accidents and complaints and give advice to employers and employees.

"What to expect when a health and safety inspector calls" (link to external website) - Free HSE leaflet. The Council's Health and Safety Enforcement Policy is available on this website.

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What type of accident do I need to report to the enforcing authority?

You must report any accident which causes:

  • An employee to be killed or suffer a major injury
  • A member of the public to be killed or have to be taken to hospital
  • An employee to be away from work for three days or more
  • If a doctor notifies you that your employee suffers from a reportable work related disease

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What is a 'major injury'?

Major injuries are:

  • Fracture other than to fingers, thumbs or toes
  • Amputation
  • Dislocation of the shoulder, hip, knee or spine
  • Chemical or hot metal burn to the eye or any penetrating injury to the eye

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How do I report an accident?

In the first instance follow the link: www.hse.gov.uk/riddor/index.htm.

This site provides information on Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations 1995 (RIDDOR) which puts duties on employers, the self-employed and people in control of work premises (the Responsible Person) to report serious workplace accidents, occupational diseases and specified dangerous occurrences (near misses).

Online

Complete the appropriate online report form listed on www.hse.gov.uk/riddor/report.htm.

The form will then be submitted directly to the RIDDOR database. You will receive a copy for your records.

Telephone

All incidents can be reported online but a telephone service remains for reporting fatal and major injuries only - call the Incident Contact Centre on 0845 300 9923 (opening hours Monday to Friday 8.30 am to 5 pm).

Reporting out of hours

The HSE and local authority enforcement officers are not an emergency service.

More information on when, and how, to report very serious or dangerous incidents, can be found by visiting the HSE out of hours webpage. If you want to report less serious incidents out of normal working hours, you can always complete an online form.

You can also contact Health and Safety directly for advice on 01978 292989.

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Do I need a Health and Safety Poster and where can I obtain one?

If you employ staff you must either display a Health and Safety Law Poster (ISBN 07176 2493 5) or give a Health and Safety Law leaflet to each employee.

Posters can be obtained from any HMSO stationers such as Waterstones, Regent Street, Wrexham.

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Do I need to register my business?

If you are a new business you will need to register with HSE or us – depending on the sort of business you have.  For the Local Authority you should complete form OSR1 (notice of persons in office, shop or certain railway premises).

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What is a health and safety policy?

A health and safety policy means the health and safety arrangements i.e. the effective planning, organisation, control, monitoring and review of the preventative and protective measures.  If there are 5 or more employees these arrangements must be recorded.  If there are less than 5 employees the appropriate arrangements still need to be in place.

An introduction to Health and Safety (INDG259) - Free HSE leaflet (link to external website).

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What is meant by "hazard and risk"?

A hazard means anything that can cause harm (e.g. chemicals, electricity, working at height, machinery etc). 

Risk is the change, high or low, that somebody will be harmed by the hazard.

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How do I carry out a risk assessment?

A risk assessment should involve the identification of significant hazards present in a working environment or arising out of commercial activities and work activities.

"Five steps to risk assessment" - Free HSE leaflet (link to external website).

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What are the highest and lowest temperatures that I am allowed to work in?

The Workplace (Health, Safety and Welfare) Regulations 1992 require that during working hours the temperatures inside buildings shall be reasonable.

It would be reasonable to expect a temperature in an office environment to be at least 16°c after the first hour.  Where the temperature in the workplace is uncomfortably high all reasonable steps should be taken to achieve a comfortable temperature e.g by providing air-cooling plant, shading windows, provision of fans.

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Working alone, what should I consider?

Your employer must carry out a risk assessment and then take any reasonable steps to ensure you can work safely.

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Does my employer have to provide drinking water at work?

The Workplaces (Health, Safety and Welfare) Regulations 1992 (ISBN 0717604136) require your employer to provide an adequate supply.

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Does my workplace need to have artificial ventilation?

Workplaces need to be adequately ventilated. It will depend on the workplace whether windows will be sufficient or mechanical ventilation will need to be provided.

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Do I need to have employers liability compulsory insurance?

Yes it’s the law if you employ anyone – and you should display the certificate in the workplace.

"Employers' Liability Compulsory Insurance Act 1969 - Free HSE leaflet" (link to external website).

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I will be hiring agency workers, what do I need to consider?

If you hire agency workers, you must tell the employment business (agency) hiring them to you about the risk to the worker’s health and safety and steps you have taken to control them.

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Can people smoke in the workplace?

Under Section 2 of the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974 employers have to ensure, so far as reasonably practicable, the health, safety and welfare at work of all employees.  This means if a risk to health can be demonstrated, the employer must take action to deal with the risk.  In some situations, a complete ban on smoking may be justified for safety reasons, for example.  In all other cases it is recommended that all employers should have a specific policy on smoking in the workplace.

www.ash.org.uk (external link)

All Wales Smoking Cessation Service - 0800 085 2219 (external link)

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Do the new Work at Height Regulations 2005 ban the use of ladders?

No. They require that ladders should only be considered where a risk assessment has shown that the use of other suitable work equipment is not appropriate because of the low risk and short duration of the task or considerations of where the work is located.

Work at Height Regulations 2005 (link to external website).

"The Working at Height Regulations 2005: A brief guide (INDG401) - Free HSE leaflet" (link to external website).

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