Great for Library.

1. Health and Safety Induction
Wodbury Library
Last updated: 21 November 2010

2. Agenda
• Roles and responsibilities
• Key risks
• Manual handling
• Computer monitors
• For more information
then …

3. Your responsibilities as employees
• We have a duty of care to all employees, contractors, and visitors
and students with whom we do business
• We will ensure that our Health and Safety Officer carries out
regular risk assessments of our workplace - and acts on them
• Point out and help to manage risks
• Work in a safe manner
• Never carry out a task you believe may be dangerous
• Use any safety equipment we provide you with, and follow
the safety instructions
• Know the Fire Warden and Health and Safety Officer
• Know what to do in the event of a fire
• Report accidents, even if they seem minor
Our responsibility as an employer

4. Key people and processes
Health and Safety Officer Michael M
Fire Warden Unfilled
First Aider Every staff member
• Risk assessments are carried out every ? months by
<insert name>

5. Key places
Insert a floor plan showing fire exit(s) and designated
sick room(s)

6. In the event of a fire
Warning sound (“get ready to evacuate”) sounds
like [ ]
Evacuate sound (“leave the building now”) sounds
like [ ]
Muster point (where we gather) is at [ ]

7. If you manage others, you must:
• Ensure safety policies are effectively implemented
• Review our customer systems and procedures that we operate
within to ensure compliance and suitability
• Understand regulations relevant to activities under your control
• Carry out or participate in regular risk assessments
• Ensure that the working environment is safe and safe working
methods are adopted
• Ensure that staff have adequate skills and experience for the role
and have been suitably trained to perform their work safely
• Ensure that staff have the correct equipment to do their job
• Ensure that staff have been appropriately trained in health and
safety
• Where needed, bring in occupational health support

8. Discussion - what are the key risks in our
office environment?

9. Some of the main risks
• Carrying heavy items (“manual handling”)
• Slips, trips and falls
• Incorrect posture, use of computer monitors
• <Add any more unique to our environment>
Also bear in mind …
• Kitchen risks
• Printer toner risks

10. Carrying heavy objects (“manual
handling”)
• If you are required to carry something that is heavy or
awkward, always assess other alternatives, for example
using a trolley. If this is not possible, ask someone else to
help you.
Only lift using the correct lifting technique

11. Manual handling (from the Health and & Safety Executive)

12. Manual handling

13. Manual handling

14. Manual handling

15. Slips, trips and falls
• The second highest cause of workplace accidents / near
misses after manual handling.
What you should do:
• keep the work area tidy
• keep all exits and walk ways clear
• report all potential hazards - loose carpets, trailing cables,
handbags, etc – to:
– your manager
– the Health and Safety Officer

16. PPE, COSHH, RIDDOR, electrical safety
• PPE – Personal Protective Equipment – eg hard hats, safety goggles –
– This is generally not relevant to an office environment
• COSHH - Control of Substances Hazardous to Health – this mainly applies to
industrial products – BUT – be aware that printer products can be hazardous if
handled or disposed of inappropriately
– Always follow the manufacturer’s instructions
• RIDDOR – Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences
Regulations
– Report all accidents or near misses to the Health and Safety Officer
or your manager
• Electrical safety – do not attempt to carry out any work to electrical appliances,
including simple tasks such as changing plugs. If you spot frayed cables or
appliances that require attention - please contact <insert name>

17. • Poor posture sustained for long periods of time results in
fatigue to affected muscle groups
• Fatigue can result from reduced blood circulation to muscles
• Careful design and layout of your workstation should
encourage good posture
• However, even maintaining a static good posture for extended
periods of time will eventually result in fatigue
• You should take regular pauses or breaks in work where you
can get up and move around – make sure you take regular
breaks
Workstation design and layout

18. Factors associated with good layout

19. Viewing Angles
• Ideally the centre of the screen should be at right angles to the
normal line of sight (which is about 15o
below the horizontal
sightline)
• As a rule of thumb the top of the screen should be level with
your eye
– If the screen is too high, the neck is bent backwards to
afford a comfortable viewing angle
– If the screen is too low, the neck is bent forwards to afford
a comfortable viewing angle
– Both result in postural strain on the neck

20. Good location of the screen

21. Your vision
•There is no evidence that Display Screen Equipment (DSE)
work causes damage but it may make existing (uncorrected)
vision defects more noticeable
•Work at DSE normally requires long periods of viewing the
screen from close distances, which can lead rise to visual
fatigue
•Viewing distances to DSE screens are usually further away
than normal reading distances to books or hand held paper
•Viewing a screen through bifocals (using the bottom of the
lens) will cause the head to be tilted backwards, giving postural
fatigue
•Existing corrective prescriptions (glasses) may not be suitable
for DSE work

22. Other risks
• If your office environment has any risks not covered in the
presentation so far, identify them here and give employees
instructions about how to reduce both the risk and the impact of it if it
occurs

23. For more information
Our health and safety policies and procedures are
stored at <insert location>