This document provides an overview of health and safety legislation and responsibilities for wall and floor tilers in the UK. It outlines key acts like the Health and Safety at Work Act of 1974 and agencies like the Health and Safety Executive. It describes employer duties to provide a safe work environment and training, as well as employee duties to work safely and report accidents. Specific safety topics covered include conducting a site induction, reporting requirements under RIDDOR, and ensuring safe use of electrical equipment. The goal is to educate tilers on applicable laws and how everyone shares responsibility for construction site safety.

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Wall and Floor Tiling

2. By the end of this Lesson you will know:
• What Legislation is!
• Health and Safety at Work Act 1974
• Health and Safety Executive
• Employer Duties
• Employee Duties
• Site Induction
• Introduction to RIDDOR and Reporting of Accidents
• Introduction to Electrical Safety
Lesson Objectives
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3. Legislation generally refers to a law that is made in
Parliament and is often called an act.
For our purposes, health and safety acts state what
should and shouldn’t be done by employers and
employees in order to keep work places safe.
If an employer or an employee does something they
shouldn’t, or just as importantly, doesn’t do something
they should, they could face paying a large fine or even
a prison sentence.
Legislation: What is it?
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4. The Health and Safety at Work Act 1974 applies to all
places of work, not just construction environments.
It not only protects employers and employees but also
any member of the public who might be affected by the
work being done.
The act outlines what must be done by employers and
employees to ensure that the work they do is safe.
Health and Safety at Work Act 1974
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5. The main objectives of the Health and Safety at Work Act
are:
• To ensure the health, safety and welfare of all persons at
work.
• To protect the general public from work activities.
• To control the use, handling, storage and transportation
of explosives and highly flammable substances.
• To control the release of noxious or offensive substances
into the atmosphere.
Health and Safety at Work Act 1974
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6. The Health and Safety at Work Act is enforced by the Health
and Safety Executive (HSE).
HSE inspectors have the power to:
• Enter any premises to carry out investigations.
• Take statements and check records.
• Demand seizure, dismantle, neutralise or destroy
anything that is likely to cause immediate serious injury.
• Issue an improvement notice, which gives a company a
certain amount of time to sort out a health and safety
problem.
Health and Safety Executive
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7. HSE inspectors have the power to:
• Issue a prohibition notice, which stops all work until
the situation is safe.
• Give guidance and advice on health and safety
matters.
• Prosecute people who break the law, including
employers, employees, self-employed manufacturers
and suppliers.
Health and Safety Executive
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8. Under the Health and Safety at Work Act employers must:
• provide a safe entrance and exit to the workplace
• provide a safe place to work
• provide and maintain safe machinery and equipment
• provide employees with the necessary training to be able to do their
job safely
• have a written safety policy
• ensure safe handling, transportation and storage of machinery,
equipment and materials
• provide personal protective equipment (PPE)
• involve trade union safety representatives, where appointed, in all
matters relating to health and safety.
Employer Duties
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9. Under the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974
employees must:
• take care at all times and ensure that they do not
put themselves or others at risk by their actions
• co-operate with employers in regard to health
and safety
• use any equipment and safeguards provided by
their employer
• not misuse or interfere with anything that is
provided for their safety.
Employee Duties
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10. Question: Who is responsible for health and safety
on a construction site?
Answer: Everyone on site.
The Site Agent/manager is responsible for
managing health and safety though everyone both
employer and employees have individual
responsibility
Employee Duties
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11. Question: When I first arrive on a construction site
should I just start work straight away?
Answer: No, everyone should receive a site
induction
Site Induction
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12. A site induction is specific to a site and provides you with
information on the current hazards of the site and tells you
about the site rules.
Some of the areas covered include:
• Site emergency evacuation procedures
• Who’s on site
• First Aid/Welfare facilities
• Waste Disposal
• Signage
• Drugs and alcohol
Site Induction
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13. RIDDOR is the law that requires employers, and other
people in control of work premises, to report and keep
records of:
• work-related accidents which cause death;
• work-related accidents which cause certain serious
injuries (reportable injuries);
• diagnosed cases of certain industrial diseases; and
certain ‘dangerous occurrences’ (incidents with the
potential to cause harm)
Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences
Regulations 1995 (RIDDOR)
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14. All accidents or near misses which occur on a
construction site must be reported.
They are recorded in the “accident book”
Question: Who is responsible for reporting accidents
on a construction site?
Answer: “The injured person or someone acting for
them”
Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences
Regulations 1995 (RIDDOR)
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15. Electrical Equipment
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A Wall and Floor Tiler will use a variety of electrical
equipment including tile cutters and corded power tools
What are the hazards of working with electrical equipment?
• Contact with live parts causing shock and burns – mains
voltage, 230 volts can kill!
• Faults which could cause a fire risk
• Fire or explosion where electricity can be the source of
ignition in a flammable or explosive atmosphere
• Remember electrical shocks can lead to other types of injury i.e. falls
from ladders or scaffolds
Question: Who is Responsible for checking electrical tools
prior to using them?

16. Dangers of Using Electrical Equipment
Question: Who is Responsible for checking electrical tools
prior to using them?
Answer: The person going to use the tool!
The following visual checks should be undertaken:
• Is it the right tool/equipment for the task?
• Is it the correct voltage? (remember 110v for a construction site)
• Is the connector or plug damaged?
• Check the cable is intact and that no internal wires care visible?
• Is the casing damaged (especially on a power tool as this is the
insulator)
• Check for burn marks on the casing as this is a sign of overheating
• Is there a guard on the machine (thing electric tile cutter or 110mm
grinder) and is it fitted correctly?
KM: February 2018
http://kanbantool.com/

17. Questions
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