Electrical safety After 12 months packed away in the loft, Christmas lights can easily become electrically unsafe. To help prevent the most common electrical problems with Christmas lights, and to enjoy a safe and happy Christmas period, you should: check your Christmas lights are not damaged or broken before use and look out for loose wires use only replacement bulbs of the same type and rating as those originally supplied with the lights ensure all outdoor lights are connected via an RCD protected socket ensure plugs and transformers ... Continue reading

Manual handling Risk Assessment Most of us use standard workplace templates for assessing risk, but when it comes to manual handling we are often taking a stab in the dark or just using common sense to complete them. This is usually because the typical models aren’t appropriate and it really is a specialist subject. For manual handling there is a simple and effective HSE tool called the Manual Handling Assessment Charts (MAC tool), used correctly you will be using the exact same method the HSE inspectors use. It is a tool designed to help he... Continue reading

The Health and Safety law poster Hurray the old health and safety law poster is now obsolete, gone are the day of the dull beige poster that never matched the décor. I have yet to find that someone has actually read it and that is disturbing since it has been a mandatory item since 1974, but I am very glad the new version comes in various formats for a more diverse workforce. The Health and safety law poster must be displayed on all business premises. For those that have neither the new version basically outlines 10 main obligations of the e... Continue reading

Alcohol With the festive season looming, the party mood for celebration and work functions is something to look forward to. From a health and safety point of view, apart from the risks to your own health, alcohol can be a mischief maker when it comes to accidents. It reduces your risk awareness. Alcohol can make people relax so much that they don't think about everyday risks.” In excess we lose our inhibitions and throw caution to the wind. For work functions avoid lunch times sessions if you want your staff to return to work, in some indus... Continue reading

Candles This Christmas we may be encouraged to use tea light candles to provide us with a winter ambience, but they are a common cause of starting fires in our homes. The risk is greatly increased by them being knocked over by pets and children or the fact we put them in none heat resistance containers or ornaments. With modern products we can reduce the risk by using battery operated candles that can still provide the same level of desired effect. These fit in any normal tea light holder and look great through frosted glass. Choose these bat... Continue reading