Info - Workplace Safety

You must:

• make sure your buildings are in good repair
• maintain the workplace and any equipment so that it is safe and works efficiently
• put right any dangerous defects immediately, or take steps to protect anyone at risk
• take precautions to prevent people or materials falling from open edges, eg fencing or guard rails
• fence or cover floor openings, eg vehicle examination pits, when not in use
• have enough space for safe movement and access
• provide safety glass, if necessary
• make sure floors, corridors and stairs etc are free of obstructions, eg trailing cables
• provide good drainage in wet processes
• make sure any windows capable of being opened can be opened, closed or adjusted safely
• make sure all windows and skylights are designed and constructed so that they may be cleaned safely (you may also need to fit anchor points if window cleaners have to use harnesses)
• minimise risks caused by snow and ice on outdoor routes, eg use salt or sand and sweep them.

Lighting

You must provide:

• good light – use natural light where possible but try to avoid glare
• a good level of local lighting at workstations where necessary
• suitable forms of emergency lighting
• well-lit stairs and corridors
• well-lit outside areas – for pedestrians and to help with work activities such as loading/unloading at night.

Moving around the premises

You must have:

• safe passage for pedestrians and vehicles – separate routes may be necessary
• level, even floors and surfaces without holes or broken boards
• hand-rails on stairs and ramps where necessary
• safely constructed doors and gates
• floors and surfaces which are not slippery..

Comfortable conditions

You must provide:

• a reasonable working temperature within workplaces inside buildings (usually at least 16 °C, or 13 °C for strenuous work, unless it is impractical to do so, eg in the food industry)
• local heating or cooling where a comfortable temperature cannot be maintained throughout each workroom (eg hot and cold processes)
• good ventilation – a sufficient supply of fresh, clean air drawn from outside or a ventilation system
• heating systems which do not give off dangerous or offensive levels of fume into the workplace
• enough workspace, including suitable workstations and seating.

Working outdoors

For work outdoors you should consider things such as the weather, temperature (both hot and cold) and sun exposure.