Many of us will be familiar with the year-round workplace safety risks of our workplaces, however there are a number of risks that are specific to times of the year. During the summer months, we see seasonal risks associated with hot, dry weather – particularly where work activities occur outdoors. Besides being a risk to your employees, uncomfortable working conditions can lower productivity levels. The following list recaps some of the simple things you can watch out for as the summer months settle in.
Sun Safety
Exposure to the sun should not be confused with heat. UV rays pose hazards to workers, particularly those who spend long periods of time working outdoors such as construction workers, by causing damage to the skin. Even in overcast conditions there is still a risk of exposure to UV rays, so taking precautions on a daily basis is an important habit to keep.
Short term effects include sunburn which ranges from a mild reddening on the skin, to more serious burns that will blister and peel. Sunburn can also contribute to fatigue and dehydration.
According to a recent IOSH report, one UK study found that the level of UV rays that workers are exposed to over a lifetime could cause non-melanoma skin cancer. In fact, the report states that more than 3,000 cases of skin cancer reported every year are caused by outdoor work in construction and other industries. Outdoor workers are at an adverse risk of excessive exposure during the summer due to the nature of their work, meaning proper protection from UV rays and sun exposure is extremely important.
There are a number of precautions that should be taken to be Sun Safe with regards to workplace safety. Sunscreen should be applied on a regular basis, and this sunscreen should be a broad spectrum that protects against UVA and UVB rays (Irish Cancer Society). Bear in mind that sunscreen will wear off due to sweat so reapply as needed. Wearing light and loose fitting clothes that cover as much skin as possible such as long sleeved shirts and wide brimmed hats and sunglasses can also protect your skin and eyes.
Heat-related illness
It takes time to acclimatise to hot weather conditions, and very often in Ireland we see spurts of extremely hot weather and even heat waves. As these conditions can be unpredictable, it’s important to be aware of the dangers extreme heat can cause in the workplace.
Heat stress occurs when the body is unable to regulate its internal temperature and overheats. There are a number of factors that will contribute to heat stress, such as the rate or intensity of work, humidity levels, hydration, and the weight or insulation levels of clothing. Some of the most common symptoms include poor concentration, heat rash, muscle cramps and fainting. Heat exhaustion can lead on from this if not treated, and symptoms could include headache, giddiness, nausea, damp skin and even severe thirst – a late and serious symptom. If these symptoms are not treated, heat stroke may occur. This is the most severe heat related disorder that occurs, and can even result in death if not detected and treated early enough. Symptoms to watch out for include chills, irritability, disorientation, rapid shallow breathing and fainting.
Other dangers
Extreme heat and physical labour or exertion will increase the rate at which our bodies lose water, depleting hydration levels and thereby causing a health and safety risk. Symptoms include thirst, fatigue, muscle cramps, confusion, dizziness, nausea, excessive sweating and hot, dry skin.
Very often, visibility can be reduced due to glaring sunlight and steps should be taken to mitigate this risk. These steps should include the clear identification of work zones and the use of barriers surrounding them. If the work zone is on or near a road, a lower speed limit should be introduced, and workers should be equipped with the appropriate level of high visibility apparel.
Summer safety tips
Here are some simple workplace safety precautions you or your employees can take when working during the summer and hot weather.
- Plan and prepare: if your employees work outdoors, you may need to go beyond the usual health and safety measures and put additional measures in place to mitigate risks. This might include sunscreen or re-organising the workday so that the most strenuous tasks are scheduled for cooler times of the day, or mandating breaks in the shade.
- Dress appropriately: seasonal uniforms or equipment may be needed. In the summer months, this clothing should not only prevent exposure to the sun, but also be breathable and light so as to prevent insulation or overheating. Appropriate PPE should always be supplied.
- Stay hydrated: bear in mind that hydration requirements will rise along with temperatures and levels of work. Workers should avoid caffeinated beverages and instead opt for water or sports drinks that contain electrolytes.
- Training & Education: assist your employees by training them to recognise the signs of heat-related illness.
If you are unsure where to start with a workplace safety plan for the summer months, want to ensure your plan and processes are up to standard, or to fine tune and improve your precautions, you can speak to a member of the Ayrton Consultancy team today. Contact us today to find out more.
With 30 years of experience in the health and safety industry, we’ve heard our fair share of tall tales about health and safety. Oftentimes, we hear that health and safety controls are “just an excuse for not letting things happen” – but it’s the opposite that is true: comprehensive health and safety planning and regulations allows for activities to take place safely under their guidelines.
Keep reading to find out about some of the most common myths and misconceptions around health and safety.
Myth: Complying with Health and Safety is expensive.
Truth: Yes, there is certainly a cost associated with conducting proper Health and Safety reviews, and implementing the correct procedures. However, when we weigh up this cost in comparison with the costs associated with accidents and injuries, it is more often than not far less expensive – and more productive.
If an employee suffers an injury during the course of their work, the business can lose out on productivity – being down a team member, the associated investigation costs, replacing the member of staff during their absence (including the cost of hiring & training this new team member) and any insurance-related costs and claims that might arise. The proper procedures are an investment for your business, rather than an expense.
Myth: Health and Safety means no fun.
Truth: Safety procedures aren’t about stopping activities from happening, but instead making sure that they happen safely. Think about all of the fun and interesting activities that you can do – but with proper Health and Safety regulations in place. Would you do a bungee jump without knowing it was safe? These regulations are in place to protect you and your employees.
Myth: Health and Safety is just a tick the box exercise and is a nuisance.
Truth: Health and Safety is much more than a tick the box exercise! It’s there to protect you and your employees, and it should be taken seriously. While there can be a lot of paperwork or admin work involved in preparing documentation like Safety Statements and Risk Assessments, these activities are necessary to ensure that everyone is on the same page and understands the risks, responsibilities and correct reactions should something happen.
Myth: I work in an office. There’s no Health and Safety risks there.
Truth: This is possibly one of the biggest misconceptions about working in an office environment. The typical office can pose many hazards for employees; most notably musculoskeletal issues, eye strain and hand and wrist pain. There are also risks of slips, trips and falls, electrical safety, fire safety, manual handling and even falls from heights. Every workplace – even an office environment – should have access to a competent first aider and safety officer, along with adhering to all workplace Health and Safety requirements.
Myth: This is mostly common sense, we don’t need training in common sense.
Truth: While it’s true that some Health and Safety risks may seem obvious, in a panicked situation common sense doesn’t always register. This is where the proper training and knowledge can assist in having a plan that you can rely on. On top of this, there are many situations that you may not consider risks or even notice, that can cause serious issues or harm. This is where a qualified and competent Health and Safety officer or consultant is essential, as their experience and training can unearth these hazards and help you to put a plan in place to prevent them from happening.
Myth: Health and Safety tries to stop things from happening, and just tries to ban activities that we’ve always done.
Truth: If safety procedures were designed with the intent of stopping things, we wouldn’t have the likes of ladders, wings, or even ice rinks. What Health and Safety procedures aim to do is to reduce the risks associated with the activities that we undertake. Your Health and Safety officer or consultant will aim to ask the right questions at the right time, to ensure everyone’s safety.
Myth: I use the gym, so I already know how to lift something heavy.
Truth: Just as with your workout, the correct technique when lifting something is essential in preventing strain or injury. The situation in which you might lift in the gym is different to how you would approach something in a work situation. Did you know that a third of all workplace injuries reported to the HSA are caused by manual handling activities? Manual handling training covers any role that involves moving heavy loads and is important to help you to understand and minimise the risk of injury.
Myth: All of these procedures will just reduce our productivity.
Truth: Health and Safety does not negatively affect productivity, in fact it will help to improve it. Having a Health and Safety plan in place will ensure that your workload is planned out efficiently and safely. This means jobs get done, and safely. What really impacts on your business’ productivity is staff being absent from their work due to injury or illness.
Myth: Safety equipment isn’t necessary, it’s uncomfortable and I can’t do my job properly while I’m wearing it.
Truth: While certain equipment can feel cumbersome to work in, remember that safety equipment such as helmets, goggles and gloves are absolutely essential in protecting workers from injury. These recommendations are in place for a reason and help to ensure your wellbeing, and your ability to continue doing your job without serious injury.
This list is by no means exhaustive, and if you are reviewing or implementing Health and Safety procedures for your workplace, you should always seek the assistance of an experienced professional. Our Consultants would be more than happy to assist you in assessing the needs of your business. Get in touch with our team today by email to info@ayrton.ie, or phone 01 838 5595 or 021 421 0331.
The Health & Safety Authority funded research into the costs and effects of workplace accidents and provided various case studies. The full report is available here.
The Health and Safety Authority commissioned the research with the aim of investigating the impact of workplace accidents through use of a case study approach.
In the below case study, Peter Callaghan describes a very difficult time in his life, and as such deserves credit for revealing such personal and sensitive information.
Peter’s story:
I have been working in emergency response since the early eighties and I enjoyed my time there. You never knew what a shift could bring. There were some days when you saw things that would be unimaginable to most people, but I was well trained and had no trouble with the job back then. I was able to put away any negative thoughts about what I encountered and concentrate on the job in hand, that was to provide an emergency service to the general public. In the late nineties I was promoted to a regional emergency control office where my duties included receiving phone calls from the general public and assigning vehicles to attend. I was in a team of seven which was on duty twenty four hours a day, seven days a week, year in year out. 24/7 as they say.
I knew there was going to be pressure with my new job, but I was coming from a job that already had its fair share of pressure, so I was just expecting a different type. What I didn’t bargain for was the increase in workload, the lack of staff and the lack of support from management. Soon after I took the job the geographical area we covered was expanded. We didn’t get any extra staff and as a result, work started to get busier and involve longer hours. We still had to provide the 24/7 cover though. Hence the normal practice of one twelve hour shift at a time started to change. It began with having to work extra hours at the end of the shift. Then the odd double shift had to be worked. Then the number of times I had to work both the longer hours, as well as extra shifts began to increase.
The absolute need to provide a 24/7 service to the public is obviously paramount. But those of us in the service had to take into account holidays and sick leave. So on some days and nights I would often have to work an eighteen hour shift. About once a month I found myself working a twenty four hour shift. The lack of staff also meant I could be working alone in the control office. This was all happening despite well laid down rules about work practices. At the time, I was fully involved with the management staff responsible for the service. I duly kept them informed about the problems we were encountering including the lack of staff to fully cover the control office. I also kept them informed of particular instances such as staff being left on their own, but it was to no avail. We didn’t get any extra staff and so the long hours just had to be worked, we had no choice in the matter. I thought I could improve matters by being involved in the running of the control office. So I was included in working groups, the union and committees regarding the running of the service. I was also involved with plans to expand the building we worked in. However, nothing came from our discussions with management, absolutely nothing.
This lack of action from management began to demoralise me. It seemed as if they didn’t care how bad things were or became. Even though the situation was plain to see, nothing was being done. This started to get me down. Then things became worse. My job involved getting as much information from callers so that I could make decisions as to which vehicles to send. Most of the time the decision was straightforward, but when we had more callers than we had vehicles, I had to make a decision as to which situation took priority. Three or four callers all looking for a vehicle when only one was available, wasn’t an uncommon situation. As all our phone calls are recorded, these decisions can easily be reviewed to make sure we are making the right judgement calls. However I noticed that management were taking more and more of an interest in these decisions than in how many staff we needed. This practice became more commonplace and my decisions and conduct were increasingly being challenged by management.
So in spite of the long hours and lack of staff, the management seemed more interested in my conduct rather than the needs of the service. They either couldn’t or wouldn’t help in providing the support necessary, but they had the time and resources to look at my work practices. It seemed like management would use any excuse to look at my conduct and investigate as a result. I began to question my own decision making and found myself less able to come to conclusions. I was now second guessing the outcome of any possible investigations before making decisions. In the past making the right choice at work was no problem to me, now my ability to do just that, started to desert me. This had the effect of undermining my confidence.
After years and years of experience second to none in the service, my decisions were being scrutinised. Even though my decision making was found to be as required, I felt my confidence start to drain away. It felt so unfair, the long hours, the lack of support from management, the lack of staff and the feeling of being left alone to deliver the service without adequate resources. All these problems and all management were interested in was my conduct. The situation was slowly getting worse and worse. I was totally demoralised by this stage and unaware of what I might be pulled up for next. I began to dread going to work. After twenty years of exemplary service, I had lost confidence in myself. There was no end in sight and nobody seemed to care. At the same time, the work load just continued and continued and continued. At that stage work seemed like a prison and it really started to take its toll. My health problems started with not being able to sleep properly at night. Then I found myself being less and less interested in my surroundings. I was just not interacting socially with others. This was the start of my illness and in 2004 some years after I started in the control office, my personality had changed completely.
For six months in 2004 my symptoms accelerated. I was going downhill fast and I knew there was something wrong with me. From being a person who was happily married, happy go lucky and with a good sports and social life, I had become quiet and withdrawn. I was someone else and I was on a downward spiral. I was withdrawn at home and I was withdrawn at work. I pulled out of all working parties union duties and committees to do with work. In effect I went into hiding. I was physically absolutely shattered and eventually I was barely functioning. I was like a car that was grinding to a halt. I was eating very little and I had lost weight. I was getting panic attacks. I was now pacing the house getting chest pains and palpitations. I could not settle at all. I didn’t want to leave the house.
The situation finally came to a head when my wife and in laws, concerned at my deteriorating behaviour, forced me to go see my local GP. I remember the GP taking my pulse in the surgery with my heartbeat racing. He diagnosed me as suffering from anxiety and stress. It was the first time I had associated those terms with myself. He gave me a certificate for one month of sick leave and prescribed relaxants. That month off was a godsend. At last I could get some rest. I went to counselling during my sick leave and I found that very helpful. At the end of the month, although not fully back to health, I was much more like my old self. I remember starting to research the conditions I had been diagnosed with. I found that anxiety and stress have a lot of websites.
On returning to the GP he gave me another month’s leave. Although I was still not fully recovered, I went back to work and faced the same conditions that I had left. I was not back long when after one particular shift, I was left so absolutely shattered and drained that I went back to my GP. He put me straight back on sick leave. Even though I was still off work I was worse than ever. I had now become very anxious and fearful about never being able to return to work. When I went back to the GP he referred me to a stress clinic in Dublin. The psychiatrist there diagnosed me with work related stress and put me on sick leave for a further three months. I was prescribed anti-anxiety tablets and within three weeks I felt better. However, I was further instructed not to return to the same role in work. This stipulation not to go back to the same work situation was a further upset to me, a real blow.
To be told that I could not go back to the same role and responsibilities was a big disappointment. I’m only in my forties and I have a lot to contribute. I want to work and be productive. But against that, and having been made ill as a result of poor work conditions, I’m not about to put my health at risk again. It’s just not worth it. I remember the worst of my illness and I’m not going through that again. I know management have now made an effort to recruit more staff to the control office. The staff numbers have been doubled since I was there last but they still have a high turnover.
Of the original team of seven when I joined, just two are left. I went back to work full time in 2005. My duties are different now though and I don’t have the same role. I feel I am totally under utilised as I’m only given administrative duties to carry out. Thankfully I’m now almost back to the same level of health as I was three years ago, before the stress started. I’m still on the medication though. I’m in a different work role now but my position at work has not been finalised. I’m having ongoing negotiations with our HR department about my employment status and I don’t know what the outcome will be. I started in this career over twenty years ago. Before I was promoted I was on sick leave twice in those twenty years. Once due to tonsillitis and once due to food poisoning. My life now has utterly and completely changed. I wish I could go back three years and stop what happened to me.
I found out the hard way how your health can be affected at work.
Total employee costs €46,000;
€2,500 Stress management courses in Dublin
€1,500 Doctor’s certificates and medication
€2,000 Travel to Dublin to visit psychiatrist
€30,000 Lost overtime payments
€10,000 Other expenses
Total employer costs €238,082;
€69,041 Salary costs of injured employee
€69,041 Salary costs of replacement staff
€100,000 Retraining cost for replacement staff
Source: hsa.ie