Orbis Environmental & Safety

What Is Noise Risk Assessment?

A noise risk assessment is carried out to ensure the health and safety of workers exposed to noise risks.

Noise Risk Assessment is more than just taking measurements of noise – it includes many other things.

Additionally, Noise Risk Assessment helps identify the sources of noise risk and how it affects the employees.

The results derived from the Noise Risk Assessment are further evaluated and used to develop preventive measures or corrective actions in order to reduce the long-term effects of noise exposure.

What Is The Aim Of A Noise Risk Assessment?

When it comes to Ergonomic and Manual Handling Injuries and Sickness absence, a swift return to work is best for everyone involved. The company get their valuable staff retuned to work, and the employee gets their livelihood back on track.

Repetitive work and Manual Handling injuries often lead to longer-term absence from work. While we always make our best effort to get things right, its not always easy to understand what needs to be done, and if what’s done is enough.

This allows the employer to fully understand if they have suitable arrangements in place, and for the employee to fully understand what action has been taken and that they are within the appropriate limits.

There are various advantages of having a health and safety consultant for your business and here is the list of some of the most prominent one –

Reliable Overview And Advice –

One of the most prominent benefits of hiring a health and safety consultant for your business would be that they will provide an outside view of how a business’s health and safety situation fares, and therefore a company will have an honest overview of where it is excelling and what are the risk points.  

Once a business gets to know the overview, they can decide whether to go ahead with the proposal or not.

2. Enriched Experience –

A Health and Safety Consultant works for a variety of different businesses ranging from different industries.

Thus they will have valuable knowledge and a vast amount of skills to offer your business.

The significant knowledge and skill set of a Health and Safety consultant will enable them to meet your business and industry’s health and safety specifications.

3.Unbiased Judgement –

When a business hires a health and safety consultant, they will have an unbiased judgment.

The consultant will work for your business with a clean slate and won’t be affected by internal affairs or past safety records.

4. Latest Knowledge Of Practice –

Lastly but not least in any way is the latest knowledge of the practice standards.

As consultants are usually self-employed, they attend seminars, webinars, meet with industry agencies and keep up to date with modifications to safety protocol or training.

All of these things significantly support the businesses for whom consultants are working.

Other than these major benefits of hiring a health and safety consultant, here are some questions that most of the businesses have in their mind regarding Health and Safety –

We have tried to answer it briefly so that you can grasp it quickly and get the maximum value out of it.

Does A Small Company Need A Health And Safety Policy?

If a company is having fewer than five people, it doesn’t have to write down its safety arrangements or have a policy.

The Benefits of Occupational Health Screening –

Occupational health screening is beneficial for both employers and employees.

    Employer’s benefits of occupational health screening –

Reduced Sickness and Absence

Higher staff retention, engagement and productivity

Better scope of team-working

Higher job satisfaction

Compliance with Legislative requirements

   Employees benefits of occupational health screening –

Reduction in health risks

Better task performance

Improved mental and physical health

Efficiency at the workplace

Overcoming health and work stress issues  

Identifying undiscovered health problems

There are various types of fire extinguishers, and all of them are used for different types of fire.

The deployment of fire extinguishers depends on the type of fire.

A particular type of fire extinguisher can not be qualified for all types of fires, so you need to use a fire extinguisher accordingly.

The five main types of fire extinguisher are inclusive of water, foam, dry powder, carbon dioxide and dry water mist extinguishers.

Other than these 6 traditional types of fire extinguishers, you can also have access to the latest and innovative type of extinguisher which is a portable one.

Let’s have a look at all these 6 types of extinguishers.

Here Are The Description Of Each Type Of Fire Extinguishers:-

1) Water Fire Extinguishers

Water fire extinguishers are specially designed to counter fires involving solids as they work by cooling the burning material.

Water extinguishers are effective against the wood, cloth, paper and plastic.

It is not advisable to use water-based extinguishers for burning fat or oil and electronic appliances.

To use a water extinguisher, point the base of the flames and then move it across the area of the fire.

2) Foam Fire Extinguishers  

When it comes to dealing with various kinds of liquid fires, foam fire extinguishers are the most suitable one.

As the name suggests, the foam works by forming a skin smoother than the fire.

While using foam fire extinguishers, it is advisable to point the jet at the edge of fire instead of aiming straight onto the liquid.

When pointed at the edge of the fire, it allows the foam to creep over the burning liquid.

The foam fire extinguishers should not be used against chip pan or electric fires.  

3) Dry Powder Extinguishers  

There are two types of dry powder extinguishers – standard and multi-purpose.

The first one is generally used on combustibles like grease, fat, oil and petrol.

Whereas, multi-purpose dry powder can also withstand solid fires of wood, cloth, paper and plastic.

Though standard dry powder can be used for electrical equipment, as it does not have huge cooling powder, an eye should be kept out for fires re-igniting.

To use a dry powder extinguisher effectively, aim the jet at the base of the fire and sweep across the fire; as a result, the powder will knock down the flames and melt to form a seal over the fire.

4) Carbon Dioxide Extinguisher

When a fire is caused by liquids such as grease, fats, oils, paints and petrol, carbon dioxide extinguishers are the most effective and suitable to deploy.

Carbon Dioxide extinguishers are safe to use for electrical equipment fires; however, it should not be used on Chip pan fires.

Once the fire is in control, it is advisable to ventilate the premises as soon as possible to avoid the harmful fumes of Co2.

To use carbon dioxide extinguishers, aim the horn at the base of the flames and move it across the area of the fire.

Carbon dioxide extinguishers smother the fire by displacing oxygen in the air, so it has limited cooling effects, so keeping an eye out for re-ignition becomes essential.

5) Portable Water Mist Extinguishers

Portable water mist extinguishers are the latest innovation that covers both general and deep fat fryers.

One of the most prominent differences between water mist extinguishers and conventional extinguishers is that the latest one contains demineralized water which leaves no residue.  

Portable water mist extinguishers are not safe to use on gas fires; nonetheless, it can be used on electrical equipment up to 35,000 volts.

The structure and usage of the premises decide the type of fire extinguishers one should use. Along with the right type of fire extinguishers, it is equally important to maintain it well so that it works well when you need it the most.

6) Portable Extinguishers For All Types Of Fire

We have the latest and innovative kind of extinguisher which provides protection against all types of fire including that of a vehicle, in an event, business or anywhere else.

Additionally, it can also be used for all classes of fire – be it A, B, C, D, E or F.

If we look at the environment-friendly aspect of the extinguishing system – it is non-toxic, and cleaner and safer compared to conventional fire extinguishers.

HAVS Assessment supports the business in finding out the power tools and processes causing hand vibrations and examines the risk exposure of each employee at the workplace. After thoroughly examining the situation, the HAVS Assessor guides you for needful further steps.

One should not ignore the primary symptoms of HAVS as prolonged and regular exposure of vibration not only pose a threat to the health of your employees; it also lasts for a lifetime.

Some of the most common symptoms of HAVS are inclusive of –

The emergence of peculiar white patches on the skin, particularly in cold weather

Slightly uncomfortable tingling pain in the fingers

Numbness in one or more fingers

The gradual loss of sensation in fingers

Muscular damage

Reduced grip and mobility of hands and fingers

HAVS stands for Hand Arm Vibration Syndrome, and it occurs in employees working with hand-held powered equipment with heavy vibrations.

According to the latest statistics published by HSE, nearly 2 million people in the UK are at the risk of developing HAVS syndrome.

Some of the most common symptoms of HAVS are vascular and sensorineural in hands and fingers. The more exposure to the heavy machinery vibration, the more chances of developing severe symptoms of HAVS.

The good thing is that HAVS can be prevented and controlled by conducting appropriate assessments at regular periods. HAVS Risk Assessment is greatly helpful in order to make it “Better safe than sorry.”

In this blog, we have discussed all the stages of HAVS development and how a HAVS Risk Assessment can help in preventing these stages further.

In simple words, HAVS Assessment supports the business in finding out the power tools and processes causing hand vibrations and examines the risk exposure of each employee at the workplace. After thoroughly examining the situation, the HAVS Assessor guides you for needful further steps.

One should not ignore the primary symptoms of HAVS as prolonged and regular exposure of vibration not only pose a threat to the health of your employees; it also lasts for a lifetime.

For More Visit: https://orbisenvironmental.com/what-is-a-havs-assessment-what-are-the-symptoms-of-havs/

What is a fire risk assessment?

Fire Risk Assessment, in simple words, is a systematic look at your premises and the activities carried out within it. Plus, it also includes identifying fire hazards and who may be affected by the fire. If any serious concern is found, the responsible person may need to take action to reduce the risk from fire.

Completing a fire risk assessment is a legal requirement under Article 9 of the Regulatory Reform. Additionally, it is the first step that will make your premises safe from fire risks. By conducting a fire safety assessment, you can assure yourself of preventing any unfortunate incident caused by acute fire or explosion.

After conducting a fire risk assessment, an expert identifies potential risks and offers appropriate guidelines to follow. Controlling and managing fire risks with utmost attention and care is an essential part of building management.

Who can conduct a fire risk assessment?

You can consult a licensed and qualified fire safety company that can offer a particular service you are looking for. By hiring a professional, you can stay compliant with the fire safety law.

A fire risk assessment will examine

The chances of fire catching up in your area

The potential danger after the fire accident event

Steps to reduce the risk of fire and its spreading

If there are five occupants or more, the fire risk assessment must be in writing, no matter what size your premises are.

Legionella risk assessments ensure that water systems are thoroughly evaluated, enabling conscientious businesses to devise an effective management strategy. Legionella bacteria can cause severe health conditions including the potentially fatal Legionnaires’ disease. In the UK every business, regardless of size, is legally required to conduct a legionella risk assessment to identify potential issues and to keep employees, customers, and others safe.

All members of our team have taken and passed the industry recognised exam and practical assessment for Face Fit Testing, and are Fit2Fit Accredited. Our team work closely with the BSIF and HSE to promote best practice and to increase the awareness of Face Fit Testing. It is a legal requirement to ensure that suitable and respiratory protective equipment (RPE) is used and is fit for purpose.

"Conforming to PAT testing regulations will help you to ensure that the portable appliances in your business are safe and help you to avoid violations. PAT testing legislation was put into effect to ensure that all companies conform to the Health and Safety at Work Act of 1974, Electricity at Work Regulations of 1989, Provision and Use of Work Equipment regulations of 1998 and the Management of Health and Safety at Work regulations of 1999.

Orbis will inspect, test and certify all your portable appliances, as covered by the Institue of Electrical Engineers Code of Practice, and provide advice as to their condition and safety"

Orbis’s team of experienced engineers are fully conversant with the requirements of ATEX and DSEAR and can facilitate and document risk assessments in accordance with recognized standards. They can also provide training to allow you to independently manage the DSEAR risk assessments as living documents going forward.

Fire Risk Assessment Services - Orbis