Health and safety in floristry Pack 2 Risk assessment Pack Code: FLHS2 This pack you will help you to: Identify the main hazards in floristry Explain how to carry out a risk assessment www.lbcnc.org.uk Describe ways of monitoring health and safety performance
About this pack Objectives When you have completed this pack you will have considered some of the key issues in managing health and safety in floristry. This pack will help you to: identify the main hazards in floristry explain how to carry out a risk assessment describe ways of monitoring health and safety performance. This pack is also relevant to the following level 3 units: Issues and Legislation in Floristry, Outcome 1: Know main legislative and enforcement processes, Outcome 2: Understand safe working practices in retail floristry and Outcome 4: Understand staff training and health and safety Undertake and Review Work Related Experience in Land-based Industries, Outcome 3: Be able to undertake a work-based experience in the environmental and land-based industry Links to other packs This is one in a series of learning packs, each tackling an important aspect of health and safety in floristry. They are: Managing health and safety Risk assessment Accidents in floristry COSHH in floristry Manual handling in floristry Each pack contains several activities which ask you to think the topic through or to apply it to a business you know of. In some cases you may be able to work on these activities with other people in your group. Health and safety in floristry 2
Specific floristry hazards The first pack in this series, Managing health and safety, looked at health and safety in general terms. This pack is concerned with the process of risk assessment which is an important part of the management process. To start with we shall look at some of the main areas where hazards can arise: Working with transport and equipment Health risks Handling and lifting Slips, trips and falls Other hazards. Working with machinery and equipment Accidents connected with transport account for a fifth of fatal workplace accidents. This can be an issue in floristry, especially for people who drive or deliver flowers. Other tools and equipment can also be hazardous. There are hazards associated with using knives, scissors, hot glue guns, aerosol sprays, etc. For example, there is a risk of eye injuries from cutting wires. Activity Note down here some possible ways of reducing the risks associated with equipment. Check your answers with those at the end of the pack. Health and safety in floristry 3
The Provision and Use of Work Equipment Regulations 1998 (PUWER) cover equipment used for work such as motor vehicles, knives, scissors, etc. The regulations state that equipment must be: Suitable for its use and maintained in a safe condition Used by people who are trained and informed Fitted with protective devices, markings and warnings. HSE provides specific guidance which sets out standards for using equipment. Following the guidance will help you to comply with PUWER Health risks Health risks can arise from working with chemicals like sprays, solvents and pesticides. While the risks from some of these may be obvious, other risks are less so; for example, regular contact with some detergents can lead to skin disorders. Work in floristry can involve contact with poisonous plants and sap. There may be a risk of skin problems from continued contact with some plants, or infections such as tetanus if cuts are not covered. Pollens and dusts can lead to asthma, or other respiratory conditions. Harmful substances get into the body in three ways: by breathing them in; by swallowing them; and through skin contact. Activity Select two possible health risks. What steps could you take to reduce these risks? These issues are covered by the Control of Substances Hazardous to Health Regulations 2002 (COSHH). Floristry is also affected by the Control of Pesticides Regulations 1986 (as amended) and a very few substances such as Paraquat may be covered by the Poisons Act 1970. The COSHH Regulations require employers to undertake risk assessments, and to ensure that exposure to harmful substances is adequately controlled. See Pack 4: COSHH in floristry and arboriculture for more on this. Health and safety in floristry 4
Handling and lifting Some floristry work can involve lifting and handling. These activities may carry the risk of back injuries and similar problems. The Manual Handling Operations Regulations 1992 are designed to reduce these risks. Employers need to avoid hazardous manual handling activities where possible, to assess the risks from any hazardous manual handling that cannot be avoided, and to take action to reduce these risks. consider: When assessing risks you should The tasks people carry out do they involve excessive twisting, carrying, reaching, etc? The loads people handle are they heavy, bulky, difficult to grasp, etc? The environment people work in for example, slippery surfaces, cramped conditions, obstructions, etc. The capabilities of the person person doing the task. Steps to take to reduce the risks include eliminating unnecessary handling, splitting a load in half, storing heavy items lower down and taking breaks. The law also requires organisations to carry out training in safe lifting and handling techniques. See Pack 5: Manual handling in floristry and arboriculture for more on this. In addition, the Lifting Operations and Lifting Equipment Regulations 1998 (LOLER) are relevant. Slips, trips and falls Slips, trips and falls are a common cause of injury. Slippery floors or working on step-ladders are common causes. You need to: keep floors clean and dry clear up waste, spillages and clutter quickly eliminate the need to work at height or follow clear, safe procedures. Health and safety in floristry 5
Other hazards There is a specific set of risks associated with electricity, especially as florists use a lot of water. The Electricity at Work Regulations 1989 are important here. You need to: Make sure water cannot come into contact with electrical supplies or equipment Use plugs, cables, fuses etc. that are up to the job Use procedures for testing and maintaining electrical equipment Follow instructions for using electrical equipment. The Regulations require that regular checks or tests are carried out on portable electrical appliances commonly known as PAT testing. Other hazards include: Working on other people s premises. Some floristry work can involve working on other people s premises for instance, preparing a display. Other hazards may be present there. Violence to staff. Attempted theft or unhappy customers may lead to threatened or actual violence. Stress. Certain activities especially dealing with bereaved relatives for funeral flowers may be stressful. Health and safety in floristry 6
Controlling risks Central to managing health and safety is the need to identify hazards and implement control measures to eliminate or reduce possible risks. Indeed, the Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999 require every employer or self employed person to assess the risks to health and safety from their workplace and if they employ five or more staff to record the significant findings of the assessment. A risk assessment involves examining what could cause harm to people and then deciding whether you have taken enough precautions or should do more. In most situations the risks are well known and the necessary control measures easy to apply. The law does not expect you to eliminate all hazards or risks but to focus on the risks that really matter the ones with the potential to cause real harm. You can ignore trivial risks. When thinking about risk assessment: A hazard is anything with the potential to cause harm The risk is the chance that somebody could be harmed by the hazard, together with an indication of how serious the harm could be. To assess the risks in the workplace, follow the 5 steps below: Step 1: What are the hazards? The first step is to identify all the hazards the things that could cause harm. We have already discussed some of the hazards equipment, pesticides and so forth. Remember that some hazards are less obvious than others for example, dusts or chemicals may cause health problems later. Step 2: Who could be affected by them? The next step is to identify people who might be affected. This will obviously include staff, both full and part time. It will also include other people who may visit the premises such as suppliers. In floristry a key concern is the safety of customers who could be at risk when they visit a shop or while you work on their premises. Step 3: Assess the risks and decide on precautions Having spotted the hazards, you then have to decide what to do about them. The law requires that you have to do everything reasonably practicable to protect people from harm. Look at how the work is organised and the precautions or controls that are already in place. Then compare this to industry best practice or the benchmark standards set out in HSE guidance and other reputable sources. This should enable you to decide if more action is required. Health and safety in floristry 7
You should consider: How severe might the harm be? How likely it is that someone will be harmed? If there is a risk of someone being killed or severely injured this must be treated as a top priority. Can you get rid of the hazard altogether? If not, how can you control the risks so that harm is unlikely to occur? Deciding how to control risks involves judgment and knowledge of best practice. You need to devote your time and energy to the significant risks, and not worry about trivial matters. Keep reminding yourself of the potential costs, both in human and financial terms, of something going wrong. And bear in mind that good health and safety practice is good business practice. For example, if your equipment is well maintained it will be safer to work with and it is also less likely to break down when you need it. Step 4: Record the findings and implement them Staff must know and understand the significant findings of the assessment so it is important to present the information in an easy to understand way. You will need to consider the requirements of any people who have little or no English language skills or disabilities. Remember: Prioritise and tackle the most important things first. Put the results of the assessment into practice. Step 5: Review your assessment and update it if necessary Few workplaces remain the same forever, and sooner or later there will be new equipment, methods of work or operating procedures that involve new hazards or changes in the level of risk. The risk assessment will need to be updated to ensure that it is still relevant and up to date. It is sensible to review the assessment on a regular basis, and this will help you to check that standards are not falling and identify any further improvements you might make. Health and safety in floristry 8
Activity: Risk assessment This activity asks you to carry out the process of risk assessment based on the 5 steps described above. Use the table below to record the information under each of the headings. Think about one aspect of work in a florist s you know this could be preparing flowers or doing a display on someone else s premises. Begin by thinking about hazards associated with the activity and work your way through the table completing each section as you go. If you are not sure about the kinds of controls required, have a look at the HSE website or read the relevant HSE guidance. Step 1 Step 2 Step 3 Step 4 Step 5 What are the Who might be What control What further How will you hazards? harmed and measures are in action is put the how? place? necessary? assessment into action? Health and safety in floristry 9
Making it stick We have looked at how you can assess risks in floristry, and at some of the key aspects of the work where risks may be particularly great. What else do you need to do to make sure that floristry remains safe and healthy? You need a plan for seeing through the changes you identify by risk assessment. You need to be clear about who will do what, and when. Above all you need to make sure that everyone working in the shop is clear about what they should or shouldn t do, and have the necessary equipment and the training they need to work safely. Taking action based on the assessment is what really matters. Monitoring health and safety performance Finally, it is important to monitor and review health and safety performance. From time to time it makes sense to inspect the shop, checking that the control measures and improvements identified in the assessment are in place and working well. In simple terms, there are two basic types of monitoring: Active monitoring on a regular basis. This includes inspecting workplaces and equipment to make sure that control measures are effective and to identify any problems before something goes wrong. You could also observe work activities to make sure rules or procedures are being followed. You can also examine documents such as maintenance or training records to check that you are complying with standards and meeting training needs. Reactive monitoring after an accident, ill health or near miss has occurred. This requires both effective reporting and encouraging staff to notify their employer when such events have occurred. It enables you to identify any shortcomings or deficiencies and address these in order to prevent them happening again. Activity Imagine that you had been asked to inspect a florist s shop and carry out active monitoring. What questions would you want to ask about health and safety? Check your answers with those at the end of the pack. Health and safety in floristry 10
Answers to activities Activity on page 3 Some key steps you can take to control the risks include: When buying, hiring and using equipment, check it for safety. Make sure it is suitable for the work you intend to use it for. Many accidents result from using equipment for something it was not designed to do. Make sure you know which parts of tools and equipment may cause injury, and take steps to reduce the risk. All equipment and in particular delivery vans, etc. should be maintained in line with the manufacturers instructions. Never take risks if a problem occurs. Equipment should only be used by people who are fully trained to use it, and training should be a priority. Tools should be stored in a safe place when not in use. Machinery should be left in a safe condition when not in use. Activity on page 4 Key steps to take to reduce the risks include: Not using the hazardous/harmful product Substituting a safer alternative for the harmful product Organising work to reduce the risk; for example, using minimum amounts of pesticides Using equipment or systems of work to reduce exposure eg ventilation Using appropriate personal protective equipment (PPE) such as gloves for example, some detergents should not come into direct contact with the skin. Storing, using and disposing of hazardous chemicals carefully and in accordance with the label/ instructions. Providing information, instruction and training for staff: for example, training and supervising people in safe use of chemicals and plant handling Activity on page 9 Some points to bear in mind include: Protective measures should ideally follow the hierarchy (sequence) of control: Health and safety in floristry 11
Ideally, you should eliminate the risk altogether for example, removing the hazard, by using safer equipment, or by subcontracting work out. An alternative may be to substitute a safer method for example, using a less dangerous chemical. If this is not possible, you should combat risks at source for example, by using a machine guard. If some risk remains you should minimise it by designing safe systems of work. In the last resort, people should use protective clothing or equipment. It is important to weigh up the costs and benefits of each approach. Activity on page 10 A possible checklist might look like this: Have significant risks been assessed and recorded? Is it clear who is responsible for what? Do people understand and follow safe working methods? Are control measures eg guards for machinery in place? Is there a schedule/records for maintaining machinery and equipment, and is this followed? Have staff training needs been identified and has the training been done? Resources and further reading You will find a number of publications dealing with health and safety in the college library. You may also find the following HSE resources helpful: Five steps to risk assessment INDG163 (rev3) 2011 Simple guide to the Provision and Use of Work Equipment Regulations 1998 INDG291 2008 You can download copies from the HSE website at www.hse.gov.uk. Some publications are also available for purchase via the website or by post or telephone from HSE Books, PO Box 1999, Sudbury, Suffolk CO10 6FS Tel 01787 881165. Health and safety in floristry 12
Knowledge quiz 1 What are the 5 steps to risk assessment? 1 2 3 4 5 2 Risk assessment involves identifying hazards and assessing risks. What is the meaning of these words: a) Hazard b) Risk 3 List three different types of control measure: a) b) c) 4 When should a risk assessment be reviewed? 5 What is the difference between active and reactive monitoring? Health and safety in floristry 13
Acknowledgements This learning pack has been produced by the Land Based Colleges National Consortium Ltd. The LBCNC is a consortium of colleges working in the land-based sector which cooperate in the development and production of quality flexible learning materials which encourage independent learning. We would like to acknowledge the contributions made by the following individuals and colleges in the development of this learning pack. Initial source material and guidance Sandy Wilson, Sparsholt College Critical review and comment (original edition) Gerald Anderson, Easton College Paul Dickenson, Myerscough College Ian Sanday, Rodbaston College Adam Scotchmer, Hartbury College Sandy Wilson, Sparsholt College Toni Davis, Brooksby College Piloting and field testing (original edition) Thanks are also due to staff and students at the following colleges who piloted this learning pack and influenced the material through their feedback Bishop Burton College Brinsbury College Houghall College Further revisions (2009 edition) Alastair Mitchell, HSE Cover photograph: Steve Watson, Riseholme College Developed and produced for LBCNC by Learners First Revised in January 2013 2013 The Land Based Colleges National Consortium Ltd. All rights reserved. Permission to photocopy or adapt the material in this learning pack is granted to members of the Land Based Colleges National Consortium Ltd. only. For further information please contact the LBCNC project management team at 7 Tyne Road, Bishopston, Bristol BS7 8EE. Tel 0117 942 3504 Health and safety in floristry 14