Cardiff Council’s Health and Safety Enforcement Team is reminding people of the importance of safely maintaining potentially dangerous equipment in the workplace.
From October 25 to 29 it is European Health and Safety at Work Week and officers will be visiting businesses using ‘balers’ or ‘compactors’ in their operation and advising them on the safe approach to maintenance.
Balers and compactors compress materials including waste like card and paper for eventual recycling or disposal and are commonly used by large retail stores and hotels.
Maintenance is essential to prevent workplace risks, but it is itself a high risk activity for the workers that carry it out.
Equipment that is either poorly maintained or not maintained at all is a common cause of accidents in the UK. 25 to 30 per cent of manufacturing industry fatalities in Great Britain are related to maintenance activity.
Health and Safety Officers will commence a programme of visits to 20 businesses in Cardiff from Monday (October 25) and will discuss the arrangements businesses have in place to prevent risks to staff using this equipment.
This includes:
- the choice and suitability of equipment,
- location and accessibility
- lighting,
- servicing and training.
Councillor Ed Bridges, Chair of Cardiff Councils Public Protection Committee said:
“We are working together with local businesses in order to help keep staff safe from workplace hazards. Regular maintenance is essential to keep equipment, machines and the work environment safe and reliable. It helps to eliminate workplace hazards, accidents and long term health problems.”
For further details contact Cardiff Council’s Health & Safety Team Tel: 029 2087 1161 Email; health&[email protected] or visit the Health & Safety Executive website: www.hse.gov.uk.
