Tag Archives: repair

General Safety Issues, Health Issues

What Are Landlords’ Gas Safety Obligations? (Guest Post)

Landlords have a duty of care to ensure the health and safety of their tenants, and should take reasonable steps to do so. One of the most important regulations landlords in the UK must adhere to is the Gas Safety (Installation and Use) Regulations 1998. These oblige landlords to ensure that every relevant gas fitting and flue is maintained safely in order to prevent their tenants suffering from illness or injury.

This involves conducting gas appliance services every 12 months and keeping a record of these checks for two years. The record should answer the following questions:

–          When was the appliance or flue checked?

–          What address did the check occur in?

–          What is the name and address of the landlord or agent that controls the property?

–          Where are the appliances located?Gas-safety

–          What kind of gas appliances are they?

–          Were any problems noticed?

–          Were any defects repaired?

–          Was the flue’s effectiveness checked?

–          Was the supply of combustion air examined?

–          Was the heat input or operating pressure examined?

–          Was the operation of the appliance checked?

–          Was the landlord or agent notified of any defects?

–          Who carried out the check?

–          What the Gas Safe Register registration number of the person who carried out the check?

This record should also be provided to the tenants of the premises, and when a new tenant moves into a property, they should be provided with a copy of the most recent record.

Landlords’ gas safety obligations are not solely confined to the rooms their tenants live in, but also any communal areas, such as hallways and walkways. Landlords must also not merely ensure their gas appliances are serviced, but are also responsible for any repairs and maintenance that their appliance may require. It is best practice to repair any defects as soon as possible – not only could delays cause harm to tenants, but tenants may even try to reclaim part of their rent through the small claims court if they do not feel that their landlord kept their property up to standard.

Gas appliances that are in parts of a building solely occupied for non-residential use do not come under the Gas Safety (Installation and Use) Regulations 1998, nor do any gas appliances tenants provide themselves. However, it is best to have any gas appliances owned by the landlord and any flues that are connected to tenant’s gas appliances checked annually; this may help landlords to meet any additional duties they have under the Health and Safety at Work etc Act 1974.

If a tenant’s central heating shuts down due to a boiler breakdown or disconnected by an engineer, landlords must provide their tenants with alternative emergency heating until the heating is back on. It is illegal to use gas appliances that have been deemed as unsafe or that are suspected of being hazardous; therefore, landlords must not encourage their tenants to use any appliances that have been classed as unsafe and should arrange repairs as quickly as possible. Landlords who have any doubts over an engineer’s advice should still adhere to their advice, but can contact the Gas Safe Register for further assistance in the interim.

Kevin Burke

Kevin Burke writes about health and safety on behalf of boiler breakdown cover specialists 247 Home Rescue.

Eye Protection, General Safety Issues, Hand Protection, Head Protection, Hearing Protection, Respiratory Safety

TOP FIVE TIPS FOR CREATING AN EFFECTIVE SAFETY PLAN FOR ONSITE EQUIPMENT OPERATION (GUEST POST)

Onsite equipment operation can put operators at high risk for injury, no matter their skill or experience level. In fact, it was reported by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics that in just one year, 8,450 amputations were performed due to occupational injuries caused by machine operation. To significantly reduce the risk of worker injury, it is imperative that employers make equipment operation as safe as possible on their job sites. While there is always risk for injury, there are certain measures you can take to eliminate a substantial amount of risk in your operations. To give you a better idea of how you can start developing a plan for safer equipment operation, we’ve provided the following five safety tips to help you get started!

  1. Safety equipment

Safety equipment is a vital component of any workplace, especially for onsite equipment operations. To increase the safety of your workers, facilitate and enforce the use protective clothing and gear. Goggles should always be supplied and used to protect your workers’ eyes. Depending on the type of equipment you operate on your site, you may want to use full face goggles. It is also imperative that your employees wear gloves and closed toe shoes. Hard hats are, of course, another important item to include in the safety gear you provide your workers with. You will also want to include ear protection, dust masks, safety signs, and first aid kits.

       2.  Training

Workers face fewer hazards when they have the proper training and information necessary to operate the machinery onsite. Employers need to provide employees with training, offer instruction manuals, and make certain that each employee can effectively operate their equipment before allowing them to work independently.

         3.  Driving and Operating

Before your employees operate any equipment, it is important that you make sure that it has been properly inspected and serviced. Training your employees to thoroughly check surroundings and confirm full clearance before moving or backing up will also prevent accidents. It is important that your employees know to never leave a machine on an inclined surface with the engine running and never allow additional riders on equipment that does not permit them.

       4.  Maintenance and Repair

When gear is under repair, place a sign saying “Under Repair” in the seat, remove the start key, or lock out controls. Remind your workers to stop engines during refueling and shut off equipment before making repairs. It will also be important to carefully inspect all used construction equipment before putting it to work to ensure that it has been properly maintained and is ready for safe operation.

         5.  Parking and Security

Remind your workers to always lower allocates and set the parking brake before dismounting the equipment. Be sure that they are securing the equipment when finished for the day, making sure it is clear of foot traffic. If it is not clear, they will need to mark it with glares or red lights and lock it up.

Your employees need proper training, safety evaluated work areas, proper safety equipment and effective operation procedures to operate industrial machinery and high-tech equipment. Safety is always the most important objective when operating heavy equipment. Now that you know how you can create a safety plan, it’s time to get to work! Start by developing policies, ordering necessary safety equipment, and updating your workers’ training as well as your machine maintenance. 

 

 

 

General Safety Issues, Health Issues, Protective Clothing, Respiratory Safety

NUMBER 8 – HIGHEST 2010 PENALTIES ASSESSED BY OSHA

Number 8 highest penalties assessed by OSHA for 2010 is: Lead, general industry (29 CFR 1910.1025).  Lead is an ingredient found in thousands of products widely used throughout industry, including paints, solder, electrical fittings, tank linings, plumbing fixtures and metal alloys.  Many homes have been painted with lead-containing paints.  Significant lead exposures can also occur when paint is removed from surfaces previously covered with lead-based paint.  OSHA’s regulations governing construction worker exposure to lead include the development and implementation of a worker protection program in accordance with Title 29 Code of Federal Regulations.  Some projects may have only limited exposure, while others involve more exposures, thus, companies must use engineering controls and work practices to reduce worker exposure. 

  •          Workers must be required to practice good personal hygiene practices, such as washing hands before eating and taking a shower before leaving the worksite. 
  •          They must be provided with protective clothing and when necessary, with respiratory protection.
  •          The permissible exposure limit (PEL) of 50 micrograms of lead per cubic meter of air, averaged over an 8-hour period.
  •          Employees exposed to high levels of lead must be required to enroll in a medical surveillance program. 

Hundreds of workers will be involved in cleaning up after the floods that are flowing through many states at this time.  Both workers and volunteers will be renovating and repairing, or tearing down and disposing of, damaged or destroyed structures and materials.  These types of operations many times generate dangerous airborne concentrations of lead, a metal that can cause damage to the nervous system, kidneys, blood forming organs, and reproductive system if inhaled or ingested in dangerous quantities.  All persons involved should take the proper precautions and wear protective clothing, and use respiratory products.  Other operations that may generate lead dust and fumes are:

  • Flame-torch cutting;
  • Welding;
  • Demolition of structures;
  • Abrasive blasting of steel structures;
  • Use of heat guns, sanders, scrapers, or grinders to remove lead paint. 

Although we have been discussing the penalties associated with work-related violations, I want to share this information from the Consumer Product Safety Commission, regarding other ways we are exposed to lead.  One out of every eleven children in the United States has dangerous levels of lead in their bloodstream. Even children who appear healthy can have dangerous levels of lead.  People can get lead in their body if they: put their hands or other objects covered with lead dust in their mouths, eat paint chips or soil that contain lead, or breathe in lead dust (especially during renovations that disturb painted surfaces).  Lead is even more dangerous to children than adults because children’s growing bodies absorb more lead and their brains and nervous systems are more sensitive to the damaging effects of lead.  If not detected early, children with high levels of lead in their bodies can suffer from: damage to the brain and nervous system, behavior and learning problems (such as hyperactivity), slowed growth, hearing problems and headaches.  This is just one of the reasons we need to be cautious about toys or play-jewelry that may contain lead.

Lead is also harmful to adults. Adults can suffer from difficulties during pregnancy and other reproductive problems (in both men and women). Other effects are high blood pressure, digestive problems, nerve disorders, memory and concentration problems, and muscle and joint pain. Lead can affect the body in many ways. 

On the job – as stated earlier, if you work with lead, you could bring it home on your hands or clothes. Shower and change clothes before coming home. Launder your clothes separately from the rest of your family’s.

  • Miscellaneous Sources – old painted toys and furniture.
  • Food and liquids stored in lead crystal or lead-glazed pottery or porcelain.
  • Lead smelters or other industries that release lead into the air.
  • Hobbies that use lead, such as making pottery or stained glass, or refinishing furniture.

So, let’s “get the lead out,” and get serious about the consequences of lead exposure.  Also, wish for this violation to  be excluded from next year’s list of highest penalties assessed by OSHA.

Sources: OSHA, CPSC