Other Archives - Active Safety

OSH in small businesses

szbalazs — Thu, 13 Jun 2019 08:20:14 +0000

Your business has only a few, or none employees at all, because you are the only one in it?

Furthermore they don’t do hazardous work because they sit in the office, dealing with real estates, accounting or being a beautician, manicurist, etc…

THEN WHY SHOULD YOU DEAL WITH SAFETY?

Well, that’s a mistake… even a 1-person business must meet certain criterias, deal with certain things, and if that fails it can result in severe penalties during an inspection by authorities.

One of the most important of these is probably the chemical risk assessment that any business working with hazardous substances must do.

All right, but we are not a chemical plant, we don’t use hazardous substances…

Businesses use more hazardous substances than you would think. If you use chemicals for washing up (hypo, Domestos and others…) or hand sanitizer, which is usually inflammable, you work with hazardous substances, and in this case a chemical risk assessment must be done.

Preparing a chemical risk assessment is an occupational safety and health activity, so it must be carried out only by an OSH qualified person.

MATERIAL SAFETY DATA SHEET (MSDS)

Also part of this issue is the need to download the relevant MSDS from the manufacturer’s website. The safety data sheet contains the most important information on how to store and use the material, what protective equipment is needed during usage and what to do in the event of exposure (contact with hazardous substances, ingestion, etc…).

Of course, chemical risk assessment is just one of many things to do. If you have at least one employee in your business, you may want to read our blog about the basic occupational safety requirements. There are also specific requirements, depending on what the profile of the particular company is, since obviously there are other dangers for example in a carpentry plant and a tanning salon.

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Commissioning of machines

szbalazs — Tue, 11 Jun 2019 10:58:53 +0000

Work equipment may be operated solely in compliance with occupational safety and health regulations and standards. And if there are no relevant regulations or standards, at least the scientific and technical requirements must be kept.

The operating employer must order the operation of the dangerous facility, workplace, work equipment, technology in written form.
Act XCIII/1993 on Occupational Safety and Health 21. §

What is a dangerous work equipment?

Dangerous: a facility, work equipment, work process or technology having severe adverse effects on the health and physical integrity of the employees in the sake of appropriate protection.

Examples of dangerous work equipment include, but are not limited to:

Circular saws
Hand-fed surface planing machines for woodworking
Band-saws
Hand-fed tenoning machinery with several tool holders for woodworking
Manual chainsaw machinery for woodworking
Hand-fed vertical spindle moulding machinery for working with wood and similar materials
Presses and bending machines for metalworking
Injection or compression plastics-moulding machinery
For underground work
- on-track machines (OTMs), locomotives and brake-vans;
- hydraulic power-operated roof supports;
- built-in internal combustion engines
Jacks (lifts) mounted on vehicles
Machines for lifting persons, where there is a risk of falling from a height of more than 3 meters
Pyrotechnic product manufacturing machines
Power-driven cranes and trolleys
Power-driven forklifts
Electric hoists
Loaders
Agricultural and forestry tractors
Specific equipment for emptying and moving vehicles
On-site assembled power-driven cranes
Specific on-site assembled equipment for emptying and moving vehicles
Temporarily usable machines for lifting persons

and other work equipment as defined by the decree of the Minister for Employment and subject to authorized supervision.

WHAT IS The PRE-OPERATION SAFETY INSPECTION?

It is a safety process, when the operating company makes sure that the given facility, workplace, technology and work equipment meet the safety requirements so the operation can be ordered.
The prerequisite of the commissioning is the preliminary examination from safety point of view. The purpose of this examination is to determine whether the facility, workplace, work equipment, technology meets the material, personal, organizational and working environment conditions necessary for safe working.

The examination is considered to be an occupational safety and health activity, so it must be carried out by an OSH qualified person.

The pre-requisites and process of commissioning

The first step is to review the standard of the electrical equipment’s protection against physical contact (commonly known as shock protection measurement), which must be carried out at the installment of the new electrical equipment and / or new physical contact protection equipment before being put into operational use.

Then comes the equipment’s preliminary examination for safety, and during this you also have to examine the availability of:

statements of the constructors (designer, contractor)
measurement results proving that the equipment meets the conditions of the OSH requirements, declarations and certifications of conformity for work equipment
necessary official licences
instructions needed for the operation

If the documents listed above are available and the equipment is OK, the employer shall order in writing, to put the equipment into operation. After this, a safety review has to be carried out at least every 5 years, which is also an occupational safety and health activity, so it must be carried out by an OSH qualified person.

TASKS AFTER COMMISSIONING

Employees’ medical fitness shall be examined. Those who work with dangerous machinery must have valid occupational medical examination.
Employees must be given an safety induction, as the training shall be updated in the case of installing a new machine or technology
Risk assessment must be reviewed and updated

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Construction safety coordination

szbalazs — Sat, 01 Jun 2019 20:58:10 +0000

The
construction is one of the most dangerous areas in terms of occupational safety. Just think of the many dangers that workers face on a construction site. There is e.g. the risk of falling down, working in confined spaces, risk of electric shock, working with chemicals (including carcinogens), risk of cutting, injury, noises … not to talk about things like dangers of working in the wrong posture, and we could go a long way…

Because of the aboves, it is very important to pay particular attention to the safety of the employees on every construction site.

One of the most important things to do, is to employ a safety coordinator (also known as HSE coordinator or OSH coordinator) for both the design and construction phase. Always, for every construction. I mention this as one of the most important things, because a good safety coordinator also provides the right level of professional knowledge on the construction site and can provide useful information on OSH obligations and regulations.

The employment or hiring of the

Safety coordinator

…is a must according to the a common decree 4/2002. (II. 20.) of Ministry of Social and Family Affairs and Ministry of Health.

3. § (1) When preparing the construction design documentation, the designer must work with (employ or assign) a coordinator (…)

(2) The constructor employer must work with (employ or assign) a coordinator during the construction(…)

What are the tasks of the safety coordinator?

For the exact definition I put the legislative text here (can be opened and closed by clicking on the number of the decree below) … and let’s talk only about the construction, as usually the coordination of the designing phase is provided by a designer who is a qualified OSH professional as well.

Common decree 4/2002. (II. 20.) of Ministry of Social and Family Affairs and Ministry of Health 8. §

The tasks of the coordinator in relation to the construction work are:

a) coordination of fulfillment of the specified requirements in order to ensure that the employer and – if necessary for the benefit of the workers – self-employed persons fulfill what’s defined in Article 10 and the requirements laid down in the safety and health plan in accordance with Article 6 (2) (b);

b) where appropriate, making revisions in the safety and health plan and to the documentation specified in Article 7 (c), in order that they shall include, at all times, the requirements of healthy and safe working as the work progresses and circumstances change;

c) coordination between employers operating simultaneously and successively at the construction site, in accordance with the liability rules of Section 40 (2) of the Labor Code;

d) coordinating the control of work processes;

e) taking the necessary measures to ensure that only authorized persons have access to the construction site.

So, what does the OSH coordinator do in practise…

Mostly they check and if they find any deviation from the specifications, will suggest a correction.
I am often asked, what I am working on. I’m a safety coordinator. “Then you make sure everyone on the construction site has a helmet?” It is indeed a task to check the wearing of personal protective equipment (PPE), but this is only a small part of the job … there are also problems like, the documentation of the earthmoving machinery is incomplete, the fire extinguishers have expired, the on-site safety documentation (risk assessment, medical certificates, inspection papers of the electrical equipment, etc…) is incomplete, or even those working with hazardous substances do not know that its safety data sheet must be downloaded from the manufacturer’s website and the material must be used / stored accordingly. In addition, things must be checked, like the cover of the grinding machine and other machines has not been removed, the extension cables and other electrical cables are intact, the trenches are properly surrounded, the liftings are carried out safely and properly, and the conditions are appropriate for this (ropes not damaged, etc…), social rooms are provided properly (toilet, hand washing facilities, etc…). I could list a lot of things to check, but the point is, it matters a lot how experienced safety coordinator do you employ for a job, because a good coordinator goes out and catches immediately the things that need to be corrected. And this can also save a lot of money for a constructor, for example in the case of an inspection of authorities.

Coordinates with other company coordinators, project managers and anyone needed to work safely. I am not saying anything new, that in the case of a factory or power plant or any major project, employees of several companies are working at the same place at the same time. Many times they are physically crowded into a very small area. In this case, parallel work is a source of danger as well, just think about what happens when employees of one company are painting (thinner, paint, all flammable material), while the employees of the other company are grinding something and sparks are flying everywhere. Fortunately, there are plenty of solutions to such cases, but the prerequisite for all of them is to have an experienced, well-trained safety coordinator who thinks about these. Of course, this grinding case is just one of many examples.

Provides professional (occupational safety and health) information to the constructor in any case of question.

In addition to the aboves, the safety coordinator is often entrusted with other tasks. For example, many large companies give them the power to take action, e.g. in certain projects, the constructor’s safety coordinator has the power to give “penalty points” on subcontractors’ safety deficiencies, for which the constructor deducts penalties from subcontractors’ contractual price.

So to summarize…

Why do you need a safety coordinator on a construction site?

Because it is required by decree
Because they provide information on safe working conditions
Because they check and coordinate to ensure safe work
Because they provide information on current occupational safety and health legislation

While it is mandatory, what are the attributes of a good safety coordinator?

We think, she/he should be…

Experienced and practical
with appropriate lexical (professional, legal) knowledge
and with great communication skills

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Safety basics

szbalazs — Tue, 28 May 2019 13:30:23 +0000

What is occupational safety and health (OSH)? What is the risk assessment? Do I have to deal with these, at all? And if so, how seriously?

These are the questions business leaders wonder about, when they first time hear the phrase “occupational safety and health“.

LET’S START AT THE BEGINNING…

The purpose of OSH is to avoid and prevent accidents and health damage, which is supported by the development of safe working conditions and the basic knowledge of the OSH regulations.

Of course we will help you with learning of OSH rules and regulations.

IMPORTANT TO KNOW!!! … that the below article only contains an extract of the basic tasks, and does not cover all the OSH tasks, as a business shall meet diverse regulations during its operation. We do not mention here among others the handling of hazardous substances, safety coordination in the construction industry, etc…

1. Risk assessment

The employer must have a risk assessment in which the risks to the safety and health of employees are analysed. This must be done before starting the business. Risk assessment can only be carried out by an OSH professional.

You can learn more about risk assessment here.

2. Medical examinations

The employee must undergo a preliminary job aptitude examination before taking up employment. Thereafter, the examination shall be repeated with the frequency specified in the “medical examination regulations”. The procedures and results of these examinations shall be documented in written form by the employer.

3. Safety induction

Occupational safety and health induction shall be provided to employees when taking up employment and repeated annually, and shall be documented. Within the framework of theoretical education, the employee must get information on the regulations, standards and rules of conduct relating to safe and healthy working. The acquisition of general and occupational safety and health knowledge necessary to the workplace, role and function shall be ensured. The training shall also include the appropriate behavior in an emergency case or extraordinary working conditions.

You can learn more about the safety induction here.

4. OSH representative

An OSH representative must be elected at employers with more than 20 employees. The OSH representative represents the interests of employees and participates in consultations. They also cooperate with the employer to develop a safe and healthy working environment.

5. Personal protective equipment policy

Providing employees with personal protective equipment is the obligation and responsibility of the employer.

The personal protective equipment policy is defined by the employer in writing. Carrying out this task is qualified as professional occupational safety and health activity.

Act XCIII/1993 on Occupational Safety and Health 56. §

6. COMMISSIONING OF HAZARDOUS MACHINERY

You (as a Contractor or Managing Director) order the putting into operation of hazardous machinery, but prior to this the hazardous machinery must be subjected to a prior safety inspection.

This is, of course, an occupational safety and health professional activity.

The list of machinery classified as hazardous can be found in Decree 5/1993. (XII. 26.) of the Ministry of Labour, in Annexes 1/a and 1/b.

7. Mandatory employment of an OSH professional

Pursuant to decree 5/1993. (XII. 26.) of the Ministry of Labour, depending on the hazard class of your business and the number of employees you have, you must employ an occupational safety and health professional at least for the following working hours:

HAZARD CLASS I.

Between 1-9 employees, 1 OSH professional with secondary education in 2 hours a week
Between 10-49 employees, 1 OSH professional with secondary education in 2 hours a day
Between 50-500 employees, 1 OSH professional with secondary education in 4 hours a day
Between 501-1000 employees, 1 OSH professional with tertiary education in full time
Above 1000 employees, 1 OSH professional with tertiary education in full time and
after every 600 employees 1-1 OSH professional with secondary education in full time. (So for example, at 1001 employees you shall employ 1 OSH professional with secondary education and 1 with tertiary education)

HAZARD CLASS II.

Between 1-9 employees, 1 OSH professional with secondary education in 1 hour a week
Between 10-49 employees, 1 OSH professional with secondary education in 1 hour a day
Between 50-500 employees, 1 OSH professional with secondary education in 2 hours a day
Between 501-1000 employees, 1 OSH professional with secondary education in full time
Above 1000 employees, 1 OSH professional with tertiary education in full time and
after every 800 employees 1-1 OSH professional with secondary education in full time. (So for example, at 1001 employees you shall employ 1 OSH professional with secondary education and 1 with tertiary education)

HAZARD CLASS III.

Between 1-9 employees, 1 OSH professional with secondary education in 1 hour a week
Between 10-49 employees, 1 OSH professional with secondary education in 1 hour a day
Between 50-500 employees, 1 OSH professional with secondary education in 1 hour a day
Between 501-1000 employees, 1 OSH professional with secondary education 4 hours a day
Above 1000 employees, 1 OSH professional with tertiary education in full time

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Risk assessment

szbalazs — Thu, 18 Apr 2019 09:50:22 +0000

What even is the risk assessment?

Through risk assessment, we analyze the hazards your employees face in specific workflows and work environments, then determine what actions are needed to minimize the frequency and impact of these risks.

Based on the aboves, you might think, “Well, we’re just sitting in the office and nothing happens here.” Unfortunately, that’s not the case. Even when working in an office, there are a lot things to be aware of, in order to work in safe and healthy environment.

Does your business need risk assessment?

Every business with at least 1 employee must have a risk assessment. Even if that one person works only in part time.

How often shall the risk assessment be done?

Risk assessment shall be done before starting the business, and the completed assessment must be reviewed

at least every 3 years
or when a serious accident occurs
or working conditions change significantly (e.g. a new machine arrives, new technology is launched or the business starts to work on a new workplace)

Who can do risk assessment?

Risk assessment is an occupational safety and health profession activity, so it must be carried out by an OSH qualified person.

What can be the consequences of failing to carry out the risk assessment?

Occupational safety and health penalty: The amount of the penalty can range from 50,000 HUF to 10,000,000 HUF per site. In determining the amount of the penalty, the Authority does not take into consideration the financial position of the business, but the number of people at risk (e.g. the number of employees on a given site). The number of employees works as a multiplier, so if the fine would be 100,000 HUF and the given site would employ 10 people, then it would already be 1,000,000 HUF. Moreover, there is also a so-called cumulative multiplier, so 2 or more OSH insufficiencies together will be more expensive than they would be individually.

Compensation consequences: if an employee is involved in an accident, they may need to be compensated for material and non-material damage.

Criminal law consequences: Failure to carry out a risk assessment is considered to be a serious threat to the workplace, so if an accident occurs and the business does not have a risk assessment, it is a crime that can be punished by 1 to 8 years imprisonment depending on the severity of the accident.

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