Risk assessment and safety statement

Every employer is required to carry out a risk assessment for the workplace which should identify any hazards present in the workplace, assess the risks arising from such hazards and identify the steps to be taken to deal with any risks.

The employer must also prepare a safety statement which is based on the risk assessment. The statement should also contain the details of people in the workforce who are responsible for safety issues. Employees should be given access to this statement and employers should review it on a regular basis.

Protective equipment and measures

The employer should tell employees about any risks that require the wearing of protective equipment. The employer should provide protective equipment (such as protective clothing, headgear, footwear, eyewear, gloves) together with training on how to use it, where necessary. An employee is under a duty to take reasonable care for his/her own safety and to use any protective equipment supplied. The protective equipment should be provided free of charge to employees if it is intended for use at the workplace only. Usually, employees should be provided with their own personal equipment.

The Regulations cover various means of communicating health and safety information. These include the use of illuminated signs, hand and acoustic signals, e.g. fire alarms, spoken communication and the marking of pipe work containing dangerous substances. These are in addition to traditional signboards such as prohibition and warning signs. Fire safety signs, i.e. signs for fire exits and fire-fighting equipment are also covered.

They require employers to provide specific safety signs whenever there is a risk that has not been avoided or controlled by other means, e.g. engineering controls and safe systems of work. Where a safety sign would not help to reduce that risk, or where the risk is not significant, there is no need to provide a sign. The regulations, where necessary, require the use of road traffic signs within workplaces to regulate road traffic and also require employers to maintain the safety signs which are provided by them, explain unfamiliar signs to their employees and tell them what they need to do when they see a safety sign.The Regulations apply to all places and activities where people are employed, but exclude signs and labels used in connection with the supply of substances, products and equipment or the transport of dangerous goods.

Pictograms

The regulations require all signs should use graphic symbols or pictographs to convey its message but it does not prohibit the use of supplementary text. It indicates the intrinsic features required and some are indicated below,

• The shape and colour’s of signboards are set out, in accordance with their specific object (signboards indicating a prohibition, a warning, a mandatory action, an escape route, an emergency or fire-fighting equipment).
• Pictograms must be as simple as possible and should contain only essential details.
• The pictograms used may be slightly different from or more detailed, provided that they convey the same meaning and that no difference or adaptation obscures the meaning.
• The dimensions and colorimetric and photometric features of signboards must be such that they can be easily seen and understood.

 

 

Заключение

Данное методическое пособие выполнено в соответствии с требованиями Федерального государственного образовательного стандарта и программы по дисциплине «Иностранный язык». Пособие разработано для студентов 3 курса всех специальностей и помогает в освоении профессиональных компетенций.

В пособии представлены знаки техники безопасности по категориям, разобраны часто встречающиеся риски при работе на производстве. Пособие содержит адаптированные тексты для дополнительного чтения. Отдельным пунктом выделены лексические упражнения, цель которых – помочь студентам освоить тематическую лексику, прежде чем приступать к изложению темы.

Пособие является частью учебно-методического комплекса «Иностранный язык». Оно может стать базой для создания контрольно-измерительных материалов по указанной дисциплине.