This unit is imported from the Employment NTO. Its original format is different from that developed for the Technical Communicator Standards. We have tailored the original format to make it appear similar, but we have not changed or omitted the content in any way that changes the requirements of the standards.

Commentary

Fundamental to this unit is an understanding of the terms "hazard" and "risk". They have been defined overleaf and it is VERY IMPORTANT that they are understood before undertaking the Unit.

This unit is for everyone at work - (whether paid, unpaid, full or part-time). The scope of the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974 covers "all persons" whether employers, employees, self-employed, contractors, etc. Amongst other things the Act seeks to secure the health, safety and welfare of people whilst they work and protect other people against risks to health or safety arising from the activity of people at work. This unit does not require the candidate to undertake a full risk assessment, it is about having an appreciation of significant risks in the workplace and knowing how to identify them and deal with them.

This unit covers the health and safety duties for everyone in the workplace. It describes the competences required to ensure that:

your own actions do not create any health and safety risks,
you do not ignore significant risks in your workplace, and
you take sensible action to put things right, including: reporting situations which pose a danger to people in the workplace and seeking advice

This is what you need to show:

In element 25.1 you need to show that you understand the health and safety requirements and policies in the workplace, and that you check your own working practices and work area for any risk of you or others being harmed. You should be able to identify the risk arising from any hazards you have identified and know which you can deal with safely yourself, and those which you must report to the "responsible person" for attention.

Element 25.2 requires you to show you have taken steps to reduce those health and safety risks with which you might come into contact during the course of your work. It covers carrying out tasks safely and in accordance with instructions and workplace requirements.

Key points regarding Health and Safety legislation and regulations

"Health and Safety At Work Act 1974"

The Health and Safety at Work Act 1974 is the main piece of legislation under which nearly all the other regulations are made. It is for this reason that
only this piece of legislation is specifically referred to in this Unit.

Employers have a legal duty under this Act to ensure, so far as is reasonably practicable, the health, safety and welfare at work of the people for whom
they are responsible and the people who may be affected by the work they do.

Under this Act it is also important to be aware that all people at work, not just employers, have a duty to take reasonable care to avoid harming themselves or others through the work they do.

Risks should be reduced "so far as is reasonably practicable". This term means the duty-holder (in most instances the employer) can balance the cost
against the degree of risk although obviously any Health and Safety Inspectors would expect that relevant good practice is followed.

According to the Act:

Employers must safeguard so far as is reasonably practicable, the health, safety and welfare at work of all the people who work for them and "other
persons". This applies in particular to the provision and maintenance of safe plant and systems of work, and covers all machinery, equipment and substances used.

People at work also have a duty under the Act to take reasonable care to avoid harm to themselves or to others by their working practices, and to co-operate with employers and others in meeting statutory requirements. The Act also requires employees not to interfere with or misuse anything provided to protect their health, safety or welfare in compliance with the Act.

Other Legislation

There is an array of health and safety regulations and codes of practice which affect people at work. There are regulations for those who, for example,
work with electricity, or work on construction projects, as well as regulations covering noise at work, manual handling, working with VDUs, or dealing with
substances hazardous to health, etc. The specific requirements for all or any of these can be obtained from HSE local offices.

As many of the regulations are only relevant to certain workplaces or working practices no specific reference has been made in the Knowledge Requirements to any of these regulations. The phrase "your responsibilities for health and safety as required by any specific legislation covering your job role" is intended to relate to those specific pieces of legislation important to your workplace and/or working practices which you should be able to find out about.

Assessment Guidance

Evidence Requirements

Evidence of performance and knowledge is required. You should satisfy the Assessor that you can consistently meet the Standards.

Evidence should be drawn from real working practices, and evidence must be provided across all the performance criteria in both elements. Your Assessor must see performance evidence for the number of range items, as specified in both elements, appropriate to your own workplace context.

Answers to questions and other forms of evidence may additionally be used to demonstrate an understanding of the essential knowledge required for the unit, and for the specific knowledge required for each element.

Assessor Guidance

In order to demonstrate competence the candidate must be able to show consistent competent performance.

In this unit evidence from performance is required and should be the primary source of evidence, but this will often be supported by questioning or other forms in order to gather evidence of the candidate's ability to perform competently across all the range items listed.

Key words and phrases which you might see used frequently within the health and safety for people at work units

The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) is the body appointed to support and enforce health and safety law. They have defined two important concepts as follows:

Hazard: "a hazard is something with potential to cause harm".
Risk: "a risk is the likelihood of the hazard's potential being realised". Almost anything may be a hazard, but may or may not become a risk. For example:
- A trailing electric cable from a piece of equipment is a hazard. If it is trailing across a passageway there is a high risk of someone tripping over it, but if it lies along a wall out of the way, the risk is much less.
- Toxic or flammable chemicals stored in a building are a hazard, and by their nature may present a high risk. However, if they are kept in a properly designed secure store, and handled by properly trained and equipped people, the risk is much less than if they are left about in a busy workshop for anyone to use - or misuse.
- A failed light bulb is a hazard. If it is just one bulb out of many in a room it presents very little risk, but if it is the only light on a stairwell, it is a very high risk. Changing the bulb may be a high risk, if it is high up, or if the power has been left on, or low risk if it is in a table lamp which has been unplugged.
- A box of heavy material is a hazard. It presents a higher risk to someone who lifts it manually than if a mechanical handling device is properly used.
Workplace: This word is used to describe the single or multiple areas in which you carry out your work.
Working practices: Any activities, procedures, use of materials or equipment and working techniques used in carrying out your job. In this unit it also covers any omissions in good working practice which may pose a threat to health and safety.
Workplace policies: This covers the documentation prepared by the employer on the procedures to be followed regarding health and safety matters. It could be the employer's safety policy statement, or general health and safety statements and written safety procedures covering aspects of the workplace that should be drawn to the employees' (and "other persons' ") attention.
Other persons: This phrase refers to everyone covered by the Health and Safety at Work Act including: visitors, members of the public, colleagues, contractors, clients, customers, patients, students, pupils.
Personal presentation: This includes, personal hygiene; use of personal protection equipment; clothing and accessories suitable to the particular workplace.
Responsible persons: The person or persons at work to whom you should report any health and safety issues or hazards. This could be a supervisor, line manager or your employer.

Element 25.1 - Identify the hazards and evaluate the risks in your workplace

You must be able to:

Name and locate correctly the persons responsible for health and safety in the workplace
Identify which workplace policies are relevant to your working practices
Identify those working practices in any part of your job role which could harm yourself or other persons
Identify those aspects of the workplace which could harm yourself or other persons
Evaluate which of the potentially harmful working practices and the potentially harmful aspects of the workplace are those with the highest risk to you or to others
Report those hazards which present a high risk to the persons responsible for health and safety in the workplace
Deal with hazards with low risks in accordance with workplace policies and legal requirements

You must be able to apply knowledge of:

Health and safety
- what are the responsibilities for health and safety in your job description
- who are the responsible persons to whom to report health and safety matters
- what are the agreed workplace policies relating to controlling risks to health and safety<
- what hazards may exist in your workplace
- why it is important to remain alert to the presence of hazards in the whole work place
- what are the particular health and safety risks which may be present in your own job role and the precautions you must take
- why it is important to deal with or promptly report risks
- what are your legal duties for health and safety in the workplace as required by the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974
- what are the requirements and guidance on the precautions
- what are your duties for health and safety as defined by any specific legislation covering your job role

Element 25.2 - Reduce the risks to health and safety in your workplace

You must be able to:

Carry out your working practices in accordance with legal requirements
Follow the most recent workplace policies for your job role
Rectify those health and safety risks within your capability and the scope of your job responsibilities
Pass on any suggestions for reducing risks to health and safety within your job role to the responsible persons
Ensure own personal conduct in the workplace does not endanger the health and safety of yourself or other persons
Follow the workplace policies and suppliers' or manufacturers' instructions for the safe use of equipment, materials and products
Report any differences between workplace policies and suppliers' or manufacturers' instructions as appropriate
Ensure your personal presentation at work ensures the health and safety of yourself and others, meets any legal duties, and is in accordance with workplace policies

You must be able to apply knowledge of:

Health and safety
- what are your legal duties for health and safety in the workplace as required by the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974
- what are the requirements and guidance on the precautions
- what are your duties for health and safety as defined by any specific legislation covering your job role
- what are the specific workplace policies covering your job role
- what are safe working practices for your own job role
- what hazards may exist in your workplace
- why it is important to remain alert to the presence of hazards in the whole work place
- what are the particular health and safety risks which may be present in your own job role and the precautions you must take
- why it is important to deal with or promptly report risks
- what is your scope and responsibility for rectifying risks
- what is the importance of personal conduct in maintaining the health and safety of yourself and others
- what are suppliers' and manufacturers' instructions for the safe use of equipment, materials and products
- what are workplace procedures for handling risks which you are unable to deal with
- what is the importance of personal presentation in maintaining health and safety in the workplace

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