It’s simple, concise and easy to understand. Each month we represent a letter of the alphabet and associate a few words in health and safety requirements with that letter.
Fire
Under the General Applications Regulations 2007 fire detection and fire fighting measures have been brought into mainstream health and safety legislation. Employers must ensure workplaces are equipped with fire fighting equipment, fire detectors and alarms, and ensure these are inspected and maintained. Fire precautions include:
- The provision of means of escape in the event of a fire
- Escape routes shall be kept clear of obstruction
- Exit doors shall open easily
- Fire drill shall be carried out at regular intervals
- Exits are marked green.
First Aid
Part 7 of the General Applications Regulations on first aid apply to all places of work to which the Safety, Health and Welfare at Work Act, 2005 applies, and to employers and the self-employed alike. Different work activities involve different hazards and therefore different first aid provision is required. Some places of work (e.g. offices, libraries etc.) have relatively low hazards whereas others (e.g. factories and construction work etc.) often have a greater degree of hazard or specific hazard involved. Requirements for first aid provision at work will therefore depend on several factors including the size of the workplace, the numbers employed, the hazards arising, access to medical services, dispersal of employees, employees working away from their employer’s premises, workers in isolated locations etc. As a minimum every workplace should have an occupational first aid box or kit.
