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.
Egress
Under the Safety, Health and Welfare at Work Act 2005 and the General Applications Regulations 2007 employer s are obliged, in so far as is reasonably practicable to design and provide safe means of access to and egress from workplaces. Emergency escape routes must be kept clear at all times and lead directly to a place of safety. It must be possible for employees to evacuate as quickly as possible. One of the most controversial provisions of the General Applications Regulations is the requirement that emergency exit doors must open outwards.
Emergency Duties
Under the Act employers must take into account the nature of the work and the size of the workplace when preparing or revising plans or procedures to be followed in the case of an emergency or serious or imminent danger. Employers must provide first aid, fire fighting and evacuations measures and arrange necessary contacts with emergency services and designate employees who are required to implement the plans and procedures. The employer must also ensure that designated employees have adequate training and use of equipment.
Electricity
Electrical equipment is defined as including any conductor, cable, machine, appliance; apparatus used or intended to be used for the generation and transformation of electrical energy. Employers have a duty to ensure electrical installations are designed and constructed to prevent danger. A circuit or socket outlet supplying portable equipment in which a current is at a voltage exceeding 125 volts but not 1000, should be protected by one or more current devices having a tripping current not exceeding 30 milliamperes.
