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.
Dangerous Occurrences
The term dangerous occurrence was redefined in the Safety Health and Welfare at Work Act 2005 as meaning an occurrence arising from the collapse, overturning, failure, explosion, bursting electrical short circuit discharge or malfunction of any work equipment, the collapse or part collapse of any building or structure under construction or used as a place of work, the uncontrolled or accidental release, the escape or ignition of any substance, a fire involving any substance or any unintentional ignition or explosion of explosives.
It is a requirement under health and safety regulation to notify the Health and Safety Authority as soon as is practicable in writing of any dangerous occurrence but if death is involved the Authority must be notified by the quickest possible means i.e. telephone.
Display Screen Equipment
The General Application Regulations 2007 outline the requirements that must be adhered to in relation to Display Screen Equipment.
These regulations are applicable:
- If the employee has no choice but to use the VDU to carry out her/his work
- If the employee normally uses the VDU for continuous periods of more than one hour
- If the VDU is generally used by the employee on a daily basis
The Regulations provide for the exclusion of:
· drivers’ cabs or control cabs for vehicles or machinery
· computer systems on board a means of transport
· computer systems mainly intended for public use
· portable display screen equipment not in prolonged use at a workstation
· calculators, cash registers and any equipment having a small data or measurement display required for direct use of the equipment
· typewriters of traditional design, of the type known as “typewriter with window”.
