Employers have their strongest assets in their employees. They have
a responsibility to provide a safe and healthy working environment. For an ideal workplace, safety takes the overriding priority-
it is safety even before commercial gain.
British Energy's Industrial safety records remains amongst the best
of the UK due to the safety of management arrangements. For nuclear safety the Nuclear
Installation Inspectorate assigns an inspector to each nuclear site for consent. In case the inspector finds it unsafe for
operation, the NII shuts down the site. (Norwich Union Risk Services, 2006)
Congenial workplace
To make the workplace par excellence, the employer must ensure that
apart from keeping it safe and secure, it also has to be kept in a clean and sanitary state, free from any condition that
may create a risk to a worker's health. The workplace should be properly ventilated and have good air quality. Air cleaning
systems should be designed to remove particulate and gaseous contaminants. Workers must be adequately supplied with good and
clean drinking water. An ideal workplace is one with proper toilets and wash basins. Toilets should be in separate facilities
for each sex, kept clean and in good working order; should be supplied with necessary things like toilet tissue, easily cleanable
containers for waste and covered disposal bins for feminine hygiene products in women's toilet. The toilets should be adequately
heated, illuminated and ventilated. (British Energy
Generation Ltd, 2005)
Safety measures
To ensure safety in the workplace, the work area should be arranged
to allow for safe movement of persons, equipments and materials. The employer should ensure that floors, platforms, walkways,
ramps and staircases used by workers are maintained in a state of good repair and kept free of slipping and tripping hazards.
Accidents at the workplace are frequent; serious injuries – to the skin, eyes etc. Accidents may occur when working
at heights. If working at heights is absolutely necessary, safe systems at work should be established.
Proper planning and organization
should take place and appropriate equipments should be chosen and used correctly. Employers should take action to prevent
their employees from developing diseases caused by exposure to vibrations at work from equipments, vehicles and machines.
Workers should be provided with personal protective equipments- appropriate for risk of injury to the skin or any part of
the body- protective headwear, footwear and respiratory protective equipments. Should an accident occur, it should be reported
immediately for instant action. The Royal Society for the prevention of Accidents presents awards for excellence in managing
health and safety at work. British Energy's comprehensive occupational Health Services lets out to ensure that the companies'
workforce is fit for duty in a healthy working environment. (British Energy Generation Ltd, 2005 )
Fire precaution
The workplace should always have an appropriate minimum standard of
fire precaution. The FPWR is there to ensure this. Some fire hazard identifications are:
1. Sources of ignition which
may cause fire
2. Combustible materials in
the workplace
3. Structural features which
could aid the spread of fire.
It would keep the workplace practically free from the fire scare if
proper precautions are taken. (Norwich Union Risk Services, 2006)
Other measures to maintain the workplace
Apart from safety and health there are other things which need attention
in the workplace. Employers must maintain records for a prescribed period. Should the employer cease to operate, he should
transfer the records to the successive employer.
Sickness absence and return to work is something that needs to be seen
to carefully. The Health Safety Executive (HSE) has published guidance providing advice for employers and managers on the
process of helping ill, injured or disabled employees on long term sick leave to return to a job as soon as possible. Some
of them are:
1. Understanding employee
role
2. Managing return to work
3. Recording sickness absence
4. Keeping in contact
The employer must ensure that regular inspection of workplace and work
process and procedures at the workplace are conducted to identify any risk to the safety or health of any worker. Materials,
equipments, machines and tools should be stored in a manner that does not create risk to the safety and health of workers
or affect the safe operation of the workplace.
British Energy is committed to every aspect of equal opportunities
and dignity at work. Human resource policies set standards of performance throughout the company covering equal opportunities
and diversity harassment and discrimination, industry specific safety issues; staff welfare training and development and continuing
program development. (Ggt.co.uk)
References:
Norwich Union Risk Services, "Regulations in the workplace”
Available from: www.nu-risksservices.co.uk,
British Energy Generation Ltd, "Regulations in the workplace”
Available from: www.britishenergy.co.uk,
Ggt.co.uk, "Regulations in the workplace”
Available from: www.ggt.co.uk
