The Provision and Use of Work Equipment Regulations 1998 (PUWER) requires work equipment and plant to be maintained so it remais safe and the maintenance operation is carried out safely.
Maintenance of plant and equipment in an industrial factiory is carried out to prevent any problems from arising, to put faults right and to ensure any equipment is working effectively. Plant maintenance usually refers to the strategies, methods and practices used to keep an industrial factory running smoothly. Plant maintenance can include anything from regular checks of equipment to make sure they function properly to even making sure rubbish bins and toilets are cleaned properly. Mainenance may be part of a planned programme or may have to be carried out at short notice after a breakdown. It always involves non-routine activities and can expose those involved (and others) to a range of risks.
Plant Maintenance Labels
The primary aim of plant maintenance is to create a productive working environment that is also safe for workers and any visitors to the plant. A successful maintenance programme will make both plant and equipment more reliable. Fewer breakdwons will mean less dangerous contact with machinery is required, as well as providing better productivity and efficiency and consequently lowering costs.
Plant Maintenance and Electrical Tags
Label Source offers a variety of Plant Maintenance Signs, Labels and Tags, all of which can be used in the maintenance of industrial premises and the associated equipment, machinery, fittings, fixtures, instruments and tools. Our range of plant maintenance products alert users, machine operators and any service personell of rsisk or dangers associated with using the equipment in the plant. We also supply a range of maintenance labels that can be used to assist in the regular inspection and servicing of your machinery.
Electrical Maintenance Safety Signs
If you can't find the Plant Maintenance labels that you are looking for, or if you simply wish to discuss some of our plant maintenance products then call Label Source on 0800 3761 693 from the UK, or 0044 1443 842769 if you're calling from abroad.
Plant Maintenance Equipment Labels
As of late, the health and safety culture has come under fire from a number of angles due to some rather questionable 'health and safety' stories making the national press. Indeed, over the past few months the papers have been full of peculiar decisions by businesses which are reportedly due to health and safety - including Newcastle racecourse banning picnics due to visitors' chairs supposedly presenting a health and safety issue. Similarly, it was reported that factory workers in Plymouth were left in tears after their wedding rings were cut off due to health and safety.
To many, these decisions seem unfair, unjust and perhaps even a little bit silly. Many have spoken out about how our health and safety culture has 'gone mad' or is 'ruining childhood'. The truth is, however, that it isn't the health and safety culture which has run amok - rather, it is the businesses who are willing to use health and safety as an excuse for their decisions. The health and safety blame game has developed in such a way that the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) has developed a myth-busting panel who will independently challenge advice or decisions supposedly made in the name of health and safety they believe to be inaccurate or disproportionate.
Indeed, the HSE Myth Busters have spoken out about some ludicrous decisions made in the name of health and safety - including the Newcastle racecourse example we mentioned at the beginning of this blog - condemning these decisions, and stating that in fact these decisions have not been made in the name of health and safety.
As well as being damaging to the HSE's reputation, the health and safety blame game also presents us with a further problem with regards to health and safety itself. Blaming business decisions on health and safety is extremely damaging to health and safety as a whole; there are health and safety rules and legislations for any business and indeed almost any public place, and the rules are in place to save lives, protect safety and minimise any risk. It is vital that health and safety legislations are respected and followed - otherwise, we could be at risk of an increase in accidents and, potentially, fatalities.
Purchase your Safety Signs to make sure your place of work is complying with the health and safety legislations here.
COSHH stands for Control Of Substances Hazardous to Health. COSHH is a set of regulations that, since 2002, has governed the use of hazardous substances and chemicals in the UK.
The regulations were put into place so as to protect workers and other people from potentially dangerous substances. They state that employers must not expose their staff to such substances without first carrying out a risk assessment and taking steps to minimise the danger.
This can mean making changes that will make the substances themselves safer (e.g. using solids rather than liquids to prevent splashes and spills), but it also means identifying and labelling hazards so that everyone is aware of them.
This should be achieved through the use of COSHH-approved signs and tapes, which are specifically designed to effectively warn of substance-related dangers. These clearly marked and highly visible warning products can alert workers to a variety of hazards, including:
- Flammable goods
- Toxic substances
- Corrosives and irritants
- Biohazards
- Radioactive materials
COSHH signs should also be used to...
- ...remind workers of the appropriate precautions (e.g. keeping doors shut)
- ...advise the use of PPE
- ...warn of the presence of hazardous substances
- ...give additional information on the safe use of these substances
The COSHH regulations are designed to keep you, your employees, and everyone around you safe. Please visit the HSE website for further details, or select one of the links below to see our range of COSHH safety products.
Over the past year or so, it appears that the health and safety culture has been heavily scrutinised both in the press and by the public. Health and safety is being blamed for questionable decisions in the workplace left right and centre, which has called for the Health and Safety Executive to call for putting a stop on the health and safety blame game. We recently wrote a blog post about this titled 'Is Health and Safety Taking the Blame' discussing all these points, and since then it appears health and safety have come under fire yet again.
This time, the focus is around health and safety ruining childhood. In this piece in The Telegraph Judith Hackitt, head of the Health and Safety Executive called for children not to be wrapped in cotton wool, stating that they must be allowed to hurt themselves during play to avoid them becoming 'risk naive' in later life.
In another Telegraph piece, TV personality Bear Grylls has claimed that the health and safety culture is ruining childhood. He argues that children should be banned from playing computer games and should take more risks in the outdoors.
Indeed, both articles make good points about the digital world we live in. It's undeniable that spending too much time in front of a laptop of TV screens is detrimental to children - and we completely agree that there is such a wealth of experience and knowledge gained by playing outdoors and actually engaging face to face with your peers. Children should go out and play whilst still taking advantage of the incredible and educational technological developments we're fortunate enough to experience. They should be allowed to experience things first hand in the great outdoors...But is health and safety culture ruining childhood? We certainly don't think so.
On the contrary, in fact. The importance of health and safety legislations should be ingrained in our children from a young age. It's very important we don't turn children against the health and safety culture because it will be so dramatically important for them in life. Indeed, whether you work on a construction site or in an office - every business establishment has set health and safety legislations which are put in place to protect our lives, and indeed the lives of others.
It is far too often that we hear of tragic accidents in the workplace due to breaches of health and safety - either resulting in serious injury or at the worst case, death. Companies are being sued for thousands of pounds weekly due to not complying with health and safety - though we completely agree occasionally people will use health and safety as an excuse for a bad decision - it is vital that legislations are respected and followed.
We think that children should be allowed to be children and encouraged to grow and play outdoors, but they should be urged to respect the health and safety rules and legislations put in place to protect them. What do you think? We'd love to hear your views! Tweet us @LabelSourceUK to continue the discussion.
If you thought asbestos was a thing of the past, think again. Before the turn of the millennium, asbestos was used in all types of building for its insulative and fireproof properties, and while we now know how harmful it can be to human health, asbestos is still commonly found in homes, offices, schools, hospitals, and other buildings.
Here are some sobering facts from the Health and Safety Executive:
- 20 tradespeople die every week as a result of previous exposure to asbestos
- 5,000 workers are killed by asbestos-related diseases every year - fewer people are killed in road accidents each year
- Asbestos can be responsible for many life-threatening lung problems, including lung cancer, mesothelioma, asbestosis and pleural thickening
The HSE is currently running a #BewareAsbestos campaign to raise awareness of asbestos, the dangers associated with it, and the fact that it is still very common in the present day. Any building that was constructed before the year 2000 could potentially contain asbestos, and if it does, this poses a risk to everybody, especially any tradespeople (electricians, plumbers, contractors, etc.) who carry out work in the building.
Here at Label Source, we sell a wide range of asbestos warning signs that can be used to warn workers and the general public of asbestos problems on your premises. Here are some of the signs we can provide:
Click here to see the rest of Label Source's asbestos signs.
