July 21, 2021
1. Overview
The law says employers must make sure there’s an adequate supply of fresh air (ventilation) in enclosed areas of a workplace. This has not changed during the pandemic.
You should make sure there is as much fresh air as possible in any workspace. You can do this by using:
- natural ventilation Fresh air comes in through open windows, doors or air vents. This is also known as ‘passive airflow’
- mechanical ventilation Fans and ducts bring in fresh air from outside
- a combination of natural and mechanical ventilation. This could be where mechanical ventilation relies on natural ventilation to maximise fresh air
Ventilation isn’t the only way of making sure you’re working safely. You should also make sure workers are keeping the workplace clean and washing their hands frequently.
This guidance will apply in most workplaces. It will help you and your workers:
- identify poorly ventilated areas
- decide how to improve ventilation
- assess the risk from breathing in small particles of the virus (aerosol transmission) in enclosed areas
Why ventilation is important
Adequate ventilation reduces how much virus is in the air. It helps reduce the risk from aerosol transmission. Aerosol transmission can happen when someone breathes in small particles in the air (aerosols) after a person with the virus has been in the same enclosed area.
The risk from aerosols is greater in areas that are poorly ventilated.
Although ventilation reduces the risk from aerosols, it has minimal impact on:
- droplet transmission (where people are within 2 metres of each other)
- contact transmission (touching surfaces)
Assessing the risk of aerosol transmission
Adequate ventilation can look different depending on the workplace or setting.
You can reduce the risk of aerosol transmission by:
- making sure infected workers (or anyone with COVID-19 symptoms) do not come into the workplace
- providing adequate ventilation with fresh air
- limiting the number of people in an area
The following video provides basic advice on how ventilation can help reduce levels of COVID transmission in your workplace.
You can also find other videos at.
Deciding what adequate ventilation looks like in your workplace should be part of a risk assessment.
2. Identifying poorly ventilated areas and using CO2 monitors
The priority for your risk assessment is to identify areas of your workplace that are usually
occupied, and poorly ventilated.
You should prioritise these areas for improvement to reduce the risk of aerosol transmission.
There are some simple ways to identify poorly ventilated areas:
- Look for areas where people work and where there is no mechanical ventilation or natural ventilation such as open windows, doors, or vents
- Check that mechanical systems provide outdoor air, temperature control, or both. If a system only recirculates air and has no outdoor air supply, the area is likely to be poorly ventilated
- Identify areas that feel stuffy or smell bad
Using carbon dioxide (CO2) monitors
People exhale carbon dioxide (CO2) when they breathe out. If there is a build-up of CO2 in an area it can indicate that ventilation needs improving.
Although CO2 levels are not a direct measure of possible exposure to COVID-19, checking levels using a monitor can help you identify poorly ventilated areas.
Types of CO2 monitor to use
There are many different types of CO2 monitors available. The most appropriate portable devices to use in the workplace are non-dispersive infrared (NDIR) CO2 monitors.
How to use a CO2 monitor
CO2 levels vary within an indoor space. It’s best to place CO2 monitors at head height and away from windows, doors, or air supply openings.
Monitors should also be positioned at least 50cm away from people as their exhaled breath contains CO2. If your monitors are too close they may give a misleadingly high reading.
Measurements within a space can vary during the day due to changes in numbers of occupants, activities, or ventilation rates. Doors and windows being open or closed can also have an effect.
The amount of CO2 in the air is measured in parts per million (ppm). If your measurements in an occupied space seem very low (far below 400ppm) or very high (over 1500ppm), it’s possible your monitor is in the wrong location and you should move it to another location in the space to get a more accurate reading.
Instantaneous or ‘snapshot’ CO2 readings can be misleading, so you should take several measurements throughout the day frequently enough to represent changes in use of the room or space. Then calculate an average value for the occupied period.
You may need to repeat monitoring at different times of the year as outdoor temperatures change and this will affect worker behaviour relating to opening windows and doors when your space relies on natural ventilation.
Your readings will help you decide if a space is adequately ventilated.
How to get the most accurate readings
- Check your monitor is calibrated before making CO2 measurements. Follow the manufacturer’s instructions, including the appropriate warm-up time for the device to stabilise
- Know how to use your portable monitor correctly, including the time needed to provide a reading
- Take multiple measurements in occupied areas to identify a suitable sampling location to give a representative measurement for the space. In larger spaces it is likely that more than one sampling location will be required
- Take measurements at key times throughout the working day and for a minimum of one full working day to ensure your readings represent normal use and occupancy
- Record CO2 readings, number of occupants, the type of ventilation you’re using at the time and the date. These numbers will help you use the CO2 records to decide if an area is poorly ventilated
How the measurements can help you take action
CO2 measurements should be used as a broad guide to ventilation within a space rather than treating them as ‘safe thresholds.
Outdoor levels are around 400ppm and indoors a consistent CO2 value less than 800ppm is likely to indicate that a space is well ventilated.
An average of 1500ppm CO2 concentration over the occupied period in a space is an indicator of poor ventilation. You should take action to improve ventilation where CO2 readings are consistently higher than 1500ppm.
However, where there is continuous talking or singing, or high levels of physical activity (such as dancing, playing sport or exercising), providing ventilation sufficient to keep CO2 levels below 800ppm is recommended.
Where CO2 monitors will be less effective
CO2 monitors are not suitable for use in areas that rely on air cleaning units because these remove contaminants (such as coronavirus) from the air but do not remove CO2.
In large, open spaces and spaces with higher ceilings, such as food production halls or warehouses, you can’t be sure the air is fully mixed and CO2 monitors may be less representative.
Monitors are of limited use in less populated areas. These include fitting rooms or large offices with one or two occupants.
The Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies (SAGE) published a paper on the use of CO2 monitoring. The table below gives examples of spaces where monitors may be useful.
Although this table gives some examples, every space is different, and you need to consider whether a CO2 monitor will be appropriate for you.
Suitability of CO2 monitoring in different types of space
| Characteristics of space |
Examples |
Suitability of CO2 monitor |
Small spaces up to 50 square metres floor area.
Occupied by a consistent number of people for more than an hour |
Small offices and meeting rooms |
Can be used, but results should be treated carefully as concentrations can be affected by the differences between individual breathing rates. |
Small spaces up to 50 square metres.
Occupancy varies over short periods |
Changing rooms and small retail premises |
Unlikely to give reliable measurements |
Mid-sized spaces of 50-320 square metres.
Occupied by a consistent number of people for more than an hour |
Larger office and meeting rooms, classrooms, restaurants/bars, and some indoor sports (low aerobic activity) |
Often well suited to monitoring as the higher number of occupants provides more reliable values |
Mid-sized spaces of 50-320 square metres.
Occupancy varies over short periods |
Larger office and meeting rooms, classrooms, restaurants/bars, and some indoor sports (low aerobic activity) |
Often well suited to monitoring as the higher numbers of occupants provides more reliable values |
Mid-sized spaces of 50-320 square metres.
Occupancy varies over short periods |
Some retail spaces |
Can be used, but results should be treated carefully as concentrations may be affected by variations in occupancy levels |
Large spaces over 320 square metres.
Occupied by a consistent number of people for a longer period of time |
Indoor concert venues, large places of worship and airport concourses |
Can be appropriate for monitoring in occupied areas, but might require multiple sensors to provide meaningful measurements |
Large spaces over 320 square metres.
Occupancy varies over short periods |
Rail concourses and shopping malls |
Unlikely to give reliable measurements |
3. Assessment of fresh air (ventilation) in the workplace
There are a number of factors to consider when deciding on the ventilation needed in your work areas.
Consider the following questions to help you build up a picture of the risk and decide if you need to take action to reduce it.
How do you provide fresh air (ventilation) to your workplace?
Adequate ventilation reduces how much virus is in the air and therefore reduces the risk from aerosol transmission for workers in that area.
You should maximise the fresh air in an area and this can be done by:
- natural ventilation which relies on passive air flow through windows, doors and vents that can be fully or partially opened
- mechanical ventilation using fans and ducts to bring in fresh air from outside, or
- a combination of natural and mechanical ventilation, eg where mechanical ventilation relies on natural ventilation to maximise fresh air
Your workplace may have different means of providing ventilation for different areas. It may be helpful when doing your assessment to make a list of areas in your workplace and how they are ventilated. Floor or design plans may help with this.
Alternatively, you could walk around the building and make a note of each area and how it is ventilated.
Remember to include changing rooms and areas used for breaks, such as canteens. If you are not able to easily tell how an area is ventilated, it may be because it is poorly ventilated.
How many people use or occupy the area?
The more people who use or occupy an area the greater the risk that an infected person is there, increasing possible exposure to aerosol transmission. Reducing the number of people who use or occupy an area reduces this risk.
This risk increases if an area is poorly ventilated and occupied by more than one person.
Consider how many people use or occupy an area at any one time. Is there a set number of people each day or do numbers fluctuate?
How much time do people spend in the area?
The longer people use or occupy an area, the greater the risk. Consider how many people use or occupy an area for a sustained period (for example a full shift), and how many come and go throughout the day. Can you reduce this in any way?
How large is the area?
The larger the area, the lower the risk. This is because larger areas:
- have more air to help dilute the virus
- tend to be designed with higher ventilation rates
- mean it takes longer for aerosols to build up
What tasks or activities take place in the area?
Activities that make you breathe deeper, for example physical exertion or shouting, will increase generation of aerosols and increase the risk of transmission.
These activities increase transmission risk even in areas with adequate ventilation. If possible, avoid or redesign these activities to reduce the risk, for example moving activities outside or working alone where possible.
Are there any features in the workplace that affect ventilation?
You may have large machinery, equipment or other features that would prevent air circulating. This could create stagnant parts of the area so consider how to improve the flow of air in that area.
Do you use desk or ceiling fans?
Desk or ceiling fans should not be used in poorly ventilated areas.
Does your workplace use local exhaust ventilation?
Your business may use local exhaust ventilation (LEV) to control risks from other workplace hazards such as dust or welding fumes. If these discharge the air outside, they will increase ventilation in the area.
Is there a complex ventilation system?
Workplaces that may have complex ventilation systems include:
- some old buildings
- buildings with multiple floors and rooms, with different ventilation systems
- systems designed for product manufacturing reasons, which may include additional recirculation
If your workplace has a complex ventilation system, there is guidance from the Chartered Institution of Building Services Engineers (CIBSE), or you may need to get a ventilation engineer to provide expert advice on what system you need to reduce any potential transmission risks.
How will you tell your employees about the outcome of your assessment?
You should tell your workers about the outcome of the risk assessment. This will help them understand how they can play their part to reduce the risk of spreading coronavirus.
4. How to improve natural ventilation
You can improve natural ventilation by fully or partially opening windows, air vents and doors. Don’t prop fire doors open.
Buildings are designed to provide an adequate amount of ventilation and, where this is through windows and air vents, you should be able to open them. If they cannot be opened, the ventilation in that area will be affected.
If you identify an area that requires improvement, you should decide if that area should continue to be used until improvements are made.
It is important not to close windows or doors completely when people are using or occupying a naturally ventilated area. This can result in very low levels of ventilation.
Lower temperatures and windy weather conditions in the winter months will increase natural ventilation through openings. This means you don’t need to open windows and doors as wide. Look to see if trickle vents can be opened. There is more advice on balancing ventilation with keeping warm.
Purging (airing rooms)
Airing rooms as frequently as you can improves ventilation. Open all the doors and windows fully to maximise the ventilation in a room. It may be better to do this when the room is unoccupied.
Talking to your workers about improving ventilation
Making sure an area has enough fresh air through natural ventilation relies on people doing what is expected of them. You should explain the reason for adequate ventilation to workers so they can play their part in reducing the risk.
5. How to improve mechanical ventilation (including air conditioning)
Mechanical ventilation brings fresh air from outside into a building.
You should speak to the people who manage the day-to-day operations of your workplace ventilation systems to:
- understand how they operate
- make sure they’re supplying fresh air into an area and how much
- make sure they’re maintained in line with manufacturers’ instructions
You shouldn’t lower mechanical ventilation rates if the number of people reduces in an area temporarily.
You should base ventilation rates on the maximum ‘normal’ occupancy of an area.
Maximising fresh air
These systems will provide adequate ventilation if they are set to maximise fresh air and minimise recirculation.
If your system draws in fresh air, it can continue to operate. You need to know how much fresh air it draws in and if this provides adequate ventilation. You may need to increase the rate or supplement with natural ventilation (opening doors, windows and air vents) where possible.
You can also consider extending the operating times of mechanical ventilation systems to before and after people use work areas.
Recirculating air
It is preferable not to recirculate air from one space to another.
Recirculation units for heating and cooling that do not draw in a supply of fresh air can remain in operation provided there is a supply of outdoor air, for example windows and doors left open.
Recirculation units (including air conditioning) can mask poor ventilation as they only make an area feel more comfortable.
Find out more
More information about different ventilation systems is provided by the Chartered Institution of Building Services Engineers (CIBSE).
6. Balancing ventilation with keeping warm
Providing adequate ventilation does not mean you have to make your workplace feel cold.
There are simple steps you can take to make sure your workplace is adequately ventilated without being too cold:
- opening windows and doors partially can still provide acceptable ventilation while keeping the workplace comfortable. Opening higher-level windows will probably create fewer draughts.
- if the area is cold you could relax dress codes so people can wear extra layers and warmer clothing
- you can only use fan convector heaters if the area is well ventilated
In this sway natural ventilation can be used alongside heating systems to maintain a reasonable temperature in the workplace.
7. Air cleaning and filtration units
You can use local air cleaning and filtration units to reduce airborne transmission of aerosols where it is not possible to maintain adequate ventilation.
These units are not a substitute for ventilation. You should prioritise any areas identified as poorly ventilated for improvement in other ways before you think about using an air cleaning device.
If you decide to use an air cleaning unit, the most suitable types to use are:
- high-efficiency filters
- ultraviolet-based devices.
Any unit should be appropriate for the size of the area they’re used in to ensure they work in the way they are intended to.
Carbon dioxide (CO2) detectors are not suitable for use in areas that rely on air cleaning units. This is because filtration units remove contaminants (such as coronavirus) from the air but do not remove CO2.
Air cleaning devices are also used to disinfect workplaces and there is HSE guidance on disinfecting using fog, mist and other systems during the pandemic.
8. Ventilation in vehicles
Make sure workers switch on ventilation systems while they’re using work vehicles. They should be set to draw in fresh air and not to recirculate it.
Encourage your employees to keep vehicle windows open. If it’s cold they can leave the heating on to keep the vehicle comfortable.
If it’s safe to do so, opening doors of vehicles between different passengers will help to change air quickly. Opening vehicle windows fully for a few minutes can also help clear the air before anyone else gets in.
May 12, 2021
1. Overview
An important part of occupational health is how work and the work environment can impact on workers’ health. As an employer, you must make sure workers’ health is not impacted by their work.
Health surveillance is a scheme of repeated health checks which are used to identify ill health caused by work. Health and safety law requires health surveillance when your workers remain exposed to health risks after you have put controls in place. Health risks which require health surveillance include noise, vibration and substances hazardous to health.
Health surveillance schemes should usually be set up with input from a competent occupational health professional.
The law requires that health surveillance includes medical surveillance for certain hazards such as asbestos, lead, and ionising radiation.
Where medical surveillance is required, you must use a competent occupational health doctor appointed by HSE, called an appointed doctor. The one exception is for some lower risk asbestos work.
Health surveillance is not the same as health monitoring, health promotion or health screening. It:
- should only be used for workers who need it
- provides feedback about actions you may need to take to prevent further harm and protect workers
- allows workers to raise concerns about how work affects their health
- provides the opportunity to reinforce workers’ training and education
2. Manage the risk
Your risk assessment will help you decide if you need health surveillance. You should:
- look around your workplace and decide what may harm your worker’s health
- decide if you are taking reasonable steps to reduce risk and prevent harm
- think about reasonably practicable improvements you can make or controls you can put in place to reduce risk
Your findings from health surveillance must contribute to your risk assessment and implementation of effective controls. Health surveillance can detect ill health effects early and show whether you need to review and revise your risk assessment and control measures. Control measures may not always be reliable, despite checking and maintenance.
Other issues that can indicate whether health surveillance might be appropriate include:
- previous cases of work-related ill health in your workplace
- reliance on personal protective equipment as an exposure control measure – experience shows its use isn’t always managed properly
- evidence of ill health in jobs in your industry
- information from insurance claims, manufacturer’s data and industry guidance
3. Consult workers about health surveillance
You must consult your workers and their representatives. Health surveillance only works with their co-operation. Consultation can help increase worker’s commitment to health surveillance and compliance with control measures.
Ask workers what they think the health hazards are in your workplace. They can:
- help you identify workplace risks
- make sure your controls are practical
Make sure workers understand:
- the systems you have put in place to control identified risks and your health surveillance scheme
- why health surveillance is important and what it is for
- what will happen if ill health is identified
- they can attend health surveillance appointments during work time, and you as the employer must pay for the surveillance
- their own duties in law (for example they must attend appointments)
- what action you may take if they refuse to attend appointments
4. Understand your business needs
Health surveillance
As an employer, you should have an ongoing health surveillance scheme if:
- an identifiable disease or health effect may be linked to the exposure at work
- it is likely that the disease or health effect may occur under the particular conditions of the work
- there are valid techniques for detecting signs of the disease or effect
- the technique is low risk to workers
Valid techniques are those that are precise enough to detect something wrong that could be caused by exposure to a health risk; and which are safe and practicable to conduct.
Health surveillance is a legal requirement in specific circumstances when there is still some residual risk to worker’s health despite the control measures you may have put in place, and they are likely to be exposed to:
Health surveillance is used to identify occupational diseases, such as:
Medical surveillance
As defined in certain regulations, you must use medical surveillance where there could be exposure to certain high hazard substances or agents. A doctor appointed by HSE must do the medical surveillance, except for some lower risk asbestos work.
This includes work with:
5. Setting up a health surveillance scheme
As an employer, you should put an ongoing health surveillance scheme in place where your risk assessment shows it is necessary. When setting this up, you should:
- consider all the health hazards for which health surveillance may be required
- know which workers could be exposed to each health hazard and ensure they receive the appropriate range of health surveillance
You may also need to:
- take advice from an occupational health professional
- identify who will lead and manage your health surveillance scheme
- agree roles, responsibilities and communication arrangements
- consider the practical details of performing health surveillance, for example shift workers and remote workers
6. Act on the results of health surveillance
When your health surveillance is concluded, you must get feedback from the occupational health professional who carried it out. Until you have received this feedback your health surveillance is not complete.
Feedback should include advice on fitness for task with the relevant exposure(s) and when further health surveillance is required for each worker undergoing health surveillance. You should enter this information into the individual health records that you must keep.
You must act on the results to protect workers where health surveillance shows they have work-related ill health. If further investigation is required, this should be done in a timely manner in discussion with the occupational health professional.
For example, if an occupational health professional advises you that a worker is not fit for a task, consider assigning the worker to alternative work where there is either restricted or no risk from further exposure.
You must also review your risk assessment and control measures to prevent other workers developing work-related ill health.
Where possible, review your feedback from health surveillance for groups of similarly exposed workers, or those involved in similar tasks. This can help provide a clearer view of how effective your controls are for each source of health risk. When doing this, groups of workers should be big enough to protect individual worker’s anonymity and prevent disclosure of confidential medical information.
7. Record keeping
There are different records employers must maintain as a result of undertaking health surveillance; health records and medical records. It is important to understand the difference.
Health records
A health record is a legal record of the outcome of health surveillance. Employers must keep them for all workers under health surveillance. They must be kept for at least the period specified in the relevant regulations, for example 40 years under the Control of Substances Hazardous to Health Regulations (COSHH). Where regulations do not specify how long they should be kept for, the health record should be kept at least while you employ the worker.
Health records must contain information about the worker’s details, where they work, the hazards they have been exposed to and their fitness to continue to be exposed to those hazards. They should not contain confidential medical information unless you have the worker’s written consent.
It is good practice to offer workers a copy of their health record when they leave your employment or if you cease trading.
Medical records
Medical records must be kept in medical confidence by the occupational health professional responsible for the health surveillance scheme. They may include confidential clinical notes, test results and more general information about workers’ health.
You can only access medical records with the written consent of the worker.
If you change your occupational health provider, you should ensure that medical records (paper and electronic) are transferred to your new provider.
8. Health monitoring, biological monitoring and biological effect monitoring
Health monitoring
Monitoring the health of workers where the effects from an activity or exposure at work are suspected of causing ill health effects, but the association has yet to be fully established. This would follow the same principles as health surveillance but is not a legal requirement. Where relevant refer to industry guidance. You should consult with your occupational health professional for advice on the approach to implement in your workplace.
Biological monitoring and biological effect monitoring
Biological monitoring (PDF) is the measurement of a chemical or its breakdown products in a biological sample (usually urine or blood) to indicate how much chemical has entered the body by all routes of exposure. For example, measurement of lead in blood of workers exposed to lead dust.
Biological effect monitoring is the measurement of biological effects resulting from absorption of chemicals. For example, measurement of protein in urine of workers exposed to cadmium to check their kidney function.
Biological monitoring and biological effect monitoring can play a role in exposure assessment and health surveillance, helping you evaluate your control measures and manage risks to workers’ health. In setting up a biological monitoring programme, you should seek advice from an occupational health professional, and you may need to involve an occupational health physician.
August 19, 2020
As an employer, you have the same health and safety responsibilities for home workers as for any other workers.
When someone is working from home, permanently or temporarily, as an employer you should consider:
- How will you keep in touch with them?
- What work activity will they be doing (and for how long)?
- Can it be done safely?
- Do you need to put control measures in place to protect them?
Lone working without supervision
There will always be greater risks for lone workers with no direct supervision or anyone to help them if things go wrong.
Keep in touch with lone workers, including those working from home, and ensure regular contact to make sure they are healthy and safe.
If contact is poor, workers may feel disconnected, isolated or abandoned. This can affect stress levels and mental health.
Stress and mental health
Home working can cause work-related stress and affect people’s mental health.
Being away from managers and colleagues could make it difficult to get proper support.
Keep in touch
Put procedures in place so you can keep in direct contact with home workers so you can recognise signs of stress as early as possible.
It is also important to have an emergency point of contact and to share this so people know how to get help if they need it.
Working with display screen equipment
For those people who are working at home on a long-term basis, the risks associated with using display screen equipment (DSE) must be controlled. This includes them doing workstation assessments at home. There is no increased risk from DSE work for those working at home temporarily. So in that situation employers do not need to ask them to carry out home workstation assessments. During any period of temporary home working, employers need to regularly discuss these arrangements with their employees. If such work is adversely affecting the health, safety and welfare of their employees, they should take appropriate steps.
However, employers should provide workers with advice on completing their own basic assessment at home. This practical workstation checklist (PDF) – Portable Document Format (PDF)– Portable Document Format may help them. There are some simple steps people can take to reduce the risks from display screen work:
- breaking up long spells of DSE work with rest breaks (at least 5 minutes every hour) or changes in activity
- avoiding awkward, static postures by regularly changing position
- getting up and moving or doing stretching exercises
- avoiding eye fatigue by changing focus or blinking from time to time
Signs of stress
If employees start acting differently, it can be a sign they are stressed. Managers should look out for signs of stress in teams and employees, listed below. Think about whether the stress could be linked to work pressure.
Acting early can reduce the impact of pressure and make it easier to reduce or remove the causes. If managers are worried that an employee is showing some of these signs, they should encourage them to see their GP. These signs can be symptoms of other conditions. If there is something wrong at work, and this has caused the problem, managers should take action.
Signs of stress in teams
There may be signs of stress in a team, like:
- arguments
- higher staff turnover
- more reports of stress
- more sickness absence
- decreased performance
- more complaints and grievances
Employers must assess the risks of work-related stress in their workplace and take action to protect employees.
Signs of stress in an employee
A change in the way someone acts can be a sign of stress, for example they may:
- take more time off
- arrive for work later
- be more twitchy or nervous
A change in the way someone thinks or feels can also be a sign of stress, for example:
- mood swings
- being withdrawn
- loss of motivation, commitment and confidence
- increased emotional reactions – being more tearful, sensitive or aggressive
Employees can help look after their own stress levels at work – if you think you have a problem talk to your manager, a colleague or your GP.
March 10, 2020
For daily global updates on the coronavirus, please visit the World Health Organization’s website. UK-specific updates are available on the Government website.
What is coronavirus?
COVID-19 is an illness that can affect the lungs and airways. It’s caused by a virus called coronavirus. In January 2020 the World Health Organization (WHO) declared coronavirus a global health emergency. Respiratory symptoms, fever, cough, shortness of breath and breathing difficulties.
Whilst the UK Chief Medical Officers have raised the risk to the public to moderate, the risk of catching COVID-19 depends on where you live or where you have travelled recently.
Preventative measures
Employers have a vital role to play in preventing the spread of this disease by taking sensible action to prevent the spread of COVID-19 such as ensuring that workers have access to appropriate hygiene facilities such hot water, soap and bins to get rid of used tissues.
The risk of catching it within the workplace is low, although an increasing number of employers are encouraging their employees to work from home in order to help to prevent further spread of the virus.
Workers are advised to maintain good hygiene standards around the workplace by following the latest advice from the World Health Organisation’s (WHO) website which includes the following basic protective measures:
- Wash your hands frequently with alcohol-based hand wash or wash with soap and water for at least 20 seconds
- Maintain social distancing- maintain at least 1 meter (3 feet distance) between yourself and anyone who is coughing or sneezing
- Avoid touching eyes, mouth and nose
- Practice respiratory hygiene – Using the nearest waste receptacle to dispose of the tissue after use
- Stay informed and follow the advice given by health care providers
In the UK, the National Health Service (NHS) has advised that most people can continue to go to work, school and other public places, and that self-isolation is only to be undertaken if the individual is advised to do so by the 111 online coronavirus service or a medical professional. Read the full NHS advice here.
Emergency planning advice:
IOSH advises that businesses follow good practice in emergency planning, preparedness and response. This can be achieved by adopting the following steps:
- Develop a response plan for if someone in the workplace becomes ill with suspected COVID-19. This should include the immediate response e.g. isolate the individual and contact the local health authority
- Plan to identify persons who may be at risk without stigma or discrimination
- Explore ways of remote working (teleworking) that will allow workers to continue their work from home
- Develop a business continuity plan for an outbreak, which covers:
- How your organisation will continue to function if workers, contractors and suppliers cannot come to your place of business
- Visitors and vendors who have access to the building
- Communicate to workers and contractors about the plan and their role in it
- Ensure the plan addresses mental health and social consequences of a case of COVID-19 in the workplace
For further information on emergency planning read the World Health Organization (WHO) document Getting your workplace ready for COVID-19 or UK Government Guidance Preparing for emergencies.
IOSH guidance when travelling for work:
IOSH recommends the following key actions organisations can take to manage traveller health, safety and wellbeing:
- To effectively manage travel risk, you need to ensure you have proportionate and robust policies, procedures and controls in place. Communicate them to all relevant parts of your organisation, providing information, instruction and training as appropriate.
- Consider whether the travel is absolutely necessary: can you achieve the same result with video conferencing and spare the organisation and traveller the risk, time, cost and environmental impact? Situations such as the coronavirus outbreak in China as well as geopolitical conflicts, terrorism and natural disasters can change rapidly, potentially leaving travellers stranded or quarantined. It is therefore important to make ‘fly/no fly’ decisions based on best available guidance such as government travel advice.
- If travel is deemed necessary then you need to effectively but proportionately manage the risk, with controls identified and implemented which reflect the nature and severity of the risk. Such controls should be identified through a travel risk assessment incorporating not only the travel, accommodation and work itself but also the traveller’s physical and mental capabilities. The travellers themselves should be involved in this process.
- You will always need to know where your workers are and where they are going. Some travel management systems provide tracking and alert functions, and there are also products utilising GPS in either discrete equipment or smartphone apps which can provide live location tracking.
- Should your travellers become involved in an incident or emergency situation, you need to have a means by which to provide support for them. Considering issues such as number of travellers, international time differences and weekend travel it is potentially cost and resource-effective to implement a travel assistance scheme such as those provided by business insurers or commercial organisations such as International SOS. Additionally, business should source local emergency phone numbers in country, giving employees quick access to assistance. Most schemes and business travel insurance packages offer a 24/7 helpline which triggers support services for the traveller, providing assistance with medical treatment and repatriation due to injuries and illness as well as helping with lost documents, stolen money and other common travel-related problems.
- You should also provide relevant information, instruction and training to travellers, the nature and extent of which should be identified during the risk assessment process.
- Finally, don’t forget your travellers’ wellbeing. Frequent international travel has been shown to have negative effects on both physical and mental health, with situations such as a disease outbreak providing further sources of concern.
Managing the safety, health and security of workers:
IOSH’s research report Managing the safety, health and security of mobile workers sets out the aspects of safety, health and security for which organisations should take responsibility when dealing with workers travelling for work or on international assignment.
Advances in information technology mean that more people are working away from the office. Home office, mobile office- Managing remote working can offer guidance on how employers can develop a remote working policy that encompasses the relevant health and safety management issues.
Developed jointly by the International SOS Foundation, this occupational safety and health guide emphasises the need for dynamic risk assessment and planning for critical situations.
IOSH has provided expertise and guidance in the media around the coronavirus and how to protect employees in the workplace.
Media appearances include:
- BBC Worklife and BBC World News – 20/02/20
- BBC Radio Oxford – 26/02/20
- BBC Radio 5 Live – 03/03/20
Useful resources:
For the latest information and advice for you and your business, WHO have put together an important guide for OSH and healthcare professionals: Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) outbreak: rights, roles and responsibilities of health workers, including key considerations for occupational safety and health.
February 20, 2020
Employers have duties concerning the provision and use of personal protective equipment (PPE) at work.
PPE is equipment that will protect the user against health or safety risks at work. It can include items such as safety helmets, gloves, eye protection, high-visibility clothing, safety footwear and safety harnesses. It also includes respiratory protective equipment (RPE).
Why is PPE important?
Making the workplace safe includes providing instructions, procedures, training and supervision to encourage people to work safely and responsibly.
Even where engineering controls and safe systems of work have been applied, some hazards might remain. These include injuries to:
- the lungs, eg from breathing in contaminated air
- the head and feet, eg from falling materials
- the eyes, eg from flying particles or splashes of corrosive liquids
- the skin, eg from contact with corrosive materials
- the body, eg from extremes of heat or cold
PPE is needed in these cases to reduce the risk.
What do I have to do?
- Only use PPE as a last resort
- If PPE is still needed after implementing other controls (and there will be circumstances when it is, eg head protection on most construction sites), you must provide this for your employees free of charge
- You must choose the equipment carefully (see selection details below) and ensure employees are trained to use it properly, and know how to detect and report any faults
Selection and use
You should ask yourself the following questions:
- Who is exposed and to what?
- How long are they exposed for?
- How much are they exposed to?
When selecting and using PPE:
- Choose products which are CE marked in accordance with the Personal Protective Equipment Regulations 2002 – suppliers can advise you
- Choose equipment that suits the user – consider the size, fit and weight of the PPE. If the users help choose it, they will be more likely to use it
- If more than one item of PPE is worn at the same time, make sure they can be used together, eg wearing safety glasses may disturb the seal of a respirator, causing air leaks
- Instruct and train people how to use it, eg train people to remove gloves without contaminating their skin. Tell them why it is needed, when to use it and what its limitations are
Other advice on PPE
- Never allow exemptions from wearing PPE for those jobs that ‘only take a few minutes’
- Check with your supplier on what PPE is appropriate – explain the job to them
- If in doubt, seek further advice from a specialist adviser
Maintenance
PPE must be properly looked after and stored when not in use, eg in a dry, clean cupboard. If it is reusable it must be cleaned and kept in good condition.
Think about:
- using the right replacement parts which match the original, eg respirator filters
- keeping replacement PPE available
- who is responsible for maintenance and how it is to be done
- having a supply of appropriate disposable suits which are useful for dirty jobs where laundry costs are high, eg for visitors who need protective clothing
Employees must make proper use of PPE and report its loss or destruction or any fault in it.
Monitor and review
- Check regularly that PPE is used. If it isn’t, find out why not
- Safety signs can be a useful reminder that PPE should be worn
- Take note of any changes in equipment, materials and methods – you may need to update what you provide
Types of PPE you can use
Eyes
Hazards
Chemical or metal splash, dust, projectiles, gas and vapour, radiation
Options
Safety spectacles, goggles, face screens, faceshields, visors
Note
Make sure the eye protection chosen has the right combination of impact/dust/splash/molten metal eye protection for the task and fits the user properly
Head and neck
Hazards
Impact from falling or flying objects, risk of head bumping, hair getting tangled in machinery, chemical drips or splash, climate or temperature
Options
Industrial safety helmets, bump caps, hairnets and firefighters’ helmets
Note
- Some safety helmets incorporate or can be fitted with specially-designed eye or hearing protection
- Don’t forget neck protection, eg scarves for use during welding
- Replace head protection if it is damaged
Ears
Hazards
Noise – a combination of sound level and duration of exposure, very high-level sounds are a hazard even with short duration
Options
Earplugs, earmuffs, semi-insert/canal caps
Note
- Provide the right hearing protectors for the type of work, and make sure workers know how to fit them
- Choose protectors that reduce noise to an acceptable level, while allowing for safety and communication
Hands and arms
Hazards
Abrasion, temperature extremes, cuts and punctures, impact, chemicals, electric shock, radiation, vibration, biological agents and prolonged immersion in water
Options
Gloves, gloves with a cuff, gauntlets and sleeving that covers part or all of the arm
Note
- Avoid gloves when operating machines such as bench drills where the gloves might get caught
- Some materials are quickly penetrated by chemicals – take care in selection, see HSE’s skin at work website
- Barrier creams are unreliable and are no substitute for proper PPE
- Wearing gloves for long periods can make the skin hot and sweaty, leading to skin problems. Using separate cotton inner gloves can help prevent this
Feet and legs
Hazards
Wet, hot and cold conditions, electrostatic build-up, slipping, cuts and punctures, falling objects, heavy loads, metal and chemical splash, vehicles
Options
Safety boots and shoes with protective toecaps and penetration-resistant, mid-sole wellington boots and specific footwear, eg foundry boots and chainsaw boots
Note
- Footwear can have a variety of sole patterns and materials to help prevent slips in different conditions, including oil – or chemical-resistant soles. It can also be anti-static, electrically conductive or thermally insulating
- Appropriate footwear should be selected for the risks identified
Lungs
Hazards
- Oxygen-deficient atmospheres, dusts, gases and vapours
Options – respiratory protective equipment (RPE)
- Some respirators rely on filtering contaminants from workplace air. These include simple filtering facepieces and respirators and power-assisted respirators
- Make sure it fits properly, eg for tight-fitting respirators (filtering facepieces, half and full masks)
- There are also types of breathing apparatus which give an independent supply of breathable air, eg fresh-air hose, compressed airline and self-contained breathing apparatus
Note
- The right type of respirator filter must be used as each is effective for only a limited range of substances
- Filters have only a limited life. Where there is a shortage of oxygen or any danger of losing consciousness due to exposure to high levels of harmful fumes, only use breathing apparatus – never use a filtering cartridge
- You will need to use breathing apparatus in a confined space or if there is a chance of an oxygen deficiency in the work area
- If you are using respiratory protective equipment, look at HSE’s publication Respiratory protective equipment at work: A practical guide
Whole body
Hazards
Heat, chemical or metal splash, spray from pressure leaks or spray guns, contaminated dust, impact or penetration, excessive wear or entanglement of own clothing
Options
Conventional or disposable overalls, boiler suits, aprons, chemical suits
Note
- The choice of materials includes flame-retardant, anti-static, chain mail, chemically impermeable, and high-visibility
- Don’t forget other protection, like safety harnesses or life jackets
Emergency equipment
Careful selection, maintenance and regular and realistic operator training is needed for equipment for use in emergencies, like compressed-air escape breathing apparatus, respirators and safety ropes or harnesses.
Find out more:-
A short guide to the Personal Protective Equipment at Work Regulations 1992 Leaflet INDG174 (PDF)
January 23, 2020
What is COSHH?
COSHH is the law that requires employers to control substances that are hazardous to health. You can prevent or reduce workers exposure to hazardous substances by:
- finding out what the health hazards are;
- deciding how to prevent harm to health (risk assessment);
- providing control measures to reduce harm to health;
- making sure they are used ;
- keeping all control measures in good working order;
- providing information, instruction and training for employees and others;
- providing monitoring and health surveillance in appropriate cases;
- planning for emergencies.
Most businesses use substances, or products that are mixtures of substances. Some processes create substances. These could cause harm to employees, contractors and other people.
Sometimes substances are easily recognised as harmful. Common substances such as paint, bleach or dust from natural materials may also be harmful.
COSHH covers
COSHH covers substances that are hazardous to health. Substances can take many forms and include:
- chemicals
- products containing chemicals
- fumes
- dusts
- vapours
- mists
- nanotechnology
- gases and asphyxiating gases and
- biological agents (germs). If the packaging has any of the hazard symbols then it is classed as a hazardous substance.
- germs that cause diseases such as leptospirosis or legionnaires disease and germs used in laboratories.
Read more about COSHH and what you need to do and COSHH assessments.
COSHH does not cover
because these have their own specific regulations.
What you need to do
Before you start your COSHH assessment, you need to:
Think about
- What do you do that involves hazardous substances?
- How can these cause harm?
- How can you reduce the risk of harm occurring?
Always try to prevent exposure at source. For example:
- Can you avoid using a hazardous substance or use a safer process – preventing exposure, eg using water-based rather than solvent-based products, applying by brush rather than spraying?
- Can you substitute it for something safer – eg swap an irritant cleaning product for something milder, or using a vacuum cleaner rather than a brush?
- Can you use a safer form, eg can you use a solid rather than liquid to avoid splashes or a waxy solid instead of a dry powder to avoid dust?
Check your trade press and talk to employees. At trade meetings, ask others in your industry for ideas.
If you can’t prevent exposure, you need to control it adequately by applying the principles of good control practice.
Control is adequate when the risk of harm is ‘as low as is reasonably practicable’.
This means:
- All control measures are in good working order.
- Exposures are below the Workplace Exposure Limit, where one exists.
- Exposure to substances that cause cancer, asthma or genetic damage is reduced to as low a level as possible.
COSHH assessment: Identifying hazard and assessing risk
You are probably already aware of many risks in your trade or industry. A COSHH assessment concentrates on the hazards and risks from substances in your workplace.
Remember that hazards and risks are not limited to substances labelled as ‘hazardous’.
Steps to making a COSHH assessment:
-
Walk around your workplace. Where is there potential for exposure to substances that might be hazardous to health?
Examples include processes that emit dust, fume, vapour, mist or gas; and skin contact with liquids, pastes and dusts. Substances with workplace exposure limits (WELs) are hazardous to health.
-
In what way are the substances harmful to health?
Get safety data sheets, and read your trade magazines. Some substances arise from processes and have no safety data sheet. Examples include fume from welding or soldering, mist from metalworking, dust from quarrying, gases from silage. Look at the HSE web pages for your trade or industry – Your Industry.
-
What jobs or tasks lead to exposure?
Note these down. Note down what control measures you already use. For these jobs, how likely is any harm to workers’ health?
-
Are there any areas of concern, eg from the Accident Book?
Examples include burns from splashes, nausea or lightheadedness from solvents, etc
HSE has provided specific guidance on COSHH assessment called A step by step guide to COSHH assessment. You can apply this to substances hazardous to health. More detailed guidance is in the free booklet on working with substances hazardous to health. Working with substances hazardous to health: What you need to know about COSHH. INDG136
Safety data sheets provide information on substances that are ‘dangerous for supply’. Other substances should have instructions for safe use.
By law, your supplier must give you an up to date safety data sheet for a substance that is ‘dangerous for supply’. Safety Data Sheets are often hard to understand, though this explanation might help.
Keeping a copy of the safety data sheet is not a COSHH assessment.
Control measures to prevent or limit exposure to hazardous substances
What is COSHH for?
The objective of COSHH is to prevent, or to adequately control, exposure to substances hazardous to health, so as to prevent ill health.
You can do this by:
- using control equipment, eg total enclosure, partial enclosure, LEV;
- controlling procedures, eg ways of working, supervision and training to reduce exposure, maintenance, examination and testing of control measures;
- worker behaviour, making sure employees follow the control measures.
Changing how often a task is undertaken, or when, or reducing the number of employees nearby, can make an improvement to exposure control.
See Working with substances hazardous to health: A brief guide to COSHH.
You should also look at the HSE REACH web pages for information about what the Regulations mean for users of chemicals.
Control equipment
Control equipment can be general ventilation, extraction systems such as local exhaust ventilation, enclosure, or where the air cannot be cleaned, refuges and respiratory protective equipment (RPE).
Other control equipment includes spillage capture, decontamination, clean-up procedures and personal protective equipment (PPE).
Ways of working
Control through ways of working includes operating procedures, supervision and training.
It includes emergency procedures, decontamination and ‘permits to work‘ for tasks such as maintenance.
It also means testing all control measures regularly – equipment, ways of working and behaviour, to make sure that they work properly.
You should keep records of examinations, tests and repairs to equipment for at least five years. This helps to identify any trends or variations in equipment deterioration.
Worker behaviour
Where control measures are in place it is important to use them properly.
This includes:
- wearing any PPE necessary;
- using control equipment;
- following hygiene procedures;
- warning supervisors if anything appears to be wrong.
Coshh Basics- Personal protective equipment (PPE)
Employers are responsible for providing, replacing and paying for personal protective equipment.
PPE should be used when all other measures are inadequate to control exposure. It protects only the wearer, while being worn.
If it fails, PPE offers no protection at all.
Types of PPE
When deciding about PPE ask the supplier, your trade association or the manufacturer.
- Is it suitable for the conditions of the job?
- Does it offer the right level of protection?
- What sort of training or maintenance is required?
- How do I know when it needs replacing?
It is important that employees know why they need PPE and are trained to use it correctly. Otherwise it is unlikely to protect as required.
- Does it fit correctly?
- How does the wearer feel? Is it comfortable?
- Are all items of PPE compatible?
- Does PPE interfere with the job being done?
- Does PPE introduce another health risk, eg overheating, entanglement with machinery?
- If PPE needs maintenance or cleaning, how is it done?
When employees find PPE comfortable they are far more likely to wear it.
COSHH health surveillance
What is health surveillance?
Health surveillance is any activity which involves obtaining information about employees’ health and which helps protect employees from health risks at work.
The objectives for health surveillance are:
- Protecting the health of employees by early detection of adverse changes or disease;
- Collecting data for detecting or evaluating health hazards;
- Evaluating control measures.
It should not be confused with general health screening or health promotion.
Health surveillance is necessary when:
- there is a disease associated with the substance in use (eg Asthma, Dermatitis, Cancers);
- it is possible to detect the disease or adverse change and reduce the risk of further harm;
- the conditions in the workplace make it likely that the disease will appear.
Health surveillance is a process; it may be a regular planned assessment of one or more aspects of a worker’s health, for example: lung function or skin condition.
However, it is not enough to simply carry out suitable tests, questionnaires or examinations. Employers must then have the results interpreted and take action to eliminate or further control exposure. It may be necessary to redeploy affected workers if necessary.
Health surveillance may need to be completed by an occupational health service physician (doctor or nurse). If a GP offers the service, you need to be sure that they are competent in occupational medicine.
The clinical outcomes from health surveillance are personal. The service provider must interpret the results of health surveillance for each individual. The service provider must supply general information for you to keep up-to-date health records. They may also be able to anonymise and group the information to highlight trends.
Training for employees working with substances hazardous to health
Provide information, training and instruction for employees who work with substances hazardous to health. This includes cleaning and maintenance staff.
Employees need to understand the outcome of your risk assessment and what this means for them. Tell them:
- what the hazards and risks are;
- about any workplace exposure limit;
- the results of any monitoring of exposure;
- the general results of health surveillance;
- what to do if there is an accident (eg spillage) or emergency.
Employees should have access to safety data sheets.
Keep employees informed about planned future changes in processes or substances used.
When a contractor comes on site, they need to know what the risks are and how you are controlling them. And you need to know if they are bringing hazardous substances onto your premises, and how they will prevent harm to your employees.
Keep basic training records.
November 19, 2019
Worried about your hands?
- You could be risking damage to nerves, blood vessels and joints of the hand, wrist and arm if you work regularly with hand-held or hand-guided power tools for more than a few hours each day.
- Hand Arm Vibration Syndrome (HAVS) caused by exposure to vibration at work is preventable, but once the damage is done it is permanent.
- The Control of Vibration at Work Regulations 2005 were introduced to better protect workers from vibration at work and came into force in July 2005.
Am I at risk?
You are at risk if you regularly use hand-held or handguided power tools and machines such as:
- Concrete breakers, concrete pokers;
- Sanders, grinders, disc cutters;
- Hammer drills;
- Chipping hammers;
- Chainsaws, brush cutters, hedge trimmers,
- Powered mowers;
- Scabblers or needle guns.
You are also at risk if you hold workpieces, which vibrate while being processed by powered machinery such as pedestal grinders.
You are particularly at risk if you regularly operate:
- Hammer action tools for more than about 15 minutes per day; or
- Some rotary and other action tools for more than about one hour per day.
As you are likely to be above the exposure action value set out in the regulations.
What are the early signs and symptoms to look out for?
- Tingling and numbness in the fingers (which can cause sleep disturbance).
- Not being able to feel things with your fingers.
- Loss of strength in your hands (you may be less able to pick up or hold heavy objects).
- In the cold and wet, the tips of your fingers going white then red and being painful on recovery (vibration white finger).
If you continue to use high-vibration tools these symptoms will probably get worse, for example:
- The numbness in your hands could become permanent and you won’t be able to feel things at all;
- You will have difficulty picking up small objects such as screws or nails;
- The vibration white finger could happen more frequently and affect more of your fingers
People’s own stories
Mechanical repair
A former mechanic technician hopes that by sharing his experiences with others, this may help save them some of the pain and financial worries that he is experiencing. He used and repaired a wide range of hand-held power tools, including chainsaws, but was signed off work in his 50s with vibration white finger:
‘HAVS has affected my day-to-day living. I have a loss of manual dexterity and find it very difficult to use my fingers, in particular my thumbs, coupled with loss of feeling and sensations in various sections of my hands. Gripping with my thumbs is very difficult and painful, for example when using a brush. I dread the cold winter months and even during at rest periods I experience coldness and painfulness. I can no longer do some of the hobbies I used to enjoy, like swimming and angling.’
Heavy fabrication
A former technician (56) who worked with pneumatic tools describes his experiences.
“I suffer from very cold hands, they’re worse in winter than in summer but they’re still cold at this present day even though it’s a warm day. When I used the tools, sometimes there’s a frost on the tools, the pneumatic tools, when you’ve used them and that accentuates the feeling and they’re dead very dead, numb all the while. I have difficulties picking up things, small things, pushing buttons. I drop things more and don’t know the amount of pressure I’m putting on finger and thumb”
Shipbuilding
Another worker (35) describes the effects HAVS has had on his life and leisure.
“I play darts, can’t do that any more, I can’t do freshwater fishing, can’t feel the lines, fine lines between the fingers, can’t feel them at all. Can’t pick up small screws, DIY, quite a few things I can’t do a lot of now. I can’t turn over the pages in a paper, you have to wet your fingers all the time because you can’t feel the paper between the fingers”
Want to help?
Please contact the Noise and Vibration Programme Unit via our Feedback page if you wish to tell us your story, so that a short summary can appear here for the benefit of others. We are particularly interested in stories that turn out well in the end e.g. vibration problems picked up at an early stage and simple steps taken to prevent further damage for similar workers.
Tasks and industries
Which jobs and industries are most likely to involve hand-arm vibration?
Jobs requiring regular and frequent use of vibrating tools and equipment and handling of vibrating materials are found in a wide range of industries, for example:
- Building and maintenance of roads and railways;
- Construction;
- Estate management (eg maintenance of grounds, parks, water courses, road and railside verges);
- Forestry;
- Foundries;
- Heavy engineering;
- Manufacturing concrete products;
- Mines and quarries;
- Motor vehicle manufacture and repair;
- Public utilities (eg water, gas, electricity, telecommunications);
- Shipbuilding and repair.
What kinds of tools and equipment can cause ill health from vibration?
There are hundreds of different types of hand-held power tools and equipment, which can cause ill health from vibration. Some of the more common ones are:
- Chainsaws;
- Concrete breakers/road breakers;
- Cut-off saws (for stone etc);
- Hammer drills;
- Hand-held grinders;
- Impact wrenches;
- Jigsaws;
- Needle scalers;
- Pedestal grinders;
- Polishers;
- Power hammers and chisels;
- Powered lawn mowers;
- Powered sanders;
- Scabblers;
- Strimmers/brush cutters.
How do I protect myself?
It is your employer’s responsibility to protect you against HAVS and carpal tunnel syndrome, but you should help by asking your employer if your job could be done in a different way without using vibrating tools and machines. If this cannot happen:
- Ask to use suitable low-vibration tools.
- Always use the right tool for each job (to do the job more quickly and expose you to less hand-arm vibration).
- Check tools before using them to make sure they have been properly maintained and repaired to avoid increased vibration caused by faults or general wear.
- Make sure cutting tools are kept sharp so that they remain efficient.
- Reduce the amount of time you use a tool in one go, by doing other jobs in between.
- Avoid gripping or forcing a tool or workpiece more than you have to.
- Store tools so that they do not have very cold handles when next used.
- Encourage good blood circulation by:
- Keeping warm and dry (when necessary, wear gloves, a hat, waterproofs and use heating pads if available);
- Giving up or cutting down on smoking because smoking reduces blood flow; and
- Massaging and exercising your fingers during work breaks.
What else can I do?
- Learn to recognise the early signs and symptoms of HAVS.
- Report any symptoms promptly to your employer or the person who does your health checks.
- Use any control measures your employer has put in place to reduce the risk of HAVS.
- Ask your trade union safety representative or employee representative for advice.
Help your employer to stop HAVS and carpal tunnel syndrome before they become a problem for you.
Where can I find out more?
For more information on vibration,
HSE’s free leaflet Hand-arm vibration – Advice for employees (INDG296) (pocket card contains notes on good practice which you may find helpful)
Download HSE’s free leaflet Control the risks from hand-arm vibration – Advice for employers on the Control of Vibration at Work Regulations 2005 (INDG175 – rev2) (leaflet for employers on good practice and considering what they need to do)
You can also order a copy of these publications through HSE Books.
Who can help?
Your employer has a duty to protect you and should be working on measures to reduce the risk. The law says your employer has to find out what levels of vibration you are exposed to and assess the risk to your health from vibration at work. See Advice for employers
Safety Representative/ Employee representative. Trade-union-appointed safety reps or other employee representatives can be very useful in communicating problems, inspecting documents and consulting employers over measures to meet these regulations.
Your Company Doctor or your GP. This may be an occupational health professional where you have a company occupational health scheme or your general practitioner through the NHS.
Advice for employers
The information on these web pages will help you understand:
- What you may need to do as an employer under the Control of Vibration at Work Regulations 2005 which came into force in July 2005;
- How you can protect your employees from hand-arm vibration.
These pages will be of interest to you if you are an employer whose business involves the use of hand-guided powered equipment and powered machines which process hand-held materials and of particular interest if your business involves the regular and frequent use of hand-held power tools.
You may also find these pages helpful if you are:
- An employee, or self-employed person, who uses vibrating equipment;
- A trade union safety representative or an employee representative;
- An adviser on occupational vibration risks.
If your workers use vibrating equipment you may also have to consider risks from exposure to noise.
Remember
By law, as an employer, you must assess and identify measures to eliminate or reduce risks from exposure to hand-arm vibration so that you can protect your employees from risks to their health.
Where the risks are low, the actions you take may be simple and inexpensive, but where the risks are high, you should manage them using a prioritised action plan to control exposure to hand-arm vibration.
Where required, ensure that:
- Control measures to reduce vibration are properly applied; and
- You provide information, training and health surveillance.
Review what you are doing if anything changes that may affect exposures to vibration where you work.
The Health effects of hand-arm vibration at work
What is hand-arm vibration?
Hand-arm vibration is vibration transmitted from work processes into workers’ hands and arms. It can be caused by operating hand-held power tools, such as road breakers, and hand-guided equipment, such as powered lawnmowers, or by holding materials being processed by machines, such as pedestal grinders.
When is it hazardous?
Regular and frequent exposure to hand-arm vibration can lead to permanent health effects. This is most likely when contact with a vibrating tool or work process is a regular part of a person’s job. Occasional exposure is unlikely to cause ill health.
What health effects can it cause?
Hand-arm vibration can cause a range of conditions collectively known as hand-arm vibration syndrome (HAVS), as well as specific diseases such as carpal tunnel syndrome.
What are the early symptoms?
Identifying signs and symptoms at an early stage is important. It will allow you, as the employer, to take action to prevent the health effects from becoming serious for your employee. The symptoms include any combination of:
- Tingling and numbness in the fingers;
- Not being able to feel things properly;
- Loss of strength in the hands;
- Fingers going white (blanching) and becoming red and painful on recovery (particularly in the cold and wet, and probably only in the tips at first).
For some people, symptoms may appear after only a few months of exposure, but for others they may take a few years. They are likely to get worse with continued exposure to vibration and may become permanent.
What effects do these symptoms have?
The effects on people include:
- Pain, distress and sleep disturbance;
- Inability to do fine work (eg assembling small components) or everyday tasks (eg fastening buttons);
- Reduced ability to work in cold or damp conditions (ie most outdoor work) which would trigger painful finger blanching attacks;
- Reduced grip strength, which might affect the ability to do work safely.
These effects can severely limit the jobs an affected person is able to do, as well as many family and social activities.
Do you have a hand-arm vibration problem at work?
This will depend on whether your employees regularly and frequently work with vibrating tools and equipment and/or handle vibrating materials. It will also depend on how long your employees are exposed to vibration and at what level. As a simple guide you will probably need to do something about vibration exposures if any of the following apply:
- Do your employees complain of tingling and numbness in their hands or fingers after using vibrating tools?
- Do your employees hold work pieces, which vibrate while being processed by powered machinery such as pedestal grinders?
- Do your employees regularly use hand-held or hand guided power tools and machines such as:
- concrete breakers, concrete pokers
- sanders, grinders, disc cutters
- hammer drills
- chipping hammers
- chainsaws, brush cutters, hedge trimmers
- powered mowers
- scabblers or needle guns
- Do your employees regularly operate:
- Hammer action tools for more than about 15 minutes per day; or
- Some rotary and other action tools for more than about one hour per day.
- Do you work in an industry where exposures to vibration are particularly high, such as construction, foundries, or heavy steel fabrication/shipyards?
Which jobs and industries are most likely to involve hand-arm vibration?
Jobs requiring regular and frequent use of vibrating tools and equipment and handling of vibrating materials are found in a wide range of industries, for example:
- building and maintenance of roads and railways
- construction
- estate management (eg maintenance of grounds, parks, water courses, road and rail side verges)
- forestry
- foundries
- heavy engineering
- manufacturing concrete products
- mines and quarries
- motor vehicle manufacture and repair
- public utilities (eg water, gas, electricity, telecommunications)
- shipbuilding and repair
What kinds of tools and equipment can cause ill health from vibration?
There are hundreds of different types of hand-held power tools and equipment which can cause ill health from vibration. Some of the more common ones are:
- chainsaws
- concrete breakers/road breakers
- cut-off saws (for stone etc)
- hammer drills
- hand-held grinders
- impact wrenches
- jJigsaws
- needle scalers
- pedestal grinders
- polishers
- power hammers and chisels
- powered lawn mowers
- powered sanders
- scabblers
- strimmers/brush cutters
Do you engage in routine continual monitoring or logging of workers’ vibration exposure?
October 9, 2019
Employers must provide welfare facilities and a working environment that’s healthy and safe for everyone in the workplace, including those with disabilities.
You must have:
- welfare facilities – the right number of toilets and washbasins, drinking water and having somewhere to rest and eat meals
- a healthy working environment – a clean workplace with a reasonable working temperature, good ventilation, suitable lighting and the right amount of space and seating
- a safe workplace – well-maintained equipment, with no obstructions in floors and traffic routes, and windows that can be easily opened and cleaned
What you must provide for a safe and healthy workplace
Welfare facilities
Workers must have access to:
- toilets and hand basins, with soap and towels or a hand-dryer
- drinking water
- a place to store clothing (and somewhere to change if special clothing is worn for work)
- somewhere to rest and eat meals
A healthy working environment
To have a healthy working environment, make sure there is:
- good ventilation – a supply of fresh, clean air drawn from outside or a ventilation system
- a reasonable working temperature so it’s comfortable to work (usually at least 16°C, or 13°C for strenuous work, unless other laws require lower temperatures)
- lighting suitable for the work being carried out
- enough room space and suitable workstations and seating
- a clean workplace with appropriate waste containers
A safe workplace
To keep your workplace safe, you must:
- maintain your premises and work equipment
- keep floors and traffic routes free of obstructions
- have windows that can be opened and cleaned safely
- make sure that any transparent (eg glass) doors or walls are protected or made of safety material
There are specific laws relating to some higher-risk workplaces, such as construction sites. For more information, select your workplace from HSE’s industries page.
Toilets and washing facilities
Employers have to provide:
- enough toilets and washbasins for those expected to use them – find out how many
- where possible, separate facilities for men and women – failing that, rooms with lockable doors
- clean facilities – preferably with walls and floors tiled (or covered in suitable waterproof material) to make them easier to clean
- a supply of toilet paper and, for female employees, somewhere to dispose of sanitary dressings
- facilities that are well lit and ventilated
- hot and cold running water
- enough soap or other washing agents
- a basin large enough to wash hands and forearms if necessary
- a way of drying hands, such as paper towels or a hot-air dryer
- showers where necessary, for particularly dirty work
You must always consider the needs of those with disabilities.
How many toilets and washbasins?
The following tables show the minimum number of toilets and washbasins that you should provide.
Number of toilets and washbasins for mixed use (or women only)
| Number of people at work |
Number of toilets |
Number of washbasins |
| 1-5 |
1 |
1 |
| 6-25 |
2 |
2 |
| 26-50 |
3 |
3 |
| 51-75 |
4 |
4 |
| 76-100 |
5 |
5 |
Toilets used by men only
| Number of people at work |
Number of toilets |
Number of urinals |
| 1-15 |
1 |
1 |
| 16-30 |
2 |
1 |
| 31-45 |
2 |
2 |
| 46-60 |
3 |
2 |
| 61-75 |
3 |
3 |
| 76-90 |
4 |
3 |
| 91-100 |
4 |
4 |
Temporary worksites
You must provide flushing toilets and running water, for example with portaloos. If this is not possible, use alternatives such as chemical toilets and water containers.
Using public toilets and washing facilities should be a last resort and not because they are a cheaper option. This would not be acceptable if it is possible to provide facilities on-site.
August 21, 2019
1. Overview
As an employer, you must protect your workers from the health risks of working with display screen equipment (DSE), such as PCs, laptops, tablets and smartphones.
The Health and Safety (Display Screen Equipment) Regulations apply to workers who use DSE daily, for an hour or more at a time. We describe these workers as ‘DSE users’. The regulations don’t apply to workers who use DSE infrequently or only use it for a short time.
How to protect workers’ health
The law applies if users are, for example:
- at a fixed workstation
- mobile workers
- home workers
- hot-desking (workers should carry out a basic risk assessment if they change desks regularly)
Employers must:
Incorrect use of DSE or poorly designed workstations or work environments can lead to pain in necks, shoulders, backs, arms, wrists and hands as well as fatigue and eye strain. The causes may not always be obvious.
More DSE guidance
HSE’s leaflet Working with display screen equipment gives more information about how to comply with the Health and Safety (Display Screen Equipment) Regulations.
You can find detailed advice on the regulations in Work with display screen equipment.
Advice on using DSE if you’re pregnant or have epilepsy is available.
2. Workstations and assessment
If workers use display screen equipment (DSE) daily, as part of their normal work, continuously for an hour or more, employers must do a workstation assessment.
Employers should look at:
- the whole workstation, including equipment, furniture, and work conditions
- the job being done
- any special requirements of a member of staff, for example a user with a disability
Where there are risks, they should take steps to reduce them.
Employers must also do an assessment when:
- a new workstation is set up
- a new user starts work
- a change is made to an existing workstation or the way it’s used
- users complain of pain or discomfort
Use this DSE workstation checklist to help make an assessment.
DSE assessment software
Software packages can help train users and help them take part in assessments. But the software is not an assessment on its own.
You should always make sure a trained assessor looks at user assessment results (whether these are software or paper based). The assessor should clear up any doubtful points, provide feedback to users and make sure problems are put right, for example by changes to the DSE or workstation.
3. Work routine and breaks
The law says employers must plan work so there are breaks or changes of activity for employees who are display screen equipment (DSE) users.
There is no legal guidance about how long and how often breaks should be for DSE work. It depends on the kind of work you are doing. Take short breaks often, rather than longer ones less often. For example 5 to 10 minutes every hour is better than 20 minutes every 2 hours. Ideally, users should be able to choose when to take breaks.
In most jobs it is possible to stop DSE work to do other tasks, such as going to meetings or making phone calls. If there are no natural changes of activity in a job, employers should plan rest breaks.
Breaks or changes of activity should allow users to get up from their workstations and move around, or at least stretch and change posture.
Break-monitoring software
Break-monitoring software can remind users to take regular breaks. But employers are still responsible for making sure work activities are properly planned and that users take suitable breaks.
4. Eyes and eyesight testing
The law says employers must arrange an eye test for display screen equipment (DSE) users if they ask for one, and provide glasses if an employee needs them only for DSE use.
DSE work does not cause permanent damage to eyes. But long spells of DSE work can lead to:
- tired eyes
- discomfort
- temporary short-sightedness
- headaches
DSE work is visually demanding, so it can make someone aware of eyesight problems they have not noticed before (including changes in eyesight that happen with age).
Employees can help their eyes by:
- checking the screen is well positioned and properly adjusted
- making sure lighting conditions are suitable
- taking regular breaks from screen work
Employers must assess DSE workstations and take steps to reduce any health risks.
Eye tests for DSE users
An employer must provide an eyesight test for a DSE user if they request one. The employer must also pay for the test.
This should be a full eye and eyesight test by an optometrist or doctor, including a vision test and an eye examination.
It’s up to the employer how they provide the test. For example, they could let users arrange the tests and reimburse them for the cost later, or they could send all their DSE users to one optician.
Glasses for DSE work
Employers only have to pay for glasses for DSE work if the test shows an employee needs special glasses prescribed for the distance the screen is viewed at. If an ordinary prescription is suitable, employers do not have to pay for glasses.
5. Training and information
Employers must provide health and safety training and information for display screen equipment (DSE) users. Training should be about the risks in DSE work and how to avoid these by safe working practices. It should include:
- good posture
- adjusting chairs and other furniture
- arranging desk space
- adjusting screens and lighting to avoid reflections and glare
- breaks and changes of activity
- risk assessments
- how to report problems
Employers should also tell users about the general arrangements they have made for health and safety in their DSE work, and how they can apply for an eye test.
Also consider explaining how to use the DSE workstation checklist if users are going to make their own assessment.
July 9, 2019
HSE’s main focus is on health and safety issues related to pain and disorders caused by the work a person does, whether this occurs in the neck, shoulders and arms (Upper Limbs), back, or hips, knees and ankles and feet (Lower Limbs). These pages also cover manual handling and the impact of using display screen equipment.
Key messages about MSDs are:
- you can do things to prevent or minimise MSDs;
- the prevention measures are cost effective;
- you cannot prevent all MSDs, so early reporting of symptoms, proper treatment and suitable rehabilitation is essential.
Risk factors causing MSDs can be found in virtually every workplace from commerce to agriculture, health services to construction.
Back pain
Most people have back pain at some time. Usually the pain is not caused by anything serious and it settles within a matter of days or weeks.
Medical evidence from the Royal College of General Practitioners and the Faculty of Occupational Medicine focuses on three key messages for sufferers to deal with back pain:
- Stay active
- Try simple pain relief
- If you need it, seek advice
For some examples of what others have done to reduce the incidence of back pain at work and how organisations have worked to rehabilitate sufferers and get them back at work, go to the ‘case studies‘ section.
For information to help employers, managers and employees prevent and manage the effects of back pain in the workplace visit the back pain section.
Upper limb disorders (ULDs)
The term upper limb disorders (ULDs) is used as an umbrella term for a range of disorders of the hand, wrist, arm, shoulder and neck. It covers those conditions, with specific medical diagnoses (eg frozen shoulder, carpal tunnel syndrome), and other conditions (often called ‘repetitive strain injury’ or RSI) where there is pain without specific symptoms. Symptoms may include pain, swelling and difficulty moving.
For information to help employers, managers and employees prevent and manage the effects of ULDs in the workplace visit the ULD section.
Lower limb disorders (LLDs)
Lower limb disorder (LLD) is used for a range of disorders of the hips, legs, knees, ankles and feet. It covers those conditions with specific medical diagnoses (eg osteoarthritis of the knee and hip), and other conditions where there is pain without specific symptoms. Symptoms may include pain, swelling and difficulty moving.
For information to help employers, managers and employees prevent and manage the effects of LLDs in the workplace visit the LLD section.
Display screen equipment (DSE)
DSE includes all the potential issues that may result from using display screen equipment, which used to be referred to as VDUs (visual display units) and includes use of computer equipment in both the workplace and at home if you are a home-worker. ULDs, headaches and visual problems can all be associated with working at a poorly designed workstation.
For information to help employers, managers and employees prevent and manage the effects of risks of working with DSE visit the DSE section.
Manual handling
Manual handling covers a wide variety of tasks including lifting, lowering, pushing, pulling and carrying. Injuries can occur almost anywhere, when people are at work or at home, and for many reasons like heavy loads or awkward postures. In addition, previous or existing injury can increase the risk.
Early reporting of symptoms, proper treatment and suitable return to work plans can help most people recover from their injuries and return to work. However some people may need to take longer periods off work and possibly even leave work entirely. The injured person may find that their lifestyle, leisure activities, ability to sleep and job prospects are affected.
MSD – Manual handling
Manual handling relates to the moving of items either by lifting, lowering, carrying, pushing or pulling. The weight of the item is an important factor, but many other factors can create a risk of injury, for example the number of times you have to pick up or carry an item, the distance you are carrying it, where you are picking it up from or putting it down (picking it up from the floor, putting it on a shelf above shoulder level) and any twisting, bending, stretching or other awkward posture you may adopt while doing a task.
Manual handling injuries are part of a wider group of musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs). The term ‘musculoskeletal disorders’ covers any injury, damage or disorder of the joints or other tissues in the upper/lower limbs or the back. Statistics from the Labour Force Survey (LFS) indicate that MSD cases, including those caused by manual handling, account for more than a third of all work-related illnesses reported each year to the enforcing authorities 
.
There is evidence that, as well as manual handling, heavy manual labour, awkward postures and a recent or existing injury are all risk factors in the development of MSDs. The Manual Handling Operations Regulations 1992 (MHOR) require employers to manage the risks to their employees. They must:
- Avoid hazardous manual handling operations so far as is reasonably practicable, by redesigning the task to avoid moving the load or by automating or mechanising the process.
- Make a suitable and sufficient assessment of the risk of injury from any hazardous manual handling operations that cannot be avoided.
- Reduce the risk of injury from those operations so far as is reasonably practicable. Where possible, provide mechanical assistance, for example, a sack trolley or hoist. Where this is not reasonably practicable then explore changes to the task, the load and the working environment.
Medical and scientific knowledge stress the importance of an ergonomic approach to look at manual handling as a whole, taking into account the nature of the task, the load and the working environment, and requiring worker participation.
Free tools
HSE has developed tools to help employers analyse lifting, carrying and team handling (the MAC tool and the V-MAC tool), repetitive upper limb tasks (the ART tool) and pushing and pulling (the RAPP tool). Depending on the task, you may find it helpful to use more than one tool, for example you may need to pick up a box of items (lifting), carry it to a workstation (carrying), then distribute the contents to other locations such as pigeon holes or a filing cabinet (repetitive movements).
For more information about each tool click on the following links
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