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Why Fire Wardens deserve a Financial Incentive

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It used to be the case that most companies gave a small financial incentive to their nominated Fire Wardens for doing their weekly duties on top of their main job role.  Nowadays it seems this is no longer the case.  From my own experience whilst consulting with businesses I have heard of 1 place that does this.  I’d like to think I would too.

 

Let’s dive into why I think you should give the incentive.  

We all know that if a fire starts it can quickly get out of control and become life threatening. As usual with all things Health and Safety it’s about being pro active and in this case ensuring a fire can’t start.  That’s where Fire Wardens come in with their weekly checks.

 

1. They support your general housekeeping and electrical safety.

When going about their warden duties within their area of responsibility they will be getting a general overview of how clean and tidy the place is.  And what about those out of sight out of mind places e.g. behind equipment, underneath desks etc.

• Rooms that aren’t usually occupied such as basements or attics where everything gets dumped. Quite often during training I hear stories of locked cupboards or storage rooms where only the maintenance man has the key. The Fire warden needs access.
• Is there a build up of rubbish, harmful substances etc that typically wouldn’t be there or in those quantities.  
• Question whether or not any items need throwing out.
• Your protected routes will deserve particular attention. These are the main ways to get through the building inc the stairwells.
• Anything out of the ordinary here must be logged and actioned.

Then all of your electrical equipment – does it need switched off?  Overloaded sockets? Condition of the plugs and wiring?

 

2. What to check on a Fire Door?

These are essential to ensuring everyone gets out in time should you have a fire emergency.  Your Fire wardens must know what to look for on each door.  Check out the video for this.  The one thing I like about the video is they outline the importance of getting this activity logged.  If you do get an inspection by your local fire officer they will be very interested in the upkeep off your fire doors.  So impress them by logging all of your activity.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gKcO0CvcofA

 

3. Fire Extinguishers and Fire Fighting Equipment

Fire wardens will check over each extinguisher with its general condition, whether or not it has been used and is it in its dedicated spot.   

This short video explains the key points for inspection of a fire extinguisher.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1cB-qwMzKBU

 

4. Emergency Lighting, Break Glass and Signage

Depending on what type of lighting you have in place will determine how it is checked.  Your Fire Wardens will need trained on how to do this.  And similarly with break glasses.  Train them on how to see if these work.  Usually simple devices will be used such as small metal keys.  Train your wardens on how to operate your Fire Panel too.  Ask your supplier to visit and gather all of your Fire Wardens to take part in the training.

 

5. Equipment to support less able bodied persons.

Train your fire wardens and other staff if you have equipment such as evac chairs or ski sheets etc. They must feel competent to use the equipment and give confidence to the person needing this support.  Evac chairs are very tricky and usually when I conduct this training myself there are often people on the course who have no idea on how they are used.

 

During Staff meetings highlight the work they do and nurture support within the team.

Support your Fire Wardens

Let me give you some ideas on getting the best out of your Fire Wardens which will encourage them to ensure they complete their rounds and to the standard needed.

Top Tips to support Fire Wardens

1. Training – Good quality e-learning but only once they have completed some face to face training and personally I would include training that uses Fire Extinguishers too. Vital if you have evac chairs. Talk to us about your Fire training needs. E: admin@duell-training.co.uk
2. Monthly Staff meetings – Of course talk about your marketing strategy or how to increase your customer base but Health and Safety should always be on the agenda. This is your chance to highlight the value of your Fire Wardens. E.g. when doing their Fire Warden duties please don’t disturb them etc. Commending them on their efforts in front of the team etc
3. Give your Fire Wardens a voice during team meetings – they can pick out good examples e.g. good housekeeping. And of course allow them to pick out any bad examples they noticed whilst completing their duties e.g. a propped open fire door.  Giving your Fire Wardens a voice will make them feel more valued. 
4. Buy them a Hi Vis jacket with the words Fire Warden engraved on the back, in their favourite colour and hang it on the back of their chair. They wear this whilst completing their duties and this tells everyone else to “leave me alone, I’m doing a very important task right now.”
5. A small area of responsibility will make it easier to do the job and as a result they will be more willing to do the job on schedule and to the Health and Safety standards expected. There should be no excuses. Of course you will need more Wardens.
6. Make sure you give them the time to do the job. Too often it can be done after their shift ends with work commitments getting in the way etc. Set a day and time of day would be recommended as it then fits into their normal work pattern. It’s not an add on so to speak!!

Choose Wisely

If you know your team really well then there will be some obvious choices on who should be a Fire Warden and can handle the extra responsibilities described above.

• Department heads would be ideal or their deputy. Consider, though, will they have the time on top of their day-to-day responsibilities.
• If not the dept head and instead a member of the team, ask the dept head who they think will take the Fire Warden role seriously. Who has a natural interest in Health and Safety? Who in the team shows good standards in their day-to-day work?

Check the check

As a business owner you will have your own legal accountability and remember what we talked about earlier with choosing the right person to do the important job of keeping everyone safe from a fire starting out. 

But how do you know they are doing the job to the standards expected?  I mean they checked all of the boxes and according to that document everything looks safe but did they spend time taking a look under a colleague’s desk for overloaded sockets?  Do all of the Fire Doors shut 100%?  If the Fire Authority arrive at your premises will they leave happy?

This is where you come in.  I know you’re busy as a business owner but weigh up that against the safety of the building and the people in it.

I’d recommend checking their work when they start this role.  Try to shadow them and offer support.  Then each week do your own checks- small areas (for ease) and check another small area e.g. 1 floor at a time. Then check each month.  If you’re happy their paperwork matches “the look” of the building then check less often.  And remember those staff meetings when you’re highlighting all of the good work they are doing to the team? Hopefully they are showing that appreciation back by ensuring they do a thorough job.

 

Another aspect of the role of a fire warden would be to co-ordinate the fire evacuation if a fire did break out.  But with the right support from you, your fire wardens will be doing a cracking job with their regular fire checks, then there’s little chance a fire will start !!

 

Fire Wardens don’t just keep us safe from the dangers of fire and toxic smoke, they are the eyes and ears for other hazards too. our general cleanliness, slips, trips and electrical safety too!!

So, now will you put a financial incentive in their pay packet each month?  I hope I’ve convinced you!!   You’ll be getting your monies worth!!

 

We’d be happy to talk to you about your Fire Safety training needs E: admin@duell-training.co.uk 

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Mental Health Awareness in the Workplace.

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The days of not speaking out about mental health are over! 

Mental health is something we have all experienced. From feeling anxious to feeling low, we have all been there.

Here at Duell Training Associates, we understand the importance of mental health and the well-being of others.

Mental health is a person’s well-being. It is how a person copes with everyday stressors, this could be anything from life at home to work tasks. 

At work, positive mental health is the main priority for business owners as this keeps employees healthy and happy.

But it also allows companies to challenge their staff to:

• Grow in Confidence
• Expand skill sets
• Improve their quality of work

But without facing new challenges, how will we be able to grow?

As employers, we aim to offer the best work experience for our employees.

• 1 in 4 individuals are estimated to experience mental ill health
• 15% of the workforce have symptoms of an existing mental health condition
• 300,000 individuals leave their job through poor mental health each year

In association with Highfield Qualifications Awarding Organisation, we offer training courses to support businesses manage their employees’ mental ill health.

Not only will this help your organisation function smoothly but simply because it’s the right thing to do. 

The well-being of your staff’s mental health should be incorporated into a workplace’s Health and Safety culture.  Attending the Lv2 Awareness course will highlight the common causes of poor mental ill health and can them empower a staff member to speak out.

Click here to learn more about how Duell Training can mental health courses can support you in the workplace.

For quick tips, here are some helpful points to practice at work and home that can benefit your mental health:

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1. Healthy Communication

Communicating openly and honestly when things are difficult may seem daunting to reduce work-life stress. But this is one of the best things you can do. Communicating with a friend, colleague, manager, boss or your direct mental health support team within your workplace can open many doors for you to receive the support you require.  In your workplace it could be the most simple things you are taking for granted that add to workplace pressures which in turn create tension in the body and in turn further annoy you creating a negative mindset.  Add to this any of your own personal issues and the increasing cost of living we are currently experiencing. You can see how easily it all adds up.  Remember, your work life IS important to you so it makes sense to talk about things work related.  And your personal life is surely of the utmost importance too.

What annoys you at work?

• Your office chair doesn’t give you a good posture
• The PPE you need to work safely doesn’t fit right
• The equipment I use at work has been broken for some time

The list goes on…

Clearly the benefits are as follows:

• Improving your work environment 
• Support with work tasks 
• More communication within the team

2. Deep breathing 

Deep breathing is a great exercise to help release tension in the body and mind, relax unwanted nerves, and help increase your energy levels.  There are strong studies that a person that has been practising breathing exercises can reduce their own pain levels too.   

This exercise is perfect for taking a moment to yourself to help clear your mind. Performing this exercise can be discrete and can be performed standing or sitting at your work desk!

How to perform this exercise:

• Take a slow deep breath through your nose for five seconds 
• Hold a deep breath for three seconds 
• Slowly release your breath through your mouth for five seconds.

3. Prioritising work

Are you feeling stressed with your workload?

Do you feel like you won’t meet your deadlines? 

To avoid feeling overwhelmed at work, prioritizing work tasks is something we can do to help manage our day. 

Having a work schedule will highlight to your employer the work tasks you have planned. The benefits of this are:

• Your employer will be able to see when you have planned to work on projects and will know when they will be completed by.
• Your employer will to able to see your workload. This will prevent too much or too little work from being passed to you.

Benefits for you:

• You will feel more organized
• You will have a clear plan for your day
• You will feel more flexible with your time.

Planning the working day/week reduces the risk of feeling overwhelmed and under pressure to meet deadlines.

Speak with your line manager/employer about a tool to use in the office to help you prioritize your work.

4. Take Lunch breaks 

We have all been there… 

Working through a lunch break is very tempting to have an earlier finish. But working through every lunchbreak, with no breaks during the day can be overwhelming and may cause:

• Eyestrain
• Fatigue 
• Headaches 
• Produce lower quality work 

Working with no breaks may cause stress. Here are some relaxing things to do during your lunch break:

• Go for a walk 
• Listen to music
• Use that app on your phone with all of those relaxing sounds and put on your headphones.
• Speak with friends 
• Read a book 

Oh yeah – and remember those breathing exercises we just talked about !!

5. Eat healthy meals 

Eat well for mental health.

After a long day at work, it is very easy to order a takeaway. Studies have shown eating sugar and processed foods contributes to mood swings, anxiety, and depression. Now we aren’t saying ordering the odd Chinese will make you feel terrible the next day, but we do advise that eating a balanced diet with exercise will boost your mood and contribute to your work life.

For more information on mental health please visit Home – Mind

If a face-to-face in-person course isn’t right for you and your business, we also offer e-Learning courses you and your employees can complete at a time which is right for you!

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Licensing Awareness: Don’t throw your problems out onto the street!

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Over the past six months, we have been delivering Licensing Awareness courses around the North East of England.  It’s been an interesting time delivering the training because in the past this wasn’t a course we get asked to do much.

Typically, we deliver the Personal Licence Holders training regularly and once you achieve the qualification this is one of the things you need to buy the Licence from your local council.

So why the uptake on businesses asking for Licensing Awareness training?

This is what the owners are telling me –

• We are located in an area with social issues resulting in a high risk of underage sale of alcohol or proxy sales.
• We were recently visited by the council who recommended staff training
• Our establishment is a nightclub and we are naturally high risk of underage sales
• We had a complaint from a resident who believes we are selling alcohol to children

Admittedly, the above list is what must be going on in any case and I don’t think it explains the increase in training we have completed.  However, it was on the first four or five courses we got asked about that does explain it.

These business owners are scared that one day they will be put under the spotlight on why their staff expelled a drunk, drugged up (or both) customer who is now outside, possibly on their own in a city they are not local to (we all love a weekend city break) and vulnerable. When in fact they put an already vulnerable person into greater danger.

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The Licensing Act 

Now for anyone who knows a bit about The Licensing Act 2003, it is up to the venue to ask any customers to leave if they are causing any disorder. Yet strangely it is also against the law for any venue to serve a drunken customer. Yep, even to me, that sounds weird !!

Let’s get back to those scared business owners.  When consulting with these worried Managers and Business Owners I hope I achieve my goal which is to first of all make them feel a little better.  I say “a little” because this problem isn’t exactly going to go away – ejecting drunken customers but I like to open with “Hey you’re in good hands because I am also a First Aid Instructor.”

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So what’s First Aid got to do with Licensing training?

Staff working on a licensed venue will be trained to spot the signs of customers getting too drunk or looking suspicious of any drug activity and then the venue must act.  But how many staff will look at a customer to who they have served a few drinks and think any of the following . . . .

• They have fallen and appear concussed
• My best friend has Diabetes and does that
• I wonder if they have Epilepsy?

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Using a First Aid First Approach

During the Licensing Awareness sessions, we embed first aid topics which can be likened to drunkenness.  Staff are trained to approach customers using a moral approach to consider a customer’s well-being.  Just as we would on a First Aid course you should be asking the customer questions and checking in with them or their friends/family who are enjoying a night out with them.  Not the easiest thing to do I know but Health and Safety is about being active and using a First Aid First approach supports this.

So what should my staff do?   

• Ask if something has happened – Could they have fallen and their friends put it down to having a few drinks or just clumsiness (I would too)? Have they slipped (on your floor in your dark venue) and hit their head and instead they have a mild concussion? Some serious head injuries are not always apparent until hours later such as a bleed developing on the brain.  Believe me, this can happen just from falling over and hitting your head.
• Concussion – Eyes can be dilated, the person appears a little sleepy, and speech can seem slurred.
• Ask the person (or their friends) about any medical conditions?
  • A person’s Diabetes if not managed can make the person seem uncooperative and passive-aggressive.  Often likened to drunkenness.
  • Minor epileptic seizures can give the appearance that an individual’s attention has wandered off as has their gaze

• Forgot to take their medication. Or have they been spiked through no fault of their own?

Imagine that you didn’t do any of that and instead called over the Door Supervisor to have them escorted out.  I’ll leave the rest to you to reflect on. Now you see why those business owners are scared.  Scared that they will get a letter from a solicitor representing a family of that customer you throw out on the street whilst trying to deal with their medical condition.

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I’m not going to go into the whole debate about taking ownership of yourself and your actions and how much negligence the venue could be blamed for, that is beyond the scope of this post.

However, I will gladly remind business owners they must do what they can in terms of practicality and training is a big part of that proactive approach I‘m always happy to remind you of.

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An Anaphylactic rant!!

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I need to talk about allergens because unfortunately I find myself consulting with clients who run pubs, restaurants or cafes’ and I keep hearing well meaning Managers telling me the same thing. They place the emphasis on the customer to tell them about their allergy.  Whilst the Law and local authorities will agree that the customer is part of this situation, my disappointment lies with the business when I see poor policies about communication but they feel are adequate. 

The title should warn you – I need to get something off my chest but before I do let’s look at why businesses must take their customers’ allergy very seriously.

The 2 links show what can happen through poor communication but in one story it ended up being catastrophic.   

https://www.theguardian.com/society/2016/may/23/restaurant-owner-mohammed-zaman-guilty-of-manslaughter-of-peanut-allergy-customer

https://www.chroniclelive.co.uk/news/north-east-news/dobson–parnell-restaurant-fined-17033100

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Imagine running a food business and your customer is dead hours later because of your policies or you simply forgot!!  And I’m not talking about the fines, reputation to your business and potential manslaughter charges but how you would feel morally?

I feel my rant has started!!

In the UK there are 14 major allergens from food that are responsible for most reactions we see in the population and it is estimated that over 2.6 million adults have food allergies. I’ll let the figures speak for themselves but needless to say it’s certain they will include your customers.  About 10 deaths are reported each year in the UK from a severe allergic reaction called Anaphylaxis

We offer the Level 3 Emergency First Aid course and ensure Anaphylaxis is discussed so that your staff know how to assist a customer who may not be able to help themselves.   

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The Law (I feel Food Business Owners don’t know about)

Food Allergen Laws are basically about providing information to consumers. Food Information Regulation 2014 (reg 5) enforces businesses to provide information that is “readily discernible.”

Earlier I expressed my disappointment with Food business owners with the way customers are encouraged to inform of their own allergy.  Often menus are used and say something like –  “Please consult a member of staff if you have any allergies.”

 The amount of times I see this in small font at the bottom of a menu but any food offers are in large print and obvious.  Time to do my rant voice.    My message to business owners –  SERIOUSLY !! It looks like you are putting profit over safety. 

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The 3 C’s of Allergen Safety

The 3 C’s is something I teach on Food Safety training courses- Contamination, Cleaning and Communication but since I am having a rant it’s –  Communication, Communication, Communication!!.  Afterall if that one isn’t working then good luck with the other two.

So lets rant on about communication – big breath!

Communication

Put simply, your communication should be focussed front of house to staff and customers and back of house to staff and suppliers. 

• Menus are typically used to communicate to customers and serve as a reminder to talk to staff about your allergy. As I have already mentioned the message is often in small print so increase the font size and give more thought to where on the menu this should be placed. We read from left to right so it seems to me that your allergy message should be on the left side and I think it should be one of the first things a customer should read.
• If your menu is choc a bloc with tempting offers resulting in a tiny squeezed message about allergies then instead add a tent card (easy to clean too) that asks customers to discuss their allergy. Place it stand alone for maximum attention and then between customers staff are trained to replace it back where it can be easily seen (not amongst menus and condiments etc).
• Use your staff to remind customers to think allergy. How easy is that and yet I rarely see it. (I feel my rant voice coming on).  Whilst taking a drinks order or explaining ordering procedures to customers you can embed a reminder about allergies.  Whether this is directing them to the notice on the menus or the tent card you made.  By the time you’ve directed customers to the menu or card you may as well say something like – “Whilst you’re deciding what to choose from the menu could I just draw your attention to this tent card?”     “If you need to talk to us about any food allergies I’d be happy to help”

This approach reinforces the training and keeps the staff pro-active.

• For buffets it’s a must that everything has its own label clearly displayed for customers to read.
• How many seconds does it take to pull a pint of beer? That’s the amount of time you have to bring up the allergy question for any customers ordering food over the bar. Easy!! Unfortunately, when consulting with businesses I keep getting told that they don’t have time for that. Seriously ? But you always have time to ask a customer if the wine they want is a large or the gin a double. I’ll say it again, is sounds like you are putting profit over safety.

Check your EPOS system, can it be programmed to list the ingredients in each meal?   

• In kitchens I often see a large recipe matrix displayed on a wall. The 14 allergens listed and the meals you serve with a simple tick against each allergen if it is in that meal. Of course keep this updated if you change the recipe, use a wipeable board. Even large print signs in the dry store put onto food storage containers saying- Think Allergen! 
• Chef’s cards are a great way to communicate to the front of house staff. The waiting staff can take these to customers and see al of the ingredients themselves.
• With your suppliers what diligence do you have on them? There’s no reason why you should audit their business as part of the process when choosing a supplier in the first place. No doubt you will be focussed on the price of their products but remember what I said earlier about putting profit over safety.  When auditing a supplier ask to see their staff training, cleaning procedures, how they stop contamination etc.  They should be happy to show you this if they are reputable.  Do a Google search to check they don’t show up in the news.  In particular I would want to know how they deal with making changes with their recipes and how that is communicated to you (if it even is). Maybe these changes are on their website?     

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Training

Staff must have food safety training and allergies should have been discussed however it is possible not enough time was spent on allergy controls especially if staff attended a half day awareness course. Remember training is an on going process and shouldn’t stop just because staff have a certificate.  Businesses should capture their communication with their staff as part of their diligence in any case so embedding in discussion on allergens is vital in my opinion.

Whilst employed in Hotel Management I would allocate a 15 minute slot when I knew we had quiet time, this was typically between a breakfast and lunch shift. I would have all staff in a group “huddle” with 1 or 2 topics to discuss (often with some delights from the breakfast buffet and fresh coffee for all staff attending).  So when is your quiet time… probably just before you open your doors to customers? I’d highly recommend you use that time to focus on your staff. Use this time to talk about allergies and remind them of their responsibilities (placing of the tent cards, talking to customers etc).  Ask staff questions to check they understand and remember to capture this and ask all attendees to sign.  It really is that simple. I reject some opinions that this is just a paper exercise. Instead think of the positives that can come out of the time you just spent with your staff (and hopefully they will remember those treats and fresh coffee you prepared for them all). It’s about creating a health and safety culture and the morality of protecting people.

Let’s stop and think for a moment!  You created a Word document to capture the staff training in your team huddle and talked about staff procedures for allergens over 15 minutes.  Was that worth it?

I really do hope you appreciate my message on the importance of communication with allergen controls.  Keep the conversation on going and it will become your normal.

Oh and the answer to the beer question earlier in the blog is….. 10 seconds.

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Preparing for an EHO Visit to your Food Business

 

With Covid-19 now on the list of hazards that food businesses face have you planned how you will protect the food from this contamination?  

When an Environmental Health Officer (EHO) visits your food premises they have key areas on their mind influenced from The Food Hygiene Regulations 2005. When I teach Food Safety these are discussed during training.

Key areas they will focus on include

• The premises
• Business records
• Training
• Safety procedures particular to your business

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Premises

As some Managers tell me, by the time an EHO enters the premises they have already had a look around the back.

The state of your premises is what’s known as a prerequisite when producing safe food. In other words EHO’s will expect you to keep the premises in good repair at all times. The state of your floors, walls and ceilings are part of the inspection.  Are they in good repair and clean? Does their design lend itself to easy cleaning? Although it isn’t against the law to use tiles they will be harder to clean in the long term and they are bound to crack at some point which means dirt, bacteria and even pests will persist there.  Stainless steel is ideal for work surfaces but if you do use wood surfaces they must be hard wearing as outlined below.

Let’s face it, if you’re place looks a mess then you’re hardly giving the inspector a good impression.

What should I choose?

• Hard wearing
• Non porous
• Non slip
• Light coloured
• Chemical resistant
• Coved

 

For  further advice on which type of flooring to use visit www.floortech.co.uk

Your inspector will check you have running hot and cold water, hand wash facilities are adequate, drainage and importantly capable extraction to reduce any build up of condensation.  Toilets are suitable and in good repair. To ensure easy cleaning your equipment such as chest freezers should be easy to move or as the Law states “be easy to clean and easy to keep clean.”

They will check that the place is secure from pests gaining entry. The outside perimeter of your venue can be part of the inspection process and how tidy are your outside bins?

In summary your premises should be easy to clean and easy to keep clean – Why?  If not then it is likely the premises itself will contaminate the food you produce. Allowing food to become contaminated is illegal!

 

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Business records

Any EHO will ask to see your records.  It is vital to keep records as it will support any diligence defence should you face prosecution and mitigate any enforcement action against you. As we say in Health and Safety “if you don’t write it down then it doesn’t happen.”  Having records of your procedures etc holds the business accountable and besides you would be operating illegally without them.

It is a legal requirement to have a Food Safety Management system in place (called HACCP) and for small catering businesses “Safer Food Better Business” is ideal.

Make sure you keep all Food Safety records separate to any other Health and Safety records you have – different Acts of Law and I’m sure it will keep your EHO happy if they can easily navigate through your records.

An EHO reading through your records is essentially getting to know what you actually do in your working environment so then if they don’t match up to how the place looks then you will have a problem.  E.g.  suppliers’ list is out of date? How can you trace back if you have any safety concerns?

What kind of records should I keep?

• Suppliers’ list
• Training records
• Cleaning schedules 
• Allergens and traceability
• Temperature checks
• Pest measures
• Contamination controls
• Maintenance

For small catering businesses these records (and others) will make up your HACCP system – a legal requirement.  

Just remember experienced EHO can spot when records look contrived, it’s not that hard and on some occasions I have noticed records with my own clients that I feel doubtful about. They look as if they have been filled out in a hurry, backdated in the same writing style etc.  Some of these records are working documents and should be completed daily as part of your routine. 

NOTE: Food businesses need to be operating with Covid-19 measures in place so in addition have a completed risk assessment and staff trained on these measures.

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Training

Of course training will make up your business records and be part of your HACCP system but I wanted to highlight some points.

By Law, food safety training is a requirement for all food handlers but it must be commensurate to the job. Level 2 would be adequate for most staff but I frequently come across the senior person in the kitchen with the same level.  Level 3 Food Safety training would be correct as this training reflects their role and responsibility.  Remember the law states training and not a qualification so you could potentially save cost by completing an e learning course.  Completed training courses last 3 years when Managers should retrain their staff.

Check out our food safety e courses and you can even try before you buy and complete a free module.  This will give you a chance to check the quality e learning platforms we use. 

It’s normal for businesses to have staff attend training with staff certificates being stored for diligence purposes but very often I find myself asking Managers what else do you do to ensure staff are competent in their job? Training should be an on-going process, that doesn’t mean keep attending courses but when I worked as a Manager in Hospitality I would have short staff meetings and always include topics relevant to their job.  They would literally take 15 mins, on topics such as reminding staff to record the fridge temperature, remind customers to look at the allergen info or use the provided torch in the dry store to check for pest evidence.  These staff meetings would get recorded and stored in the training section of my file.

If you need any help on providing short training sessions to your staff get in touch.  I can provide you with suitable topics and provide you with ideas on how to make the session effective.

 

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Food safety procedures

Put simply this is what you and your staff actively do on shift to keep food safe from contamination. During the inspection your staff will be working and the EHO will notice how they work. They may well ask staff some questions which they should know the answers to (remember earlier how I spoke about the importance of on-going training – you will impress the EHO if your staff have all the answers).

What will they be looking for?

• Staff cleanliness and PPE being worn
• Separate areas for staff to work e.g. raw and cooked foods
• Is your fridge clean, suitably stored with stock control in evidence
• Dry storage is clean and food is protected from contamination
• Adequate number of clean bins
• Cleaning chemicals are suitable for use in food rooms and stored away from food.
• Any suitable signage on display (E.g. Handwash, use of correct chopping boards etc).
• Critical control points – esp temperature controls
• Suitable workflow (if achievable)

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Conclusion

Environmental Health Officers must uphold the Law so if they see any sub standard practices which could endanger the food you produce they WILL action it.  Improvement Notices or even Closure are amongst the powers they possess.  Work with them and show a positive attitude as they enter. If they do find any small faults then you will be given the chance to fix it, so ask them for advice but do action it quickly.  Invite them back in yourself. Show you are making an effort and learn from your mistakes.

See the inspection as a challenge to keeping the 5 stars you have worked hard to achieve, it will become a normal part of your daily routine in no time.  

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Risk Assessment has its very own hazard – Perception and Complacency!

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A lot of my activity at the moment is consulting with the Hospitality Sector and Covid-19. It sounds perplexing and I’ll be honest I’d rather complete a risk assessment on something like DSE or Manual Handling than a virus.  I can see the workstation and the person using it which is a good place to start. Although this is a new Coronavirus it still behaves like other virus’s so completing risk assessments for Covid-19 aren’t as tricky as I would have thought. Most venues don’t have to spend too much money and make adjustments with their practical measures.

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Duty of Employers

The term “reasonably practicable” comes from the Health and Safety at Work Act and is the most often used duty for Employers to keep their workplaces safe and reduce the risk of accidents and harm occurring. Its about taking a pragmatic approach and thinking about common sense.    

This Coronavirus is a new hazard and yet think about the measures you will have put in place to reduce the chance of catching it. Looking back you will have a range of measures and the ones you have will be practical and even common sense now you have stopped and thought about it. 

I don’t like quoting the phrase “reasonably practicable” whilst consulting with business owners or managers as it feels a bit too “Health and Safety.”  I mean, chances are I have a clipboard so let’s not look too stereotypical. 

I prefer talking about what is likely to happen so the questions I ask the business are –

• What does your common sense tell you? (You really think an accident or incident will happen).
• What do you think will happen if you do nothing?

Now we have a conversation going because any experienced business owner will know their own workplace and can anticipate how any harm or accidents will occur.   So next time you are in the position of risk assessing your own workplace hazards just ask yourself those two questions.  

Sound simple?  I think so, but then I would say that considering it’s my job. 

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So what’s the big problem?

Perception and complacency!  Apparently we all don’t think the same which means we won’t all have the same common sense. One person might see danger and then another see’s very little risk. Another big issue in my opinion when consulting with businesses is complacency.  People don’t see what has been in front of them the whole time – it’s human nature.

The term “likelihood” is used in risk assessment process and it is a problem.  When I teach risk assessment and we discuss this term a common response is the accident is unlikely to happen. Why? Because it’s never happened before.  That does sound a fair way to think but as a business it’s a mistake. The accident only needs to happen once!!  I’ll say it again – It only needs to happen once!!

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Once it has happened then presumably a person has been hurt, and what if it’s a life changing incident? What impact does that have on that person never mind the business? So once is enough.

In short businesses don’t always see what’s around them or just think it won’t happen. Don’t ask me how many propped open fire doors I see.  Let me give you some other examples.

• During a walkabout with staff and Managers on their premises, whilst delivering some Fire Safety training I stopped and asked about the risk staring us all in the face. I was confident they would easily answer my question – I was wrong.  No one could see the blocked fire door by staff who were, from the outside, sitting on chairs, smoking across the doorway.  Admittedly it was funny at the time and Managers did laugh, explaining how long this had been happening.  On my next visit the staff now have a new smoking area.
• Another business provides alcoholic drinks for a Friday afternoon. We all love that Friday feeling and I appreciate the sentiment, but I had to do the tough love and ask just one question. “Do staff then all drive home?” It had the desired effect (and then I drivelled on about how good the alcohol free products are these days).

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How do I get around human nature and complacency?

Get a fresh pair of eyes to look at the situation. In my view it’s a mistake to complete risk assessments on your own with no other input.  Another work colleague could help but again asking another person that works in the same place who might of been part of the problem – I mean they didn’t spot the hazards either.  In fact I’d encourage you to assess your workplace hazards with your staff, they will know the place very well too (always great to include your staff on workplace issues).

Sometimes it really is just a case that businesses aren’t aware of the Laws on Health and Safety as I often find with say DSE assessments. See my other blog when I chatted about DSE – not everyone realises its importance.

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So what should you do?

That’s where I come in.  A fresh pair of eyes with Health and Safety knowledge and some tough love.  It’s my job to tell it how it is when it comes to how the law works.  Asking the tough questions, being honest in my feedback can be an eye opener to business owners even if they don’t like what I have to say. I’d be negligent if I sugar coated the safety issues facing businesses and down played the likeliness of harm occurring which can lead to claims against you.

Other pragmatic solutions that are achievable and can protect you from complacency

• Regular staff meetings with health and safety on the agenda (on every meeting). Everyone has time for a monthly meeting. You’d be surprised at how many Health and Safety topics you can chat to your staff about.
• Invite a staff member to take the lead with Health and Safety. I know your staff will have been trained but how long ago did they complete the training (e.g. Food Safety is typically every 3 years). Encourage COVID Champions, First Aiders, Fire Wardens – these are all pragmatic.

 

And many other ways.

Whether it’s COVID, DSE of First Aid, I’d be happy to visit your premises and have a chat  – asking questions and have a good look about.  I teach Risk Assessment so I’d like to think you are in good hands and I promise to tell you how it is!!

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Defibrillators – Could you use one?

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Would you know how to use a defibrillator? Most clients in my First Aid classes admit they wouldn’t touch it with a barge pole with common reasons why including;

• What if I do it wrong?
• What if I kill them?
• I’ll get sued
• I’m not trained

All legitimate objections to a machine that can deliver up to 1000 volts, depending on what your heart is doing at the time.

• They’re dead already so it can’t get any worse
• You’re highly unlikely to get sued
• The chances are you will do a good job following the defibrillators’ simple instructions
• Neither are the rest of us.

If you stop and think about it, if a defibrillator was too complex to use would they be dotted around the local community for public use?

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What’s the chances that where you live or where you work there is one hanging out on a wall. They tend to be bright green or yellow as the photo below shows.  Next time you see one, go take a look. 

Can you read the “ TO OPEN IN AN EMERGENCY” on the photo?

 It says….

1. Call 999
2. Keep calm & follow instructions
3. Tell the operator you are at location ……. On the photo there is a small black box- that’s the location code. 
4. Tell the operator that unlock code. Then as quick as you can (and safely) get back to the emergency where the first aider is still giving CPR.   

Think you could manage that? Easy to say on this blog I know but keep focussed on your actions and less time on thinking on the emergency and how your feeling.  Remember, you are trying to save someone’s life, you’re pretty awesome right now!!

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Use of a defibrillator is now a mandatory part of the syllabus for First Aid training courses.  When teaching defibrillation everyone in the class can see the how to switch it on. It’s common sense. Trust me, you will know. 

It’s then just a case of following the basic instructions (I can hear you all now – Well you would say that as a First Aid instructor).  All I can say is that when my learners operate the defib, they do a good job on the important aspects such as –

• Correct pad placement – this is important so that the machine can accurately analyse the casualties heart rhythm. Just look at the machine’s pictures -they are probably lit up telling you where to put them.
• Stand clear when instructed to do so by the Defib – A defib will shock a casualties heart if it detects the correct rhythm but it needs to only read one heart and if anyone else happens to be still touching the casualty, the defib is sensitive and accurate enough to pick up that heart too. So stand clear and let it do it’s job.

Defibrillators are considered expert at heart analysis. When a heart goes into something called ventricular fibrillation – sudden cardiac arrest – it kills you but the defib can stop that and shock your heart back into a nice regular beat. They also know when your heart has stopped.  This is why they are called (de)fibrillators, to take the heart out of fibrillation.

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On courses, something I always highlight is the importance of people working together with this machine. There are things we can do that the defib can’t and vice versa.  So whilst it can analyse heart rhythms and send a powerful shock to reset the heart, it can’t check to see if a person has started breathing again and it can’t perform CPR if the shock doesn’t work. First Aider and defib working together.

There are lots of different models of defibrillator on the market and they all operate in much the same way – slow, clear and concise instructions, repeating the command if you haven’t completed it yet. 

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It’s satisfying to hear the person on my First Aid course telling me they wouldn’t hesitate to use it once they have had a go.  The fear goes with the realisation of how simple they really are. 

Our First Aid courses teach more life skills. Take a look at the First Aid Courses here.

We understand with COVID still floating around in the community face to face courses may not sound appealing. In these cases our e-learning First Aid can be a convenient option. This will give you all of the theory topics and the remaining practical elements arranged with our tutors for face to face teaching. This will take approximately 90 minutes.    

 I don’t know about you but if I saved a life it’s time for the pub and celebrate how great I am!

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Homeworking, Posture & DSE

 

Is DSE enough for an Employers’ Duty of Care?

Probably not but my own view is individuals (employees) should be looking after themselves and take responsibility just as much as Employers, especially whilst they are homeworking.  The benefits are endless and maybe if you did think about your posture you’d get less of a lecture from me during training sessions. Win-Win!  I can’t help think with the on going pandemic of Covid-19, poor posture is just like another pandemic but this one has been around much longer. 

Home working and posture.

For those of us that work in an office you will be aware of the hazards faced when sitting for long periods of time.  Employers will know of the issues and buy suitable chairs, pads to cushion your wrist when using a mouse and perhaps a step placed under the table for leg adjustment.  But you’re homeworking and you can do what you want right?  Yes you can but surely you would want to look after yourself and your Employer still has a duty of care to you.  And how many businesses haven’t thought about following DSE (Display Screen Equipment) Regulations? Be warned if attending a session on Manual Handling or Display Screen Equipment then at some point I will go into “lecture mode.”  Highlighting to everyone the importance of being conscious about your posture.  I would say approximately 50% of people on my courses will tell me about aches and pains they experience, with 90% admitting they do not think about their posture at all never mind during working hours. 

If we’re not thinking about it, what are the consequences? 

Musculoskeletal Disorders (MSD’s) are one of the main reasons why people take sickness leave. I guess in evolutionary terms, as humans, we still can’t find a comfortable sitting position for several hours each day without a consequence.  MSD’s commonly include repetitive strain injury, lower back pain, aches around the shoulders and neck etc and have long term effects.  During training sessions I do get passionate about how we have known about these issues for a very long time and yet most of us suffer from MSD’s at some point.

For Employers.  

Employers can’t stop their staff from ageing but they can take practical steps as outlined in the Display Screen Equipment Regulations 1992.  If you work with a computer, laptop, tablet and even a mobile phone (any device really) as part of your daily work activities for any length of time then staff must be assessed for the risks I have already mentioned.  Personally this is a no brainer. Costs to a business for sick leave compared to some careful thought when purchasing adjustable chairs, foot pedals, suitable lighting etc, will be worth the investment.  It’s about ergonomics – just fit the workstation to suit the person.  This is where DSE training can help.  

What about staff working from home?

Even if you are working at home with DSE for long periods of time an employer still has a duty of care. It is recommended in these situations to allow staff to take the training (a requirement of DSE Regulation). Employers can then use a DSE risk assessment that focusses on the individual which we can supply after successful completion of training. Use this for home working too. This will identify any areas that need addressing – remember this should be done for each member of staff so ask the employee to complete it themselves.  Employers can’t be held totally responsible for the behaviour of their staff when they are working at home but they must make any reasonable adjustments where practicable.

• Can employees make use of work equipment and take it home – e.g. mouse, wrist pads, even the adjustable chair, PC shelf etc Encourage more breaks. 
• Don’t expect staff to work 8 hours at their desks when working from home.
• Lower any targets that they should achieve
• Encourage other activities – time spent with family etc
• Insist that staff don’t use their couch as their desk, where possible.
• Employers can make use of seat cushions to aid posture.

 

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Last time I checked it was priced at £27.00 (July 2020). Affordable for any Employer and I have found these excellent.

See the link here

 

For the workplace I do love these… height adjustable desks or “sit to stand” desks.  

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Lecture time (sorry but I did warn you).

Consider your life away from work. Do you play any sports, enjoy hobbies – gardening, running, a climbing wall etc which puts strain on your body?  Looking after your posture is looking after your life.  Make it your personal project.   If you have good posture life is just easier when you next walk up all of those stairs at work or transfer several bags of groceries into the boot of the car.  I admit I didn’t think about my posture either however as a long-term tennis player (mean backhand) I developed issues with my shoulder and then after some advice from my physio I started to take notice.  A bit of brain training was required such as post-it messages on the dash-board of the car or on my fridge at home reminding me about posture and pop up reminders on my smart phone.   

My point is although your Employer has a duty of care in relation to your manual handling and when using display screen equipment you have to take personal responsibility.

 

Where do stretches come into it?

Wow!!  That was my reaction two weeks into attending Pilates classes at my local gym as advised by my Physio. Harder than it looks but our instructor had levels for everyone.  Stretching really is amazing (we all know it) and my core strength is far better.  Just going about doing every day things is now just easier and I feel like I expend less energy.

Working at home? Easy.  If we stretch regularly it will strengthen your core and as I said earlier those day to day things become easier.

You can find YouTube videos and do a 10 minute stretch routine at beginners’ level and I’m sure there are Zoom classes too. Perfect excuse to get away from your desk.  Try 1 through the morning and another in the afternoon.

Of course, if you have any injuries, consider whether it is wise to do these. What’s the chance if you’re working at home you will be in loose clothes already!!

 

Take a look.

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We have DSE e-learning training for businesses

There are courses for employees and a course for managers who need to assess their staffs’ workstation and equipment.  These are short courses, so you wont be sitting for too long (on your new chair support) and save your progress anytime say, if you want to the 10 minute stretch workout video I mentioned. 

For courses visit our E-Learning page 

For any Managers who complete the course we can send you out a DSE document completely free and you can use it to assess your staff.

Ask us about discounts for group bookings.  

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Do you know the signs of a Heart Attack?

According to BUPA UK, 175,000 heart attacks occur in the UK every year. So it’s no surprise that a heart attack (or Myocardial Infarction) is one of the leading causes of death.

On average, men suffer more heart attacks than women. And there can be gender differences in the symptoms too.But what are the signs of a heart attack? And what should you do when someone is having one?

That’s what we’re going to look at now. Let’s get started.

The Signs of a Heart Attack

What is the main sign of a heart attack?

It’s chest pain, right? Well, you’re technically not wrong. But you’re not 100% right either. There can be no chest pain, or a silent attack.

The important thing to mention about chest pain and heart attacks is that although the person affected is having problems in their chest area, it isn’t actually painful. What you need to listen out for instead is when someone says their chest “feels heavy”, or “like someone is sitting on my chest” which means it takes a lot of effort to take a breath.

Back Pain and Heart Attacks

When delivering First Aid courses to people who have helped someone who has had a heart attack, many people give a different answer: back pain.

This worries me. Mainly because the majority of people I teach are in the care industry who, because of the hard and tireless work they do, often suffer from back problems already. And more broadly, most of us have back problems in some way or another.

Why does this worry me? A heart attack is a medical emergency and every second counts. So imagine the damage done by delaying putting out a call because a heart attack is mistaken for back pain. This might seem shocking, but I probably hear about this delay once a month on First Aid courses – far too often for my liking.

So, please, if you spot any of the other symptoms then do not delay in calling 999.

Other Symptoms

The other typical signs around heart attack are:

– Shock based (Cardiogenic)
– Lack of oxygen (Cyanosis)

In these cases, you will see colour changes on a person’s face. They’ll go pale, will look cold and have bluish lips.

Differences Between Men and Women

Although men and women can show the same symptoms of heart attack, I have spoken to several nurses who explain their experiences with women.

Typically, women get a dull pain in their arm, which then shoots up across their shoulders, neck, and then their jawline. The pain isn’t that intense either.  For this reason, it is more likely that a heart attack in women can go unnoticed than in a man.

If your work colleague or a family member is feeling unwell, goes pale, sweaty and experiences pain around their upper body – make a call to get advice.

Angina Attack

I can’t talk about heart attacks without mentioning Angina – which often isn’t a medical emergency. The tricky thing with angina attacks is that the symptoms can be identical to a heart attack, such as heaviness on the chest, pain in the arms, shoulders, neck and jaw.

How Can You Tell The Difference?

There are two differences that may help you decide:

1. Angina attacks calm down naturally (after about ten minutes), but a heart attack won’t.
2. Heart attacks start suddenly without warning, but an angina attack will not.

Angina attacks can be caused by things like:

• Anything that increases a person’s breathing rate such as
• Exercise
• Long walks
• Carrying heavy objects etc

Common sense usually prevails in these situations. What you’ll find is that your natural instincts will kick in. You’ll intuitively either know if someone is having a serious heart attack, or you’ll ask questions to help you find out.

Ask the patient “what happened?” or “do you take any medication?”

By asking these questions you will find out if it came on after exercise (meaning it could be Angina) and if they have medication, such as a spray or tablet. If they do, it’s likely they have been diagnosed with Angina already.

Angina Medication

Angina medication is fast-acting – sometimes doing its job in 1-2 minutes. GTN will have virtually no impact if they are having a heart attack.  On all of my First Aid courses, I will always state-call 999 if by the second spray from their GTN medication it doesn’t seem to have any impact.

Just remember what I said as a word of caution though – a heart attack can look the same. 

For that reason, let common sense prevail and call 999 or 111 for help and advice. 

Likewise, if their medication doesn’t seem to be helping then don’t hesitate to make the call.      

What About Aspirin?

In general, aspirin is worth giving to the casualty if a heart attack is suspected, but things are not always that simple.

Aspirin thins the blood (and as a result thins the blood clot that is causing the attack) providing relief. Dispersible Aspirin is best as it gets into the bloodstream faster.

It’s important to note the aspirin won’t stop a heart attack.

Before administering aspirin, get permission from the ambulance controller (the calls are recorded) and get permission from the casualty also. Check with them that it is okay for them to take aspirin and that it won’t have any side effects – something that should have been discussed on the emergency call already.

To make it clear: you cannot give someone aspirin without getting their consent first.

Typically, this is how qualified professionals will advise:

1. Give the aspirin to the casualty and allow them to take it themselves (as a first aider you shouldn’t dispense medication).
2. Encourage them to place the tablet under their tongue and NOT to chew it. 300 mg is great or thereabouts. Let their saliva break down the tablet naturally.    

To Summarise

Every second counts when someone has had a heart attack, so if you’re in any doubt, call 999 immediately. Better safe than sorry.

If you were surprised by anything you’ve read here, see how many of these first aid myths you thought were facts are actually wrong.

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