Be Safe at Christmas

Be Safe at Christmas Be Cool at Yule!!
Isn’t this a great time of year? The busy shops, the decorated houses, the excited children and the feel good factor that life will be great in the year to come! Well, that’s how I feel, but there is a shadow that sometime hangs over Christmas both in the workplace and at home – the shadow of “THOU SHALT NOT” which is based on the myth that health and safety rules, regulations or guidelines are there to stop you from having fun. Yes, it’s the old “Bah humbug” syndrome! Now, I am a happy-go-lucky sort of chap – someone who enjoys good company and loves seeing others having a laugh at this time of the year. I am not part of the “thou shalt not” brigade – even though I am a Health and Safety consultant! You won’t hear me saying:“don’t put up those decorations without first doing an in-depth and detailed method statement!” or :”before we have the office party, a full and extensive risk assessment should be done on every party game or activity that might happen!” Why, I hear you ask ? Can this be true? – a H&S professional being so lax in his duties to protect and serve, to uphold subsection 46 of the obscure “thingamabob” regulations, and to generally stop anyone and everyone enjoying themselves. It’s not that I don’t take my job seriously or that I don’t give two hoots – but I live in the real world – where people have accidents, take risks and things do go wrong. The difference is that what I, and the vast majority of H&S professionals do is take a measured approach advising the use of reasonable and sensible precautions. By all means put up those decorations in the office, but use a step ladder instead of your unstable and fully rotational office chair! People have often said to me – ‘Oh, you’ll need to be doing a risk assessment for that’ – and sometimes that has been the case. Many people can get hung up on these words – risk and assessment, as a perceived metaphor for longwinded, pointless bits of paper. I would have to disagree with that viewpoint – they are necessary – in a written format for all sorts of issues such as Fire, DSE, Manual handling and many process-driven activities but they are not necessary for everything. I once trained some student nursery nurses who told me that they didn’t have a clue about how to risk assess and had never done it before. I proved to them that they had been doing just that every day of their lives from a very young age - all they hadn’t been doing was writing it down. I guess that’s where H&S professionals come in - helping people to record on paper what the hazard is, who might be harmed, what is done already to prevent harm, additional steps required. We make sure everything is recorded in such a way that it is easy to read and we aim to set up a review process to check that all remains in order. So, when looking at your activities over the Christmas period, THINK: do I need to assess and plan this activity? Do I need to complete a written assessment? In the case of those office decorations, most of the time the answer would be no – but, if you are attaching a huge inflatable snowman, with the words “SANTA PLEASE STOP HERE” on the side of your two- storey building using a cherry picker, perhaps it’s time to either put your H&S training to good use and complete a risk assessment / method statement or call in the experts and we at PES would be only too happy to assist you. Have a happy, safe and accident-free Christmas and we wish you, your families and your businesses every success for 2010.
Top Tips for a Safe Yuletide – for at home or in work
Decorations
• Take care of your fairy lights. Check the wire is undamaged and the plug has been attached properly. Replace any blown bulbs as soon as possible and consider fitting a Residual Current Device (RCD) to protect against electric shocks.

• When putting up decorations, take care not to stand on anything unstable. If you're decorating an office, don't stand on swivel chairs. If you're using a stepladder ensure it has an even base and is not damaged. Even falling from a small height can cause serious injury. Be aware of what you are attaching your decorations to, some office ceiling tiles still contain asbestos, which should not be disturbed.
• NEVER leave a burning candle unattended. Keep them away from curtains, Christmas cards and any other combustible materials.
• If you're decorating an office, remember to keep all fire exits clear of obstructions. Take care not to obstruct fire alarm sensors as this may result in false alarms or no alarms at all.
• Only use fairy lights outside if they are made for such use; indoor lights will not be safe outdoors. Always switch off fairy lights before you go out or go to bed, they're not intended for continuous use. Make sure that they are completely off before leaving work on Christmas Eve.
Christmas Trees
• Try to locate Christmas trees near to electrical sockets so that fairy light wires do not trail across the floor and present a trip hazard. Don't overload electrical sockets with extra multi-point plugs and ensure all appliances have the correct fuses fitted.
• Tinsel and artificial trees should be fire retardant and kept at least three feet away from open fires.
• If you're going to have a real tree, ensure it doesn't dry out, as it will become easily flammable. Cut an extra inch from the bottom of the tree to allow it to "drink" easily. Stand it in water but make sure it is stable and won't fall over.
General tips
• Keep small decorations away from young children. Take care with wrapping waste and balloons as these can present a choking hazard.
• Be careful storing and opening presents. Do not store any heavy items on high shelves or on top of wardrobes. Don't use kitchen knives to open presents and only use the proper tools to assemble toys and other gifts.
• Take care if you are cooking this Christmas. Try to keep work surfaces clear, be careful with boiling water, hot fat and sharp knives. You may wish to ask other people to stay out of the kitchen while you're cooking.
Neil Maidman – Consultant PES South West Wales