Since we last sent you a news letter, we have moved offices. Please note our new address in the Who are QES Connect Ltd? section.

Contents:

• Moving office? We know what it's like!
• COSHH updated
• New European Directive on Vibration
• Hazards in the transport industry

• Environmental management standard updated

As mentioned in the introduction, QES Connect recently went through the upheaval of moving offices. We can therefore speak from experience and say that an office move, or any other premises change can be a disrupting experience. But think how much more disrupting to the business it could be if someone were injured in the process.

All moves like this require planning, and risk assessment needs to be part of the planning. The risk assessment needs to consider three stages:

• What is in place now
• What will be the situation during the changes
• What will be the final state.

In the first stage, we consider what controls are in place to prevent people getting hurt. Then we consider whether any of these will no longer be effective during the transition. If this is the case, there may need to be alternatives put in place. For instance, if the fire alarm system has to be disabled during building works, you may want another means of raising the alarm, such as air horns.

Next, you need to consider what extra hazards are being introduced during the changes. An obvious one is musculo-skeletal injuries because employees are required to move heavy furniture, boxes or computers, but there may be many more. You also need to consider whether there are risks associated with occupying the new premises before all the building work has been completed. In each case, you need to consider whether you have done all that is reasonably practical to prevent anyone from getting hurt, and then plan accordingly.

Finally, you need to think about the new state. Are there new hazards that were not present in the old workplace? Have some of the hazards that were present previously now been eliminated, so some control measures are no longer required? This is not only an opportunity to update your risk assessments, but also to plan for safety before the new premises are occupied.

If you need help with risk assessments for a premises move, please contact QES Connect Ltd. We now have first hand experience, so we can give an independent view that may help avoid problems.

The COSHH regulations were updated at the end of last year by the Control of Substances Hazardous to Health (Amendment) Regulations 2004. The main effect of this amendment as far as most employers are concerned is the replacement of "occupational exposure standards" and "maximum exposure limits" with a single "workplace exposure limit.

The stated aim is to make the concept of occupational exposure limits more easily understood. This change comes into force from 6th April 2005. At the same time, a requirement will be introduced to reduce exposure to as low level as is reasonably practicable for substances that are identified as cancer-causing, or causing heritable genetic damage, or which capable of causing respiratory sensitisation.

All COSHH assessments need to be reviewed periodically, and this change to legislation could be the opportunity to review and update your COSHH assessments.

For assistance with COSHH assessments, and to understand more fully the impact on your business, contact QES Connect Ltd.

The Physical Agents (Vibration) Directive lays down minimum standards for the health and safety of workers exposed to hand-arm and whole-body vibration. Member States have three years from 6 July 2002 to implement the Directive, so it will come into UK law later this year.

Using hand-held power tools can lead to painful and disabling disorders of the blood vessels, nerves, joints and muscles of the hand, etc. known as hand-arm vibration syndrome and vibration white finger. Whole-body vibration comes from riding in vehicles, especially over rough terrain, and is a factor in back pain and injury. In particular, the Directive requires employers, where there is likely to be a risk from vibration exposure, to:

• reduce exposure to a minimum
• provide information and training
• assess exposure levels
• undertake a programme of measures to reduce exposure
• provide appropriate health surveillance when exposure reaches the exposure action value
• keep exposure below the exposure limit value.

Vibration magnitude is usually measured in terms of acceleration in metres per second (m/s2). The exposure values for hand-arm vibration, assuming an 8-hour working day, are:

• exposure action value: 2.5 m/s2 A(8)
• exposure limit value: 5.0 m/s2 A(8).

For whole-body vibration the exposure levels, assuming an 8-hour working day, are:

• exposure action value: 0.5 m/s2 A(8)
• exposure limit value: 1.15 m/s2 A(8).

For more advice on the implications for your business, talk to QES Connect Ltd.

As part of the ongoing process of review of international standards, the International Organisation for Standards (ISO) has revised the standard for environmental management systems, ISO14001. Companies that have already registered to the standard have 18 months from December 2004 to make the necessary changes to their management systems.

If the experience of the ISO9001 transition is anything to go by, this will be an opportunity for companies to update their environmental management systems to make them more user- and business-friendly. If the bureaucracy has put you off applying this standard in your company, maybe this is an opportunity to reconsider.

If you want help with building an environmental management system, or with converting an existing management system to ISO14001:2004, speak to QES Connect Ltd.

Produced by QES Connect Ltd. Except where stated, the material included in the newsletter is taken from freely available public sources. It may be reproduced without permission for non-commercial purposes.