Health and safety: Keep on your toes

It's important to be bang up to date with health and safety regulations, as Phil Mellows reports.

Next week publicans will begin operating under a new licensing regime that brings not only more flexibility but paradoxically also makes greater demands on the controls you put in place as a business. The new licensing authorities will be keeping a much closer watch over your business. They will need to be assured that you are conforming to laws and regulations and hold over you the ultimate sanction - the loss of your licence and the closure of your pub.

At the same time, as you can't fail to have noticed, the weight of that legislation and regulation continues to increase steadily. For instance, new food safety laws come in next January - dealt with in detail on page 23 - and from April 1, 2006, fire certificates issued by the fire brigade will be abolished and individual businesses will become responsible for their own fire safety.

Under the new Regulatory Reform Fire Safety Order inspection of premises could also now be graded to relevant levels of risk, meaning that enforcers will target their resources to meet public safety objectives - and licensed premises where drinkers congregate are likely to be of greatest concern.

The new regulations require you appoint a "responsible person" to take full corporate liability for the effects of a fire. This can be yourself, as an employer in control of a workplace, any other person with that responsibility, for instance your manager, or the owner of the premises.

Where there are five or more people in the workforce the responsible person has to carry out a fire risk assessment and take steps to reduce or remove the risk. A fire risk assessment has to take into consideration the effect a fire may have on anyone in or around the pub and employers will be required to remove or reduce risks on an ongoing basis, to keep a copy of the assessment and to regularly review it.

Fire brigades can advise on, but not carry out, fire risk assessments so it may be a good idea to appoint a trained person - an employee or a consultant - with appropriate skills and experience, to produce a proper audit with recommendations on where and how you need to take action.

This could involve anything from training staff to make sure they know what to do in event of a fire to clearing obstructions on fire escape routes to installing fire doors and alarm systems.

There are a number of specialist consultants out there offering help to businesses in producing a professional safety audit in time for the April legislation, among them Fireco, whose qualified fire officers can carry out a full survey and produce a report with recommendations. It also delivers training in fire risk assessment and supplies fire safety products.

For more information contact Fireco's information hotline - 0870 8500085 - or visit www.firecoltd.com​.

Taking the fall​

Falls are the most common cause of workplace injuries - and they are on the rise. In the food and drink sector alone, falls account for around 3,000 injuries each year, and in 90 per cent of cases the injured person is off work for at least a week.

To highlight the dangers and employers' responsibilities, the Health & Safety Executive (HSE) has launched a campaign called Watch Your Step.

"Slips and trips are often seen as a bit of a joke," says HSE acting chief executive Justin McCracken. "But it is estimated that UK businesses are losing more than £500m a year because of falls at work.

"This is no laughing matter for either the injured party or the business. When absenteeism, insurance, wage and civil liability costs are taken into consideration they can be crippling for a small business."

The campaign is offering both employers and employees advice on how to minimise risks. Go to www.watchyourstep.hse.gov.uk​ or call the helpline 0845 345 0055.