Welcome to our September newsletter!

From this Newsletter you will find information on:

·?????? Health and Safety – manufacturing inspections regarding silica

·?????? Health and Safety – HSE site inspections focusing on moving and handling materials

·?????? The Strikes (Minimum Service Level) Act

·?????? Taking Time off for dependants

·?????? Our new partner Assured Health and Protection Ltd

·?????? and some team news!

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Health and Safety – manufacturing inspections regarding silica

HSE inspectors have undertaken an inspection initiative focusing on businesses where materials containing silica are used. This is part of the HSE’s Dust Kills campaign.

Silica is a natural substance found in stones, rocks, sand, and clay. These materials can contain large amounts of silica particles, which can be fatal if breathed in over time.

See our blog for more information on The Risks Of Breathing In Harmful Substances

Employers have the responsibility to assess the degree of exposure and risks to the employees and to implement control measures. To control fumes and dust you should:

1.?????? Eliminate the cause

2.?????? Substitute the working practice with a safer one

3.?????? Control the process

4.?????? Use LEV systems

5.?????? Use PPE to reduce risks

You can find out more about PPE Requirements and Adequate Ventilation in the Workplace from our blog.

Wurkplace Health and Safety clients will have received an information sheet on fume and dust control in August 2023.

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Health and Safety – HSE site inspections focusing on moving and handling materials

Starting from early September 2023, the HSE will start undertaking construction site inspections. The aim will be to ensure that workers’ health is being protected from risks associated with moving and handling materials.

The inspectors will be looking for evidence that the employers and workers:

1.?????? Know the risks

2.?????? Plan their work to eliminate or substitute the risks

3.?????? Use the right controls where elimination and substitution are not possible.

As an employer, you should ensure that all manual handling taking place is necessary and cannot be eliminated or substituted. Necessary manual handling must have a risk assessment associated with it. All staff doing the manual handling must be trained on how to do it properly.

We offer an Online Manual Handling Training Course which can be useful in training your staff. You can also find Tips on Manual Handling and some Essential Health and Safety for Small Businesses and Startups from our blog.

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Taking Time off to Care for Dependants

September is here which means it is back to school season. For parents, this can mean taking care of their kids as they have picked up yet another bug from school. Employees are entitled to unpaid time off for dependants and as a reminder we will go over some essentials regarding it.

The Time Off for Dependants policy applies if the employee must provide emergency care for a dependent. The employee is allowed to only take off enough time to deal with the immediate emergency, such as taking their dependant to the doctor and arranging their care. Generally, the maximum time off would be a day, but the company can offer more if they feel the circumstances warrant that.?

If you notice that your employee is struggling with balancing taking care of their children and working full time, it might be time to talk to them about flexible working arrangements. It can be helpful for both sides to either temporarily or permanently reduce the working hours or offer a chance to work from home to help employees care for dependents.

Check out our blog for a Guide to Flexible Working or read our post on Top 5 Tips to Support Your Workers Without Childcare.

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The Strikes (Minimum Service Level) Act

In July The Strikes (Minimum Service Level) Act received Royal Assent. This aim ensures that the public has access to essential services while any applicable workers are on strike. It affects workers in the health, education, fire, transport, border security and nuclear decommissioning industries.

After a public consultation the government will set minimum service levels within the key sectors and employers will be able to force employees to work if these are not met.

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Introducing our Partner: Assured Health and Protection Ltd

In August 2023, we introduced our new partner Assured Health and Protection Ltd, founded and directed by Neamh Grierson. They offer expert advice on company practices related to employee health and wellbeing.

All Wurkplace clients are entitled to a free health and wellbeing review with Neamh, who will work with you to create a bespoke report on the processes and practices you offer in your business in relation to employee wellness.

If you would like to register for your free health and wellbeing review don’t hesitate to contact us on? 0330 400 5490 or email [email protected] or [email protected]

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Team News

It has been a busy few months in Wurkplace. In the summer we welcomed a new team member to the team – Herbert. He is a very good boy and the cutest office puppy you can ask for!

In October 2023 we are also welcoming new team member Louise to help with any HR questions that you may have. We are looking forward to having her on the Wurkplace team!

Finally, in September 2023 we are saying ‘see you soon!’ (note: not ‘goodbye!’) to our HR Consultant Laura who is going on a four month sabbatical to South-East Asia. Wishing her safe travels and we cannot wait to have her back with us in January 2024!

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