Beauty - SalonHealth&Safety. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Accidents, first aid
safety first
The statement should also contain the details of people in the workforce who are responsible for safety issues. Employees should be given access to this statement and employers should review it on a regular basis. The areas that should be covered in the safety statement are quite specific and are set out in section 20 of the Safety, Health and Welfare at Work Act, 2005.
Once the Safety Statement is complete, don’t just forget about it, workplaces change and you must keep the statement updated as new risks arise. It is recommended that it is reviewed each year.
“A Health and Safety Statement must be reviewed and updated annually or when activities change within a business,” says Áine. “It is paramount that the contents of a Health and Safety Statement are communicated to all staff members and feedback taken into consideration.”
If you employ anyone under the age of 18, you need to carry out a specific risk assessment for each individual which should take into account inexperience. The risk assessment should be carried out before the young person is employed. According the Act, if certain risks are present, including risks that cannot be recognised or avoided by the young person due to factors like lack of experience, the young person should not be employed.
The Health and Safety Authority is responsible for enforcing and promoting safety and health at work. The HAS inspectors are available to give advice and information during the course of the inspection too. However, they also have a wide range of enforcement powers that can be used in appropriate circumstances. The inspector can serve you with a notice if you fail to comply with the law – an Improvement Notice gives a period of time to remedy the matter, while a Prohibition Notice requires immediate attention. On the spot fines may also be administered.
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and fire If you are an employer, you should also think about taking out Employers’ Liability Insurance, which provides cover if any of your employees suffer physical injury or death, and it is proven that as an employer you acted negligently and subsequently could have prevented their injury. If they then decide to pursue you for compensation the insurer will pay the cost of the claim.
Because you will be dealing with the public, your clients, it’s essential you look into Public Liability Insurance, which differs from Employers’ Liability Insurance. This covers you for claims made against you by members of the public.
In your Safety Statement you should also consider fire hazards and provide general fire precautions. According to the Safety, Health and Welfare at Work (General Applications) Regulations 2007, an employer should ensure that a place of work is equipped with appropriate fire-fighting equipment as well as fire detectors and alarm systems, and that fire-fighting equipment is accessible and simple to use and that it is inspected and maintained frequently.
The Safety, Health and Welfare at Work (General Applications) Regulations 2007 are also the main source of information regarding first aid in the work place. According to the book First Aid, CPR and AED, written by the Emergency Care and Safety Institute, to ensure that employees are safe in the workplace Health and Safety law requires that any employer must asses the level of risk in their place of work and supply an appropriate amount of first aid trained staff and first aid equipment.
In smaller workplaces however, qualified first aiders may be replaced by an appointed person. “This person requires less training than a fully qualified first aider, but is responsible for taking charge of the first aid arrangements and basic treatment,” say the authors.
When first aid is provided within the workplace, it will usually be expected that a record of your actions must be kept in an accident book.
risk assessments
Athrú Solutions have compiled a list of example risks that might be typically assessed in a salon environment but are not limited to:
• Slips, trips and falls: Caused by cables, uneven floor surfaces, poor housekeeping. Ensure all cables are tidy and re-route cables where necessary.
•Manual handling: Caused by lifting or moving heavy objects. Introduce mechanical lifting equipment where loads are too heavy and ensure all staff are trained in manual handling.
• Fire: Caused by poor housekeeping, over stocking of combustible material, electrical equipment. Control measures should be put in place to ensure all electrical equipment is serviced and maintained regularly. All aerosol canisters to be disposed of as per manufacturing instructions.
• Sunbed: May cause electric shock / fire or skin damage. A reasonable control measure here is to ensure only competent candidates use the sunbeds and all sunbeds are switched off at night. Ensure all beds are checked regularly by a registered electrical engineer and all staff must be trained in the correct use of them. Provide clients with eye protection and cream and the room should have a timer and a facility to summons for assistance. The door where the sunbed is situated should be capable of opening from the inside and outside in cases of emergency.
• Hygiene: The use of products on several clients may cause risk of infection / transmission of disease. A suitable control measure here could be to use disposable items where necessary. Draw up a cleaning rota and communicate this with staff to ensure items are properly sterilised after use.
• Chemicals: Respiratory and skin issues could arise from products used in the salon. Control measures would be to ensure all MSDS (Material Safety Data Sheets) are sourced from suppliers of the products and are kept on file. An inventory must be drawn up on each chemical.
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