Health & Safety as a Sole Trader?

BennyC · 5 Dec 2009 at 13:03

Hi Guys,

I have to create a handout for my year group on Health and Safety mostly aimed at Sole Traders. I've found plenty of information about what the legal requirements are when you become an 'employer' however am not quite sure about if you're working on your own say for example in an industrial unit as a craftsman/woman.

As far as I can tell there are no legal requirements if you don't intend on having an open workshop day and can use machines as you wish, though obviously ventilation is advisable.

Does anybody work as a Sole Trader or have any ideas?

Thanks

Benny C

PhillyDee · 5 Dec 2009 at 13:18

General duties of employers and self-employed to persons other than their employees.
3. (1) It shall be the duty of every employer to conduct his undertaking in such a way as to ensure, so far as is reasonably practicable, that persons not in his employment who may be affected thereby are not thereby exposed to risks to their health or safety.

(2) It shall be the duty of every self-employed person to conduct his undertaking in such a way as to ensure, so far as is reasonably practicable, that he and other persons (not being his employees) who may be affected thereby are not thereby exposed to risks to their health or safety.

(3) In such cases as may be prescribed, it shall be the duty of every employer and every self-employed person, in the prescribed circumstances and in the prescribed manner, to give to persons (not being his employees) who may be affected by the way in which he conducts his undertaking the prescribed information about such aspects of the way in which he conducts his undertaking as might affect their health or safety.

From the health and safety act.
http://www.healthandsafety.co.uk/haswa.htm

Efour · 5 Dec 2009 at 13:24

You will have to have regular 15 min meetings with yourself.
Focused Q&A sessions etc

BennyC · 5 Dec 2009 at 13:25

Thanks for that.

But what does it actually mean? I've sort of sumarised it that the sole trader in question does not expose people nearby or not in his employment are affected by his practice.

BennyC · 5 Dec 2009 at 13:26

Efour2 said:
You will have to have regular 15 min meetings with yourself.
Focused Q&A sessions etc

I've got all about risk assesments, PPE, COSHH etc.

Other than just common sense? I just wanted to check that you don't need to have an inspection from the local council and things like that. As I'm giving a presentation I don't want to look like a tit!

K.C. Leblanc · 5 Dec 2009 at 13:29

It's all a bit of a joke anyway, if you work for yourself and have an accident at work who would you be sending the ambulance chasers after.

big_white_dog84 · 5 Dec 2009 at 13:49

It's not a joke in any way. I work in an industry where 10 years ago having less than 5 'Lost Time Accidents' a month was seen as a completely unrealistic target. We've now gone nearly 8 months without a single LTA, and without having any impact on productivity. Statistically, every 10-20 LTAs (which in themselves can have life changing effects) will result in a fatality.
Can we please not turn this into a Health and Safety bashing thread?

Biohazard · 5 Dec 2009 at 13:53

Efour2 said:
You will have to have regular 15 min meetings with yourself.
Focused Q&A sessions etc

made me smile.

BennyC · 5 Dec 2009 at 13:58

big_white_dog84 said:
Can we please not turn this into a Health and Safety bashing thread?

I've learnt the importance of health and safety by many near misses with machines. I've had bit's of wood thrown back at me from tablesaws, crosscut saw blades jam, peices of wood explode in the thicknesser and 2 years ago when I was in my first year a third year lost his fingertip to the planner :eek:

Biohazard · 5 Dec 2009 at 14:03

'Near misses' in an office environment are a bit pathetic though, what you are supposed to report. Someone bumping a chair into another persons chair for example.

I used to be on a union Branch Exec Committee, and the H&S guy bored me to tears.

BennyC · 5 Dec 2009 at 14:26

Biohazard said:
'Near misses' in an office environment are a bit pathetic though, what you are supposed to report. Someone bumping a chair into another persons chair for example.

I used to be on a union Branch Exec Committee, and the H&S guy bored me to tears.

Oh I agree. Health and Safety in an office environment is a bit silly. For environments where there are real risks to health/life it isn't.

Biohazard · 5 Dec 2009 at 14:31

Benny06 said:
Oh I agree. Health and Safety in an office environment is a bit silly. For environments where there are real risks to health/life it isn't.

Where as in the transit sheds and search facilities there was oil all over the place little ventilation etc. :rolleyes:

I gave up

Trifid · 5 Dec 2009 at 14:33

Biohazard said:
'Near misses' in an office environment are a bit pathetic though, what you are supposed to report. Someone bumping a chair into another persons chair for example.

I don't get this part. What exactly am I to report? I lifted something heavy off a shelf and wobbled around a bit? Are you also meant to report cuts? :confused:

seems pointless.

Biohazard · 5 Dec 2009 at 14:38

Trifid said:
I don't get this part. What exactly am I to report? I lifted something heavy off a shelf and wobbled around a bit? Are you also meant to report cuts? seems pointless.

Theoretically yes I suppose, either lack of lifting training or propper equipment lifting, poor storage etc. Depends how anal you want to be.

Cuts, well yes. If you see a first aider they should also take a little note of what happened in a first aid treatment book. I was a first aider gave that up too, but only recorded major stuff.

But for the OP, I know very little about sole trader H&S. http://www.hse.gov.uk/ would be a good place to start.