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Incident reporting
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Always report SHE incidents, whether they occur at STFC sites or while travelling on Council business. Incidents that should be reported: injuries; near misses (including hazardous conditions and failures of safe systems of work); vehicle incidents; environmental incidents.
Report incidents using the link at the top of this page
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SHE training
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There are four elements of STFC mandatory SHE training each refreshed 5 yearly. They are: the SHE Induction (site specific and generally taken on your first day(s)); followed by on-line Display Screen Equipment (DSE) training; manual handling training (available on-line but preferably delivered through tutor led courses); and finally Fire safety.
Managers of office based staff should attend a general 1 day SHE management for non technical manager’s course.
All courses should be booked through SHE Group.
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Fire safety
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Fire safety training ensures you know your site’s emergency arrangements - telephone number and alarm sounders etc. Make sure you know how to get out of your building if there is a fire – there should be more than one route - and where your emergency muster point is.
Do not clutter offices with large volumes of combustible material, and do not obstruct emergency exits, fire detectors, fire call points or emergency lighting. Corridors and stairwells are escape routes and should be kept clear of obstacles and flammable materials at all times.
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Display screen equipment
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Following completion of DSE training all staff should complete a DSE self assessment of their workstation in ‘SHE enterprise' - guidance is available. If your DSE self assessment raises issues or concerns discuss them with your line manager immediately. Eye tests are available if you need glasses for DSE use. Ensure your workstation is set up correctly and you take regular screen breaks
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Travel on council business
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Driving is probably the most hazardous activity any STFC employee undertakes at work. Managers are still responsible for staff while they are travelling on Council business. The health and safety controls required when staff travel are detailed here - in the UK (PDF - 40kB - link opens in a new window) and overseas (PDF - 236kB - link opens in a new window).
If you drive greater than 3000 miles/year on Council business you should attend a defensive driver training course which should be booked through SHE Group.
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Manual handling
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Your job should not normally require much lifting and carrying. Following completion of manual handling training, recognise where manual handling hazards exist and use safe lifting techniques. Manual handling remains a cause of many STFC injuries. |
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Portable electrical equipment
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All portable electrical equipment used on STFC sites must be Portable Appliance Tested (PAT) prior to use. Check that any electrical equipment looks safe prior to plugging it in, as you would at home. Typical office equipment: PCs; Monitors; Printers, fans etc should be tested 4 yearly and have a PAT testing label indicating when it was and needs re-testing. |
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General risk management
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This document summarises the typical hazards encountered by individuals working in offices. There may be others that managers need to consider - if this is the case a risk assessment might be needed. If in doubt consult your local SHE Group for advice. |
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Environmental management
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The environmental impact of general office work can be minimised in several ways: only print when it is really necessary and ensure waste paper along with printer cartridges etc. are recycled; minimise electricity use by ensuring that lights, monitors, printers are switched off when not needed – especially overnight; try not to have the heating on and windows open at the same time; and use Video Conferencing to avoid travel and if you need to travel use public transport to minimise your carbon footprint where possible. |
