Series editors' preface - Wood Tools

general maintenance of the workshop and of
the materials and equipment it contains is
required. All machinery, equipment and work
spaces require maintenance (and probably
occasional repair) to ensure that they operate
correctly and in a safe manner. The specific
safety controls in use in the workplace should
be recorded in a maintenance log along with
the maintenance requirements for other items
like microscopes and machines. In your health
and safety documentation you should show
what is required, who is responsible, when
action is due, when action was last taken and
by whom.
9.7.7 Monitor exposure
Once risks have been assessed and properly
maintained control measures introduced, it is
important to ensure that the measures in place
are actually effective in providing the required
degree of control. This is especially true of
substances hazardous to health. Typical monitoring
systems include: preventive maintenance
inspections; safety representative/committee
inspections; statutory and maintenance scheme
inspections, tests and examinations; safety
tours and inspections by management; occupational
health surveys by a safety adviser and
occupational health service agencies; air monitoring
by safety advisers and consultants;
safety audits by safety advisers.
Useful information on checking performance
against control standards can also be obtained
reactively from accident and ill health investigations,
from investigation of damage to plant,
equipment and vehicles and from investigation
of ‘near-miss’ situations (incidents).
Safety advisers can help to identify areas
where monitoring is needed and to get it done.
If monitoring shows levels of substances present
in the environment likely to exceed the
OES or MEL, immediate action must be taken
to reduce airborne concentrations to acceptable
levels. Otherwise, action that needs to be
taken should be discussed with the relevant
adviser and recorded in the action plan in the
health and safety log.
9.7.8 Survey health
Individuals using certain substances require
health surveillance. In the United Kingdom,
Conservation preliminaries 429
this will include certain specific substances
listed in the General CoSHH Approved Code of
Practice and substances for which an MEL has
been assigned. In addition, everyone should
look out for signs of ill health and adverse
reactions in themselves, staff and colleagues.
The employer should keep health surveillance
records in the log. All other staff should keep
a note in their personal health and safety file
and should inform their manager if they feel
unwell at work.
9.7.9 Inspect the workplace
Regular inspections are an important component
of effective health and safety management.
Initially, inspection should be carried out as
part of risk assessment to identify risks to
health and safety at work. Those involved in
this process should walk around looking at
what could reasonably be expected to cause
harm, at what people are doing, at what they
work with and at what is already done to protect
health. It is also helpful to talk to employees,
to look at accident and sickness records.
Advice can be obtained from suppliers of
equipment, materials and chemicals in the
form of guidance notes and data sheets.
Remember, some health problems can be
caused both at home and at work. Ignore the
trivial and concentrate on significant hazards
that could result in serious harm. The hazards
identified must be recorded. Record the date of
the inspection in the health and safety log.
When compiling a list of hazards for the purpose
of risk assessment, the hazards found can
be listed at the beginning of the risk assessment
folder as an index to the contents.
Having assessed risks to health and safety,
introduced controls and made sure that the
controls are working, everything should now
be under control. To make sure that this is the
case, those with management responsibility
should undertake formal inspections of the
work area. Dates should be set for this in
advance in the action plan, preferably spaced
at six month intervals. It may be useful to ask
someone from another studio or organization
to assist with this. Some suggestions for items
to include on a checklist are given below. Any
new hazards that are identified should be
added to the list of risks to be assessed and a