Am i being unreasonable

[Caroline]

The company I work for is a joke.

We now have a new "health and safety officer" if you can call her that, as she has no formal training. Today I was given a photocopy of some health and safety stuff to read, which was actually her copy from last year, but told i'd get my own copy when she got round to doing some more. Inside the job title is incorrect to which i was told to "cross it out and write mine in". It states we should have a fire drill every 6 months. I've been there 5 years and not had one, the alarms should be tested monthly again i don't think they been done since i started.

I have a shhet to "tick" and sign that states I have been told - where fire exits and alarms are, er no but i think i know where 1 alarm is and i know where the exits are. I have been told where the meeting point is well kind of it says in the handout but a bit no specific ie in the service yard out back. i have been told fire proceedures er no, i have been told where 1st aid box is er no but i know its in the staff room somehere. I have been told who first aiders are no again , but just know who they (all 2 of them). I have been given a copy of H & S regs no again, and I have been told where the H&S policy is kept erm no and i haven't got the foggiest.

Am I being unreasonable refusing to sign it? Everyone else seems to have signed it.

I don't want to be pig headed but the health and safety is a joke, I have equipment that they refuse to do anything with even though all the cabling is cracked and the bare wires exposed. My dad reckons if we were inspected by HSE they would close us down.

 

[Imi]

I'd be damned if i would sign it!

I don't knw where mine are at work yet (and haven't signed the sheet to
say so!)

If something went wrong and for some reason someone had an acident / died in an event and you were tryin to lead them out but went and took a wrong exit / dead end you would be held responsible and could be sued!

No i think you are right not to sign it and refuse to do so until you have had the correct training for your safety and others!

Deffo doin the right thing!

xxx

 

[Helen]

No don't sign it. Some people just sign these sort of things to get them out of the way, but you need to be truthful. You wouldn't be doing this girl any favours if she doesn't know what the problems are.

 

[Caroline]

The main control panel for the alarms has been flashing for weeks since the fire alarms went off one evening, don't know if its still doing it now, haven't been in the other loo recently.

Earlier this year I was given a copy of the regs but never signed it and no one even bothered!

 

[Lil_Baby_Boo]

OMG....thats terrible........DONT SIGN IT!!!

If HSE came in they would close you down and they can turn up any time and dnt have to give any notice of their inspection!!

I'm the H&S co-ordinator/officer for my dept and have been on courses and have certificates......I do this as well as my main job and get paid no extra for it!!

These are some of the things you MUST HAVE: A H&S notice board (poss more than one depending on size of ur buliding) with your company's certificate of insurance (it should also be in date), there should also be a section where it states the name of the Health & Safety officer.
There should be a 'what to do in emergency/fire' which should also say where your meeting point is......and common sense things such as don't use lifts, don't return to building etc etc! Then there should be a notice to say who your First Aid officers are and possibly how to contact them.

The first aid officer(s) should also be clearly marked, I don't know if its an office you work in but in my dept I got each First Aid officer a Green arrow (ordered it from a web site) which sits on the top of their monitor so if people walk in to the dept and they don't know who the first aid officer is or what they look like they can be easily found by the big green arrow!

You should defo not be using equipment thats faulty or has exposed wires....for one its a massive fire hazard and two you could easily be electrocuted! You are actually well within your rights to refuse to use the equipment....and if that means you don't do any work until you get a new one then so be it!

The H&S officer is responsible for advising you and making sure you know who to contact/what to do should there be a problem or emergency and showing you...well everything basically!!

Last Xmas we had a group of contractors working in one of our offices and I went down to get something and noticed they had one of these little pink xmas trees with all fairy lights on it........I had to tell them they couldn't have the lights on as it was against H&S due to them being a fire hazard...they turned the lights out and then kept switching them on again when I'd gone! In the end I had to go and remove the tree.....if they'd have gone home and left the lights on and the place went up in flames I'm sure somebody would have asked me why I'd done nothing about it!?

Nobody should be brushing over H&S like it dnt matter......I'd refuse to sign the sheet until:
1. The Sheet is updated with the correct job title
2. You see a copy of the company H&S policy & get a copy of regs
3. You know where the alarms/fire exits (all of them) are are.
4. You know where the fire meet point is
5. Where the first aid box is
6. Names, where they sit and possibly meeting (so you know who they are) the First Aid Officers
7. Who to contact & how to contact your H&S coordinator/officer.

You should have also had a risk assesment, obviosly they differ depending on what you do but If you work in an office sat at a pc then they should be checking your workspace, making sure its correct for you, checking all electrical equipment, checking chair, posture and advising you if your company offers free eye tests etc etc. They are also responsible for getting you new equipment should your current not be suitable!

Your work won't have a leg to stand on should you take this further either!!

You might find the following links help a little https://www.hse.gov.uk/pubns/hse27.pdf

https://www.hse.gov.uk/pubns/law.pdf

https://www.hse.gov.uk/pubns/hsc13.pdf

Maybe show someone at work too.

There's also the one for employers somewhere on the site too but I'm being a bit blind & I can't see it!!

Let us know how you get on & sorry for the MEGA post!!

Good Luck xx

 

[Wobbles]

No way would I sign it for my own safety I'd want to know these things!

 

[danielle19]

thats terrible !
have you got a union in your workplace ?
if so go to it and bring it up as they bring these things up at big meetings and then it will defo get dealt with !

 

[Iwantone!!!]

like everyone said b4 dont sign it

 

[Trinity]

Nope i wouldnt sign it either ... totally agree with you.

 

[Caroline]

Thanks girls makes me feel a whole lot better.

I'll take a look at the websites lil baby boo, thanks.

First aiders are norm on shop floor. H&S bits are on back of staff room door. I think its ridiculous we only have 2 first aiders considering we have 20 members of staff. Apparently our new H&S officer is ding a first aid course in a coulpe of weeks, but has had no proper health and safety training.

Risk assessment had one of those when i was about 30 weeks pg when i was put on crutches 'cos they thought i wasn't safe on stairs. Insurance co. said if i'm happy then its ok, so every 2 weeks manager (not H&S officer) asked if i stll happy upstairs i said yep (cos no way was i going work downstairs and use nasty dark disabled loo down the dark corridor outside) and signed a piece of paper!

I wish the HSE would do a spot check then maybe someone might actually ensure workplace is safe. My dad say he felt like making an annonymous call to them.

Well i'll stick to my guns and not sign until everything is done properly.

I'll let u know how i get on.

 

[pinkish_angel]

I wouldnt sign it. They r very irrisponsible (sp) to even think u would sign it. God help them if they did have a fire or anything.