QUESTION

(a) VWR is a new company that employs 65 people and provides commercial cleaning services to several organisations throughout the country. Some employees have recently been injured and/or suffered ill-health while working on customer's premises.

The Human Resources Director of the company has decided to review the overall risk assessment exercise. As a safety and health officer you have been asked to advise and assist the Management in this risk assessment exercise.

(i) Describe the factors that should be considered while carrying out the risk assessment exercise

(ii) How would you ensure that hazards /hazardous tasks are systematically being identified, assessed and controlled effectively to ensure the better health and greater safety of the personnel.

(iii) Identify five major hazards which the cleaners are likely to be exposed. For each hazard explain how they may be harmed and provide the control measures that should be implemented to reduce the risk to a level which is as low as reasonably practicable.

(b) Outline the provision of the Occupational Safety & Health Act 2005 with regard to risk assessment.

(c) Identify three options for machinery risk reduction