Evaluate the health and safety risks associated with the Spa/ Salon environment
All staff have to take responsibility for health and safety and understand the implications if it is not followed. As an Operations Manager, you will have key duties and responsibilities for the health and safety of the spa and you will have to perform various assessments to comply with legislation.
For your assessment, you are required to build a portfolio documenting all of the relevant health and safety checks and procedures that you have conducted within a commercial spa. Once you have completed all of the forms, an action plan needs to be designed based on an evaluation of your findings.
As a minimum requirement, the portfolio should include:
a detailed risk assessment for all areas of the spa,
a COSHH assessment
manual handling assessment
electrical assessment
pool testing (spa only)
Assessment guidelines
When planning your portfolio consider the following:
Pay particular attention to the portfolio format.
Introduce the portfolio.
Make suitable references throughout to back up your statements and assessments.
End with a summary or conclusion.
Above all remember that your portfolio should demonstrate the following learning outcome ”Evaluate the health and safety risks associated with the Spa environment”.
In each section, you will have accessed official documents and websites. PLEASE REMEMBER THAT THESE NEED TO BE REFERENCED. Poor referencing will have an impact on your grade for this assignment.
To each section you may want to add:
Photographs to demonstrate hazards or good practice
Web links for references
Documents – such as your completed risk assessment form (it may be better to attach this as a PDF)
The main headings are:
Introduction
Introduce yourself and your workplace. Introduce your current role in relation to health and safety.
Risk Assessment
A risk assessment has to be carried out as specified in the ‘Management of Health & Safety at Work Regulations’
What is risk assessment? The first part is to look at all situations within the area and identify all hazards. Who might be affected by these hazards? Staff and public. Can these hazards be eliminated, reduced or isolated? Are there currently control procedures in place? Are they effective? These assessments should be recorded and reviewed every year or sooner if there is a major change in the working environment.
Identifying risks gives you a Risk Factor.
What is the chance of occurrence = Probability Factor.
These two RF & PF = Assessment Factor.
The higher the assessment factor the greater the need for action to be taken, whether it be changing procedure, issuing PPE or stopping activity altogether.
Each area should have its own risk assessment carried out by a competent employee. Each hazard should be identified and then eliminated or isolated by control measures. Each of these assessments should be recorded and monitored at regular intervals. They should be available to all staff. All incidents should be recorded that occur in the area and these should be cross referenced against risk assessments to ensure that the control measures in place are being followed and if inadequate procedures are reviewed. Risk assessment should be carried out by a designated competent person, preferably having that one person doing all so that consistency is maintained in all risk monitoring.
You can download the risk assessment form here. Once you have completed it you can add it to your blog in this section.
COSHH Assessment
Here you will conduct a COSHH assessment of the products and materials you are using. You may already have a COSHH assessment that you are able to refer to. Don’t just replicate the information here, think about the issues and concerns that it raises – you need to demonstrate that you understand the implications of this assessment.
You can find out more about COSSH assessment here
Manual Handing Assessment
What do you know about manual handing procedures and do you apply them?
Here you need to look at how you and your colleagues go about your work on a regular basis and discuss issues and concerns.
You can find out more about manual handing procedures and risk here
Electrical Assessment
What checks need to be done in relation to electrical safety? Are you happy with the standard or electrical safety?
Here is a comprehensive guide prepared by the HSE.
Pool Testing
As a day spa you may not have a pool, but these regulations apply to spa pools too. If you have neither a pool or a spa pool you will need to demonstrate that you understand the basic safety guidelines and that you could competently support health and safety when using a pool or spa pool.
For those of you with a pool, you will already have a set of regulations to follow, consider these regulations, are they followed? Do they need updating?
This is a good website for additional information
Summary, conclusion and recommendations (approximately 1000 words)
Having studied all these area of health and safety, you need to draw some conclusions about the regulations already in place, whether they are sufficient or need updating, whether you are your colleagues follow these regulations and if you have any specific concerns.
You will also need to reflect on your time in the environment and make recommendations for improvements to working practice.
For any concerns it is useful to write a SMART action plan. Detailing the issues and when you would like them to be resolved.
Bibliography & Reference List
Please include a complete bibliography with your portfolio.
A sample portfolio has been provided for you to look at in the study materials area.
HEALTH AND SAFETY PORTFOLIO
1.Introduction
”Before 1974 approximately 8 million employees had no legal safety protection at work. Health and Safety at Work Act 1974 (HASAWA 74) provides the legal framework to promote,
stimulate and encourage high standards of health and safety in places of work. It protects employees and the public from work activities. Everyone has a duty to comply with the Act,
including employers, employees, trainees, self-employed, manufacturers, suppliers, designers, importers of work equipment”. (Health and Safety at Work Act 1974, 1998)
”Any company with more than five employees is legally obliged to possess a comprehensive Health and Safety policy”. (Safety Policy UK, 2006)
The Health and Safety at Work Act 1974 (HASAWA) aims to:
· To provide and maintain safe and healthy conditions, with the legal requirements defining the minimum,
· To provide training and instruction to enable members to use the facilities safely and efficiently,
· To make available, as necessary, safety devices and protective equipment and to supervise their use,
· To maintain a constant and continuing interest in Health and Safety matters including Accident Prevention and Safe Working Practices,
· To impress a Duty of Care on all members. (Dr Ian Plummer, 2004)
I carried out my Health and Safety assessment in XXXXXXXXXX. It is a club Spa located in Milton Keynes, Buckinghamshire, United Kingdom.
The Spa has a strong focus on Sports Therapy; they also offer a range of treatments such as Swedish massage, Deep Tissue Massage and Beauty Therapies.
XXXXXXXXXXXXX carry out their Health and Safety Assessment bi-annually or after a substantial change in the work area as well as after a notifiable or near miss accident as required by the The Health and Safety at Work Act 1974.
Please find attached the completed risk assessment form.RISK ASSESSMENT FORM.doc
On the whole I found that (apart from some minor safety issues that we addressed straight away in the spa) the spa was identified as a low risk area. During my evaluation I took several pictures of issues that I thought were possible health and safety issues.
Here you can see that a candle has been left on some towels, although the candle was not lit, it was still warm and there was a potential for the wax to be spilt. Note that these pictures had to be resized before I could upload them. After taking the pictures and saving them as jpeg, I used ‘paint’ to resize the pictures down to 10% otherwise the pictures would have been too large to upload.
Here you can see that the shower head has been left on the floor. This is a potential for both slipts and trips.
In this image you can see that a cotton compress has been left on a radiator. Firstly, this is un hygenic as the heat will encourage bacterial growth, secondly, it is unadvisable to put anything on radiators.
In this final image, you ca see that a rug has been lifted but not replaced properly. This is a potential for trips. Any hassards like this need to be spotted straight away and dealt with by therapists to ensure the safety of their clients.
2. Risk Assessment
‘A risk assessment is simply a careful examination of what, in your work, could cause harm to people, so that you can weigh up whether you have taken enough precautions or should do more to prevent harm. Workers and others have a right to be protected from harm caused by a failure to take reasonable control measures.’ (Five steps to Risk assessment, 2006)
I assessed all areas of the Spa as it is not big, and after the assessment i was able to identify the following overall factors:
Risk Factor = number of persons who experienced accidents (Lenn Evan Goodman (2003), Islamic Humanism, p. 155) number of persons ro risk
= 16 100 ( average number of people who regularly visit the Spa)
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= 0.16
Probability Factor = number of persons who experienced accidents number of risk occurence
= 16 5
=3,2
therefore, 3.2 100 ( 3 out of 100 people are at risk)
= 0.032
Assessment Factor = Risk Factor + Probabilty Factor
= 0.032 + 0.16
=0.192
From the Assesment factor I am able to deduce that the need to take action against the Risks within the Spa is considerably Low, because the lower the Assessment factor, the less need to take action.
Please find attached a COSHH assessment for a cleaning product that we used in the spa. COSHH_Assessment.docx
Whilst conducting my assessment I noticed that a tub of chlorine tablets had been left on a table without the lid on. I could smell the chlorine and therefore I believed that it had been left open for a while. I replaced the lid and stored the chlorine tablets away in the store cupboard. Chrlorine is a respiratory irritant therefore the lid must be replaced as soon as the product has been used. Therapists should be cautious about breathing in the chlorine fumes.
3. Control of Substances Hazardous to Health Regulations (COSHH) Assessment
Using chemicals or other hazardous substances at work can put people’s health at risk, causing diseases including asthma, dermatitis or cancer. (Health and Safety UK, 2006)The COSHH regulations require employers to control substances that can harm workers’ health. The management must ensure that, before any work using a substance hazardous to health is begun, a suitable and sufficient assessment is made of the risks to health created by that work and of the steps that need to be taken to meet the requirements of the COSHH Regulations, and that the assessment is recorded. (University of Leicester COSHH assessment, 2008).
COSHH covers chemicals, products containing chemicals, fumes, dusts, vapours, mists and gases, and biological agents (germs). If the packaging has any of the hazard symbols then it is classed as a hazardous substance. (Health and Safety UK, 2006)
However, it doesn’t cover lead, asbestos and radioactive substances because these have their own specific regulations. (Health and Safety UK, 2006)
The following link consist of various COSHH symbols: http://www.proshieldsafetysigns.co.uk/signs/4452_Warning_signs_COSHH_symbols.html
4. Manual Handling
Incidents associated with manual handling activities account for 34% of all UK workplace injuries which lead to absences from work of 3 days or more. The annual national cost to employers from manual handling accidents is estimated at £90 million. The Manual Handling Operations Regulations 1992 was introduced to ensure that employers took steps to reduce the risks of manual handling injuries, require that hazardous manual handling is avoided whenever it is reasonably practicable to do so. (Manual Handling, University of Kent, 2005)
In the Spa industry manual handling is as important as any other workplace, because the work involves lifting and moving stock.
Also working at poorly designed workstations may cause back injury or muscular strain.
Therefore, on a regular basis the Spa Staff:
must avoid lifting items which are too heavy,
must use Trolley and lift
must be trained in proper lifting techniques,
and also chairs which can be adjusted depending on the size of the client and therapist is provided (XXXX Spa Therapy Manual Handling, 2009)
My only concern with XXXXXX Spa is that workstations should be designed to ensure staff have sufficient room to move around when working as the space is confined within the Spa.
5. Electrical Assessment
”No matter where you work, under the law, therapists and their employers have a number of health and safety responsibilities – especially where electrical equipment is concerned. Therefore it is essential that all spa equipment is tested and serviced annually. In return, an electrical compliance certificate for insurance purposes; extended warranties; and effective and safe treatments is received” (Electrical engineer-Malcolm Clark, 2005).
5.1 Equipments required to be tested and inspected
Portable appliances
Movable equipment
Hand-held appliances or equipment
Stationary equipment
Fixed equipment
Appliances/equipment for buildings
Information technology equipment (business equipment)
Extension leads (Sasha Lill, 2008)
5.2 Tests requires by the regulation
Electrical and mechanical safety
Insulation
Earth continuity
Isolation from mains power sources
Control systems and devices
Correct fusing
Intermittent faults
Connection of plugs, leads and electrodes
Calibration – where equipment produces an output the regulations requires this is serviced and calibrated in accordance with the manufacturers’ original specification. (Sasha Lill, 2008)
PAT testing needs to be done annually in a Spa as part of the requirements set by the IEE (Institute of Electrical Engineers), according to Electricity at Work Regulations (EWR) were introduced in 1989.
PAT is the abbreviation for Portable Appliance Testing — an electrical device that tests appliances and equipment for electrical safety. There are three stages to PAT testing:
The first test checks the appliance is securely earthed inside the equipment, mains plug and cable — known as earth continuity.
The second test sequence checks the electrical insulation of the appliance. A fault can often occur inside equipment (such as vaporisers and appliances like kettles). (PAT testing advice Centre)
The third test sequence measures the load or consumption of the appliance, indicating any possible fault/s. Faulty equipment may take more or less current than it was designed to do. ( PAT testing Advice centre, 2003-as amended)
The Electrical check in Relax body therapy club spa is carried out annually and all equipments are services annually in compliance of Health & Safety At Work Act 1974,and the electrical safety within the spa is satisfactory.
6. Pool Testing
Swimming pools are a popular facility within the Spa industry and provide an added attraction for Spa users.
Poor maintenance of the pool may lead to low levels of disinfectant (chorine) and clogged filters that may place swimmers at risk for diarrheal diseases and skin, ear, and upper respiratory infections. (Swimming pool health and safety presentation, Gary Barnes RS, 2000)
Follow the following link for guidance of Pool maintenance and testing.
http:// http://www.zodiac.com.au/testing-your-pool-water.aspx
It is therefore essential that swimming pools are operated and maintained in a safe manner, not only to prevent these incidents but also to provide a defence, particularly in these days of litigation, and in order to comply with the relevant sections of the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974. ( UK Health and Safety-Devononline,2002)
Whilst each swimming pool has to be taken on its own merit, certain aspects are common to all. A swimming pool should satisfy the following criteria:
Provide a lifebuoy and rescue pole.
Provide and display suitable safety notices and depth markings.
Provide an adequate means of supervision or control.
Provide a means of raising the alarm.
Formulate operating and emergency procedures. ( UK Health and Safety-Devononline, 2002)
The Basic safety guidelines may include:
SUPERVISION- Adult supervision is a key element in getting the maximum, safest enjoyment from your pool. Never let children under the age of fourteen swim unsupervised in a pool. Setting pool rules and sticking them is also very important.
SWIMMING ABILITIES-Always find out whether or not guests can swim. Supervise guests who can’t swim the way you would a child. If you’re uncomfortable with someone’s swimming abilities, make sure they stay in the shallow water area and watch them closely.
MEDICAL PRECAUTIONS- Keep these basic safety items by the pool at all times: i.e. Life preserver, First aid kit including written instructions on how to administer Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation (CPR)
Trained staff in CPR should monitor the swimmers.
WATER CLEARITY – Clear water aids in identifying soakers and swimmers in distress, helps swimmers avoid collisions and is an indicator that the sanitizer, circulation, and filtration systems are functioning.
Safety doors should be installed in all pool cleaner wall suction lines. (Pools Safety Guidelines, 2008)
7. Summary and Conclusion
To sum up, a Health and Safety Policy is the essential framework for the successful management of the health and safety function. Successful management of health and safety is a vital requirement for any business. Having a clear policy, with strong management, commitment, staff involvement and competent people should be a very high priority. Failure can be extremely costly in human, financial, and reputational terms. (Health and Safety Briefing No.8, 2009)
Considering the fact that XXXXXX Spa is reasonably small, with less than 10 employees and not more than 100 clients per month, the Health and Safety regulations in place are easily followed and well adhered to both by the staff and the clients. The regulations are also well managed.
However, these need updating as far as Risk assessment for disabled persons and clients with conditions like claustrophobia are concerned. Confined Space within the Spa does not accommodate wheelchairs and it also put Claustophic people at high Risk.
Therefore, I recommend the Spa to replace unnecessary bigger furniture with Smaller and portable furniture; I also recommend that they move their workstations opposite each other instead of next to each other thus creating more space within the Spa. The above mentioned changes can be made effective at the beginning of the Spa’s next financial year, without incurring a great financial cost.
8. Bibliography and Refrencing
8.1. Health and Safety UK. (2006). Health and Safety Policy. [online].London. Profesional Health and Safety consultants. Available from http://www.hse.gov.uk/business/policy.htm. [Accessed: 05 November 2009]
8.2 Label Source. (2008). COSHH Signs. [online]. Cardiff. Available from: http://www.labelsourceonline.co.uk/scripts/prodList.asp?idCategory=87. Accessed: [11 November 2009]
8.3 PAT testing advice center. your guide to PAT testing and portable appliance testing. London. Available from: http://www.pat-testing.co.uk/. Accessed: [16 November 2009]
8.4 Sasha Lill (2008). Health and Safety: Electrical Equipment. [online]. Derby. Available from: http://www.healthandbeautysalon.com/blog/health-safety/. Accessed: [16 November 2009]
8.5 University of Kent (2005). Manual Handling. [online]. Kent. Available from: http://www.kent.ac.uk/safety/mhpolicy.html. Accessed: [21 November 2009]
8.6 Zagers pools and Spa (2008). Pool safety Guidlines. [online]. Holland. Available from: http://www.zagerspoolspa.com/mm5/merchant.mvc? Screen=CTGY&Store_Code=ZPAS&Category_Code=SAFETY. Accessed: [20 November 2009]
8.7 Devon-online (2003). UK Health and Safety. [online]. Devon. Available from: http://www.devonline.gov.uk/index/information_and_services/environmental_health/eh-healthandsafety- intro/eh-hs-guidance/eh-hs-swim.htm. Accessed: [20 November 2009]
8.8 Gary Barnes (2000). Swimming pool Health and Safety. [online]. Available
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