Preventing Chemical Related Disease

Health & Safety advice to prevent chemical related disease

Industrial diseases are an unfortunate side effect of many industries – generally speaking, ones in which people come into contact with hazardous materials. Employees in the cleaning industry are especially vulnerable to industrial conditions.

Contact with bleach, astringent liquids and harsh chemicals can cause skin conditions, and even having wet hands for many hours a day can lead to irritation, cracking and soreness.

The Health and Safety Executive is responsible for setting guidelines stating what employers should do to ensure their staff remains safe when working, and the body works in conjunction with the Cleaning Industry Liaison Forum to promote good practice within the cleaning sector.

This November the Cleaning Industry Liaison Forum will host a Safety and Health Awareness Day which is aimed at those who work within the cleaning industry and want to protect their staff from harm – supervisors, managers, etc.

Information will be given on how to assess risk, how to adhere to COSHH (Control of Substances Hazardous to Health), slips and trips, low falls, musculoskeletal injuries, and how to ensure machines are operated safely.

The event is supported by various industry bodies including the British Cleaning Council, the Chartered Institute of Environmental Health, the Cleaning and Support Services Association and the Federation of Window Cleaners.

I think it’s really positive that decision makers within the industry are going to get a chance to meet with other people from the sector and make changes to working practices that will safeguard the safety of staff.

Having comprehensive and relevant health and safety practices in place in a workplace shows employees that their safety is important to a company and regardless of the moral issues at hand, failure to safeguard staff is a legal issue.

This post was provided by Grieves personal injury solicitors, of Huddersfield, UK.

If your working conditions have resulted in an industrial disease, you may be eligible to make an industrial disease claim.