Stonegate News
Health & Safety feature article
Compact Digital press release
Stonegate opens the door to energy saving systems
Stonegate provides industry wake up call
SAFETY MEASURES WON'T LEAVE YOU OUT IN THE COLD
The dangers of working in cold stores and refrigerated warehouses, together with the pressures on employees to comply with health and safety legislation are constantly on the increase
Cold stores and refrigerated warehouses used to keep food fresh by supermarkets, wholesalers and food manufacturers are subject to numerous legislative and directive regulations. And more and more employers are under pressure to comply with health and safety legislation and treat the welfare of their staff with the highest possible priority.
One company that paid the price for lack of safety measures was Esso.The oil company was fined $75,000 in Australia when a chef on an oil platform was trapped in a walk-in-freezer after the door jammed. When the chef entered the freezer the door closed behind him, immediately triggering the refrigeration fan.
Dedicated viewers of the TV soap Coronation Street will probably remember the tragic circumstances of the death of Freshco supermarket manageress, Anne Malone in 1998, who was accidentally locked in a walk-in-freezer and froze to death.
In a subsequent online BBC News article this event was listed as one of the 'most ridiculous' soap deaths. But in reality being locked in a cold store is a genuine risk in environments such as refrigeration warehousing and of course it is something which employers have to take action to prevent.
The dangers of cold stores are clearly evident and according to the Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999 it is every employer's duty to ensure that its workplace is safe and all staff are given relevant information, instruction, training and supervision with regard to health and safety. In the UK it is the responsibility of employers to assess any health and safety risks that staff may be vulnerable to and make arrangements for the necessary health and safety measures to be implemented.
If a company employs five or more staff they also have to draw up a Health and Safety Policy statement, set up emergency procedures and make sure the workplace satisfies health, safety and welfare requirements for the provision of ventilation, temperature and lighting facilities. It is also the responsibility of employers to provide the necessary protective clothing or equipment where risks are not adequately controlled by other means, to ensure that safety signs are provided and maintained and that employees are correctly using work items supplied such as personal protective equipment.
Employers should identify any hazards present in cold stores and refrigerated warehousing and ensure safe systems exist where staff have to work in such areas. Risk assessments should be carried out by employers to identify necessary precautions and reduce the risk of injury. Safe systems of work should be developed, put into practice and everyone involved should be properly trained and instructed to make sure they know what to do and how to do it safely.
When it comes to ensuring the safety of employees using cold stores and to prevent employees becoming trapped inside, Stonegate Instruments has the answer the Trapped Personnel Alarm monitor.
Designed to monitor latching emergency push-buttons located inside cold stores and give audio as well as visual alarms if someone is trapped, the alarm monitors can be panel door or wall mounted; are backed up by batteries and have mains failure alert mechanisms, as well as mute and repeat features.
Someone accidentally trapped in a cold store will strike an emergency alarm button. This latches and alerts colleagues by audio and visual alarms on the display panel outside the cold store. The display also sets a volt-free relay to repeat the call to a siren or dial-out or any other remote alarm.
Trapped Personnel Alarms are compact in size, generally of 122mm x 122mm x 65mm width, height and depth dimensions and comprising 5mm pitch screw terminals and maximum cable size of 2.5mm.
"Health and safety is the fundamental element common to the design of all our personnel alarm systems," says Stonegate Instrument's managing director, Shaun Evers. "We are in the business of making cold store environments safer places to work. Our personnel alarm products are easy to install and easy to use, the technology is fast and effective and, most importantly, these alarm systems can save lives."
As well as possibly saving lives, companies that follow relevant health and safety regulations and directives applying to cold stores reduce risk in the workplace. Demonstrating a commitment to health and safety can lead to competitive advantage, improved performance and a reduction in spend on insurance premiums and penalties.
For further information on Stonegate Instruments email sales@stonegate-instruments.co.uk or telephone 0113 262 8280