Monitor the Maintenance of a Healthy and Safe Working Environment when Undertaking Electrical Installations Work In Dwellings
Overview
This standard is for a person monitoring and/or approving electrical installation work in dwellings. The Health and Safety at Work Act and its associated guidelines seek to secure the health, safety and welfare of people whilst they work and protect other people against risks to health or safety arising from the activity of people at work.
It is important to note the following that according to the Health and Safety at Work Act:
- Employers must safeguard so far as is reasonably practicable, the health, safety and welfare at work of all the people who work for them and "other persons". This applies in particular to the provision and maintenance of safe plant and systems of work, and covers all machinery, equipment and substances used.
People at work also have a duty under the Act to take reasonable care to avoid harm to themselves or to others by their working practices, and to co-operate with employers and others in meeting statutory requirements. The Act also requires employees not to interfere with or misuse anything provided to protect their health, safety or welfare in compliance with the Act.
This standard is about having an appreciation of hazards which may cause serious harm in the workplace and knowing how to deal with them. It describes the competencies required to ensure that:
your own actions do not create any health and safety risks,
you do not ignore hazards with significant risk in the workplace, and
you take sensible action to put things right, including reporting situations which pose a danger to people in the workplace
Performance criteria
You must be able to:
- identify which workplace health and safety procedures are relevant to your working environment
- identify evacuation procedures and emergency exits before work commences
- review your working practices and your working environment for hazards which could cause serious harm
- control those health and safety hazards within your capability and job responsibility limits
- report those hazards which may present a high risk to the relevant persons responsible for health and safety in the workplace
- conduct yourself around the workplace in a manner that does not endanger the health and safety of yourself or other persons
- follow the workplace policies and suppliers' or manufacturers' instructions for the safe use of tools, plant and equipment
- follow agreed procedures in the event of an emergency warning
- follow correct procedures in the event of injuries to self and others
Knowledge and Understanding
You need to know and understand:
- your legal duties for health and safety in the workplace as defined by the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974
- your duties for health and safety as defined by any specific legislation covering your job role
- what hazards may exist in your workplace
- the particular health and safety risks which may be present in your own job role
- the importance of remaining alert to the presence of hazards in the whole work place
- agreed workplace health and safety procedures including site evacuation procedures and procedures for dealing with injured persons
- your legal responsibilities for health and safety as required by the Health and Safety at Work Act, the Electricity At Work Regulations and all other relevant rules, regulations, standards and safe working practices appropriate to working in "Dwellings"
- the responsible persons to whom to report health and safety matters