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Indicator 3.5.21
Requirement
The UoC shall log all commercial diving activities and maintain records, including a list of any persons involved.
How Do I Interpret This Requirement?
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Commercial divers are professional divers who engage in underwater operations and have specific skills and qualifications.
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Through keeping records of commercial diving activities, the UoC can:
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monitor time spent diving
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ensure qualifications of commercial divers
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ensure that appropriate health and safety measures are in place.
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The types of records to keep depends on local regulations and the type of dive certification. At a minimum, records include:
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dives
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time
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depth
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surface time
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associated dive table records.
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This is usually recorded with a dive safety checklist.
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These records are also used for the daily diving plan.
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Evidence of Implementation
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complete diving records
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list of persons involved in diving at the UoC.
Auditors Should Confirm
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diving records are properly maintained for each dive and are up-to-date.
Indicator 3.5.20
Requirement
The UoC shall ensure that machinery and equipment: a) is compliant with applicable legal regulations or other recognised standards; and b) is safely installed, maintained and safeguarded; and c) is only operated by trained employees.
How Do I Interpret This Requirement?
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Accidents and injuries involving machinery and equipment can arise from:
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misuse
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malfunctioning
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bypassing, disabling or malfunctioning safety features.
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All machinery and equipment should be:
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compliant with national or other recognised health and safety standards
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appropriately installed, maintained and safeguarded.
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Only employees trained to use machinery and equipment are permitted to operate it.
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Examples of improper use of machinery may include:
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bypassing or disabling emergency stop buttons, guards or interlocks to speed up processes
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overloading equipment and machinery beyond its capacity
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using equipment for a purpose it is not intended for
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making unauthorised modifications
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ignoring or disabling safety signals.
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Safely installed usually includes being installed according to manufacturer’s instructions.
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Safeguarded means that any warning notices and operational guidance are in place for the machinery and equipment.
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Evidence of Implementation
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records of who is trained to use the machinery or equipment
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maintenance records for machinery and equipment
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instruction manuals for the use of equipment.
Auditors Should Confirm
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employees understand who is allowed to operate the machinery and equipment;
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the UoC has a process in place to ensure the maintenance and upkeep of the machinery and equipment.
Indicator 3.5.19
Requirement
The UoC shall ensure that all buildings and structures on the site are safe to use through adequate construction, maintenance and repair.
How Do I Interpret This Requirement?
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Without adequate construction, maintenance and repair, buildings could collapse if subjected to external forces, which could have devastating results.
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Materials can wear out over time, so continuous inspection and testing structures is important.
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Ensuring adequate construction, maintenance and repair involves regular monitoring by a knowledgeable, designated person, and maintenance and repair.
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Understanding when and by whom construction, maintenance and repair should be checked is a result of the health and safety risk assessment (Indicator 3.5.1).
Evidence of Implementation
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documentation about any surveys or construction carried out at the UoC
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maintenance records.
Auditors Should Confirm
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someone at the UoC is responsible for the wear and tear of the building and for overseeing any construction and maintenance work and has the resources to carry out needed works.
Indicator 3.5.18
Requirement
The UoC shall provide access to an appropriate and clean area to prepare food and eat during breaks.
How Do I Interpret This Requirement?
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The provision of a clean area to prepare food is important for employees’ health and for reducing the risk of illness.
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In warm climates, there should be adequate shade for employees to have their breaks in.
Evidence of Implementation
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available place to prepare food and eat.
Auditors Should Confirm
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employees are able to prepare food and eat in a clean and hygienic space.
Indicator 3.5.17
Requirement
The UoC shall provide access to free, clearly labelled, drinking water.
How Do I Interpret This Requirement?
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Access to drinking water is essential for employees’ health and the UoC is responsible for ensuring that:
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employees know where they can access water
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the water is clean and appropriate for drinking
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employees are not charged for drinking water.
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Access to drinking water is particularly important in extreme heat and the UoC should be aware that they may need to provide more regular breaks and more opportunities for drinking water in hot weather.
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Evidence of Implementation
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available drinking water stations around the site.
Auditors Should Confirm
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employees understand that they are free to access drinking water and they know where they can find it.
Indicator 3.5.16
Requirement
The UoC shall provide access to appropriate sanitary facilities that: a) are clean and hygienic; and b) include adequate privacy measures; and c) include separation by gender if required; and d) are sufficient for the number of people using them.
How Do I Interpret This Requirement?
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Sanitary facilities:
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are clean
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are dry
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are warm
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have a source of ventilation (e.g. a window or fan)
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have adequate lighting
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have doors that close and lock for privacy.
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Facilities include one of the following:
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pit latrines
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flush toilets
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urinals.
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Taps and running water are also available.
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For women, facilities for safe disposal of sanitary products are provided.
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Facilities are constructed of hard materials that are easy to clean.
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Waste and wastewater are regularly disposed of in accordance with Criterion 2.11: Material Use, Waste and Pollution Control.
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They are separated by gender, where required.
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Evidence of Implementation
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presence of clean and appropriate sanitary facilities that are accessible to all employees
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records of cleaning services.
Auditors Should Confirm
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employees report that sanitary facilities are appropriate and they are able to access them without issue;
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it is clear who has the responsibility for cleaning the facilities and that this happens on a regular basis.
Indicator 3.5.15
Requirement
The UoC shall ensure that any person who handles or comes into contact with hazardous substances has access to appropriate changing and washing facilities.
How Do I Interpret This Requirement?
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Hazardous substances that are often used in aquaculture can include:
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disinfectants as part of biosecurity protocols
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herbicides and pesticides used in pond maintenance
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spawning aids
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vaccines used in disease prevention
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marking agents used in resource management.
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Contact with some substances can be harmful to employees and can cause ill health or injury, but this is preventable through:
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the correct use of PPE
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providing changing and washing facilities, including soap, for:
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washing hands or skin that has come into contact with hazardous substances
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washing out eyes
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changing out of clothes that have come into contact with hazardous substances.
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Evidence of Implementation
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availability of changing and washing facilities in easily accessible places.
Auditors Should Confirm
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employees understand the risk of working with different hazardous substances;
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employees are aware of the correct procedures to handle hazardous substances;
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employees understand what to do if they come into contact with hazardous substances.
Useful Resources
Indicator 3.5.14
Requirement
The UoC shall, where not provided by a state or national social security or health system, provide and pay for insurance or have a system to cover costs for all employees for all work-related accidents or injuries. This shall include at least the following: a) the cost for transport and medical treatment and medication needed to treat the accident or injury; and b) the cost for transport and medical treatment and medication needed for recovery; and c) compensation for lost working hours; and d) cost for any required repatriation in case of migrant workers.
How Do I Interpret This Requirement?
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The UoC is responsible for caring for its employees and protecting them from any financial impacts of an accident or injury.
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The UoC should ensure that employees are protected from unfair dismissal if they are unable to work for long periods.
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Depending on the level of the national social security of the country where the site is located, there are likely to be different costs that the UoC is responsible for.
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For example: an employee injures his back lifting boxes of feed from a truck. He suffers an acute injury, falls down and struggles to stand. The site manager provides him with some painkillers from the first aid kit and takes him in a site vehicle to the nearest hospital. The employee receives some x-rays and is diagnosed as having strained his back and is given pain relief and told he cannot work for 3 weeks. The site manager does not charge the employee for the painkillers from the first aid kit, or the transport to the hospital. The UoC pays the full hospital bill and continues paying the employee’s salary for the 3 weeks that he is off work.
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If this incident took place in Country A, where there is a social security and healthcare system, the site manager does not charge the employee for the painkillers from the first aid kit, or the transport to the hospital. The UoC does not have to pay any hospital bill because the national health system pays for that. The UoC does not have to pay any of the employee’s salary for the 3 weeks that he is off work because that is covered by the national social security system.
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If this incident took place in Country B, where there is no social security and healthcare system, the UoC pays all of the costs, as outlined above.
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Evidence of Implementation
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information about what is provided by the national government
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documentation showing how the site will cover or pay for any costs that are not covered by the national government, for example, insurance documents.
Auditors Should Confirm
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the UoC has the right plans in place for paying costs of workplace injuries;
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management understands their role and responsibility in covering these costs;
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employees understand what happens financially if they have a workplace injury.
Indicator 3.5.13
Requirement
The UoC shall provide appropriate first aid in the event of a work-related injury, including access to professional medical assistance.
How Do I Interpret This Requirement?
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The supplies needed for first aid at the UoC can be determined by the health and safety risk assessment.
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Professional medical assistance can include ensuring that the UoC is able to access doctors and an ambulance, where necessary.
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The following list of first aid kit supplies is adapted from the UK government Health and Safety Executive website:
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general guidance on first aid (an example from the UK government Health and Safety Executive can be found here: <https://www.hse.gov.uk/pubns/indg347.pdf>)
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individually wrapped sterile plasters of assorted sizes
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sterile eye pads/eye wash
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individually-wrapped triangular bandages, preferably sterile
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safety pins
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large and medium-sized sterile, individually-wrapped, unmedicated wound dressings
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disposable gloves
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scissors or cutting tool.
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First aid kits are:
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checked regularly, to ensure that any items that are past their expiry date are safely disposed of and replaced
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kept at several locations around the site
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easily accessible
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located near potential hazards or areas of risk.
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Evidence of Implementation
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complete and well maintained first aid kits in easily accessible locations
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information about what the first aid kits contain and how to use them.
Auditors Should Confirm
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employees know where the first aid kits are kept and how to use them;
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the UoC has a process in place to ensure first aid kits remain fully stocked and serviceable.
Useful Resources
Indicator 3.5.12
Requirement
The UoC shall provide and maintain appropriate Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) free of charge and monitor its proper use.
How Do I Interpret This Requirement?
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The UoC assesses:
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what Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) is needed (meeting legal stipulations if applicable)
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for which functions it is needed
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in which situations it should be used
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how PPE is well maintained.
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The use of PPE should be the final option in protecting employees from hazards and the steps below are what comes before the use of PPE:
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Elimination: Physically remove the hazard
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Substitution: Replace the hazard with a non-hazardous process
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Engineering controls: Isolate people from the hazard
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Administrative controls: Change the way people work
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PPE: Protect the worker with PPE.
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PPE often comes with manufacturers’ instructions, which explain how to maintain equipment, and when equipment needs replacing.
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Providing appropriate storage for the PPE, where it is protected from adverse weather conditions, will prolong the life and useability of the PPE.
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Training for employees on the correct use of PPE is necessary for ensuring that PPE is used effectively.
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When new PPE is introduced, or the method of using it changes, updated training helps to ensure the safety of all employees.
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The list below is adapted from the EU’s Compliance Help Centre. PPE can include:
Type of PPE Use
Head protection (helmets, hard hats) When working in construction, work around heavy machinery, while working in a workplace with low-hanging objects, piping, moving parts.
Hand protection (gloves, wrist cuffs) When working in hot or cold environments, with chemical or hazardous materials, when using abrasive or sharp objects.
Eye and face protection (safety glasses, goggles, eye and face shields, visors) When working with power driven tools, welding tools, when handling hazardous substance.
Respiratory protection (breathing apparatus, mask respirators, disposable face masks, protective hoods) When working in workplaces with high levels of dust, or when in contact with gases, powders and vapours.
Hearing protection (earplugs, ear defenders, noise meters) When working in an environment with high noise levels.
Foot protection (safety boots and shoes) When working around various hazards, hot and cold environments, when handling heavy objects.
Body protection (high-visibility clothing, harnesses, clothing for specific weather conditions, life jackets) When there are vehicles, when doing maintenance work on machinery, when working outdoors, in extreme temperatures, for protection against chemical contamination, for protection against drowning.
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Employees need somewhere for PPE with:
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adequate privacy to change into the PPE
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somewhere to store their belongings
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a designated place to store or return (e.g. laundry) the PPE after use.
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Evidence of Implementation
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a record of available PPE, what it is used for and how it is maintained
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health and safety risk assessment demonstrating when PPE is needed.
Auditors Should Confirm
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employees are using PPE correctly and consistently;
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the PPE is well maintained and in good working condition;
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employees understand the reasoning behind the use of PPE and why it is important.
