Latest Topics of interest Documents from myWorks

Slips and trips in the workplace

Tue, 20 Oct 2026 14:11:35 +0100

Slips, trips and falls remain one of the most common causes of workplace injuries and can have a significant impact on employees and service provision. It is important to ensure that hazards are identified and controlled, work areas are maintained to a safe standard, and everyone understands their responsibilities for keeping the workplace safe. Effective management of slip and trip risks not only helps prevent injuries but also reduces lost working time, disruption to services and associated costs....

Online DSE Risk Check

Fri, 10 Apr 2026 11:59:51 +0100

Display screen equipment assessments should be undertaken for all employees that use this type of eqiupment for prolonged periods of time....

Health and Safety Event Reporting

Mon, 03 Mar 2025 09:19:54 +0000

Over the last few months work has been taking place to replace our online accident reporting tool (known as APEX or SHORT) with a new system that is integrated with FUSION....

Portable heaters

Tue, 31 Dec 2024 15:34:13 +0000

This page outlines the arrangements that are necessary to ensure that portable heaters are used in a safe and legally compliant manner. Portable heatersare considered to be temporary heating units capable of being moved. They may be referred to as:...

Play areas

Tue, 31 Dec 2024 14:30:42 +0000

Play areas are considered to be an outside area set aside for children’s play. There are a large number of factors that need to be considered in order to design, build and maintain such an area....

Pallet Safety

Tue, 31 Dec 2024 10:28:16 +0000

Pallets are used in a variety of ways across the council. Pallets are heavy, so when accidents occur they tend to be serious. Across the UK, falling pallets have caused a number of fatal accidents and the risks posed by falling pallets are often not fully appreciated....

Management arrangements for asbestos

Wed, 10 Aug 2022 10:56:01 +0100

South Lanarkshire Council has a legal obligation under the following legislation to ensure asbestos is effectively managed in properties it owns or operates:...

Administration of medicines and medical treatments

Wed, 10 Aug 2022 10:47:36 +0100

The administration of a medicine is a common but important procedure that occurs in many of the council’s Service areas. The manner in which a medicine is administered will often determine the gains to be had, or whether people suffer any adverse effect from their medicines....

Severe Weather Arrangements

Tue, 19 Oct 2021 13:07:19 +0100

Severe weather is defined by the Met Office as: “Weather which has the potential to cause danger to life or the widespread disruption of communications or transport”. The types of severe weather referred to in this definition are varied and include severe storms and gales, persistent low temperature and heavy snow, heat waves and major flooding. In all of these circumstances there is the potential to increase the health and safety risk to employees, clients, service users, pupils and contractors of the council. Advice and guidance to reducing the risk of injury/ill health during such weather extremes can be found in MA63 – Severe Weather. MA63 includes a generic severe weather risk assessment together with sample controls that are applicable to many of the severe weather types typically affecting Scotland....

First Aid

Fri, 30 Oct 2020 13:40:08 +0000

Legislation exists that requires employers to examine the risks present in a workplace, evaluate the likely injuries/harm that may occur, and put in place a first aid provision to mitigate these injuries. There are a number of ways that an organisation can achieve compliance and the chosen methodology will often be linked to the types of injuries that are foreseeable. Accidents in an office are likely to be less life-threatening than those that might take place as managing trees in woodland and so different first aid resources will be needed for each of these scenarios. Deciding what needs to be provided comes from the First Aid Risk Assessment....

Work related stress

Mon, 14 Sep 2020 11:36:21 +0100

Stress has a constant presence in our lives and it can often be beneficial however extended exposure to stress can potentially lead to ill-health (anxiety, depression and so on). Employers are expected to consider how work activities might contribute to the overall stress of an individual. South Lanarkshire Council aim to support employees that are suffering ill-health as a result of stress no matter what the source. Employees can approach Employee Support or the Counselling Service for help and managers can use the resources on this page to help reduce the stressors being experienced by an employee...

New and expectant mothers

Thu, 23 Jul 2020 13:52:21 +0100

An employer is required to undertake a risk assessment of all work activities. This assessment must aim to include hazards that could pose a health and safety risk to new or expectant mothers. As a result of this, there isa need to take action to remove or reduce the significant risk. This information should be made available to all employees of childbearing age, as it is possible for the first 4-6 weeks of pregnancy to go undetected....

Agile/Home working

Fri, 17 Jul 2020 17:47:22 +0100

This page aims to offer guidance around the actions that should be taken while you are working at home. This will help create a safe working environment reflective of the expectations associated with the Health and Safety at Work Act and associated legislation....

Covid-19

Fri, 17 Apr 2020 11:14:02 +0100

Covid-19, whilst no longer considered a pandemic, continues to feature as a community illness and present a danger to those that have particular vulnerability....

Driving at work

Fri, 28 Feb 2020 10:25:31 +0000

Twenty road deaths each week involve people who are at work. The Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations obligates employers to undertake risk assessments on all work activities. Driving a vehicle of any type whilst at work is considered a work activity and so the legal expectations placed upon the council is to risk assess driving at work, identify relevant controls to reduce risk and put in place relevant information, instruction and training. A range of resources exist to help managers and employees to manage the risks that are associated with driving whilst at work and this page will give you access to the main guidance document entitled “Driving at work”, but also:...