Six servers and a chair
Mia is new at a small IT firm. Her first job is to move six servers up two flights of stairs, alone. Then she stands on an office chair to reach a cable.
If she falls, who is to blame? The law has an answer, and it is not Mia.
By the end of this lesson
Note
I can say what an employer must do to keep staff safe when they lift things or work high up.
Key words
| Word | What it means | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Employer | the person or company that pays the staff | |
| Hazard | something that can cause harm | a cable across the floor |
| Risk | the chance that a hazard causes harm | |
| Risk assessment | a check of a job to find hazards and cut the risk | |
| Competent | having the skill and training to do a job safely | |
| Welfare | basic needs at work, such as toilets, water and a rest area | |
| Centre of gravity | the point where a load balances | |
| Regulations | detailed rules made under an Act |
The cells students fill in are left blank in this preview.
Starter: hazard or risk?
Have a go
Starter: hazard or risk?
3 questionsYour answers are marked here and are not kept. A college account keeps every student’s marks.
One Act covers every workplace
The Health and Safety at Work Act 1974 is the main UK law on safety at work. It covers offices, shops and server rooms, not only building sites.
The employer has the duties. Staff must also take care and follow the training they are given.
What the employer must do
| Duty | In an IT team |
|---|---|
| Provide a safe place to work | Clear walkways, safe plugs, a server room that is not too hot |
| Train staff properly | Show new staff how to lift a server before they lift one |
| Provide welfare | Toilets, clean drinking water and somewhere to rest |
| Give information, instruction and supervision | Signs, written steps, and a senior person watching a new starter |
The cells students fill in are left blank in this preview.
Check
Have a go
Check
3 questionsYour answers are marked here and are not kept. A college account keeps every student’s marks.