Health and Safety
Little Lives UK has a responsibility to provide, as far as it is reasonably practical, a safe working environment for you. This section will give you the basic information you need to help Little Lives UK ensure your safety while working or volunteering for us. Everyone has a responsibility to work safely and look out for their colleagues and members of the public. However, it is the manager who has overall responsibility for the safe operation of the place and the people therein.
Fire safety:
▪ Always check-in and check-out at the start and end of your shift
▪ Be confident you know what to do in an emergency
▪ Check that heaters are not obstructed
▪ Ensure fire exits and fire extinguishers are kept clear from obstruction
▪ Smoking is not allowed on Little Lives UK premises or within the vicinity.
lf you discover a fire:
▪ Immediately raise the alarm by shouting FIRE and press the nearest fire alarm
▪ Do not attempt to tackle the fire unless your way is blocked and you can do so without risk
▪ Leave the building by the nearest exit
▪ Proceed in an orderly manner to the evacuation point and report to the person in charge
▪ Do not re-enter the building until instructed by the person in charge
Important. Remember where to find:
▪ Fire exits
▪ Fire call points
▪ Fire extinguishers
▪ Evacuation assembly point
▪ Health and Safety notice board
Accidents
Slips, trips and falls account for 1 in 4 accidents, it is important that we prevent this from happening. The most important thing to do is to help the shop/office/warehouse well organised for customers and our team.
Avoiding accidents
▪ Work in a tidy manner and don’t leave stock or objects lying about
▪ Keep landings, stairways and passageways free from obstruction
▪ Be alert to any trailing leads from vacuum cleaners and steamers
▪ Maintain floors and steps in a good condition
▪ Mop up spillages immediately and use the wet floor sign
▪ Wear sensible footwear. Sandals, open toed shoes are not suitable
▪ Store cleaning products in a safe place away from food preparation areas
Reporting accidents
▪ All accidents must be reported on the same day
▪ lf there is an injury, make sure the person is cared for
▪ Accidents that need medical care or cause absence from work must be reported to the person in charge
First aid
▪ No drugs or medicines including aspirin / paracetamol should be kept on the premises or offered to staff or volunteers. The exception is medicine for personal use.
▪ Find where the first aid box is located.
Sorting and Storing Stock (Shops and warehouse)
At Little Lives UK we can receive donations of stock in a number of ways such as bags of clothing, books etc and our van drivers pick up items from customers for our shop. Once received we need to make sure the donations are handled and sorted safely. There is a separate training module on Manual Handling.
Sorting stock
▪ Bags of stock may contain sharp objects or hazardous substances
▪ Never hold bags at your side or with your arms around them
▪ Open the top and check for any breakable items
▪ Tip the bag onto the sorting table, do not place your hands in the bag
▪ Wrap and dispose of sharp and broken items safely
▪ Wear gloves as provided and always wash your hands
Storing stock
Being struck by an object accounts for 1 in 4 reported accidents, eg. Items falling from shelves furniture not being stacked properly, bags of stock not being stored safely etc. It is important for us to prevent these accidents happening. You can do this by following these guidelines:
▪ Store donations immediately in the correct area
▪ Store unsaleable stock safely in the recycling collection area
▪ Make sure shelves are not overloaded
▪ Do not store heavy items on high shelves, store on the lower shelves
▪ Tie all cables up on electrical items
▪ Use a step stool or ladder to get to items beyond your normal reach.
Using Electrical Equipment
In our shops, office and warehouse we provide electrical equipment for everyday use such as kettles, fridges etc. These are all maintained and tested to make sure they are safe to use.
General guidelines
▪ Do not use equipment which appears to be damaged. For example using equipment with cracked plugs.
▪ Never attempt to make any electrical repairs yourself
▪ Never touch electrical items with wet hands
▪ Always switch off equipment when not in use
▪ Avoid using extension leads when possible.
Using the steamer (Shops)
In our shops, we steam our clothing donations to remove creases. The steamer produces hot steam and also combines water and electricity. This means it must be used with great caution and only after you have received training.
▪ Always follow the training guide attached to each steamer
▪ The spray head should always rest securely in the cradle when not in use
▪ Never touch the hot parts and always switch off when not in use
▪ Always fill the steamer with cold water using a plastic jug and funnel
▪ Take regular breaks when working on the steamer
▪ Young people under 16 should not use the steamer
▪ Avoid any distractions that may result in you losing your concentration and lead to accidents.
Now that you have completed the Health and Safety section
Here are some specific questions for you to go through with your trainer:
1. Where are the Fire Exits located?
2. Where are the Call Points?
3. Where is the Evacuation Point?
4. How can you prevent slips, trips and falls?
5. What accidents do you need to report to the Manager?