New Telephone Numbers
Health and Safety
Health and Safety at work is aimed at ensuring the health, safety and welfare of persons at work, and other people that may be affected by work activities. The Council’s health and safety role covers advice, training, and enforcement.
To assist businesses in complying with the law, advice and information is offered on health and safety matters through:
- visiting businesses and discussing specific areas that are of interest to raise awareness
- providing guidance and information packs to assist in understanding and complying with the law
- running training workshops, where advice and guidance is given in a more detailed and structured way
- investigation of complaints/ accidents to ensure standards are being met and maintained.
Health and Safety inspections are carried out by an Environmental Health Officer from the Council. Officers will provide advice on how to comply with Health and Safety law and if required can take enforcement action to ensure businesses comply. The enforcement action taken by an Officer will depend on the level of risk to people’s health and safety.
Managing Health and Safety
This guide provides all the essentials for employers to manage the Health and Safety within their business, including information on risk assessments, and developing a health and safety policy. It should be read in conjunction with the information sheets below which give specific advice for different business types.
Further advice and guidance to assist you in complying wiht the law is available from this department at ehealth@nmandd.org.
Reporting an Accident/Incident
It is a legal requirement to report certain types of accident, disease and dangerous occurrences to the relevant enforcing authority ie Health and Safety Executive (HSENI), or, Newry, Mourne and Down District Council.
The following must be reported:
- work related death or injury
- member of the public killed or taken to hospital from the work premises
- injuries to an employee or self-employed person resulting in being unable to do normal work for more than three days
- dangerous occurrence which do not result in a reportable injury but clearly could have
- notification from a doctor that an employee suffers from a specified work related disease.
Further information on reporting accidents, diseases and dangerous occurrences can be found within the following booklet: RIDDOR Booklet
From April 2013 all reportable accidents, diseases and dangerous occurrences can be reported directly to HSENI, regardless if they are the enforcing authority or not as HSENI will forward the relevant forms onto this Council if applicable.
All reportable incidents should be reported within 10 days with a NI2508 form link https://www.secure.hseni.gov.uk/forms/NI2508.aspx
You can use online reporting forms available from the HSENI website
Alternatively you can download a hard copy. Once completed it can then be sent to:
HSENI
83 Ladas Drive
Belfast
BT6 9FR
or to the Council by post.
Sunbeds
Health Risks Of Using Sunbeds
Using a sunbed can increase the risk of getting skin cancer. If you’re a sunbed operator in Northern Ireland, you must not allow young people under 18 to use, hire or buy a sunbed. In your shop or premises, you must display information about the health risks of using a sunbed.
Selling Sunbed Sessions Or Sunbeds
If you have a sunbed business, you must not:
- sell a sunbed session to anyone under 18
- sell or hire a sunbed to anyone under 18
- allow anyone under 18 into the restricted zone where there are sunbeds
- display information saying using a sunbed has health benefits
You must:
- ensure the business is supervised at all times by an adult
- give every customer the yellow leaflet on the health risks of sunbeds and make sure they read this
- display prominently the yellow A3 public information notice on the health risks of sunbeds
- give sunglasses, goggles or other eye protection to every customer
You must do a risk assessment of your premises and the sunbed business activities.
Checking Sunbed Businesses, Follow The Law On Sunbeds
We are responsible for checking that sunbed operators in Newry Mourne and Down District Council follow the law. We do this by test-buying in sunbed businesses in Newry Mourne and Down District Council.
For example, we can send a young person under 18 years old to try to buy a sunbed session.
We can also send someone over 18 years old to check a sunbed business:
- gives customers the yellow information leaflet on the health risks of sunbeds
- displays prominently the yellow poster on the health risks of sunbeds
- does not display information saying using a sunbed has health benefits
- gives customers protective eyewear
Fines And Convictions For Breaking The Law On Sunbeds
If you don’t follow the law on sunbeds, we can give you a fixed penalty notice. This is a fine. The fine is £250 for each offence. The fine is £50 for displaying information saying there are health benefits to using a sunbed.
If you don’t pay the fixed penalty, we can take you to court. If you’re convicted in court, you could be fined up to £5,000.
- Keeping records for sunbed sessions
When you sell sunbed sessions, you should keep written records for every person who uses a sunbed. Before you allow a customer to buy a sunbed session, you should:
- make sure they’re aged over 18 by checking their passport or driving licence
- write down that you’ve checked their ID
- give them the yellow information leaflet
- ask them to fill in a health questionnaire
- ask them to sign their health record and confirm also they’ll wear the protective eyewear you’ve provided
- write down their name, address, telephone, date of birth and date of their sunbed session
- assess their skin type and confirm the recommended length of time for their sunbed session
Every time anyone has a sunbed session, you should write down:
- date of their session
- how long their sunbed session lasted
You should also keep records if you refuse to sell someone a sunbed session.
If you or your staff refuse to sell someone a sunbed session, you should write down:
- the date and time
- the reason for refusing to sell
Staff Training
To assess skin types of people wanting to buy sunbed sessions, you and your staff should use the Fitzpatrick Scale. You’ll need training to use this method.
To understand the law and a sunbed operator’s responsibilities, you and your staff should complete regular training. You should keep a written record of training completed and what was covered. It’s important that staff confirms in writing each time they’ve completed training.
Health And Safety In A Sunbed Business
If you have a sunbed business, you are responsible for regularly maintaining the sunbeds and electrical systems.
After every customer’s use, you must clean and sanitise goggles or other protective eyewear. You should also clean sunbed equipment and surfaces immediately after a customer’s session finishes. Every sunbed should have an accessible emergency stop button. You should check regularly that the buttons are working. To allow emergency exit, sunbed rooms should be accessible from outside.
Risk Assessment in a Sunbed Business
When doing the risk assessment of your premises and sunbed activities, you must identify:
- health and safety risks to your staff and customers
- what you’ve done to reduce the risks as far as is reasonably practical
You must record in writing the main findings of the risk assessment if you employ five or more people. But it’s also good practice to keep a written record of the risk assessment if you employ less than five people.
To read a sample risk assessment for a sunbed business, contact our Health and Safety department:
- email ehealth@nmandd.org
- call 0330 137 4024
You can also download the Health and Safety Executive’s risk assessment template (link opens in new window)
More Information on Sunbeds
To read more information on sunbeds, go to:
- guidance and information for sunbed operators and users (link opens in new window)
This information is published in English and Polish.
- Sunbeds Act (Northern Ireland) 2011 (link opens in new window)
Making a Complaint about Unsafe and/or Unhealthy Work Activities
If you are concerned that a work activity may be endangering the health or safety of any person then you can contact this Department.
Any information that you give to us will be treated in confidence unless we are required to disclose it for legal reasons.
We would prefer if you contact us by telephone, so that we get a better understanding of your complaint and how best it might be handled especially if you work within the premises.
Contact us by email at ehealth@nmandd.org or on 0330 137 4024 to give us details of your complaint and a contact number so that an officer can contact you.
Safety Alert - Barrel/Egg Trains
Following an incident where eight people were injured when a barrel train overturned, the HSENI have issued a safety alert for barrel (egg) trains.
Newry, Mourne and Down District Council Health and Wellbeing Department would like to remind businesses who operate barrel (egg) trains at open farms and other similar leisure facilities, that the operator has a legal duty to take reasonably practicable measures to ensure the safety of their employees and others, including members of the public riding in the train.
For further information and guidance on the health and safety requirements for barrel (egg) trains please visit: www.hse.gov.uk/agriculture/topics/machinery/barrel-egg-trains.htm or contact the Health and Wellbeing Department on 0330 137 4024, Email: ehealth@nmandd.org.
Contact Details
Telephone: 0330 137 4024