Staffordshire Scientific Services

Health and Safety

Introduction

The Control of Substances Hazardous to Health Regulations (C.O.S.H.H.) are regulations set out under the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974. The C.O.S.H.H. Regulations were introduced in 1988 to provide a legal framework for controlling people's exposure to hazardous substances arising from work activities and their implications are well known. The fundamental requirements of the C.O.S.H.H. Regulations are:

• Assessment to health risks by work involving substances hazardous to health.
• So far as is reasonably practicable, the prevention or adequate control of exposure of employees to substances hazardous to health.
• The provision and maintenance of proper control measures and personal protective equipment.
• Information, instruction and training for persons who may be exposed to substances hazardous to health.
• Where necessary. monitoring the levels of exposure in the work place and the provision of a suitable health surveillance.

Services Offered

Staffordshire Scientific Services can offer assistance in all of the above areas and provide workplace assessments to include:

• Initial appraisal of the working environment
• Sampling strategy if required
• Analysis in the laboratory or on site
• Interpretation of laboratory work and hazard assessment
• Recommendations of remedial measures or other course of action
• Scientific Officers are already contracted to examine Local Exhaust
• entilation (LEV), measure airborne dust concentrations and to test the workplace for a wide range of noxious gases and solvent vapours.

In addition, Staffordshire Scientific Services can provide an interpretive report on occasions when product data sheets are incomplete or incomprehensible.

Product Safety

Introduction

Whether for safety purposes or to establish the accuracy of a product's labelling, Staffordshire Scientific Service has considerable experience in the chemical analysis and physical testing of a wide range of consumer goods. Interpretation of the test results and appropriate advice is offered by the laboratory and Scientific officers are available to attend court as expert witnesses.

Services Offered

Staffordshire Scientific Services would be happy to discuss your individual needs and the range of testing and analysis available. Testing and analysis can identify high flammability, unsafe physical construction (sharp edges, points, etc) and dangerous toxic content. Other products are tested or analysed to confirm false descriptions, claims and advertising. Typically, products received at the laboratory for safety testing include:

• Nightwear
• Toys and novelties
• Enamelware, ceramic ware and cooking utensils
• Cosmetics
• Pencils and graphic instruments
• Decorative candles
• Electric Blanket Testing

Electric Blanket Testing - Introduction

Old electric blankets could be a fire risk. It is essential to have electric blankets tested if they are visually damaged or deteriorating or they are over three years old. Electric blankets sold in shops are made to strict safety standards; however after three years' wear and tear or accidental damage they can become a hazard.

Experts recommend that electric blankets be tested annually. Checks offered by Staffordshire Scientific Services include:

• a visual inspection
• evaluation of leads and plugs
• condition of fabric and element
• operating switch
• electrical continuity
• overheat production
• power consumption
• electric insulation
• Provision of the Service

The testing service can be accessed in the following ways:

Submission to Staffordshire Scientific Services.

1. Blankets may be submitted to our laboratory at any time for testing. This service will normally be carried out immediately or within 24 hours.
   Testing that comes to you.
2. Staffordshire Scientific Services will provide a test engineer to attend an organised testing day at a local venue (community centre, etc) and will conduct the testing on a "while-you-wait" basis.

Alcohol

Workplace Monitoring

Staffordshire Scientific Services can provide a workplace screening service for businesses wishing to prevent or tackle alcohol-related problems at work. Alcohol is estimated to cause 3 to 5% of all absences from work. The service will be of help to companies which have a disciplinary or counselling policy towards alcohol in the workplace. It can also be used in investigations into accidents where alcohol may have been a contributory factor.

If someone drinks two pints (or four glasses of wine) in the lunch break, alcohol will remain in the bloodstream for most of the afternoon and could affect their performance. If someone drinks heavily during the evening they may still exceed the legal drink-drive limit the following morning.

Monitoring is carried out by taking blood or urine samples for analysis and a similar service is available in relation to drug abuse or misuse.

Road Traffic Act

The Road Traffic Act, 1988 makes it an offence for a person to drive or to be in charge of a motor vehicle with an alcohol concentration above the prescribed limit. The prescribed limit means, as the case may require:

• 35 microgrammes of alcohol in 100 millilitres of breath
• 80 milligrammes of alcohol in 100 millilitres of blood
• 107 milligrammes of alcohol in 100 millilitres of urine

Services Offered

Persons who fail the breathalyser using the intoximeter equipment may be offered the option of giving a blood or urine sample. The person charged will be provided with a part of the sample of blood Or urine and they may submit this to Staffordshire Scientific Services laboratory for analysis. The laboratory, provides an independent analytical and advisory service to the general public, on a fee paying basis. Motorists charged under the Road Traffic Act are able to utilise the standing of the Public Analyst as an expert witness to bring evidence in court.

Last Modified: 11/11/2005 13:33:30
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