European Campaign For Safety And Health At Work 2008-09

Businesses in the area are being invited to learn more about how to make their work places safer, and to benefit from on site advice with a visit by Dover District Council's Environmental Health team, as part of European Healthy Workplaces week (20-24 Oct).

The Healthy Workplaces Campaign is an annual event led by the European Agency for Safety and Health at Work, which aims to promote the importance of good health and safety standards in the workplace. The focus for 08/09 will be on risk assessments.

DDC's Environmental Health team has sent letters and leaflets to small and medium sized independent food premises and other individual businesses in the district. During the week, the team will be visiting some of the premises that have been sent letters, to talk to employers and staff about risk assessments and general health and safety issues. Leaflets will also be available in the reception at the Council offices at Whitfield.

A risk assessment is a careful and systematic examination of all aspects of the work undertaken to consider what could cause injury or harm. Employers have a legal responsibility to ensure the safety and health of workers and members of the public. A risk assessment enables effective measures to be taken to protect safety and health. For premises with five or more employees the risk assessment must be documented.

For further information on risk assessments, please see Dover District Council's website at www.dover.gov.uk/environmental-health or see www.hse.gov.uk/risk or for more information or to request a visit from an officer during the campaign week, contact the Environmental Health team at DDC on 01304 872216 or email envhealth@dover.gov.uk.