Any workplace, whether it’s an air-conditioned office or a hot, noisy factory floor, has risks and hazards to health. Laws are in place to help keep people safe in workplaces. And in this guide, we’ll take a look at health and safety in a jewellery workshop specifically.
Below, we’ll look at what hazards exist in workshops. We’ll cover the reasons why regulations are in place and what you can do if you suffer an injury at work. We’ve also included links to some other guides that you may find useful.
First, let’s look at health and safety laws that apply to workplaces.
An Overview Of Workplace Health And Safety Law
Employers in the UK must abide by the rules and regulations that are set out in statutes such as the Health and Safety At Work etc. Act 1974.
This Act in particular sets out that all employers owe their employees a duty to keep them safe so far as it’s reasonably possible for them to do so.
To ensure that they meet this duty, employers have to conduct the likes of regular risk assessments, maintenance checks and repairs and supply regular training as well as adequate personal protective equipment.
A failure to uphold this duty of care could create the risk of injury. If an employee does go on to suffer harm, the employer could be deemed negligent and liable in a civil litigation claim for personal injury.
Depending on the nature of the industry that a company operates in, different rules and regulations may apply to it. For instance, in jewellery workshops, if people are working with controlled metals like nickel, legislation such as REACH (Registration, Evaluation, Authorisation and Restriction of Chemicals) may apply.
Let’s take a look at what other risks could be present in jewellery workshops.
What Hazards Exist In Workshops?
Hazards exist in any workplace, but some are more prevalent depending on the nature of the environment.
Jewellery workshops contain tools, high temperatures and chemicals and risks of harm exist when working with all of these.
For example, the production of jewellery requires tools, usually used with a workbench. Such tools include hammers and screwdrivers. It’s, therefore, necessary to protect your feet in case you drop them. You can do this by wearing steel-toe cap boots.
Also in jewellery workshops, torches may be used in addition to tools used for filing metals. Both could present a risk of harm to your eyes, so safety goggles are also necessary.
Working with metals, such as filing, sanding, polishing or soldering, also presents the risk of dust. To protect your lungs, particularly if you suffer from asthma, it’s necessary to wear a face mask.
Using tools and working with high temperatures also means it’s necessary to tie back your hair and roll up your sleeves to avoid any catching.
On top of this, there are more general risks to health, such as slips, trips and falls. If the likes of oils or chemicals drop on the floor and aren’t cleaned up, people could slip and injure themselves.
Similarly, if walkways are not kept clear or free of tripping hazards, such as loose wires, people could also fall and hurt themselves.
The Importance Of Health And Safety In A Jewellery Workshop
As we’ve seen above, health and safety in a jewellery workshop help to guard against a range of risks of injury.
Any workshop, whether it’s for the manufacturer of jewellery or not, should comply with the laws discussed above. This may include erecting signage to let people know to wear safety goggles, for instance.
Without these safety measures in place, more people would undoubtedly suffer injuries. Employers would be more likely to take risks at the expense of those they employ.
The knock-on effect of having good laws in place is that it helps to create a stable industry in which workers are safer and protected in their jobs. This means more skilled workers may be attracted to work in the industry, thereby improving the quality of products on offer.
What Can You Do If You Suffer An Injury At Work?
Many types of accidents at work can be avoided if the correct health and safety measures are taken. But there’s always the chance of things being missed, and that presents the risk of injury.
If you do suffer harm in an accident at work, there are steps that you can take to ensure that you’re left in the best position possible.
- Get medical attention – no matter if you think the injury is minor, it’s always worthwhile getting it checked out, just in case more damage has been done than you first thought.
- Record what happened in the work accident log book – by law, accidents need to be reported. Ensure that what has been noted down is a true reflection of what happened.
- Check your contract in relation to sick pay – some employers agree to pay their staff in the event they suffer an injury at work. However, some employers choose not to, meaning that if you can’t work, you may miss out on crucial income.
- Get legal advice – if you can’t work and want to recover your lost earnings, as well as try to get compensation for the pain, suffering and inconvenience you’ve suffered, then speak to a solicitor. Most lawyers offer to represent clients on a No Win No Fee basis when it comes to accident at work claims. You can get a free case check and within a few minutes have an idea of what your claim could be worth in compensation.
If you do wish to seek compensation through a personal injury claim, it’s important to note that you have a narrow time window in which to take action. This is 3 years from the date of the accident. A failure to make a claim in this time could see you prevented from doing so altogether.
Learn More About Health And Safety In A Jewellery Workshop
If you’d like to learn more about health and safety in a jewellery workshop, please see our guides below: