Information about specific safety concerns

Here you will find advice and guidance for businesses in the event of a flood.

You will find information on legionnaires’ disease in the workplace here.

Legionnaires’ disease is a potentially fatal form of pneumonia which can affect anyone, but mostly affects those vulnerable because of age, illness, immunosuppression, smoking etc.

If conditions are favourable, the bacteria that causes legionnaires’ may grow, increasing the risk of contracting the disease. It is therefore important to control the risks.

• Click here for more detailed information regarding legionnaires’ disease.

Any building built before 2000 can contain asbestos. Asbestos materials in good condition are safe unless asbestos fibres become airborne, which happens when materials are damaged.

The Sunbeds (Regulation) Act 2010 prevents the use of sunbeds on commercial business premises by children and young people under 18.

Why restrict sunbed use?
According to the Department of Health, the case is clear - instances of skin cancer are on the rise.
 
The main cause of skin cancer is over exposure to ultraviolet (UV) rays - this may be from sunlight or from using sunbeds and sunlamps.
 
Skin cancer typically takes decades to develop, so may not become apparent until years after the damaging exposure.

• Click here for more information from the Sunsmart website.

Here you will find guidance on the safe use of flying lanterns.

Considerations for safe use
The risk of fire caused by incorrectly handling lanterns, unspent fuel cells, or other unplanned deviations from the recommended flight or environmental conditions should be fully considered prior to use.

Flying lanterns should always be provided with full safety instructions. Further information should also be available from the supplier or manufacturer through their websites. A list of general instructions is also available at the end of this document.

Users should also consider the local environment for the launch and intended flight path. The following list is not exhaustive but highlights some areas that should be avoided for fire safety reasons:

• areas with standing crops
• buildings with thatched roofs
• areas of dense woodland
• areas of heath or bracken, especially in dry conditions

Event organisers (and/or managers of venues) subject to The Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999 must ensure a suitable and sufficient risk assessment has been completed prior to the launch of flying lanterns.

They are further advised to check with their insurance providers that subsequent use will not adversely affect their insurance arrangements or if additional insurance cover will be required.

Northumberland County Council does not endorse the use of flying lanterns but has provided this guidance to help you to safely enjoy their use should you choose to do so. No liability is accepted for any injury, loss or damage that may arise from their use, however it was caused.

Always follow the manufacturer’s instructions fully.

This section tells you about the safe use and operation of play inflatables, including bouncy castles.

This information has been gathered from information contained in the Health and Safety Executive Guidance "Safe use and operation of play inflatables, including bouncy castles" ES No.7. It provides information for those who are in control of or are operators of play inflatable devices.

This section does not cover waterborne inflatables used in swimming pools or other types not used by the public for entertainment.

Recognised hazards
A number of hazards have been known to occur through using play inflatables. These include, but are not limited to:

• blowing away in windy conditions
• falls from the structure
• windows tearing or detaching
• electrical hazards

Duties of controllers or operators
Owners or operators of inflatables will need to carry out a risk assessment of their activities to help avoid risk or reduce risk to acceptable levels. This will be relatively easy to do using the manufacturer’s information and instructions for safe operation. This is a requirement of the Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999.

Here you will find advice on controlling ill health from animal contact at visitor attractions.

Visitor attractions such as open farms and petting zoos provide great entertainment and education for young children and families. It is still unusual for people to become ill following a visit, with only a small number of cases reported each year.

People can become ill through consuming contaminated food or drink, through direct contact with contaminated animals, or by contact with an environment contaminated with animal faeces.

Sensible precautions
While our public protection service encourages you to visit attractions, we also recommend taking sensible precautions to help reduce the risk of illnesses such as E.coli. Our advice to families visiting an open farm is:

• You must assume all cattle, sheep and goats are infected with E.coli O157 bacteria, even if the animals look clean and healthy.
• If you wash your hands thoroughly with soap and water, this will greatly reduce the chance of infection. Remember to wash your hands after touching an animal, before eating or drinking, and after removing clothing and shoes worn on the farm.
• Children should be closely supervised to ensure they wash their hands properly after contact with animals.

Guidance documents

• Click here to read further guidance from a new industry code of practice, published by Farming and Countryside Education (FACE).

The code was produced by various industry representatives and the Health and Safety Executive were consulted.