Experts in keeping you & your teams safe
Covering all aspects of health & safety assessments and training across the UK.
About Nationwide Health & Safety
Safety comes FIRST, always
At Nationwide, our mission is to simplify health risk management for our clients, providing robust, tailored solutions that empower informed decision-making and foster a proactive approach to health and safety.
We strive to demystify complex challenges, ensuring that every organisation can effectively manage risks and protect their most valuable asset - their people.
With over 20 years of experience, we are dedicated to providing top-tier occupational hygiene, health and safety training across the UK.
Nationwide's core values
Safety
Honesty
Accountability
Reliability
Nationwide Services
COSHH - The Control of Substances Hazardous to Health
COSHH stands for 'Control of Substances Hazardous to Health'. It is a set of regulations designed to protect workers from ill health when working with specific substances and materials. These regulations cover any substance that could be harmful to a person’s health, including chemicals, fumes, dust, and biological agents.
Control of Substances Hazardous to Health (COSHH) Regulations 2002 (as amended) requires employers to:
- assess the risks that arise from the use of hazardous substances. This will include any arrangements to deal with accidents, incidents or emergencies, such as those resulting from serious spillages. The assessment must also include the health and safety risks arising from storage, handling or disposal of any of the substances
- prevent, or if this is not reasonably practicable, control exposure to such substances
- provide staff with information, instruction and training about the risks, steps and precautions the employer has taken to control these risks, eg provision of appropriate rubber gloves or appropriate eye protection
Workplace Air Monitoring
Regulation 10 of the COSHH Regulations requires air monitoring to provide information for the risk assessment and the requirement for exposure control in Regulation 7 with the overall aim of protecting the health of workers.
The results obtained are compared with Workplace Exposure Limits (WELs). These are listed in the EH40/2005 document. Where limits do not exist guidance values should be used with extra advice given. These limits have legal standing in the Control of Substances Hazardous to Health (COSHH) Regulations 2002 (as amended). They reveal whether there is compliance with the COSHH Regulations. If the HSE find that an organisation has breached these limits then an investigation and enforcement action may be taken.
Having a reliable data set of workplace air monitoring, that contains several years of results, can help to show that a workplace is complying with the law and looking after the health of workers.
LEV (Local Exhaust Ventilation) Testing
In the UK, companies using Local Exhaust Ventilation (LEV) systems must adhere to the regulations in COSHH Regulation 9. To ensure compliance with workplace health and safety standards.
Under COSHH Regulation 9, employers must protect their employees from exposure to hazardous substances. One way of achieving this is to utilise Local Exhaust Ventilation (LEV) equipment, which must be kept in excellent working condition. According to the regulation, a qualified individual must meticulously inspect and test each LEV system at least once every 14 months. The examination results and repairs must be recorded and kept for at least five years. Adherence to this regulation is not optional, as it is a legal requirement.
Workplace Noise Monitoring
The Control of Noise at Work Regulations 2005 (the Noise Regulations) came into force for all industry sectors in Great Britain on 6 April 2006 (except for the music and entertainment sectors where they came into force on 6 April 2008).
The aim of the Noise Regulations is to ensure that workers' hearing is protected from excessive noise at their place of work, which could cause them to lose their hearing and/or to suffer from tinnitus (permanent ringing in the ears).
Hand Arm and Whole Body Vibration Assessments
Hand Arm Vibration Syndrome (HAVS) caused by exposure to vibration at work is preventable, but once the damage is done it is permanent. Each year, approximately 3,000 new claims for Industrial Injury Disablement Benefit are made in relation to vibration white finger and vibration-related carpal tunnel syndrome.
Whole-body vibration (WBV) is transmitted through the seat or feet of employees who drive mobile machines, or other work vehicles, over rough and uneven surfaces as a main part of their job. Large shocks and jolts may cause health risks including back-pain.
Face Fit Testing
Where respiratory protective equipment (RPE) is used as a control measure under health and safety legislation, it is vital that the selected RPE is both adequate and suitable. General advice on selection of RPE is covered in the HSE guidance document Respiratory protective equipment at work: A practical guide (HSG53). The testing should be carried out by a competent person.
EMF - Electromagnetic Fields
Compliance with the Control of Electromagnetic Fields at Work Regulations 2016 (CEMFAW) protects your workers from EMF exposure. If you have five or more employees, the EMF Regulations require you to complete a risk assessment.
PAT - Portable Appliance Testing
The Electricity at Work Regulations 1989 require businesses and landlords to ensure the safety of electrical equipment through regular testing and maintenance.
PAT testing (Portable Appliance Testing) is essential to ensure all electrical equipment is safe for staff and customers.
The UK follows specific codes of practice, such as the IET Code of Practice for In-service Inspection and Testing of Electrical Equipment.