OH&S 'rules'

Since October 2005 I've been the (certified) head of my Company's OH&S Committee - of course in addition to my real job. Why, you may ask? Well, because someone had to do it... We're eam of 6 jolly H&S people, including the Chief Fire Warden and a First Aid Officer.

And as much as I love my day to day job (Systems Architecture, that is), there is something about OH&S that I really like and enjoy. Yes, I do love the fact that I am licensed to be anal, pedantic and strict about things that are really common sense. And sometimes you don't even have to have a smile on your face!...

Last week it came to our attention that our kitchen cleanliness (actually, lack of) has taken another turn. So to cut to the point, we have now installed handwashing apparatus to every kitchen at work. Exciting, you may say! However, we have given a few males the opportunity to wash their hands after they've been to the loo and just before they go to make lunch or a cuppa. Yuk, you may say! But true too. And the same goes to the boys and girls in the Mail Room (no, not the Male room...) handling all sorts of correspondance before they feel they've earned a break.

But it did not stop there! Someone came up with the idea to stick up hand-washing instructions (no, not me). So now we can all read not just why, but also how to wash our hands! In the interest of health and safety, I must welcome this - at the same time though, something tells me that this will offend someone. I guess we 'll have to wait and see.

The other associated achievement is that we finally got rid of tea towels and replaced them with disposable rolls of paper. This had always been a bugbear of mine, as one could never be sure as to where they've been, when and forhow long.

Two small steps in preventing 10% of a work force spreading germs around the place! I'm excited!!!