Health & Safety

At Ride Clean we recognise the nature of the work that you will undertake will entail some risk, but with some logic and ‘common sense’ many of the potential risks can be minimised.

We care about your welfare, that of our customers, the general public and our environment which is why we try to minimise risks and have provide necessary equipment should an accident happen.

The basic rules not only protect you – they are part of the balance between “rights” and “responsibilities”. If you fulfil your responsibilities, then you have rights and can legitimately ask others to face their responsibilities to you. If you ignore your own responsibility to follow advice and / or regulation, your rights might be affected.

Your Obligations under UK Law

The basic rules that govern the law in the UK are these:

1) You must take reasonable care for the safety of yourself and anyone else that may be affected by what you do, or fail to do, whilst you are at work.

2) You must cooperate with your employer so that he/she can comply with the law as regards health and safety at work. This means that you must use all safety equipment provided, including machinery guards, and you must obey all requirements issued by your employer.

3) You must report to your employer anything which you think is unsafe in your workplace.

4) You must not misuse, recklessly interfere with or remove anything provided for legal purposes for health, safety and welfare in the workplace. This includes machinery guards, safety devices, first aid kits, etc.

These form your obligations and duties under the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974 in the UK.

In the UK, any failure to comply with the above can lead to you being prosecuted. You will also find this information in the poster “Health and Safety Law’- What You Should Know” which must be displayed in every UK workplace.

Health & Safety Executive -Essential Information You Must Read

This link will take you to the HSE leaflet about workplace safety.

How you can Maintain a safe Working Environment

Your Housekeeping

Good housekeeping entails keeping your work area tidy and clear of obstructions. As well as being unsightly, litter can be a serious hazard. A clean and tidy workplace is less likely to be the cause of an accident than an untidy one.

Passages and gangways must be kept clear of obstructions – apart from being a hazard in themselves, obstructions could prevent you from escaping quickly in an emergency.

Return any tools not in use to their proper place so that they can be found easily when you want them. This is more efficient (especially in a shared workspace) and can prevent the build-up of irritation or frustration, both of which are dangerous.

Materials not in immediate use should be stacked carefully and tidily so that they cannot fall or stick out into the passageway where someone can walk into them, or cause items to fall so damaging the item (and possibly you or a co-worker).

The floor must be kept clear and clean.

Your Personal Hygiene

While working on bikes and cleaning them it is inevitable your hands and skin will be exposed to dirt and grime and in some cases there can be chemicals that are already on a bike. Your skin forms a natural barrier to the harmful effects of the vast majority of substances and with careful working practices this should not be an issue. However, if you have cuts, grazes or damaged skin then please take extra precautions using PPE such as wearing gloves.

While working it is expected that personal hygiene is followed such as washing hands especially before and after you handle any food or drink, going to the toilet, please use the cleaning and care products provided. Long hair should be tied back. Food and drink should only be consumed between jobs and be away from any chemicals or cleaning substances you are using.

Always be considerate to your colleagues when you work and think about how you can take steps for everyone’s safety in the work environment, either on site or at the garage storing things (think about potential trip hazards, lifting and handling heavy items).

Your PPE - Personal Protective Equipment

At Ride Clean we provide all team members with aprons to be worn at all times to protect you and your clothes from dirt and grime as well as providing another layer of material between you and the bikes you are working on. Please ensure all ties are secured and not loose as these can form a potential hazard should they get caught.

You are expected to wear closed toe shoes at all times, this is to protect you from any liquids, or substances contacting your skin and items that may fall and injure you.

Gloves and safety glasses are optional and can be worn as additional protection should you have an existing injury eg a cut on your hand or should you feel this will help protect you from any substance you may contact.

In cold weather - wear appropriate clothing and footwear to stay warm and dry, not only while working but as you finish and travel to and from sites.

In hot weather, remember to apply sunscreen, drink plenty of water to hydrate, and, wear a hat and/or sunglasses to protect against the sun.

Take care when lifting or moving heavy objects

It will be necessary to lift and move heavy/bulky objects in your work for example loading/unloading the cargo bike, setting up a bike stand/event shelter/A-Frame, moving the cargo bike when parked.

The risk of injury, and damage to equipment, can be reduced by taking simple precautions before the lifting or handling operations begin.

Before attempting to lift a load:

Size up the load – if it is obviously too heavy or bulky for one person to handle, ask for assistance.
Even a light load can be dangerous if it is unstable, or obscures vision.
Move all movable objects which could be obstructions to a safe place.

Correct lifting and carrying technique

Referring to the next diagram:

The lift should start with the lifter in a balanced squatting position with the legs hip-width apart, one foot ahead of the other, and the load to be lifted held close to the body. Ensure that a safe, secure hand grip is obtained. Before the weight is taken, the back should be straightened and held as near the vertical position as possible. The chin should be drawn in with the head up. This helps to keep the spine rigid (a).
To raise the load, first straighten the legs. This ensures that the lifting strain is being correctly transmitted and is being taken by the powerful thigh muscles and bones (b).
To complete the lift, raise the upper part of the body to the vertical position (c).

Reduce your chance of Slip & Trip Hazards

While working on bikes there will be a wide variety of hazards that could be considered slip & trip hazards including water, oil, cleaning products, rags, hoses from splosh wash, rags lying about. However, most of these hazards can be minimised by having an organised and tidy working area. All rubbish to be cleared away at time it is created, excess spillage of water or substances to be wiped clean immediately. While in use please tidy all hoses from splosh washes and when stored these should be wound and stored neatly.

Other things to remember: the tables should be fully constructed so they are secure and do not fall over, the event shelter fully constructed and weighted down when in use (this can be done by using bike locks, as well as tying to the cargo bike itself as a weight).

Keep all equipment tidy and stored either in boxes or in use as everything we use can potentially lead to trip hazard. Keeping a tidy work space essential.

Minimise your risks while working on Bikes

There are obviously risks involved while working on bikes, as the bikes themselves can be a hazard, but much of the risk can be minimised by good working practices and being aware of how to handle equipment safely.

Firstly, be aware of members of the public/customers, always do your best to create a barrier between them and you in your workspace. This is for your safety and theirs. This can be done by the way you chose to set up at a site, using the equipment to create natural barriers such as table, A-Frame and the Cargo bike. These will naturally give you distance between you and the customers. If you find someone is too close while you are working politely ask them to stand away for their own safety.

Be careful when lifting heavy bikes into the bike stand and if necessary you can always use the A-Frame to raise the rear wheel off the ground and work on the bike from there. This is especially useful for cargo bikes, e-bikes & heavy city bikes.

Bikes have many potentially sharp edges that protrude and cause injury so handle with care. Pay close attention to sharp edges like the teeth on chainrings, cassettes, frayed cables as all of these present a potential hazard. Also be careful when you turn cranks as wheels will rotate, further potential hazards as things can get caught in spokes and for bikes with disk brakes the rotors present an additional hazard. Always ensure wheels have stopped rotating before you work on the bike.

Beware of air horns fitted to bikes when testing brakes as these are loud and can damage hearing if you are in close proximity.

Be careful when handling hazardous or dangerous substances - COSHH

Certain substances that we have to use within the context of our work have the potential to be hazardous or dangerous, it is your responsibility to follow guidance on use, storage and disposal of these substances.

All cleaning products should be used only in necessary qualities to complete a job and there is no need to use excessive amounts as they can be harmful to yourself and our environment.

Degreaser

Use: the preference is to use small amounts of neat degreaser and paint this onto chains and chainsets rather than use the aerosols. However, we recognise that sometimes it is necessary to use a combination of both.

Store: neat degreaser in either labelled bottles with sealed lids or in cut up water bottle stored on a bike stand securely to avoid being split when carrying out a job.

Disposal: Generally there should not be much neat degreaser left as it is used on the bike itself to remove dirt, if you do need to dispose of this then it can be poured into a spare bottle to be disposed of later.

Aerosols (degreaser, disk brake cleaner, multi purpose lube)

Use: to be used sparingly and in the open air.

Store: with lids on. Store aerosols in storage boxes accordingly or upright in buckets.

Disposal: separate these at the Ride Clean hub and these will be disposed of accordingly. Note all aerosols often contain flammable substances and can pose a danger when exposed to heat and fire. No smoking when using these. They have the potential to be explosive even when empty so please dispose of these correctly.

Bike Cleaning fluid

Use: can be used neat, but this should be applied to a rag not poured directly onto a bike or any other surface. Typically we dilute the bike cleaning fluid and all the spray bottles that have a mark on them to guide with the qualities to use. Please ask if you do not know where this is.

Store: make sure all bottles with neat bike cleaning fluid have lids secured fully, and all spray containers fully secured so you do not find this leaking

Disposal: there should be little need to dispose of this as it will be used on the bikes over time, it is biodegradable/water soluble so will break down naturally.

Lube

Use: only the amount needed on chains, please ask if you need to be reminded where and how to apply lube to a clean chain

Store: ensure all bottle are tightly secured before storing in a storage box

Disposal: If you find that you have excess lube on a chain or your hands then please use a clean rag to wipe off and then clean your hands.

Polish & Paint Restorer, Protective Sealant Coating

(This includes Autoglym Super Resin Polish, Autoglym Paint Restorer, Fenwicks Protective Coating)

Use: Autoglym Polish

Use this to remove minor marks and scratches, and bring a shine back to the frame.

For gloss paintwork only.
This is your first point of call for bringing paint back up to a shine.
If polish does not work, only then should you consider paint restorer.
Avoid areas which have logos printed on them (ie: "Ultegra" on brake calipers, or levers).
Avoid any braking surfaces or body contact points (brake levers, handlebars, saddle, pedals)
Apply in straight lines using a clean rag
Buff-off with a microfibre towel

Autoglym Paint Restorer:

This is more aggressive and removes stubborn contaminants and oxidisation. It also removes a micro-layer of paint or clear coat (laquer). This should only be used to remove imperfections or scratches when polish fails to do the job.

For gloss paintwork only
Avoid areas or components where logos are printed on (ie: "Ultegra" on brake calipers or levers)
Apply in straight lines using a clean rag
Buff of with microfibre towel
Always apply polish after using the paint restorer

Fenwicks Sealant Protection:

This is the final step of any deluxe clean. The protection provides a hydrophobic (water repellant) and dirt repellant barrier.

To be used after polishing
Suitable for gloss, satin & matte paint finishes
Apply, and leave on frame for as long as possible, before buffing off with microfibre towel
Avoid contaminating brake calipers, braking surfaces (discs/rims), and all body contact (brake levers, handlebars, saddle, pedals)

Store: ensure all bottle are tightly secured before storing in a storage box

Disposal: If you find that you have excess polish or protection coating on the bike or your hands then please use a clean rag to wipe off and then clean your hands.

Cleaning of hands - use of hand cleaner from Fenwicks, alternative is to have sugar and washing up liquid which helps to get off oil and grime from bikes, then wash off, use wipes and anti- bacterial gel to clean hands. Dispose of all rags appropriately after.

Cleaning of equipment - ensure all tools are wiped clean. This keeps tools free from dirt and build up of grime which will prevent them from working appropriately, as well as being much nicer to handle for the next person.

Fire Risk

This is very low risk in our work environment as we are usually working in well ventilated environments and do not work with equipment that causes a fire hazard but it is worth remembering that oil can be flammable as can aerosols. We also carry some battery powered devices (Splosh wash and cargo bike) which pose a very very low risk of an electrical fire, see precautions below.

The best measures we can take for fire prevention is to separate flammable substances and heat.

If you are working at a site that has its own fire regulations and protocol please follow accordingly.

Electrical equipment

We limit electrical equipment at RC but items to beware with:

Bike batteries - these should be either locked in place in the bike, or charging. When in use they are safe and have no contact point with water, when charging take usual precautions as water and electricity don’t mix well! Dry your hands before handling and plugging into main supply
Splosh wash - these are designed to have seals between the battery and water supply so the two do not mix when in use. You should not need to charge the battery during use, but if you do then please dry your hands fully before handling the battery. Also turn off the Splosh Wash before you either detach the hose to refill the orange water container or before you detach the battery.
Speakers for music and phones - obviously before you handle your own phone and any speakers you use for music, please dry and wipe your hands clean.

Accidents and Simple First Aid Procedures

What is an accident?

An accident is an unplanned event that results in personal injury, damage to property or loss of process such as working time. Potential causes of accidents are many. Each working area will have its own particular hazards and you will need to identify those that apply to you.

Some of the more general causes of accidents in our work environment are:

Slips, trips and falls caused by equipment, cables etc. being carelessly left lying around, or liquid such as water or lube being spilt and left on the floor.
Inadequate care taken over personal housekeeping, allowing parts of the body or trailing parts of clothing, personal jewellery etc. to be trapped / pulled into revolving bicycle parts or objects / tools to be caught and forcibly ejected.
Inadequate or non-use of protective equipment provided for your protection, causing chemical contamination, eye damage, hearing loss, burns etc.
Failure to correctly use lifting and transporting equipment.
Failure to concentrate on the job in hand or distracting others whilst they are working.
Failure to observe safety rules and safe systems of work.
Misuse of tools and equipment.
Using damaged tools or equipment

Types of Injury

The most likely types of injury in the cycle workshop are:

Cuts from jagged edges etc.
Crush injuries hands / fingers from falling objects or while working on bikes eg rotating a wheel
Eye injury from swarf, corrosive liquids/ gases
Back and arm injury from using incorrect lifting techniques

First Aid Kits will be provided on all cargo bikes which can be used for minor injuries, these should also be reported in the accident log book also on the cargo bike.

For all major injuries or emergencies contact the emergency/medical services

NOTE: All injuries must be entered in the company accident book and other company reporting procedures must be followed.

Emergency first aid

Important: wrongly applied first aid can be more dangerous than not applying any at all. The object of all first aid treatment is:

1) to stop the injury or illness getting worse

2) to help promote recovery when medical attention is give

When an accident occurs and someone is injured, there are generally three categories of people involved in their treatment:

1) untrained colleague / passer-by

2) trained first-aider or paramedic/ambulance staff

3) fully trained doctors

The untrained colleague or passer-by can still save life by taking simple actions. FIRST, ALWAYS SHOUT FOR ASSISTANCE, then:

Electric shock

If someone suffers an electrical shock, and is still in contact with the power source, DO NOT touch them.

Switch off the power at source.

If this is not possible use anything that will insulate you from the current (rubber gloves, dry rolled-up newspaper, broom handle, or even the victim's own clothes if they are dry) to move him away from the power source. Check if breathing has stopped. If it has, take action as detailed below under ’Breathing Stopped’.

Cuts

If a person is bleeding profusely, and particularly if the blood is spurting, apply direct pressure to the cut, preferably with a relatively clean cloth (handkerchief etc.) over the injury.

Press as hard as you can and maintain the pressure until help arrives. If the cut is on a limb, elevate the limb as high as possible.

Crushing injuries

If a part of the body is caught in machinery, switch off or otherwise stop the machine immediately. If the object causing the crush can be removed quickly without causing further injury then do so.

If the person is trapped by a heavy object which cannot be moved then it is very important to note the exact time of the accident and report it to the ambulance crew when they arrive – it could save the casualty's life.

Eye injuries

If there is a foreign body in the eye, try to remove it gently with a piece of clean, moist cloth. If it cannot be removed, irrigate with an eyewash or clear, cool water. This is best done by a trained first-aider.

If the object has actually pierced the eyeball or skin, do not touch it; the first-aider should apply a pad to both eyes and seek medical help.

If there is a chemical in the eye, immediately flush the open eye with clean, cool water. Time is vital in this case: the quicker the chemical is diluted, the less chance of permanent damage. Continue flushing for at least 10 minutes. Catch all liquid in a suitable container for safe disposal later.

Burns and scalds

Non-chemical burns – It is vital to cool the affected area as quickly as possible. This should be done by flushing with plenty of clean, cold water and continued until advised otherwise by a trained person.

Chemical burns – Again, speed is vital. The sooner the chemical is diluted and flushed away, the less likelihood there is of permanent damage. So start flushing with cool, clean water as soon as possible. Take care not to be contaminated yourself or to further contaminate the casualty. Catch all liquid in a suitable container for safe disposal later.

Overcome by gas or fumes

Two things are important here:

1) If a person has been overcome by gas or fumes, it will be dangerous for you to go into the same area without proper respiratory protection. Think before you act.

2) The casualty must be removed to fresh air as soon as possible.

Unconsciousness

If a casualty is unconscious check to see if he/she is breathing. If he/she is and is in no immediate danger of further injury, do not move them until a first aider arrives. If they are not breathing, see paragraph below.

Breathing stopped

If a casualty stops breathing, there are a number of possible causes. While you are waiting for a first-aider, look in the casualty's mouth to see if they have swallowed his tongue or have an object lodged in his throat. If that is the case, use your fingers to remove the obstruction. The casualty may then start breathing again. If breathing does not restart, artificial resuscitation must be started by someone who has been trained to do so.

From the above you will see that there are four basic rules:

1) Always shout for assistance first.

2) Do not endanger yourself.

3) If the casualty is in immediate danger of further injury, separate them from the danger.

4) Time is often vital: a few simple actions can save lives before the first aider arrives.

RIDDOR Reporting injuries, diseases, dangerous occurrences

It is your responsibility to report any accidents or injuries that occur at work including, the way work is done, if any equipment/substance is involved, any acts of violence to employees, the condition of the premises.

Accident report books are provided within the equipment on all Cargo Bikes and it is here where you will report all accidents. In addition, for any accident that is more serious (eg fractures, dislocation, loss of sight, serious electrical shock or burn, loss of consciousness, hospitalisation, acute illness from inhalation or absorption or ingestion of harmful substances, fatality) must be reported to your manager as soon as practically possible, with details of the incident.

Good Working Practices and Health & Safety

There is some cross-over in good health and safety practice with good workshop practice … so you will see the same advice repeated elsewhere. This is because they are important not only so that you are safe but also so that the people around you are safe.

Remember, too, that it’s no fun at all having to take a colleague to hospital because they have injured themselves – or worse, because you have injured them!

Some of the tips below reduce fatigue as well as increasing the safety with which you work. Tired or frustrated bike care specialists are tempted to cut corners and make mistakes – this can cause them to damage equipment or injure themselves, or leads to situations where others are injured. Always keep that in mind as a factor in the safety of the work space.

What you can do

As we have mentioned, Ride Clean has a responsibility to provide you with guidance, PPT and tools to protect you from exposure to harmful situations and substances but you also have to cooperate by:

Complying with all the health and safety precautions in your workplace.
Working in ways that don’t endanger yourself or others.
Ensuring you use all the safety equipment provided.
Using, when necessary, all the personal protective equipment (PPE) provided.
Storing your PPE when not in use so they are not contaminated by the substances you work with.
Reporting any defects in safety equipment (including PPE) to your employer.
Reporting to your employer and doctor if you develop symptoms that you think may be associated with the materials that you work with.

The examples below are not “it might just happen” vague possibilities. In almost every case below, it has happened and in some cases resulted in injury.

Tie back long hair so that it can’t get caught in the revolving parts of the bicycle or a rotary tool.
Don’t wear loose, flowing clothes or clothes with trailing drawstrings, or, if you do, ensure that they are tucked in and can’t get drawn into a rotating mechanism or tool.
If you wear an apron, tuck in the trailing ends as far as possible.
Remove personal jewellery, including rings and wristwatches, where it is practical to do so – these can snag, potentially injuring you, or damage the bicycle that you are working on.
Clean tools and check them for damage before returning them to the tool board or storage. Remove damaged tools for service and make sure that the workshop manager or supervisor is aware of the need for repair or replacement.
Keep the floor around your work area clean and clear of obstructions.
When unpacking bicycles, especially where there is a lot of packing material, try and do it in such a way as to keep the packing materials contained and to avoid generating trip hazards.
If using a bladed tool to cut packaging materials, work away from your body, always.
When working on a bicycle, wherever practical, always work with the bicycle in a workstand at a comfortable working height. Get a new bicycle out of a box into the workstand as soon as possible to reduce the possibility of damage to the bicycle.
Coil cables so that they do not form a trip hazard.
Work with the chain around the big chainring (on multiple chainring bicycles) wherever possible, and round the chainring on single chainring bikes, to protect you from accidental contact with the teeth of the chainring.
Always stop the wheels turning before approaching the bike with a tool or with your hands. A turning wheel can badly injure you directly, or it can take a tool out of your grasp and send it across the workshop. Heavy wheels can do you damage even if they are turning slowly – they have a lot of rotational momentum.
All edged and socket tools – screwdrivers, torx and allen keys and the like - should be used with two hands. One to guide the tip of the tool, the other to apply force to the tool. This protects the tool, the part that you are working on, as well as the parts around it and you.
Always think about where your hands or other parts of your body would go, if a tool were to slip or break, or a fixing to break – would you, for instance, end up “punching” the floor if a pedal spanner were to slip when you were removing a particularly tight pedal?
Be conscious of your co-workers in the same workspace - where they are, how they may need to move around you and how you may need to move around them. Think about their access to other parts of the workshop or storage, or their escape routes from the workshop as well as your own, if you need to use a large area of floor-space for a particular job, for example.

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