Health and safety is not only about preventing accidents. Employers must also look after the welfare of their employees: their basic needs at work, their health, and their wellbeing.

In this module you will learn about welfare facilities, first aid, work-related stress, drugs and alcohol, and bullying, harassment and violence at work.

Under the General Application Regulations, employers must provide suitable welfare facilities, including:

• Clean toilets and washing facilities, with hot and cold running water, soap and a way to dry hands.
• Fresh drinking water.
• Somewhere to rest and eat meals.
• Changing facilities and storage for clothing, where special work clothing is worn.
• A reasonable working temperature, good ventilation and suitable lighting.

Employers must provide adequate measures for the health, safety and welfare of their employees. The workplace needs sufficient temperature control, at a reasonable minimum temperature for the type of work, and local heating where work processes make that impossible. It needs natural or fan-supplied ventilation, and humidity should not be excessive. Natural light is preferred, supplemented by artificial lighting where necessary. There must be ample space around workstations for safe movement, and easily reached surfaces should be cleaned regularly.

Toilet and washing facilities must be adequate in number, suitable for all employees, well maintained and properly stocked. Rest and eating facilities should be separate from work areas and allow employees time to rest, with a way to heat food and prepare hot drinks. Employers must also enforce a no-smoking policy inside the premises and in any substantially enclosed areas, for employees and visitors alike.

Accidents and sudden illness can happen in any workplace. Employers must assess their first aid needs and provide:

• Suitably stocked first aid kits, easy to reach.
• Trained occupational first aiders, where the risk assessment shows they are needed.
• Information for all employees about where the first aid kits are, and who the first aiders are.

The number of first aiders depends on the hazards, the number of employees, shift patterns and how far away the emergency services are.

Even with good prevention, accidents still happen, so every workplace needs robust first aid arrangements. The first aid regulations apply to all workplaces and cover all employed people and the self-employed. Employers must make arrangements for first aid treatment, possibly with a designated area kept hygienic for the purpose. They must make sure enough staff are trained to give first aid, and provide suitable first aid equipment, including well-stocked first aid kits.

They must also tell employees about the first aid facilities and procedures, so that people know where the equipment, facilities and trained personnel are. Every workplace should have a first aid kit that is tailored to its own needs, because there is no mandatory list of contents. Common items include plasters, sterile pads and wound dressings, roller and triangular bandages, face shields or pocket masks, adhesive tape, pins and clips, scissors, shears and tweezers, and clean plastic bags or film for burn dressings. First aid signs are green and white.

There is no fixed list, but a first aid kit usually contains:

• Individually wrapped sterile plasters, in assorted sizes.
• Sterile eye pads and sterile wound dressings.
• Triangular bandages, and safety pins.
• Disposable gloves.

First aid kits should not contain tablets or medicines. Kits must be checked regularly, and restocked after use.

Work-related stress happens when the demands of work are more than a person can cope with. It is one of the leading causes of ill health and absence. Common causes include:

• Too much work, or unrealistic deadlines.
• Little control over how the work is done.
• Poor support from managers and colleagues.
• Poor relationships, including conflict and bullying.
• An unclear role, and badly managed change.

Employers must assess the risk of stress like any other hazard. If you are struggling, talk to your manager or another trusted person early.

Work-related stress arises when people struggle to cope with the demands of work. It is a major factor in illness and, together with anxiety and depression, a leading cause of absence and staff turnover. Research identifies four main sources. The first is the task itself, where work exceeds a person's capacity, involves information overload, or is highly repetitive. The second is relationships, including difficult interactions, harassment and bullying.

The third is an unclear job role, with conflicting demands or expectations, lack of recognition, worries about safety or fear of job insecurity. The fourth is the environment, including noise, temperature, lighting and cleanliness. Conflicts and disputes can arise from miscommunication or inadequate leadership. If mismanaged, they can lead to physical harm, psychological stress, and staff leaving or being dismissed. Harassment means being repeatedly and intentionally subjected to abuse, threats or humiliation in a work context.

• Being under the influence of alcohol or drugs at work affects judgement, co-ordination and reaction times, and puts everyone at risk.
• This includes the after-effects of drinking the night before, and some prescribed and over-the-counter medicines.
• Employers should have a clear policy, and support employees who need help.
• If you take medication that could affect your work, for example by causing drowsiness, tell your supervisor.

Drug misuse means the illegal use of drugs and the improper use, intentional or accidental, of prescribed medicines and substances such as solvents. Ignoring drug-related activity in the workplace when you know about it can break the law. Someone under the influence may show sudden mood swings, irritability, confusion, poor concentration, slow reactions, clumsiness and impaired vision. Alcohol misuse leads to lower productivity, more absence and more accidents.

A comprehensive policy should focus on early prevention and detection and encourage people to report problems and seek advice voluntarily. It should also set out testing and screening procedures, particularly in safety-sensitive industries. To prevent violence from outside, train staff to recognise and manage conflict, improve layout to remove blind spots, reduce night and lone working and handle cash carefully, and improve lighting, access control, cameras, alarms and security.

Bullying, harassment and violence cause serious harm, and employers must manage them as workplace hazards. In Ireland, the Code of Practice on the Prevention and Resolution of Bullying at Work sets out what employers must do.

• Employers should have a clear policy, and a fair way to raise and resolve complaints.
• Staff who deal with the public should be trained to recognise and calm difficult situations.
• Every incident of violence or abuse should be reported and recorded.