Health and Safety

Designers have a duty of care.They have a responsibility to ensure the products we use are safe. This only applies if the product is being used for the purpose for which it was intended, by the users for whom it was intended and in the environment it was intended for.

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Personal Safety is about making sure people are not

exposed to unnecessary risk and harm• Using personal protection equipment – eye protection, face masks,

safety shoes, overalls• Check tools and equipment are safe to use – that everything is in

good working order• Maintain a safe environment – nothing on floor to trip over,

extraction systems working properly• Accident procedures clearly understood• 1) make scene of accident safe• 2) assess the injury• 3) treat the injury• 4) write an accident report• 5) undertake work to prevent accident happening again.

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Risk assessment• 1) identify the specific risk e.g. for using an

iron the risk is burning your hand or arm with the iron or getting a burn from steam, also risk of dropping iron on your foot.

• 2) assess the probability or chances of an accident happening

• 3) minimise risk: is there anything you can do to reduce the likelihood of an accident taking place.

• After considering these three aspects, the risk becomes acceptable or not acceptable. 3

COSHH

• The law requires employers to control exposure to hazardous substances. Employers have to comply with the Control of Substances Hazardous to Health Regulations 2002 (COSHH)

• FUMES, DUST, BACTERIA, ADHESIVES, PAINTS can lead to skin irritation, dermatitis, asthma, losing consciousness, cancer, infection

• E.g. – solvent based spray glues, tensol cement, etching agents for PCBs, soldering and dusts produced from cutting and finishing materials

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Quality• Quality of design is not about manufacture. It

could be the look or the novel concept – user perception plays a part.

• Quality of design is indicated by • how well product functions, • how aesthetically pleasing it is and • how appealing it is to the user. • It must also be sustainable – standing the test of

time, not having a negative impact on the environment.

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Quality of manufacture

• How well a product has been made• How appropriate materials are – consider cost,

availability, working properties and environmental issues

• How appropriate manufacture methods are• How good the surface finish is• How well components fit into product• Quality depends on Design Tolerance allowable.e.g. 100mm ±2mm for a distance or a resistor of 2k

with a tolerance of ± 5% (gold band)6

Quality ControlQuality control is about ensuring that products conform to standards that will ensure they are safe to use. Quality control checks are required. You must identify key quality control points in the manufacturing process.Quality marks and symbols show they meet agreed standards e.g. ISO9000 – quality management system to ensure continual improvement.

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Quality marks: BS kitemark and CE mark

A kitemark means the British Standards Institute (BSI) has independently tested a product, confirmed that it conforms to the relevant British Standard, and has issued licence to the company to the company to use the kitemark. Safety and reliability in such things as fridges, plugs, helmets are shown by these marks

The CE marking (also known as CE mark) is a mandatoryconformity mark on many products placed on the single market in the European Economic Area (EEA). The CE marking certifies that a product has met EU consumer safety, health or environmental requirements. CE stands for Conformité Européenne, "European conformity" in French.

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