You are working as part of a team of government health and safety inspectors. Your team leader has
allocated the team to visit a range of different science organisations, e.g. a pharmaceutical company,
a company that produces plastics, and a cosmetic company and report on the health and safety
practices within these organisations. You need to select a suitable organisation to inspect. You will
inspect their factory where the product is mass manufactured. You will also inspect the research and
development site for the organisation.
You will produce a report that provides information on how the two departments in the selected
organisation are following relevant health and safety legislation as well as describing the hazards
present and how health and safety is managed.
You must provide a report that:
Task A- i) Describes of the main activities of the organisation
ii) Describes the potential hazards in each department selected and link these to the health
and safety measures used.
Report on Boots- (pharmaceutical company)
Task A-i) - The main activities of boots organisation
Boots is a UK-based beauty cosmetics and pharmaceutical retailer with over 2,500 stores country
and worldwide. The company specialises in bringing in an affordable and easy manner. In regard to
manufacturing, Boots operates under a pharmaceutical subcontractor, Boots Contract
Manufacturing (BCM), to which the majority of production has been carried out since 2017.
The main activities Boots contract manufacturing organisation
BCM have over 80 years of experience with manufacturing pharmaceutical and beauty products.
The main activities of this organisation are important to keep the organisation afloat and successful.
Planning- Planning is an essential element for all organizations. BCM makes sure they plan out their
product, in this case it is important for the organisation make sure natural materials and ingredients
are fully traceable back to their origin.
Staffing- Maintaining the proper staffing levels is essential for any organisation or business. In this
organisation, BCM has a total of 12,000 employees (12,000 employees in total from every factory).
BCM has to have employees who are willing to work hard, get their job done but most importantly,
to follow health and safety regulations to keep the place a safe work environment.
Sustainable and ethical supply chains – Boots as a brand, makes sure that all of the materials and
ingredients that goes into their products are natural and fully traceable back to their origin. Boots
companies went into their own hands to make an online data base to trace ingredient information
and assess the sustainability risks of raw materials used in Boots brand products.
The Boots Company embraces businesses operating principally in retailing, the manufacture and
marketing of health and personal care products throughout the world and the development and
, management of retail property. So, as a whole, their main activity is to be successful, have
sustainable materials and to maximise the value of the company for the benefit of its shareholders.
Task A-ii) - The potential hazards in each department &how they link into
health and safety measures
Boots contract manufacture- Factory department & development
department.
Two departments: Factory department & development site of Boots-
In order for a working environment to stay safe and well working, the employees have to be aware
of the health and safety act in their workplace. Health and Safety is important because it protects
the wellbeing of employers, visitors, and customers. They have to follow rules and regulations to
ensure that themselves and the employees are staying safe. However, in any workplace, there are
hazards that you have to go through and understand the meaning and risks of these hazards.
Working in a factory and development sites, these are some of the hazards that people need to
know about.
Slips and falls- The most obvious are slips and falls from working in wet locations and the
ergonomic hazards of lifting, pushing, pulling, and repetitive tasks. This is one of the most common
hazards in a workplace. Employees have to be aware of the different ways you could slip and fall,
and the ways to prevent this. To prevent this hazard, any spills need to be reported immediately to
be cleaned up, appropriate footwear and clothing needs to be worn in the warehouse and there
must always be a first aider on site.
Using work vehicles without the right training or the legal age of use- In some
workplaces, you get vehicles (such as forklift vehicles and industrial vehicles). There is specific
training and an age requirement. If you get onto one without the right training, you can injure
yourself. To prevent this from happening, any employers who will be using any vehicles will need
professional training and any health and safety information needed.
Electrical hazards- When working in a factory, you can be using electrical machines and devices.
Firstly, all of the electrical wires and outlets should be away from any wet, damp areas. Any areas
that are at risk of getting wet and damp can have a high risk of electrocution.
Biological Hazards- Biological hazards encompass microbes, recombinant organisms, and viral
vectors. They also include biological agents introduced into experimental animals. It is important
that employees clean their workplace correctly and dispose of any biological hazards correctly.