S
Skin Piercing
All businesses carrying out acupuncture, ear piercing,
electrolysis and tattooing must be registered. Routine inspections
are carried out to ensure they comply with the proper
standards.
For further information contact:-
Small and Low Risk Businesses
Introduction
Welcome to the Self Assessment
Strategy (SAS) for small businesses and low risk premises in
Eastleigh. SAS has been developed to assess the level of
health and safety compliance in premises such as yours.
Why has the Strategy been introduced?
The SAS has been introduced as part
of the Health and Safety Commission's objective to help small firms
and others comply with health and safety law. It has been
designed so that it not only helps us to assess your compliance
with legislation but also to raise the profile of health and safety
generally.
The Self Assessment Questionnaire
forms the backbone of the Strategy. Whilst it is important to note
that this booklet is not an exhaustive checklist of your health and
safety responsibilities, it does cover some of the more important
health and safety issues within small businesses and associated
premises.
Responses to the questions within
this booklet will enable both duty holders and the officers of the
Council to target resources on those areas of health and safety
where your undertaking requires attention, advice or
assistance.
How the Strategy
works
Every 'low risk' premises or small
business in Eastleigh Borough, whether new or well established,
will be sent a copy of the questionnaire to complete. The
answers will enable the Council's officers to assess the level of
compliance with health and safety legislation within your company,
and help target their advice and guidance on those areas where it
is most required.
If a returned questionnaire
indicates that there is no room for improvement and that a business
believes it complies fully with its health and safety obligations,
the responses will be checked out by way of a telephone call.
If this shows that there are areas where improvements are required,
speciaic information may be sent and advice given, or an officer
may arrange for the premises to be inspected.
Alternatively, if a business
indicates there are areas where improvements are required, these
will again be checked by telephone and specific information will be
issued and advice given. If a number of businesses require
information on the same topic, targeted seminars, presentations and
training courses may be held covering issues of concern.
What to do if you need
help
Should you require more advice or
any other information please contact us
Useful websites with information
about small businesses
Smoking
Smoke free enclosed public places
The Council is committed to a total
ban on smoking in enclosed places by 2008. This is on a
shorter timescale than that put forward by the Government. An
action plan based on the Action on Smoking and Health (ASH)
template has been agreed by the Council's Executive and this can be
found at www.eastleigh.gov.uk/meetings
Council Executive dated Thursday 9th January 2005. At the
same time a Smoke Free Eastleigh Charter has been produced and the
Council is a joint signatory to this. Initially there will be
a complete ban in all Council owned buildings and then in all
Council owned vehicles. This will then be followed by the
provision of advice and support to operators of businesses and
private individuals where there is a desire to provide smoke free
environments. Subsequent actions will then be to begin to
enforce the requirements of the legislation in businesses that are
not compliant.
Smoke Free Eating and
Drinking in Hampshire and the Isle of Wight
The Council is working with
Eastleigh & Test Valley South Primary Care Trust and
Mid-Hampshire Primary Care Trust in promoting smoke free eating and
drinking in food outlets.
Although a number of food outlets
are now smoke free, the majority are not. Some business
operators are considering a change, but are concerened as to
whether there may be a financial impact on the business, and of
course there is a hard core who perhaps will never be convinced of
the benefits or providing a totally smoke free environment.
To help with bringing about change
there is access to a project worker who is currently visiting
outlets in the Eastleigh area. Her contact details are:-
Jill.Wilson@midhampshire.nhs.uk
or 01962 863511 ext 3643
For further information please
contact
us or
Action on Smoking & Health Media Briefing on the
raising of the minimum age for the sale of tobacco on 1st October
2007
|
This briefing sets out the facts relating to
the change in the law which are due to come into effect next
week. For further information or comment, please contact
Amanda Sandford on 020 7739 5902. ISDN available.
Legal Background
|
|
From Monday 1 October it will be illegal to
sell any tobacco product to any person under the age of 18
throughout Great Britain. In January, the Government
announced that the minimum age for the purchase of tobacco would be
raised from 16 to 18 in England and Wales and the Scottish
Parliament subsequently made a similar announcement to raise the
minimum age to 18 in Scotland. [1].
The legal age for the purchase of tobacco has
been 16 since 1908. The law prohibiting the sale of tobacco
to minors is set out in the Children and Young Persons Act 1933
(1937 in Scotland) as amended by the Children and Young Persons
(Protection from Tobacco) Act 1991.
The change in the law will bring tobacco sales
in line with alcohol, simplifying the procedure for checking the
age of purchasers of alcohol or tobacco. All tobacco
retailers will be required to display a notice stating that it is
illegal to sell tobacco to anyone under the age of 18.
Failure to comply with the law could result in a fine of up to
£2500.
The Government has issued notices to 70,000
priority retailers and to a further 140,000 other retailers.
The awareness raising campaign also includes billboard posters
informing the public of the new law.
Further information for retailers about the
law is available at: http://www.tobaccoagechange.co.uk/
Teenage Smoking Rates
Currently 9% of 11-15 year olds in England and
Wales are regular smokers but the proportion who smoke rises
steeply by age, so that by the age of 15 one fifth are regular
smokers: (16% of boys and 25% of girls). Rates of smoking
among young girls have changed little over the past two decades,
whilst there has been a significant fall amongst boys.
[2]
Among 16-19 year olds, 23% of young men and
26% of women are smokers. [3] Smoking rates among young
adults have declined steadily from 33% in the mid 1980s to 24% in
2005.
Health Impact of smoking at a young age
Most smokers start in adolescence and the
younger a person starts, the greater the risk of serious diseases,
later in life, particularly lung cancer. Someone who starts
smoking at 15 is three times as likely to die from cancer due to
smoking than someone who starts smoking in their mid-20s.
Additionally the younger a person starts to smoke, the less likely
they are to give up. More immediate health effects include a
reduction in lung function and reduced
fitness.
Access to tobacco
Despite the current law, many children and
young people report being able to buy tobacco. The latest
survey revealed that only 23% of those under 16 who tried to buy
tobacco found it difficult to do so. [2] Nearly 70% of 11-15
year old smokers say that they buy their cigarettes from small
shops such as newsagents.
Children also have easy access to vending
machines, with 17% of under-age smokers reporting that they usually
buy cigarettes from vending machines.
Expected impact of the change in the law
and enforcement
The Government estimates that raising the
purchase age to 18 will result in a fall in cigarette consumption
of around 14% among 11-16 year olds. Longer term, the
impact of this measure will be to cut smoking rates among adults by
about 0.5%. The cost savings to the NHS through reduced
smoking are estimated to be up to £6 million. [4]
The success of the law will depend largely on
how well it is enforced. Trading Standards Officers have the
responsibility of checking retailers’ compliance with the
law. During 2005 only 56 retailers in England and Wales
were fined for selling cigarettes to children out of a total of 89
who had proceedings brought against them. [5]
|
|
Notes and links:
[1] The Department of Health’s
announcement followed a public consultation during
2006. The consultation document can be viewed at
http://www.dh.gov.uk/en/Consultations/Closedconsultations/DH_4139361
ASH’s response to the above consultation can
be viewed at: http://newash.org.uk/files/documents/ASH_644.pdf
[2] Smoking, drinking and
drug use among young people in England in 2006. The
Information Centre, 2007. www.ic.nhs.uk/pubs/smokedrinkdrug06
[3] General Household Survey, 2006.
www.statistics.gov.uk/ghs
[4] Partial regulatory impact assessment
of raising the minimum age for the sale of tobacco products.
Annex A of the Consultation on raising the minimum age for the
purchase of tobacco.
http://www.dh.gov.uk/en/Consultations/Closedconsultations/DH_4139361
[5] Office for Criminal Justice Reform,
2007.
|
Street Trading Licences
Trading in streets in the Borough is strictly controlled.
Permission is required from the council to trade in most streets
and in the remainder trading is prohibited.
For further information contact us
Stray/Lost Dogs
Stray/Lost
Dogs
A stray dog is defined as any dog
that is in a public place or a private place where it should not
be, without its owner/keeper in attendance.
Under the Environmental
Protection Act 1990 each Local Authority has a designated officer
to deal with stray dogs.
From 1st April 2003 - 31st March
2004 Animal Welfare Officers working on behalf of Eastleigh Borough
Council, seized 127 stray dogs. Of these, 35 were unclaimed
and passed over to welfare for re-homing.
A stray dog may be reclaimed by
its owner on payment of a statutory fee, daily kennel fee and any
other expenses incurred. This will include veterinary fees, if
applicable.
What if? I LOSE
MY DOG
Contact the Police and the Animal Welfare Officers covering
the area you lost your dog. The Animal Welfare Officers will
take details of your dog and give further advice on any further
action you should take.
What
if? I FIND A DOG
If you find a dog it is an
offence not to inform the Local Authority and Police covering the
area in which you found it. You may deliver the dog to an
appropriate police station or alternatively, the Animal Welfare
Officers will collect the dog during normal working
hours. If a dog has a tag with the owner's name and address
inscribed, you may return it directly to them.
What
if? MY DOG IS STOLEN
You should report your dog to the
Police and also to the Animal Welfare Officers who will give advice
on any further action you may take.
What
if? I FIND A STRAY IN
POOR CONDITION
The Animal Welfare Officers
assess all stray dogs and will obtain veterinary treatment as
required. If the Animal Welfare Officers consider there is a
welfare problem they will contact the
RSPCA to decide on
any further action.
What
if? MY DOG IS STOLEN
You should report your dog to the
Police and also to the Animal Welfare Officers/Dog Warden, who will
give advice on any further action you may take.
For more information on dogs
please see our
Dogs page
Swimming Pool Water Testing
The Council carries out periodic testing of water in the
Borough's swimming pools. This testing involves using
equipment to instantly check the levels of disinfectant in the
water and compare that level with National Guidelines.
The last tests were carried out in 2003. At this time the
results for the pools tested met current guidelines.
If you have any concerns over the safety of the water in local
swimming pools or would like further information on swimming pool
water please contact us
top of page
Page Last Updated: 6/6/2008
Eastleigh Borough Council
legal disclaimer
Website Comments: webmaster@eastleigh.gov.uk
Eastleigh Borough Council, Civic Offices, Leigh Road, Eastleigh, SO50 9YN
Telephone: 023 8068 8068, Fax: 023 8064 3952, Text: 07797 877001
Email:
direct@eastleigh.gov.uk