Higher Admin & IT Workplace Legislation PDF

HIGHER ADMIN & IT OUTCOME 1: Effectiveness of Admin Practices in the Workplace Topic: Workplace Legislation Contents Workplace Legislation.........................................................................................................................

HIGHER ADMIN & IT OUTCOME 1: Effectiveness of Admin Practices in the Workplace Topic: Workplace Legislation Contents Workplace Legislation...................................................................................................................... 3 1 Health & Safety Legislation...................................................................................................... 3 Health and Safety at Work Act 1974 (HASAWA)...................................................................... 3 Health & Safety (Display Screen Equipment) Regulations 1992............................................... 4 Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations (RIDDOR) 1995.... 5 Control of Substances Hazardous to Health (COSHH) 1994.................................................... 6 Health and Safety (First Aid) Regulations 1981........................................................................ 6 Fire (Scotland) Act.................................................................................................................... 7 Failing to Comply with Health and Safety Procedures - Employees......................................... 9 Failing to Comply with Health and Safety Legislation - Organisations...................................... 9 2 Data Handling Legislation....................................................................................................... 10 Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988.............................................................................. 10 Computer Misuse Act.............................................................................................................. 10 Freedom of Information Act.................................................................................................... 11 General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR).......................................................................... 11 Consequences of Failing to Comply with Data Handling Legislation - Organisation............... 15 Consequences of Failing to Comply with Data Handling Legislation - Employee................... 15 Communicating Legislation/Regulations.................................................................................... 15 Electronic Communication:..................................................................................................... 15 Verbal Communication:........................................................................................................... 17 Written Communication:.......................................................................................................... 17 Page 2 Workplace Legislation 1 Health & Safety Legislation All work exposes people to hazards. Attention to health and safety is not just about being responsible towards your staff; it is good business sense. Health and Safety at Work Act 1974 (HASAWA) Health and safety legislation relating to the workplace is constantly being updated. It is important that all staff in organisations know the main provisions of the health and safety legislation. HASAWA is an umbrella act – it contains a number of acts covering specific acts of health and safety. It is also known as an ‘enabling act’, meaning it allows for any new act or amendments to be added. Generally, employers have an obligation to ensure that, as far as is reasonably possible, the health and safety of their employees is ensured while at work or in the workplace. These regulations apply to all employees, including those with disabilities, and reasonable adjustment must be made to workplaces to ensure that safety and access to safety and other facilities is possible for workers with a disability. HASAWA legislation covers factors in the workplace including: Adequate ventilation must be ensured at all times and specific Ventilation ventilation/extraction is required where workplaces are likely to generate dust or fumes. Minimum acceptable temperatures are set for workplaces to ensure that Temperature employees operate in an environment which is suitable for work activity. In a normal indoor workplace the suggested minimum temperature is 16oC. Adequate lighting must be provided and, where required, emergency Lighting lighting in the event of power failure should be present. Personalised workspace lighting may also be required. The workplace should be kept clean and free from dust and dirt. Where possible, surfaces such as tables, doors etc should be able to be kept clean. Cleanliness Waste materials should be removed regularly and responsibly from the workplace. Work spaces should be sufficient for each person assigned to work in a Room dimensions specific area and a minimum amount of space is set for this within the and space legislation. Workstations and Workstations should be suitable for the specific people using them and seating seating should be adjustable and give support to the lower back. Footrests and wristrests should be provided for workstation users where necessary. The organisation must carry out regular maintenance and checks for any Maintenance H&S issues in the workplace or with specific equipment. Page 3  Washing and All workers should have toilet facilities. Washing facilities must be made toilet facilitiesavailable, should be easily accessible to all employees, and should have hot and cold running water. A supply of quality drinking water is required to be available within the Drinking Water organisation at all times. If water coolers and tap water are not available, bottled water should be provided for employees. Seating should be provided for workers to rest on during meal or other Rest Facilities breaks. Where necessary, eating facilities should be provided including disabled access tables and chairs. Changing/storage Suitable space for storing clothing and belongings and for changing clothing facilities should be made available in the workplace. The HASAWA provides broad statements in relation to minimum health and safety requirements and places legal requirements on both employers and employees. Employer Responsibilities:  Provide a safe place of work for employees. Do this through carrying out a risk assessment to identify potential/real hazards and implement ways to minimise or reduce these hazards.  Ensure that entrances and exits are clearly marked.  Provide safe equipment and machinery and ensure that it is regularly checked and maintained.  Provide training to employees on health and safety in the workplace.  Provide a written health and safety policy, which is kept up to date and available to all staff.  Communicate clear procedures for dealing with accidents in the workplace and ensure all accidents are accurately recorded.  Provide a safety representative to represent employees’ needs. Employees Responsibilities:  Co-operate with health & safety policies and take reasonable care of themselves and other employees.  Immediately report any faults with machinery or equipment.  Wear protective clothing when it has been issued to them.  Always follow guidelines when operating machinery and equipment and never operate machinery or equipment you are not authorised or trained to use.  Co-operate with employers by attending training courses.  Ensure they are familiar with the organisation’s health and safety policy.  Be observant and report any hazards in the workplace. Health & Safety (Display Screen Equipment) Regulations 1992 These regulations provide protection for employees working with display screen equipment (DSE) such as PCs, laptops, tablets and smartphones. Page 4 The Health and Safety (Display Screen Equipment) Regulations 1992 apply to workers who use DSE daily, for an hour or more at a time. The regulations don’t apply to workers who use DSE infrequently or only use it for a short time. The law applies if users are, for example: - at a fixed workstation - mobile workers/teleworkers - home workers - hot-desking (workers should carry out a basic risk assessment if they change desks regularly) Strategies an Organisation can Implement to Comply with DSE Legislation: o do a DSE workstation assessment to identify any DSE health issues. o minimise or reduce health risks identified in the risk assessment, for example: - provide suitable equipment such as adjustable monitors, keyboards, seating, ergonomic desks, wrist rests, foot rests. - make sure workers take regular breaks and use job rotation to change their work activity away from DSE work if working with IT equipment for extended periods - this will avoid/reduce eye-strain, neck/back strain and fatigue. o provide training and information for employees on how to work to minimise health implications when working with DSE - updating this training regularly. o IT equipment is regularly checked and maintained to ensure that it is safe to use with regards to wiring, plugs etc. o Offer, on request, regular eye tests for employees who work with IT regularly. o Carry out regular checks of workstations to ensure they meet the minimum safety requirements set out in the regulations. Incorrect use of DSE or poorly designed workstations or work environments can lead to pain in the neck, shoulders, back, arms, wrists and hands as well as fatigue and eye strain. Employee Responsibilities: o Use equipment when needed and use properly eg adjust computer chair to suit their height, adjust monitor position, wrist and foot rests etc. o Follow all training related to DSE eg proper sitting positions. o Plan work activities for the day so ensure there is variety and not long periods of time with work requiring DSE. o Ask for eye tests when needed. Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations (RIDDOR) 1995 This deals specifically with the reporting of injuries and accidents at work (serious and fatal). Page 5 Employer Reposibilities:  Accidents must be reported when they result in an employee or self-employed person being away from work or unable to perform their normal work duties for more than 7 consecutive days as a result of their injury.  Accidents must be recorded, but not reported, when they result in a worker being unable to perform their normal work duties for more than 3 consecutive days.  Accidents to members of the public or others who are not at work must be reported if they result in an injury and the person is taken directly from the scene of the accident to hospital for treatment for that injury. Control of Substances Hazardous to Health (COSHH) 1994 This deals specifically with the storage and control of hazardous substances and items such as protective equipment and clothing. Employer Responsibilities: COSHH requires employers to control substances that are hazardous to health. Employers can prevent or reduce workers’ exposure to hazardous substances by:  Finding out what the health hazards are – doing a risk assessment.  Deciding how to prevent harm to health.  Providing control measures to reduce harm to health.  Providing information, instruction and training for employees and others.  Providing monitoring and health surveillance in appropriate cases.  Planning for emergencies. Health and Safety (First Aid) Regulations 1981 This requires employers to provide adequate and appropriate equipment, facilities and personnel to ensure employees receive immediate attention if they are injured or take ill at work. The law applies to all workplaces, including those with fewer than 5 employees and to the self-employed. What is ‘adequate and appropriate’ will depend on the circumstances in the workplace. Employer Responsibilities:  Carry out a risk assessment of first-aid needs to determine what to provide.  Provide adequate and appropriate equipment and facilities to ensure their employees receive immediate attention if they are injured or taken ill. These regulations apply to all workplaces, including those with fewer than 5 employees, and to the self-employed. What is ‘adequate and appropriate’ depends on the circumstances in the organisation. Page 6  Provide adequate and appropriate staff to ensure their employees receive immediate attention if they are injured or taken ill. This means as a minimum requirement having an appointed person to take charge of first-aid arrangements or if the risk to injury depends, having trained first-aiders in the organisation.  Inform employees about the first-aid arrangements. This regulation does not place a legal duty on employers to make first-aid provision for non- employees such as the public. However, it is strongly recommended that non-employees are included in an assessment if first-aid needs to determine what to provide. Fire (Scotland) Act Most fires are preventable. Those responsible for workplaces and other buildings to which the public have access can avoid fires by taking responsibility for and adopting the right behaviours and procedures. Employers must carry out a fire safety risk assessment and keep it up-to-date. This can be carried out either as part of an overall risk assessment or as a separate exercise. The risk assessment looks at the premises, the activities carried out there, and the potential for a fire to occur and the harm it could cause. Employer Responsibilities Identify the people at risk and evaluate the potential fire hazards in Carry out a Fire Risk the organisation. Record the risk assessment and review at regular Assessment intervals. Strategies on eliminating the potential for fire should be considered and implemented eg: Implement Strategies to  keep sources of ignition and flammable substances apart. Minimise Fire Potential  avoid accidental fires, eg make sure heaters cannot be knocked over.  establish good housekeeping eg have bins regularly emptied to avoid build-up of rubbish that could burn. Provide adequate fire safety equipment eg fire extinguishers, fire Provide Fire Safety blankets etc and ensure staff are trained to use them. Have Equipment equipment regularly checked to ensure they are in working order. Implement a Fire Have a fire evacuation plan and ensure all employees are trained to Evacuation Plan follow the plan eg do fire drills. Page 7  Employee Responsibilities Their Own Safety Take care of their own safety in respect of harm caused by fire. Take care of other people who may be affected by acts of the Other Employee Safety employee. Work with Employer Co-operate with employer with respect to fire legislation. Health and Safety Executive (HSE) The Health and Safety Executive is the national independent watchdog for work-related health, safety and illness. It acts in the public interest to reduce work-related death and serious injury across workplaces in the UK. The HSE was formed in 1975 to undertake the requirements of the Health and Safety Commission (this is the organisation created by HASAWA 1974 and aimed to ensure health and safety requirements set out in HASAWA were met by workplaces). The HSE aim is to enforce health and safety legislation in all workplaces, except those regulated by Local Authorities. The HSE’s mission is: “The prevention of death, injury and ill health to those at work and those affected by work activities”. The HSE’s main duties are to: ssary standards for health and safety performance; The HSE can: o Visit the workplace: - at any time ‘without reason’ to carry out a H&S inspection. - to investigate following a report of an injury or a suspected unsafe working practice which may breach health and safety legislation. o Issue an informal warning, verbally or in writing to the employer/organisation if a breach of legislation is discovered. o Issue an improvement notice which requires that any breach of legislation is corrected within a specific time period. HSE Inspectors can also temporarily close a workplace down if the breach of health and safety legislation is significant. o Shut down premises without notice. o Fine or prosecute the company or individuals. The maximum penalty possible under health and safety legislation depends on the offence. For example, a failure to comply with an improvement or prohibition notice, or a court remedy order, carries a fine of up to £20,000, or six months’ imprisonment, or both. Unlimited fines and in some cases imprisonment may be imposed following prosecution. Page 8 In addition, if an employee believes that the organisation has breached health and safety requirements, they can take their case to an industrial tribunal. Examples might be the non-provision of safety equipment/protective clothing or failure to ‘remedy’ a reported hazard, which has resulted in subsequent injury. If a case is proven against the employer, it may result in fines or compensation to the employee. Failing to Comply with Health and Safety Procedures - Employees If an employee fails to follow health and safety guidelines or legislation, they may be subject to the following disciplinary procedures: o A verbal warning - If the breach of procedures is slight and has not occurred before, the employee may only be given a verbal warning which will not be recorded on their employment record. o A written warning - A more serious breach or a repeat of a previous breach will result in a formal written warning which is recorded as a disciplinary measure on the employee’s record. o Suspension or dismissal - A repeat of an offence following a formal written warning may result in dismissal from the organisation as the employee has continually failed to follow guidelines and ignored previous warnings. An alternative to this may be temporary suspension while further investigation is carried out. o Referral to the police - In addition to other organisational disciplinary measures, an employee may be reported to the police eg if there has been a danger to life. o Civil or criminal prosecution - Referral to the police can result in prosecution for an employee. Failing to Comply with Health and Safety Legislation - Organisations o The organisation can be investigated by the HSE following a report of an injury or a suspected unsafe working practice which may breach health and safety legislation. o The organisation can receive an informal warning, verbally or in writing by the HSE. o The organisation can be issued with an improvement notice which requires that any breach of legislation is corrected within a specific time period by the HSE. o The organisation’s workplace can be temporarily closed down if the breach of health and safety legislation is significant. o The organisation’s workplace can be shut down permanently without notice. o The organisation can receive a fine or be prosecuted. A breach of H&S can carry a fine of up to £20,000, or six months’ imprisonment, or both. Page 9 2 Data Handling Legislation The manner that data and information is handled by an organisation is governed by legislation. There are 4 main pieces of legislation governing the safety and security of data: General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988 This act governs the use of material which is copyrighted by its’ creator. Users of the materials are restricted in the copying or alteration of this material without consent from the owner and acknowledgement of the owner/creator if the material is used. This legislation covers: o software o text/information o music or film o logos or graphics. Materials which is subject to copyright has a symbol shown next to it which may be either: To reproduce any material under copyright, a user needs to seek the owner’s permission and may be asked to pay a fee. A user can also pay a fee to the Copyright Licensing Agency which will allow them to copy small sections without permission. Computer Misuse Act This act governs the use of computer equipment and access to information held on computer. It is unlawful to gain unauthorised access to computer files or programs. The Act makes it illegal to: o access computers/computer systems without permission (hacking) o access computers/computer systems with the intention of committing a criminal offense (for example, introducing a virus) o access computers/computer systems to change or alter details in the system without permission (copying details/software). Strategies an organisation could use to ensure employees comply with the Computer Misuse Act:  Train staff in key principles of data protection.  Create a user policy and network agreement. Page 10  Use posters to promote the organisation’s guidelines on network use.  Supervise and monitor network activity.  Promote a clear and fair disciplinary procedure for not following the organisation’s user policy and network agreement. Freedom of Information Act This act provides public access to information held by public authorities in England, Wales and Northern Ireland and by UK-wide public authorities based in Scotland, eg Government Departments, Local Councils, Armed Forces, National Regulators, NHS, Police, Schools, Colleges and Universities. The Act does not give people access to their own personal data (this is covered by GDPR). The main principle behind the Freedom of Information Act is that people have a right to know about the activities of public authorities (unless there is good reason for them not to). The Act means that: o public authorities are obliged to publish certain information about their activities; o members of the public are entitled to request information from public authorities. Public authorities normally have 20 days to respond to a request. The legislation states that: o everyone has a right to access official information o a requester of information foes no need to give a reason for wanting the information o all requests for information must be treated equally – regardless of who they are from o only information that can be released to the world at large qualifies for disclosure. General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) GDPR is designed to protect people's personal information. It controls the way in which information is: Collected Stored Processed The regulation concerns 3 different types of people: Data Subject The person the information is about. Data Controller The organisation that stores the information. Data Processor The person who uses the information. The regulation defines personal information as any information relating to an identified or identifiable natural person (data subject), and it covers data in all formats eg hardcopy, electronic, CCTV etc. Page 11 GDPR has 6 main principles: Lawfulness, fairness Purpose Limitations and transparency Integrity and Data Minimisation Confidentiality Storage Limitations Accuracy 1. Lawfulness, fairness and transparency Organisations should only process personal data lawfully and in a fair way. People must be told very clearly what the organisation intends to do with the personal data collected. 2. Purpose Limitation Personal data should be collected for specific, explicit and legitimate purposes, which is clearly told to the data subject. The personal data cannot be used for any other purpose. 3. Data Minimisation Personal data should be adequate, relevant and limited to what is needed. 4. Accuracy Personal data must be accurate, and where necessary, kept up to date. Reasonable steps should be taken to rectify any data that is found to be inaccurate. 5. Storage Limitation Personal data should not be kept for any longer that is necessary for the purpose it was collected for. When not needed it must be disposed of securely. 6. Integrity and Confidentiality Personal data must be protected against unauthorised access, accidental loss, destruction or damage. Both physical and technical controls should be used as appropriate. Page 12 Organisational Strategies for each Principle PRINCIPLES IN PRACTICE  Set up a procedure so that data subjects will be informed of what is going to be collected, the purpose, who it will be shared with and the retention periods, before information is collected. This is called ‘privacy information’.  Establish a policy that if personal data is obtained from other sources, the Lawfulness, privacy information must be given to individuals within a reasonable fairness and period of obtaining the data and no later than one month. transparency  Privacy information should be concise, transparent, easily accessible, intelligible, clear and in plain language.  The organisation must register with the Information Commissioner's Office.  The organisation must not use stolen information.  The organisation must register with the Information Commissioner’s Office. Purpose  Data must not be used for any other reason than the one registered eg an Limitation organisation cannot use data for marketing purposes if it is registered to use it for research purposes only. Data  Create forms that only request core information. Minimisation  Do not store unnecessary data.  Issue data check forms annually (or more often). Accuracy  Confirm data with the subject if in doubt.  Procedures for updating data should be in place.  Consider the information held and have valid reasons for holding the information for the time decided.  Establish a policy setting standard retention periods (the time different Storage types of information will be help for) – communicate this to staff. Limitation  Regularly review the data held, and erase or anonymise it when it is no longer needed.  Appropriate methods of destroying data must be in place ie shredding.  Set up read only access on a network for certain staff to prevent data being altered by mistake. Integrity &  Create access rights to ensure data is only available to authorised Confidentiality members of staff.  Install password protection or locked filing systems if data is held in paper- based cabinets.  Provide training to ensure staff follow saving and security procedures. General Organisational Strategies to Ensure Compliance with Data Protection o Organisations should be registered with the Information Commissioner’s Office as a data user. o Install restricted access systems so visitors have limited physical access to where data is held. o Have a policy that cabinets with sensitive data are locked at all times. Assign responsibility to an employee to ensure cabinets are locked when the office closes. o Create a procedure requiring anyone who accesses files/cabinets records what information they are using and why, with the date and time. Page 13 o Restrict access rights on the intranet so that only authorised people having access to data/hierarchical system. o Set up a procedure to ensure data that is no longer needed or relevant is destroyed securely (ie shredded). o Set up a regular data check asking the data subject to ensure that accurate information is held. o Set up a procedure to regularly look through files and decide if information needs to be retained. o Design all forms to only ask essential information. o Ensure there is a privacy notice on the organisation’s website telling customers what you will do with their data. o Set out steps of how people can access their information/through a Subject Access Request (SAR) for example. o Ensure permission is asked for the info (opt in/out) to be shared/used for another purpose. o Ensure permission is sought if data is to be transferred outside the EU. o Train staff in the principles of GDPR and in the organisation’s data handling procedures. Provide reminder training sessions regularly. o Appoint a member of staff to ensure that organisation complies with legislation. Data Subject’ Rights 1. The right to be informed 5. The right to restrict processing 2. The right of access 6. The right to data portability 3. The right to rectification 7. The right to object 4. The right to erase 8. The right in relation to automated decision making & processing Data Protection Breach Failing to collect and process personal data according to the GDPR principles, is a data protection breach. A breach will happen is personal data is: Seen by Lost Stolen Unauthorised People Any breach must be reported to the ICO (Information Commissioner’s Office) with 72 hours of identification. A breach can result in administrative fines of up to 4% of annual global turnover or €20 million – whichever is greater. Not all GDPR infringements lead to fines. Supervisory authorities such as the ICO (Information Commissioner’s Office) have the scope to take a range of other actions, such as:  issuing warnings and reprimands;  imposing a temporary or permanent ban on data processing;  ordering the rectification, restriction or erasure of data; and  suspending data transfers to third countries. Page 14 Consequences of Failing to Comply with Data Handling Legislation - Organisation o Customers may lose confidence in the organisation and may not return as customers again o Customers may switch to a rival business - competitors therefore gain a competitive edge o May be difficult to attract new customers o May be difficult to attract high quality candidates to apply for vacant positions within the organisation o The organisation may face legal procedures and financial penalties for non-compliance o High-profile incidents are likely to be covered by the media and may result in negative publicity o Sales and profits may fall due to lack of customer confidence and negative publicity Consequences of Failing to Comply with Data Handling Legislation - Employee o Receive a formal verbal/written warning held on record o Dismissal/contract terminated for misconduct - Lack of income could result in financial hardship o A poor reference is likely to be given therefore the employee may find it difficult to get a new job o Demoted by removing responsibility o Employee could suffer from stress/guilt/demotivation due to their misconduct Communicating Legislation/Regulations Employers are responsible for providing up-to-date and relevant information, advice and guidance on health and safety and data protection policies and procedures to employees. There are a number of methods that could be chosen to communicate this information to staff. These are listed below: Note: methods of communication are – electronic, written, verbal/face-to-face/oral. Electronic Communication: Intranet The organisation can set up an area of the internal network dedicated to workplace legislation. Information can be summarised for example in a leaflet, poster or flyer and posted on the organisation’s intranet. Advantages  All staff have easy access to the same information.  Easy to update, meaning all staff have has access to the most up-to-date version.  Can be referred to at any time if any information has been forgotten.  Can be read over at a time that suits the learner.  Saves costs as staff do not need a paper copy.  There is likely to be a search function to allow staff to find the information quickly. Disadvantages - Questions cannot be asked instantly and immediate response received. Page 15  Email Information can be distributed to large numbers of staff at once and at low cost using email. Advantages  All staff can be contacted at once through a group email.  Allows staff to read the information at a time that suits them and when they can concentrate.  Attachments can give additional details.  Absent staff will be kept in the loop when they return.  Can mark email as urgent/important to gain the attention of staff.  Organisation can have proof that e-mail has been read via read receipts.  Provides a written record so that staff can refer back to it at a later date.  Saves costs as staff do not need a paper copy. Disadvantages - No guarantee staff have familiarised themselves with the email or attachments. - Because emails are low cost and provide instant delivery, employees get many emails – this can result in the email with the legislation information to be easily overlooked or just scanned quickly. NOTE: no marks for ‘emails may not be read’. Virtual Learning Staff access the information online, and are often required to take a short test at the end to assess learning. Advantages  Staff can access the training materials at a time that suits them – at a time where they can concentrate and take the information in.  The learning can be interactive which helps retain concentration and help staff remember the information.  Staff know how much they have understood the information if they take a small test. It will highlight what they do not know, helping them go back and read over these sections, improving their learning and understanding.  Management know exactly who has taken the training and how well staff have performed in the test if there is one.  The information and materials can be tailored for individuals depending on their job/role. Disadvantages - Can be time consuming to create the materials. - Staff have no one to ask questions to seek clarification. Page 16 Verbal Communication: Staff Meeting The legislation and organisational procedures are explained face-to-face with staff. Advantages  Easier to explain verbally, detailed information on company policies and procedures to staff.  Allows staff to ask questions and seek clarification on anything they do not understand and get an instant answer.  Allows instant feedback from staff on information given.  This is a quick way to communicate to all the required staff – you know exactly who has received the information and who hasn’t depending on who is present at the meeting. Disadvantages - Only a small amount of information can be retained. Hard for staff to remember complex, detailed information. - It is a time consuming method of communicating the information. Demonstration/Role Play Staff are visually shown how to implement a policy/procedure and get to physically practise following the policy/procedure themselves. These are perfect for practical activities such as fire drills, first-aid procedures. Advantages  This type of communication suits visual leaners and kinaesthetic learners.  Allows employees to put the policy/procedure into action – this will help them remember what to do better. Disadvantages - Takes time and may require regular demonstrations as a reminder and to ensure new members of staff are included. Written Communication: Staff Handbook/Policy for Health & Safefy and Data Protection The specific health and safety policy and data handling policy can be included in the staff handbook or handed out at Induction Training when the employee first starts their new job. Advantages  Full details can be given.  Can include graphics and diagrams as well as text – helps visual learners.  Employees can read through the information at a time that suits them.  Employees are refer back to the information later, when they need a reminder.  All employees will have a copy and no one will be left out. Disadvantages - Employees cannot ask immediate questions if they do not understand something in the policy or staff handbook. - Expensive method as every employee will received a hard copy. Page 17  Poster/Notice Boards Posters showing general safety information such as fire drill procedures, safety or warning signs and step-by-step guides to avoiding hazards or specific safety requirements in different areas of the workplace ie wearing of hard hats or turning the laminator off. Advantages  They can provide information, procedures and warnings to staff in an eye- catching manner.  They can be displayed at key hotspots eg Copyrights, Designs and Patents legislation poster beside the photocopier - it provides staff with a constant visual reminder of the legal requirements.  They can show diagrams to explain the requirements.  Suits visual learners.  Saves costs on not having to give everyone a paper copy. Disadvantages - Can become like wallpaper and therefore not always seen by staff. - Needs to be regularly updated to ensure the latest version of information is on display. - Information is likely to be missed by those who work remotely. - Can only provide key points – cannot contain detailed information. Page 18