Well done to everyone who got passed the headline. The UK’s exit from the EU is a topic that provokes strong emotions and many pages of text, but what will the actual impact on health and safety regulation be? To a large extent that will depend on what deal is finally agreed and you are recommended to regularly check relevant … Read More
Managing safety at inland waters
Statistics show that around 250 people die each year as a result of accidental drowning in the UK’s inland waters including rivers, canals, harbours, lakes, etc. Almost a quarter of these cases occurred at enclosed waters such as lakes, quarries and reservoirs. If you are responsible for a body of water, land alongside a body of water, or you carry … Read More
Is 3D printing bad for your health?
While 3D printers may not yet be a feature of every office, school and workplace they have been steadily growing in popularity. As their use increases, a number of concerns have been raised about safety, and studies have suggested, ultrafine particles are likely to be emitted from the 3D printer as the filament is extruded through the nozzle. Evidence suggests … Read More
Highest number of drink drivers since 2009
The Department for Transport recently released provisional figures for 2017 that show the highest number of people killed in accidents in Great Britain where at least one driver was over the drink-drive limit since 2009. The number of deaths is estimated as being between 240 and 330 people, with a central estimate of 290 deaths. While any increase in drink … Read More
New rules for driving in Europe
With the date for the UK’s exit from the EU fast approaching the DVSA (Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency) is issuing guidance on what will be required to drive in the EU in the future. While some requirements such as whether vehicles will be required to display a “GB Sticker” will depend on the details of the UK’s exit other … Read More
Giving old tyres the boot
Recently we reported how The Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) had announced that they will carry out follow-up investigations with vehicle operators if their inspectors find a tyre more than 10 years old as part of their routine heavy vehicle enforcement work. Also if the operator cannot give an adequate explanation for using an old tyre, or their tyre … Read More
Sedentary Work and Health
In 2015 the HSE launched the Workplace Health Expert Committee (WHEC) to provide independent expert opinion on new and emerging issues in workplace health. The WHEC recently carried out a review of scientific research and published a position paper looking at the impacts on health of sedentary work. The paper finds that while sedentary lifestyles are shown to increase the … Read More
27 Recommendations for the Health & Safety Executive
Government departments are subject to regular review and recently the Department for Work and Pensions published the findings of their latest review of the work of the HSE. Overall this latest review found the HSE is a well-respected and well-structured organisation that fulfils its statutory objectives effectively, however a number of recommendations were made. Most of the recommendations concern how … Read More
Bacteria and Legionella Testing Factsheets
The Water Management Society (WMSoc) has made available a number of factsheets produced by the Rapid Microbiology Industry Liaison Group. The factsheets aim to give information about a number of current rapid test kits and their potential capabilities. These can be found on the training section of the WMSoc website at: https://www.wmsoc.org.uk/legionella-training-courses/ WMSoc is a not-for-profit membership organisation providing practical … Read More
How Is Your Fire Brigade Performing?
The HMICFRS (Her Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire & Rescue Services) is currently carrying out an inspection of all 45 fire and rescue services in England. This is the first independent inspection in 12 years and is focussing on how effective and efficient the fire and rescue service at keeping people safe and secure from fire and other risks … Read More