The HSE recently announced a change to their guidance for employers who are notified by a worker that they are either pregnant, have given birth in the last 6 months or that they are currently breastfeeding. All employers have legal duties to put in place arrangements to control risk to the health and safety of their employees and others who … Read More

Passive fire protection is those parts of a building or structure that slow the spread of fire or smoke such as fire-resistant glazing, firewalls and doors. As building technology develops so too does the range of materials and systems that can be used. The Association for Specialist Fire Protection (ASFP) have recently published three new guidance documents concerning the following … Read More

The HSE recently issued a safety alert regarding the use of respirators and face masks that rely on ear loops to hold them in place. Inhaling fumes, chemicals or other hazardous substances at work can cause permanent damage to health, triggering conditions such as asthma and lung disease or cancers. Where those risks can’t be controlled by other means then … Read More

Employers are required to provide employees with personal protective equipment (PPE) where risk assessment has identified that it is necessary to protect the person against risks to their health and safety. PPE should be provided as a “last resort” where the risk cannot be adequately controlled by other measures such as physically removing the hazard (elimination), replacing the hazard (substitution), … Read More

The consequences of getting too close to electrical powerlines are usually severe and often fatal, whether those powerlines are overhead or underground. When a machine, ladder, scaffold tube or even a jet of water touches an overhead power line the electricity will be conducted to earth through the item and anyone touching the item may receive an electric shock or … Read More

The Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic has introduced many new concepts and terminology to the language. One of these is “long COVID” also known as “post-COVID-19 syndrome”. Most people who contract COVID-19 will feel better in a few days or weeks and most will make a full recovery within 12 weeks, however symptoms can last longer for some people and this is … Read More

Now that coronavirus restrictions are being replaced with public health advice, the HSE have updated their website to say that they no longer expect all organisations to consider Covid-19 in their risk assessments or to have specific measures in place. Higher risk activities such as laboratories handling virus specimens or health and social care working with infectious patients will still … Read More