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
Tower Crane Safety Alert
The HSE has issued a safety alert following the collapse of a tower crane jib in high winds. While the causes of the incident have not yet been fully established investigations so far suggest that problems with maintenance of the slew brake release mechanisms and the addition of accessories were contributing factors. The safety alert reminds tower crane owners and … 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
Happy Birthday Safety Squirrel
The Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents (ROSPA) recently announced that their road safety mascot, Tufty, has reached his 65th birthday. Originally created in 1953 Tufty has helped to spread safety messages to millions of children. At their height in 1972 there were over 2 million “Tufty Club” members and 24,500 registered clubs. While he may not have been … Read More
Fitness To Operate Construction Plant
There are rules that govern the medical standards people must be able to meet in order to be permitted to drive motor vehicles on the road. Guidance on these is produced by the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) and can be found at https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/assessing-fitness-to-drive-a-guide-for-medical-professionals The rules set out different standards for drivers of different type of vehicle, Group 1 … Read More
Cranes And Trains: New Guidance Issued
In association with Network Rail the Construction Plant Association (CPA) has launched a new Good Practice Guide covering Requirements for Mobile Cranes Alongside Railways Controlled by Network Rail. The guide covers all types of mobile lifting equipment including wheeled mobile cranes, lorry loader cranes, telehandlers and excavators used for lifting suspended loads that are not rail mounted. The consequences of … Read More
Carbon Steel Safety Alert
Following investigations into an incident in the USE in 2010 where the shell of a heat exchanger ruptured catastrophically, killing seven workers, the HSE have issued a safety alert aimed at the chemical processing and production and general manufacturing sectors. The safety alert concerns the use of carbon steel in applications involving hydrogen (as either a gas or a liquid, … Read More
Building A Safer Future
Following the Grenfell Tower fire the government launched an independent review of building regulations and fire safety. The final report of this review was published in May 2018, this made 53 recommendations to establish a new regulatory framework and achieve a culture change to create and maintain safe buildings. The Government recently published “Building a Safer Future” which sets out … Read More
Liability For Undisclosed Disabilities?
If an employee fails to disclose their disability to you, can they later claim that they’ve been directly discriminated against? Mr Mutombo-Mpania (M) applied for a job with Angard (A), a firm which provides casual workers to Royal Mail Group (RMG). M stated that he was not disabled on his application form and didn’t disclose any disability on his health … Read More
EU Employee Status Post Brexit
For months there has been uncertainty over the employment status of EU citizens in the UK in the immediate aftermath of Brexit. The Government has now given some guidance on this issue. At the beginning of November 2018, after months of speculation, the Government confirmed its future plans in relations to the employment status of EU nationals following Brexit. This … Read More