The Waste Industry Safety and Health Forum (WISH) has produced two new documents regarding issues in the waste industry. The first is a new guidance document highlighting safety in the operation of refuse collection vehicles. This follows a restriction on the standard that covers such equipment, BSEN 1501-5:2021, made by the Office of Product Safety and Standards. The restriction … Read More
HSE Update First Aid Guidance
The HSE has updated two publications dealing with first aid at work. The revisions focus on expanding and simplifying the existing guidance and are not in response to any change in the law or what is required to comply with the law. ‘First aid at work: guidance on regulations’ concerns the regulations and requirements for first aid in work … Read More
EHRC Launch Menopause in the Workplace Guidance
A new set of guidelines published by the Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) is intended to help employers understand their legal obligations in regard to supporting employees with menopausal symptoms. The guidance follows research by the Charted Institute of Personnel and Development, which found that 67% of working women between 40 and 60 who were experiencing menopausal symptoms … Read More
Lorry Loader Tilting Stabilisers Crush Risk Safety Notice
The Health and Safety Executive has issued a safety notice concerning the risk of people being crushed by powered tilting (also known as swing-up or rotating) stabilisers on lorry loader vehicles. The safety notice, issued on December 12, 2023, highlights that there is a risk of people being crushed against the lorry body when the stabilisers are being retracted, in … Read More
Updated Guidance for the Inspection of Steel Chimneys
The Association of Technical Lighting and Access Specialists, ATLAS, has published revised guidance regarding the inspection of industrial steel chimneys. This is designed to provide general guidance on good practice to organisations with responsibility for inspecting and maintaining steel chimneys and builds upon the previous guide published in 2017. Industrial steel chimneys are used in a wide range of industries … Read More
Reforming The Driver CPC-System
Driver Certificate of Professional Competence (CPC) training was introduced in 2007 in the EU for professional drivers of lorries, buses, and coaches. Professional drivers are required to complete a minimum amount of initial training and regular refresher training. This includes 35 hours of periodic training every 5 years to keep their Driver CPC. Following the UK’s withdrawal from the EU … Read More
Free Mental Health E-Learning For Employers Launched
In November 2021, the HSE launched their Working Minds campaign to tackle mental health issues in the workplace. Alongside promoting mental health issues, the campaign includes a dedicated website with resources for employers. Recently, a new free e-learning tool was launched as part of the campaign. The tool is split into six short modules designed to guide employers through what … Read More
Top Of The Charts For Work Related Ill Health
Figures recently released by the HSE show that 1.8 million workers were suffering from new or long-standing work-related health problems, leading to an estimated 31.5 million lost working days. These figures include 672,000 new cases of work-related ill health in 2022/23. Stress, anxiety, and depression were the most common types of ill health, with 875,000 sufferers representing 49% of all … Read More
Top Of The Charts For Work Related Injury
Figures recently released by the HSE show that 60,645 non-fatal work-related injuries were reported by employers under the RIDDOR regulations in 2022/23. Only certain injuries and incidents are reportable under these regulations, and the Labour Force Survey estimates that a total of 561,000 workers suffered a non-fatal workplace injury in the same period. In addition, 135 workers died as a … Read More
New Guidance Issued For Sending Bulk Email Communications
The Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) recently updated their guidance for organisations on email security, in particular when sending bulk communications such as mailshots using the “BCC” facility. From an information security point of view, if you are able to identify a living person (either directly or indirectly) from an email address, then that email address counts as “personal data” and … Read More