To ensure that you have a verbatim record of a disciplinary hearing you could record the meeting on an electronic device instead of taking handwritten notes. But, beware you can’t automatically record a disciplinary (or any other) hearing on an electronic device. You must seek the employees express and prior consent to the recording before the meeting begins. If they … Read More
Managing World Cup fever
Between the 14 June and 15 July 2018, some of your staff will be gripped by World Cup fever. What problems could this create and how can you manage them effectively? The match fixtures are on various days between 14 June and the 15 July 2018. This time round the World Cup could cause several problems for employers as many … Read More
Employee called a “whinger” wins £26,000
The Department for Working Pensions (DWP) has been ordered to pay a disabled employee £26,000. What did bosses at the DWP do which enabled this employee to claim a sizable amount of compensation? In April 2018, there were several interesting media reports about Barrie Caulcutt’s (C) success at a tribunal. C, who is employed by the DWP as a Jobcentre … Read More
Presenteeism and Leavism – more jargon or a serious concern for wellbeing at work?
Presenteeism is a term used to describe the phenomenon of people coming into work when they are unwell. While leaveism refers to people using allocated time off e.g. annual leave to work, or working outside contracted hours. The levels of presenteeism and leaveism were looked at in a recent survey by the CIPD (Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development). The … Read More
How to obtain quality fire safety products and services
If you were responsible for fire safety for your organisation and you needed some advice perhaps to carry out a fire risk assessment or to obtain the right fire safety equipment for your premises, where would you go? There is a large volume of information available on the internet, most of it is reliable and accurate, but how can you … Read More
Manage dangerous substances campaign launched
The European Agency for Safety and Health at Work have launched a two-year Healthy Workplaces Manage Dangerous Substances campaign. The campaign aims to raise awareness of the importance of preventing risks from dangerous substances, in particular by promoting risk assessment and providing information on practical tools and creating opportunities to share good practices. In the UK many dangerous substances are covered by the Control … Read More
Medicine, manufacturing, testing, teaching – does your work involve ionising radiation?
Ionising radiation can be found in a number of industries including nuclear, medical and veterinary, manufacturing, engineering, non-destructive testing, research, teaching, radiography and others. Radiation is called ionising when it has sufficient energy so that when it interacts with an atom, it can remove electrons from the atom’s orbit causing it to become charged (or ionised). Workplace exposure can also … Read More
PIB Risk Management releases an introductory film
PIB Group recently launched PIB Risk Management, a new venture which merged two of its existing businesses, Sigerson Associates and Ford Risk Management. Following the launch of the new venture, the PIB Risk Management team have produced a short film to provide a detailed overview of the business along with a chance to meet some of the team.
Why not make assessing DSE your New Year resolution?
Working with Display Screen Equipment (DSE) may not be the highest risk activity that is carried out in your workplace but with the proliferation of computers, laptops, tablets, smartphones and other similar devices it is often the most common piece of work equipment. It is also something which is easy to overlook. The HSE state that in surveys a significant … Read More
The importance of Health & Safety training
Training staff is a statutory requirement and an essential part of managing risk within any organisation. The Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974 emphasises the importance of health and safety training, stating that employers must provide suitable information, instruction and training for all employees. Making sure your organisation has the correct training programme in place for all members … Read More