Updated building fire safety guidance documents have recently been made available from the Fire Protection Association / RISCAuthority, these include: The latest edition of the guide “A to Z of essential principles in the protection of buildings”. This sets out to identify and order aspects of building design and construction that can be strengthened to protect property and business against … Read More
Updated MEWP Safety Guidance
Falls from height are one of the most common types of fatal accidents at work. A key factor in reducing the number of these accidents has been the use of Mobile Elevating Work Platforms (MEWPs). While these can be safer than other means of accessing work at height, there have been serious and fatal accidents where operators became trapped between … Read More
Updated Stone Dust Exposure Guidance
The HSE recently published an updated edition of their guidance document ‘HSG201: Controlling exposure to stone dust’ this updates the previous edition published in 2001. The guide aims to help employees and employers understand the health risks associated with exposure to stone dust and how these risks can be managed through processes and control measures. The guide employers should be … Read More
Managing Trees Safely
Two employers recently received significant fines after children were killed or seriously injured by falling trees on their property. In the first case Newcastle City Council were fined £280,000 after an incident on 25th September 2020 in which a tree in poor condition in a school playground, fell causing the death of a six year old girl. In the second … Read More
New Guidance for Supporting Employees with Disabilities and Long-term Health Issues
Statistics show that despite record high levels of employment in the UK currently there is still a significant disability employment gap and disabled people are twice as likely to fall out of work once gaining work. The HSE has published new guidance to help employers support their disabled staff and those with long-term health conditions. The guidance is primarily aimed … Read More
Change to Permitted uses of Creosote in Northern Ireland
Creosote, in particular coal tar creosote, has been used for many years as a wood preservative, however following concerns about health effects EU wide restrictions were put on the use of creosote in 2003. These restrictions limited the use of creosote to industrial and professional uses and prohibited sales of treated wood except for industrial and professional uses with an … Read More
Working Minds Campaign Anniversary
The HSE launched their Working Minds campaign in November 2021 in response to a worsening of employee’s health during the pandemic. To mark the first anniversary of the campaign the HSE have announced that since starting the campaign the number of partners has more than doubled reaching 1000 signed up champions with the most recent additions being the Institution for … Read More
HSE Inspection Initiative on Machinery Safety in Waste and Recycling
The HSE have identified the waste and recycling industry as a ‘high risk sector’ due to high numbers of fatal and serious injuries. Indeed HSE statistics show that over the past five years there has been an average of 8 fatalities per year in the waste industry with over three quarters of these being directly related to transport, machinery and … Read More
Metalworking Fluid and the Use of Compressed Airguns in Cleaning Machinery
The HSE has highlighted the dangers of water-mix metalworking fluids (MWF) and the use of compressed air guns for cleaning machinery. MWFs are primarily used as a means of cooling machined parts in cutting and grinding machines. Compressed air guns are often used for cleaning machined components. However this can increase health risks as a mist can be created which … Read More
Battery Tool Vibration and Noise Levels
A recent research report, published by the HSE, has compared vibration and noise levels of various battery-based tools with more traditionally powered equivalents. It has often been claimed that battery powered tools produce lower vibration and noise levels than their non-battery counterparts. However, there has been little research to confirm or dispute these claims. With battery-based tools becoming an increasingly … Read More