Safety

A new government initiative, aimed at reducing sickness absence in the workplace, will soon be up and running. The Health and Work Service, available in England, Scotland and Wales, is designed to address the problem of the million a year employees who are off  work for over four weeks, which costs employers around £9bn annually…

A Lincoln builder has been handed a four-month suspended prison sentence after a bricklayer fell three metres from faulty scaffolding, breaking his back in three places. Robert Wilkin, 70, of Lincoln, was left paralysed from the waist down and confined to a wheelchair for the rest of his life following the incident at a warehouse…

The days are getting longer and the clocks will soon go forward, so it’s time to dust off those spring and summer gardening tools. Hopefully, it will be a pleasant warm one after all the rain and flooding people have suffered should it be a very sunny one remember sun protection for out door working.…

An emergency safety alert has been issued after a mobile elevating work platform overturned at its maximum height, killing the operator. Emerging findings from Health and Safety Executive (HSE) investigations have found that there may be a serious fault with ‘Genie Z135/70 Mobile Elevated Work Platforms (MEWP)’ owing to incorrect measurements. Owners and users of…

The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) Construction Division is cracking down on poor management of risks from harmful substances. Heather Bryant, the HSE’s Chief Construction Inspector has said that employers in the construction industry have lost their way when it comes to protecting employees and others from the effects of harmful substances. There is a…

A devastating fire in an elderly residential home in Quebec, Canada has left at least 5 residents dead and 31 unaccounted for. Investigators are currently searching for the cause of the fire, which occured  on Thursday 23rd January 2014. Recent health department documentation suggests that only part of the building, which was constructed completely of…

Autumn is said to be the season of musts and mellow fruitfulness. It is also the time of year when the clocks go back. Putting back the clocks inevitably means that many outdoor tasks previously carried out in day light will have to be performed in the dark. This, together with onset of colder weather…

The Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations (RIDDOR) 2013 will come into force on 1st October 2013. The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) has recently published amended guidance outlining the requirements of the new regulations and the main changes from the Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations (RIDDOR) 1995. The new…

Your Health & Safety guide to children in the workplace. At any time it is important for families to achieve a good work life balance and to keep children safe. This is even more important with school holiday periods approaching. The employer’s role in achieving this goal is key and the following situations may arise:…