Safety

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:…

During the summer months dry conditions mean that waste and other materials left in the open provide a good source of combustion. Fire Safety – Arson Within the last few weeks there have been two cases of arson or deliberate fire-raising. At one incident in Manchester 60 fire fighters attended a blaze at a hair…

In May 2013, a roofing company was fined for exposing workers to serious risk of injury at a site in North Wales. The Magistrates’ Court heard how the roofing contractor had been contracted to replace the roofs of light industrial units. The work involved replacing fragile asbestos cement roof sheets with metal roof cladding.  In…

As we move into June following one of the worst winters for decades, let’s be positive and look forward to summer. While it may seem like warmer weather will never make its way to Blighty, remember back to last summer and of the occasional times when we get a week or more of really warm…

A Hampshire farmer has been prosecuted for breaching Health & Safety regulations after he was caught on camera using the grain bucket on a telehandler to lift two workers up to a barn roof. The event was photographed by concerned passersby who then passed these on to the Health and Safety Executive (HSE). The farm…

An employer has neglected to provide his workers with adequate facilities, Bodmin Magistrates’ Court has heard. The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) recently visited a site being operated by a reinforcement specialist contractor in Cornwall and found there was no hot or cold running water, or even a basin to wash in. A partner of…

Safety legislation in the UK are usually updated twice yearly in April and October, the intention of changes being introduced on two separate occasions is to help minimise disruption to businesses throughout the year. Since coming into power the Coalition Government has attempted to rationalise UK Safety legislation. A number of reports have been commissioned…