Safety

As businesses return to work and look forward to what the New Year will bring, it is also a good time to start the year on the right footing with your Health & Safety Management Programme. So, how do you establish where you are at with your own business and your Health & Safety programme?…

With the festive season in full swing, many employees will be drinking more alcohol and waking up hungover for work. But do your employees know the risk of driving or operating machinery the morning after aChristmas party? In 2012, 1,200 people were seriously injured when a driver was over the legal alcohol limit. As a…

The biggest change to Health & Safety Legislation since the 70s will come into force in February 2016, which will see offences such as corporate manslaughter, Health & Safety, food safety and hygiene punished more severely. The introduction of the guidelines will mean that, in some cases, offenders will receive higher penalties for serious offences,…

Effective management of Health & Safety can save up to 50% of your insurance costs, according to the Health & Safety Executive (HSE). A recent case study from the HSE showed how a relatively small construction site managed to reduce its insurance costs by around 50%. This was achieved by creating a positive Health &…

Many employers are unaware that some of the substances they use could result in their employees suffering adverse health effects. One of the most common failings identified our team of Health & Safety professionals relates to the management of Substances Hazardous to Health. The information gathered by employers on this topic is often out dated,…

More and more Directors and Senior Managers are being prosecuted alongside the companies they own or manage for Health & Safety breaches. Figures published indicate a 400% increase in this type of prosecution from 2000 to 2011 and they continue to feature heavily in the news. In a recent example, a skip company was fined…

You can’t avoid the news reports of a predicted winter freeze this year. UK reports have warned us to prepare for a record cold winter with savage Arctic gales and heavy snowstorms even worse than the bitter winter of 2009/10. When a severe weather event occurs what can businesses do to minimise the disruption to…

Dressing up and decorating the office at Halloween can be fun. However, there are a few things to consider to make sure the day doesn’t end up with a trip to casualty. Decorations Make sure suitable step ladders are used for putting up any decorations.  Don’t use office chairs, desks, filing cabinets or domestic grade…

Businesses can more easily be brought to justice when people die as a result of their actions. Under the Corporate Manslaughter and Corporate Homicide Act, which came into force on the 6th April 2008, it is now easier to bring a company to justice following fatalities resulting from their undertakings. When a company is prosecuted…

Health and Safety is a very important part of any organisation – but how people view it depends on the culture within the organisation. Different organisations, indeed different sites within the same organisation, will have a different culture and outlook on Health and Safety. Cultures are driven by Directors and Managers.  Take for example a…

Every year, there are over 5000 accidents involving transport in the workplace. About 50 of these result in people being killed, according to HSE statistics. The main causes of injury are people falling off vehicles, or being struck or crushed by them. Workplace transport is any activity involving vehicles used in a workplace. Vehicles driven…