The National Directorate for Fire & Emergency Management in Ireland has released a new fire safety guide focused on helping building owners and operators with fire safety. The guide helps with the fire safety responsibilities under section 18(2) of the Fire Services Acts 1981 and 2003, which place duties on individuals having control over all types of premises other than … Read More
E Bike and E Scooter Fires
London Fire Brigade have recently reported an increased number e-bike and e-scooter fires. As of the end of August 2023 there had been 116 fires involving e-bikes and scooter that is more than all of 2023 and higher than any other year. These fires included three fatalities and an additional 51 people injured. Concerns have been raised by a number … Read More
Consultation on Fire Safety of Upholstered Furniture
The Department for Business and Trade and the Office for Product Safety and Standards launched a consultation, starting 2nd August 2023, regarding a new approach to dealing with the fire safety of domestic upholstered furniture as a replacement to the existing Furniture and Furnishings (Fire) (Safety) Regulations 1988. The consultation is seeking feedback on proposals regarding: The scope of the … Read More
New 20mph Speed Limit Introduced in Wales
On 17th September the Welsh Government introduced a standard 20mph speed limit on all restricted roads in Wales. Previously most restricted roads in Wales followed the UK standard speed limit of 30mph. The majority of these roads are located in residential and built-up areas. The change is intended to: Reduce the number of collisions and the severe injuries resulting from … Read More
Environmental Agency Launches Consultation on Unlimited Fines for Polluters
A new consultation has been launched by the Environmental Agency to explore the possibility of unlimited fines for those who are the worst polluters. The consultation, which opened on August 15th and runs until October 8th, is seeking views on when penalties should be used, how they should be calculated, and the appeals process. The consultation considers removing the £250,000 … Read More
Pull Your Finger Out: Behaviour, Physical Features and Covid Risk
A recently published study by Dutch researchers assessed a number of behavioural and physical features such as nose picking, nail biting, wearing glasses, having a beard, and the risk of Covid infection among health workers. The study involved measuring Covid specific antibodies alongside a survey of behavioural and physical features at two university medical centres in the Netherlands. A total … Read More
Extension of CE Mark Recognition
Following the UK’s departure from the EU, the Government developed the UKCA (UK Conformity Assessment) as a replacement for the CE marking system to show that a product complies with basic safety requirements. Voluntary use of the new standard started in January 2021. The original date for a full transfer to UKCA had been set for 1st January 2022 for … Read More
Vehicle Lift Safety Alert
The HSE has issued a safety alert regarding unsafe bolts on the BendPak XPR series two-post vehicle lift. Following an investigation into a fatal incident, an issue has been identified involving the use of bolts that do not meet the required standards for strength. The affected bolts attach the lift arm’s restraint gear, and where these should be “8.8” class … Read More
Consultation on Amendments to Health Protection Notification Regulations
The Health Protection Notification Regulations 2010 (HPNR) were introduced to help the government respond effectively and quickly to newly discovered cases of infectious diseases and prevent their spread if they pose such a risk. In the wake of COVID, the Government has been considering adding a number of amendments to the regulations in order to ensure the discovery of infectious … Read More
Interim DVSA Process for Testing Hydrogen Powered Vehicles
While hydrogen fuelled vehicles are not yet widely available, their use is expected to increase, and such vehicles will need to be subject to the usual statutory testing regimes. The DVSA has developed an interim process for the testing of such vehicles as the use of such vehicles. The primary issue that the DVSA wants to address is ensuring that … Read More