Coming into force in January 2023 and following on from the recommendations of the Grenfell Tower inquiry, the government has introduced new regulations covering fire safety for domestic premises in England. For high rise residential buildings, the Fire Safety (England) Regulations 2022 require the responsible person for the building to take a number of actions, including: Installing a secure information … Read More
Consultation Launched on the New Safety Regime for Occupied Higher Risk Buildings
The Building Safety Act 2022 received Royal Assent at the end of April and introduces a new more stringent regulatory regime for the construction and use of buildings, in particular for high-rise residential buildings. In order to make the new regime work, the Government now needs to introduce a range of secondary legislation and regulations to support the Act. As … Read More
Telescopic Ladder Failures
Recent research by The Ladder Association has found that up to 80% of telescopic ladders sold failed to meet the minimum safety requirements set out in BS EN 131-6 Ladders – Telescopic Ladders. This is especially concerning considering their rise in popularity alongside the fact that many of the largest and most trusted sellers were involved in selling these ladders. … Read More
Extending Responsibility for Packaging Waste
Currently, organisations that handle 50 or more tonnes of packaging or packaging materials in a calendar year (i.e. January to December) and have an annual turnover of more than £2 million must register as a packaging producer, meet recycling obligations and provide evidence of compliance. The government recently announced that with effect from 1st January 2023 these requirements will be … Read More
SAFE STORAGE OF GAS CYLINDERS
Whether used in the home (e.g. medical oxygen) or in a workplace (e.g. welding gasses) where gas cylinders are in use it is often important that spares are readily available and it will often be the case that a number of cylinders will be present in any premises where they are used. There are a number of hazards associated with … Read More
NEW FIRE SAFETY GUIDANCE
The Fire Industry Association (FIA) have recently published a number of new guidance documents. The first of these is a Guide on equipment for use in explosive atmospheres (ATEX). This gives background information on the use of electrical equipment in areas where there is a risk of explosion and also gives information on the concepts available for protecting equipment used … Read More
SECURE INFORMATION BOXES AND EVACUATION ALERT SYSTEMS FOR TALL BUILDINGS
Under the building regulations building work in England and Wales, such as erecting or extending a building, must be carried out with adequate and proper materials and in a correct manner to suitable standards. The Building Regulations are split into a number of parts including: Building structure (Part A), Fire Safety (Part B), Site preparation and resistance to contaminants and … Read More
TAKING A PEEP AT HIGH-RISE BUILDINGS
A Personal Emergency Evacuation Plan (or PEEP) is a specific plan used to ensure that those who may need assistance can evacuate safely in an emergency, for example persons with limited mobility, vision or hearing. These are often used in situations such as healthcare premises, hotels and residential educational establishments where people with restricted mobility may be present. Following on … Read More
Workplace Fatality Statistics Released
Provisional figures recently released by the HSE show that 123 workers died as a result of work-related accidents in the year to March 2022. This compares to 145 workers killed in the same period the previous year and represents a rate of 0.38 fatal injuries per 100,000 workers also down from a level of 0.45 fatal injuries per 100,000 the … Read More
ROTATING SEAT FORWARD TIPPING DUMPERS
Forward tipping dumpers are commonly used on construction sites to move soil and material around the site. As well as general risks associated with all types of construction plants such as collisions between moving plants and pedestrians, there are some specific risks associated with dumpers for example operating dumpers on spoil heaps can lead to instability and overturning. Many dumpers … Read More