The Phase 1 report of the Grenfell Tower Inquiry made a number of recommendations including the provision of information for fire services and premises information boxes for all high rise residential buildings. Premises information boxes themselves are not new and have been used by a variety of premises to provide a secure, readily accessible storage facility for information for firefighters … Read More
NEW LADDER SAFETY GUIDANCE LAUNCHED
Together with the HSE, the Ladder Association have launched a new guide to the safe use of ladders and stepladders. “LA455 Safe Use of Ladders and Stepladders – a brief guide” builds on the HSE’s existing similarly titled publication “INDG455 Safe Use of Ladders and Stepladders – a brief guide”. Both publications include guidance on when a ladder should be … Read More
CHANGING FIRE SAFETY REGULATIONS
The key piece of legislation covering fire safety regulation in most non-domestic premises (e.g. workplaces) in England and Wales is the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005. A number of changes are due to be made to this regulation under the Building Safety Bill which was recently launched on its journey through parliament. Changes due to be introduced by the … Read More
BUILDING SAFETY BILL PUBLISHED
The Building Safety Bill which was first announced last year has now been launched and begun its journey through parliament. This builds on Dame Judith Hackitt’s review of Building Regulations and Fire Safety, which highlighted a need for significant cultural and regulatory change. Measures included in the Bill introduced include: Establishing a Building Safety Regulator within the Health and Safety … Read More
ANNUAL FATAL INJURY STATISTICS RELEASED
The HSE have recently released provisional fatal injury statistics for the year to March 2021. While these figures are for injuries rather than diseases (including Covid-19) they will have been affected by the changes in working patterns e.g. more people working away from their normal workplace, caused by the coronavirus pandemic. Overall the figures show 142 workers were killed in … Read More
ALWAYS ASK FOR THE ASBESTOS REGISTER
Mesothelioma is a form of cancer that takes many years to develop following the inhalation of asbestos fibres, but progress is usually rapidly fatal following symptom onset. Figures recently released by the HSE show that 2,369 people died from mesothelioma in Great Britain in 2019. While this is 7% lower than the annual average over the period 2012-2018, taking into … Read More
Changes to Right to Work Checks
As a result of the pandemic, last year the government made it possible for organisations to conduct right to work changes virtually on a temporary basis. This is now due to end on 31 August 2021. What are right to work checks? To ascertain whether an individual originally from overseas (including the EU) has the right to work in the … Read More
Returning to the workplace – COVID-19
PIB Risk Management guides you through the importance of a clear risk management process, and offers tailored advice to organisations as they return to work following the pandemic. Risk Management has often been simply viewed as a provision to help businesses reduce their exposure to risk, however it can also help businesses increase efficiency, reduce costs and present themselves better … Read More
ROADMAPS OUT OF LOCKDOWN – AN UPDATE
With the latest announcements on changes and easing to restrictions, we provide a summary of these across the UK, and what these mean for your business. England and Scotland Plans have been announced to further ease Covid-19 restrictions in both England and Scotland on 19th July 2021. In Scotland, plans have been outlined to move all areas to protection level … Read More
Changes to the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme (CJRS) from July 2021
The UK Government will continue to pay 80% of your furloughed employees’ usual wages for the hours not worked, up to a cap of £2,500 per month, to the end of June. In July, CJRS grants will cover 70% of employees’ usual wages for the hours not worked, up to a cap of £2,187.50. In August and September, this will … Read More