Any tall object, such as a tall building or a crane can pose a hazard to aviation especially when close to an airport or aerodrome or on a flight path. In order to minimise the risk, regulations require particular hazards to be notified to the authorities, illuminated and suitably marked. The UK Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) have recently issued new … Read More
REVISED GUIDANCE FOR WORKING ON ROOFS
Falls from height are a frequent cause of death and serious injury. Working on roofs presents a number of risks including falls from unprotected edges and falls through fragile materials. These risks don’t just affect construction workers, others who may be at risk include people carrying out repair, cleaning and maintenance work, surveyors and others. The HSE have published and … Read More
HAND ARM VIBRATION: AN INSPECTOR CALLS
Power tools and work processes are a common source of exposure to hand arm vibration in many industries. Regular and prolonged exposure can lead to long term serious disabling health effects for exposed individuals. Conditions include hand-arm vibration syndrome (HAVS) and carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS). The Control of Vibration at Work Regulations 2005 establish exposure limits and action levels and … Read More
FIRE SAFETY CONSULTATION LAUNCHED
In July the Government launched a consultation on proposals to enhance the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 and implement recommendations from the Grenfell Tower Inquiry Phase 1 Report. The Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 is concerned with responsibilities for managing fire safety in non-domestic premises in England and Wales, this includes duties to carry out risk assessments, ensure … Read More
DRAFT BUILDING SAFETY BILL PUBLISHED
The Government published a draft Building Safety Bill on 20th July. This is a large and complex document and has been published as a draft in order to allow initial scrutiny before it is introduced to Parliament. The Bill creates a new Building Safety Regulator which is being established by the HSE and will oversee the safe design, construction and … Read More
RECORD LOW FOR FATAL WORKPLACE ACCIDENTS IN THE UK
The latest statistics just released by the HSE show that in the year April 2019 to March 2020, 111 workers were killed as a result of accidents at work. This compares to 149 deaths the previous year and is the lowest level on record, however at this stage it is not possible to say what impact the current COVID-19 pandemic … Read More
Building Regulation Approved Document B Fire Safety Updated
An update to Approved Document B of the building regulations has been published including increased fire safety measures in high-rise residential buildings, including the provision of sprinkler systems and consistent signage in all new high-rise blocks of flats over 11 metres tall. The update can be found at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/fire-safety-approved-document-b
HSE ISSUE KN95 FACEMASK WARNING
The HSE have issued a safety alert warning employers against the use of KN95 facemasks as Personal Protective Equipment. Except where it has been organised by the UK Government for use by NHS or other healthcare workers where assessments have been undertaken by HSE as the Market Surveillance Authority, items can only be sold as Personal protective equipment if they … Read More
INTERNAL FALLS ARE PREVENTABLE
The HSE in Northern Ireland (HSENI) have launched a new campaign targeted at falls from height in the construction industry. Of the five fatal construction related accidents reported in Northern Ireland since January 2020, HSENI report that three of these involved falling on the inside of a building under construction. Where possible the need to work at height should be … Read More
LATEST FIGURES SHOW FALL IN FIRE DEATHS
Fire and rescue statistics released by the Home Office for England the year ending December 2019 show a 10% fall in the number of fire related fatalities from 262 in the previous year to 237 in the latest year. In the same period, Fire and Rescue Services in England attended 157,156 fires, a drop of 12% from the previous year … Read More