Is 3D printing bad for your health?

sarahvardyAutomotive, Agriculture, Construction & Property Management, Education, Haulage & Distribution, Health & Social Care, Hospitality & Leisure, Manufacturing & Engineering, Religious Organisations & Charities, Retail & Commercial & Offices

While 3D printers may not yet be a feature of every office, school and workplace they have been steadily growing in popularity. As their use increases, a number of concerns have been raised about safety, and studies have suggested, ultrafine particles are likely to be emitted from the 3D printer as the filament is extruded through the nozzle. Evidence suggests … Read More

Sedentary Work and Health

brendanmullanAgriculture, Automotive, Construction & Property Management, Education, Haulage & Distribution, Health & Social Care, Hospitality & Leisure, Manufacturing & Engineering, Religious Organisations & Charities, Retail & Commercial & Offices

In 2015 the HSE launched the Workplace Health Expert Committee (WHEC) to provide independent expert opinion on new and emerging issues in workplace health. The WHEC recently carried out a review of scientific research and published a position paper looking at the impacts on health of sedentary work. The paper finds that while sedentary lifestyles are shown to increase the … Read More

27 Recommendations for the Health & Safety Executive

brendanmullanAgriculture, Automotive, Construction & Property Management, Education, Haulage & Distribution, Health & Social Care, Hospitality & Leisure, Manufacturing & Engineering, Religious Organisations & Charities, Retail & Commercial & Offices

Government departments are subject to regular review and recently the Department for Work and Pensions published the findings of their latest review of the work of the HSE. Overall this latest review found the HSE is a well-respected and well-structured organisation that fulfils its statutory objectives effectively, however a number of recommendations were made. Most of the recommendations concern how … Read More

Bacteria and Legionella Testing Factsheets

brendanmullanAgriculture, Automotive, Construction & Property Management, Education, Haulage & Distribution, Health & Social Care, Hospitality & Leisure, Manufacturing & Engineering, Religious Organisations & Charities, Retail & Commercial & Offices

The Water Management Society (WMSoc) has made available a number of factsheets produced by the Rapid Microbiology Industry Liaison Group. The factsheets aim to give information about a number of current rapid test kits and their potential capabilities. These can be found on the training section of the WMSoc website at: https://www.wmsoc.org.uk/legionella-training-courses/ WMSoc is a not-for-profit membership organisation providing practical … Read More

Tower Crane Safety Alert

brendanmullanConstruction & Property Management

The HSE has issued a safety alert following the collapse of a tower crane jib in high winds. While the causes of the incident have not yet been fully established investigations so far suggest that problems with maintenance of the slew brake release mechanisms and the addition of accessories were contributing factors. The safety alert reminds tower crane owners and … Read More

How Is Your Fire Brigade Performing?

brendanmullanAgriculture, Automotive, Construction & Property Management, Education, Haulage & Distribution, Health & Social Care, Hospitality & Leisure, Manufacturing & Engineering, Religious Organisations & Charities, Retail & Commercial & Offices

The HMICFRS (Her Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire & Rescue Services) is currently carrying out an inspection of all 45 fire and rescue services in England. This is the first independent inspection in 12 years and is focussing on how effective and efficient the fire and rescue service at keeping people safe and secure from fire and other risks … Read More

Happy Birthday Safety Squirrel

brendanmullanAutomotive, Agriculture, Construction & Property Management, Education, Haulage & Distribution, Health & Social Care, Hospitality & Leisure, Manufacturing & Engineering, Religious Organisations & Charities, Retail & Commercial & Offices

The Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents (ROSPA) recently announced that their road safety mascot, Tufty, has reached his 65th birthday. Originally created in 1953 Tufty has helped to spread safety messages to millions of children. At their height in 1972 there were over 2 million “Tufty Club” members and 24,500 registered clubs. While he may not have been … Read More

Fitness To Operate Construction Plant

brendanmullanConstruction & Property Management

There are rules that govern the medical standards people must be able to meet in order to be permitted to drive motor vehicles on the road. Guidance on these is produced by the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) and can be found at https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/assessing-fitness-to-drive-a-guide-for-medical-professionals The rules set out different standards for drivers of different type of vehicle, Group 1 … Read More

Cranes And Trains: New Guidance Issued

brendanmullanConstruction & Property Management

Crane and Train

In association with Network Rail the Construction Plant Association (CPA) has launched a new Good Practice Guide covering Requirements for Mobile Cranes Alongside Railways Controlled by Network Rail. The guide covers all types of mobile lifting equipment including wheeled mobile cranes, lorry loader cranes, telehandlers and excavators used for lifting suspended loads that are not rail mounted. The consequences of … Read More

Carbon Steel Safety Alert

brendanmullanAgriculture, Automotive, Construction & Property Management, Education, Haulage & Distribution, Health & Social Care, Hospitality & Leisure, Manufacturing & Engineering, Retail & Commercial & Offices

Following investigations into an incident in the USE in 2010 where the shell of a heat exchanger ruptured catastrophically, killing seven workers, the HSE have issued a safety alert aimed at the chemical processing and production and general manufacturing sectors. The safety alert concerns the use of carbon steel in applications involving hydrogen (as either a gas or a liquid, … Read More