While many of the articles you will find here look at health and safety regulations from the point of view of enforcement by the authorities, failures in complying with regulations are often cited in claims for compensation when someone has been injured at work. Previously we have reported on a compensation claim by a musician against the Royal Opera House … Read More
SAFETY IN STAGES – GUIDANCE FOR THEATRICAL MACHINERY
IOSH the (Institution of Occupational Safety and Health) has launched a new online safety guide aimed at those involved in designing, manufacturing and using machinery on theatrical sets. The guide takes a checklist type approach and breaks the process down into seven stages, with links to template documents at each stage: · Concept, · Design, · Manufacturing, · Commissioning, inspection … Read More
What are the HSE’s plans?
The HSE recently launched their business plan for 2019/2020, this sets out what their key areas of work will be for the coming year. Naturally the HSE has an overall objective to improve workplace health and safety, the business plan provides some extra detail as to how they intend to achieve this. Putting the “health” into health and safety the … Read More
Who will answer your fire alarm?
Individual fire authorities are responsible for creating appropriate strategies for their own area. With limited resources and many calls on those resources fire authorities have to make difficult decisions about how they allocate those resources. Sometimes those decisions can be controversial, response to fire alarms is sometimes a sensitive area. The latest figures from the Home Office show that 40% … Read More
Lower limits for exposure
In January 2018 the European Union adopted a directive (Directive 2017/2398) concerning workplace exposure to substances that have been identified as being either carcinogenic or mutagenic (capable of causing permanent change in an organism’s genes). The EU sets limits for exposure to harmful chemicals at work using Indicative Occupational Exposure Limit Values (IOELVs) which member states are required to implement … Read More
HSE fee for intervention rate up
The Health and Safety Executive’s Fee For Intervention (FFI) scheme was launched in October 2012, this allows the HSE to charge organisations for the costs involved in investigating, issuing notices and assisting in correcting material breaches of health and safety regulations. This is charged at an hourly rate based on the amount of time taken by an inspector on the … Read More
Exposure to Silica
The HSE recently published the results of a bench marking survey looking at exposure to respirable crystalline silica (RCS) in the brick manufacturing and stone working industries. Silica is naturally found in most rocks, sand and clay and in products such as bricks and concrete. Some of the dust created when working with this material may be fine enough to … Read More
10 years of the gas safety register
The HSE report that every year around 14 people die from carbon monoxide poisoning caused by gas appliances and flues which have not been properly installed or maintained, faulty gas installations can also cause fires and explosions. Anyone who carries out work on relevant gas installations and pipelines must be officially approved to carry out this work. The register of … Read More
Updated COSHH guidance for woodworking
Organisations have a duty to protect their employees from hazardous substances at work. Where practical employers should aim to prevent exposure to the substances and where this is not practical to ensure that exposure is adequately controlled. Dust created by woodworking has been identified as being hazardous to health, as well as tiny particles of wood this dust can also … Read More
Reporting accidents, diseases and dangerous occurances
Under the Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations, employers, the self-employed and people in control of work premises are required to report certain serious workplace accidents, occupational diseases and specified dangerous occurrences to the relevant authority. In England, Scotland and Wales reports can be made online via the HSE’s website at: https://www.hse.gov.uk/riddor/report.htm fatalities, specified injuries and major incidents can … Read More