With the sun making a brief appearance over the past few days, the familiar health and safety advisories have returned, highlighting the risks of prolonged sun exposure, including skin cancer and heat-related illnesses. Heat-related risks to workers Whether indoors or outdoors, working in excessive heat can cause a number of medical issues, including: Heat rash – a skin irritation caused … Read More

Stress is a widespread issue in the workplace, which, alongside anxiety and depression, contributes to around half of all cases of work-related ill health. Employees may experience stress for various reasons, such as excessive workloads, limited control over their tasks, insufficient support, difficult workplace relationships, or changes in their role or the organisation. Employers are legally required to protect staff … Read More

The Fire Industry Association (FIA) has released new guidance on Fire Detection and Alarm Zone Plans; this has been updated to align with the latest BS 5839-1:2025 standard. This update brings a renewed focus on the critical role of zone plans in fire safety management.   Key Changes in the Guidance The new guidance classifies the absence of a zone … Read More

What is No Falls Week? No Falls Week is a dedicated campaign aimed at promoting safe work practices at height and preventing falls. It serves as a reminder of the importance of vigilance and adherence to safety measures in the work-at-height sector, which is often associated with significant risks.   When is No Falls Week? No Falls Week runs from … Read More

This year marks the 50th anniversary of the Health and Safety Executive (HSE). Established by the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974, the HSE was officially launched on 1st January 1975 under its first Director General, John Locke. In April of 1975, new legal duties were introduced for employers, the self-employed, and employees, with the HSE responsible for … Read More

According to research conducted by the Association of British Insurers, a total of £585 million was paid out for weather-related damage to people’s homes and possessions in 2024. This is a record high compared to the £485 million paid out in 2023. By the end of 2024, there had been a total of 7 consecutive quarters in which weather-related claims … Read More

It is a well-established principle of equality legislation that employers have a duty to make reasonable adjustments to support disabled workers.   What is reasonable will depend on the particular circumstances but could include measures such as: Finding a different way to do something, such as providing training in a different way, allowing extra time for certain tasks or considering … Read More

Individuals, households, businesses and other organisations all have a duty of care to take reasonable steps to ensure that their waste is disposed of responsibly.   Similar to the way that most households have separate collections for different types of domestic waste, new regulations coming into effect in England at the end of March 2025 will require most workplaces to … Read More