Houston Flood: Explosions At Arkema Chemical Plant
Explosions have been heard coming from a chemical plant near the flooded US city of Houston.
Emergency officials reported two blasts and black smoke issuing from the Arkema plant at Crosby.
During heavy rainfall from Hurricane Harvey, the complex lost the ability to refrigerate chemical compounds that need to be kept cool.
There was no way to prevent an explosion, the company had warned earlier.
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Survey: One In Five ‘Don’t Follow’ H&S Protocol Following Accidents
One in five managers admitted to not following health and safety protocol after every employee injury or incident, new research has shown.
The study, commissioned by law firm Hugh James and conducted by Atomik Research, polled 2,000 full time and part-time employees across the UK, and revealed gaps in fire safety procedures.
Some 46% of UK workers had also not received workplace training on what actions to take during a fire event or even general health and safety policies.
It also discovered 42% of workers did not know when fire doors were last inspected and more than a quarter – 28% – did not know when fire extinguishers were inspected. A third did not know where an accident log book was located or even if there was one.
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Firms Face £17m Fine If They Fail To Protect Against Hackers
Firms could face fines of up to £17m or 4% of global turnover if they fail to protect themselves from cyber-attacks, the government has warned.
The crackdown is aimed at making sure essential services such as water, energy, transport and health firms are safeguarded against hacking attempts.
Firms will also be required to show they have a strategy to cover power failures and environmental disasters.
Digital Minister Matt Hancock said any fines would be a last resort.
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£250,000 Fine After Worker Crushed At London Luton Airport
A passenger air transport firm has been fined after an employee suffered brain damage when she was crushed by hangar doors in Bedfordshire.
St Albans Crown Court was told how an employee of Signature Flight Support London Luton Ltd was injured while she was opening the doors of Hangar 219 at London Luton Airport to move aircraft inside on the day of the incident (28 April 2015).
On moving one of the doors the employee became trapped causing crushing injuries, which resulted in severe brain damage.
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Vehicles Left Dangling As Car Park Collapses In Nottingham
Vehicles have been left dangling from the edge of a city centre car park after it partially collapsed.
Part of a wall came away at the NCP Nottingham City site in Cumberland Place shortly after 04:00 BST.
A spokesman for NCP said the front fascia had “fallen” and road closures were in place.
Structural engineers are at the scene assessing the situation. No-one was injured in the collapse.
George Cook, of Scunthorpe, had parked his car at the site and was staying nearby.
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IOSH: Grenfell Inquiry Must Be Fire Safety ‘Watershed’
The Grenfell Tower public inquiry must be “a watershed for fire safety”, the Institution of Occupational Safety and Health (IOSH) has claimed.
The news follows the government’s announcement of the terms of reference for the inquiry.
Prime minister Theresa May said she accepted in full the recommendations by inquiry chair Sir Martin Moore-Bick for what it should consider, following a public consultation.
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Modern Slavery And Trafficking ‘In Every UK Town And City’
Modern slavery and human trafficking in the UK is “far more prevalent than previously thought,” the National Crime Agency has said.
The NCA said there were more than 300 live policing operations currently, with cases affecting “every large town and city in the country”.
The agency estimated that there were tens of thousands of victims.
It said previous estimates of 10,000-13,000 victims in the UK were found to be the “tip of the iceberg”.
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Cruise Control: How Safe Is The Film Industry?
Following the death of a motorcyclist on the set of Deadpool 2, and Tom Cruise breaking an ankle on-set in London, SHP asks: just how safe is the film industry?
Tom Cruise’s stunt could be a watercooler topic across health and safety departments. After all, he has broken his ankle while working at height. So here is the question: Should a 55 year old man jump from an elevated platform onto a roof?
Does it matter for the risk assessment that he is Tom Cruise, notorious for doing his own film stunts? Does it even matter that it was for a film with dangerous action sequences?
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Dealing With Adult ADHD When Managing Performance
Viewers of BBC Horizon may have seen comedian Rory Bremner’s programme exploring the science behind a medical condition which he suspects he has – Adult Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD).
Approximately 4% of adults have been diagnosed as being affected by ADHD.
It is a mental health condition that is often diagnosed in childhood with symptoms that can continue into a person’s adult life. This condition can manifest itself in different ways.
To Continue Reading on the International Workplace Website, Click HERE
Great British Bake Off: How Safe Is Baking?
Following the news that Kate Lyon, one of the contestants on this year’s Great British Bake Off, is a health and safety inspector, SHP thought it would be worth assessing just how safe baking is…
It is likely new GBBO contestant Lyon is going to be more worried about her cakes rising than about health and safety. But there is a good chance she will have one eye on it during the show, especially considering her background.
Below SHP outlines the various risk, legal cases and occupational health issues surrounding baking…
To Continue Reading on the SHPonline Website, Click HERE