Royal Mail To Trial Drones In Isles of Scilly
The Royal Mail is to trial the use of drones to deliver health and safety equipment, COVID-19 testing kits and other items to the Isles of Scilly from mainland UK.
It will be the first time an out-of-sight autonomous scheduled drone flight has been used between the UK mainland and an island, the company said. Parcels will be flown to the airport in St Mary’s by a drone which can carry up to 100kg of mail at a time, which is about the size of a typical delivery round. The items will then be taken by a smaller drone to delivery points around the isles.
If the trial succeeds, Royal Mail said the technology could be used to support postal workers in delivering to remote areas in the UK. Royal Mail chief commercial officer Nick Landon said: “This is part of our constant drive to incorporate the best and most innovative technologies into our network. We’ve seen a huge increase in parcel volumes since the start of the pandemic, and this is just one of the ways we are looking to support our postmen and postwomen in delivering fast and convenient services for all of our customers while reducing our carbon emissions.”
Read more from the BBC.
Upcoming WA Management Training Courses
WA Management are pleased to announce that we have two upcoming IOSH Courses. These are:
- IOSH Leading Safely Course, 16th September – this course gives anyone with leadership responsibility the practical knowledge and the strategic solutions for sustainable business advantage through good safety and health practice.
- IOSH Managing Safely Course, 16th, 23rd and 30th September – this course is intended for those in supervisory and managerial positions in all types of organisations, particularly those who manage risk and are not health and safety professionals.
These are both great courses for any organisation. They provide both practical advice and look great when completing SSIPs or PQQs!
We also have an upcoming Open Emergency First Aid at Work Course on 9th June in Coventry. The course costs just £125 +VAT per person or £115 +VAT for 3 or more people. Rest assured that all COVID-19 guidelines will be followed during the day to ensure the safety of our trainers and trainees. By this point, more and more people should be returning to offices so it would be beneficial to book in any training needed before in anticipation of this!
If you are interested in booking onto any of these courses, please get in touch!
Asbestos Removal Contractor Fined After Deadly Gas Explosion
An asbestos removal contractor has been fined after a worker was fatally injured and another worker seriously injured in a gas explosion.
On 5 October 2017, workers were removing a boiler and pipework, and overspraying walls to remove asbestos residue at a building in Wishaw. The work was being carried out prior to demolition. The plan was to cut the boiler and pipework into sections to make it easier to remove. However, the gas supply had not been isolated and the workers cut through a live gas outlet pipe, the gas ignited causing an explosion. Two workers received extensive burns to their body and underwent surgery. One of the employees died in hospital several days after the incident.
An investigation by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) identified that the risk assessment and plan of work for the job had identified services were present in the boiler room, but the company failed to ensure the gas pipe was isolated and purged of gas before work commenced.
Enviraz (Scotland) Limited pleaded guilty to breaching Section 2(1) of the Health and Safety at Work etc Act 1974. The company was fined £150,000.
Read more about the tragic accident from the HSE’s press release.
Research Reveals the Relationship Between Nature and Mental Health
A report by the Mental Health Foundation for Mental Health Awareness Week (10th-14th May) has revealed how connecting with nature benefits our mental health.
Key findings from the study found that:
- Nearly half of people in the UK found that visiting green spaces, such as parks, helped them to cope throughout the pandemic.
- People who are more connected with nature are usually happier in life and more likely to report feeling their lives are worthwhile.
- Quality is important; cleaner nature areas are linked to lower rates of depression.
- However, high quality nature isn’t available equally, for example for those living in urban areas and for certain groups, including many women, younger people, disabled people and people from ethnic minorities, due to access barriers.
The main message from the report is that “Our relationship with nature – how much we notice, think about and appreciate our natural surroundings – is a critical factor in supporting good mental health and preventing distress” and steps are needed to address the unequal access to nature.
Despite the rainy and windy weather we have been having recently, we hope that you have been able to get out into nature as the fresh air can do wonders for your wellbeing!
Read more of the findings from Mental Health Foundation.