Fears expressed over fire safety of new lithium-ion battery storage site
Concerns have been raised over fire safety arrangements at a proposed new battery storage site in Scotland, after it was revealed that the local fire service did not have the right equipment to deal with a fire there.
Local residents and councillors in Cockenzie have raised objections to the plans for an electricity generating station and storage facility – known as a Battery Energy Storage System (BESS) – which would house 140 lithium-ion battery containers, according to the East Lothian Courier. The new facility would be based at a former power station site, partly on the former coal store and partly on agricultural land.
At a meeting of the East Lothian planning committee in early June, councillors were told that the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service had not been consulted by the Scottish Government and was not considered a statutory consultee.
The council leader, councillor Norman Hampshire, said he was surprised that there was no need to consult with the fire service. He told the committee that during a separate meeting with the fire service, he asked if there was a fire in one of these units would they be able to deal with it. “They indicated to us that there were pieces of equipment that they would require to put cooling material onto the batteries, but they did not have that within the fire service in this area,” he said.
Read more on the SHP website.
Charitable trust fined following death of volunteer
A charitable trust has been fined after a volunteer lost his life during restoration work on the Wilts and Berks Canal.
Peter Konitzer was fatally crushed when a section of a wall collapsed onto him in an excavation at Pewsham locks on 24 August 2016.
The 62-year-old had been inside the excavation removing temporary propping that was supporting the wall when the section collapsed.
Wilts & Berks Canal Trust undertook the restoration work as part of its project to preserve, conserve and improve the route of the Wilts and Berks Canal.
A joint investigation by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) and Wiltshire Police found Wilts & Berks Canal Trust had failed to ensure the safety of volunteers who were working within the excavation. The temporary propping was inadequate and there was no clear method for the safe installation or removal of props during this renovation work.
For more on the incident, visit the HSE website.
UK industry unites in support of inclusive PPE campaign
Major players including Network Rail, Vodafone and Southern Water pledge support to initiative.
SHP’s campaign to make PPE inclusive for all workers has been given a major boost after a swathe of big businesses backed its initiative by signing a pledge and agreeing to a charter of action points.
The signatories straddle an array of verticals across the profession; a key goal of the campaign, and while construction and manufacturing are strongly represented, support also comes from sectors such as utilities, telecoms and transport.
“I cannot emphasise enough the importance of this campaign,” said Karl Simons OBE and Chair of the SHP Editorial Board. “SHP has had countless messages of support from organisational leaders across multiple Industry sectors of our economy.”
The groundswell of support is also represented in the profession with membership body IOSH confirming their support as has qualification provider NEBOSH. The HSE, in a series of emails with SHP Editorial Board Chair, Karl Simons OBE, has said it “is supportive of the SHP campaign”.
Visit the SHP website to learn more about the campaign.
Burnout impacts 13% construction workers, research shows
Health insurer Vitality has revealed the findings of its latest workplace wellbeing survey – Britain’s Healthiest Workplace – with mental health issues having the greatest negative impact on productivity.
The survey reveals that across all industry sectors in the UK, depression, fatigue and burnout have the greatest negative impact on productivity, with individuals at risk of the conditions losing 151%, 141% and 120% more productive days than those who do not report them.
According to the survey, 6% of construction workers suffer from depression, and 13% have experienced burnout. 44% of the construction workforce also reported feeling ‘fatigued’ or ‘very tired’ at least once per week.
The leading causes of employee fatigue among construction workers include a lack of restorative sleep and overworking. 18% of construction workers say they have problems getting quality sleep, with 33% sleeping less than seven hours per night.
Learn more on the HSM website.
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