School trust fined after member of public hit by falling tree branch
A school academy trust has been fined and a man given a suspended prison sentence after a member of the public was hit by a falling tree branch.
Bishop Bewick Catholic Education Trust and gardening services provider Nicolas Thépot (trading as ‘The Green Yem’) both pleaded guilty to health and safety breaches following the incident, which left a 68 year-old with serious injuries.
Gillian Gardner had been walking her dog on the pavement along West Road in Newcastle when she was hit by the falling branch, which, as a result of the impact, knocked her on to the road and into the path of incoming traffic.
The incident took place on 9 August 2022. Thépot had been contracted by the trust to fell two trees in the grounds of St Cuthberts Catholic High School on Gretna Road. He and a young apprentice set about the work and having climbed one of the trees, Thépot was using a chainsaw to remove branches and sections of the trunk. He had been using a rope to tie to the branches to be removed, with his young apprentice tasked with pulling each one inside the school boundary as they fell.
Read more on the HSE website.
Refreshed qualification tackles high-risk industry
A recent survey found that nine in ten learners would recommend a health and safety qualification for an industry with one of the highest number of fatalities: construction.
n 2023/4, 51 people in Great Britain lost their lives from working in the construction industry, equivalent to 37% of all work-related fatalities that year.1
The NEBOSH Health and Safety Management for Construction qualification is available to study in both UK and International variants. The UK version is closely aligned to Construction (Design & Management) (CDM) Regulations, while the international option references ILO guidance. Learners will cover a broad range of topics to help them:
- Recognise, assess and control common construction hazards
- Develop safe systems of work
- Take part in incident investigations
- Advise on the roles, competencies and duties under construction legislation
- Positively influence health and safety culture
- Confidently challenge unsafe behaviours
- Help manage contractors.
For more on the course visit the HSM website.
Beware phony IT calls after Co-op and M&S hacks, says UK cyber centre
The National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) has warned that criminals launching cyber attacks at British retailers are impersonating IT help desks to break into organisations.
Hackers have targeted Marks & Spencer, Co-op and Harrods in the last two weeks, and on Friday the anonymous group told the BBC there will be more attacks soon.
Now the NCSC, the government agency responsible for cyber security, has issued guidance to organisations, external urging them to review their IT help desk “password reset processes” to reduce their chances of getting hacked.
“We believe by following best practice, all companies and organisations can minimise the chances of falling victim to actors like this,” it said.
It said firms should reassess how their IT help desk “authenticates staff members” before resetting passwords, especially senior employees with access to high-level parts of an IT network.
It highlighted press speculation around “social engineering” as a way hackers may have gained access to accounts.
Read more about the incident on the BBC website.
Raising standards with new scaffold inspection guidance
The Scaffolding Association has published the first in a new series of guidance documents designed to support scaffolding professionals and promote safety best practice across the sector.
The new guidance focuses on scaffold inspections, emphasising their essential role in ensuring the safety, compliance, and integrity of scaffolding structures on sites of all types.
As part of its commitment to raising standards and enhancing the professional reputation of the scaffolding industry, the Association is developing a range of practical and accessible resources to assist both its members and the wider sector in understanding and applying best practice.
Learn more on the HSM website.
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