New Construction Guidance to Stop Workers Dying Each Week from Occupational Disease
The construction industry has launched new guidance to encourage better management of occupational health risks. HSE is urging the industry to put an end to the hundreds of construction workers that die of occupational diseases every month.
Inspectors issued more than 200 health related enforcement notices during the recent Health and Safety Executive’s (HSE) construction inspection initiative.
This highlighted the widespread misunderstanding of what ‘occupational health’ means in the construction sector and the employers’ misguided perception that health is more difficult to manage than safety.
The new guide ‘Occupational health risk management in construction’ 
has been written by the Construction Industry Advisory Committee (ConIAC) Health Risks Working Group and formatted with the assistance of the Institution of Occupational Safety and Health (IOSH).
To Read the Full Article on the HSE Website, Click HERE
The New ISO 14001: Why Communicating with Stakeholders is Key
The new ISO 14001 standard, published in September, is the first update in a decade. As well as offering easier integration between ISO 14001, ISO 9001 and the new OHSAS 18001 replacement, ISO 45001, published next year, it brings with it additional requirements, grouped around five key areas: leadership, strategic context, interested party analysis and communication, risks and opportunities and lifecycle perspective. These changes are designed to increase corporate resilience and competitive advantage and, as such, early transition to the new standard is advocated.
Ramboll Environ Manager Greg Roberts is the UK Expert on the ISO Technical Committee overseeing the development of guidance to ISO 14001. Following an initial overview of the changes and an in-depth look at the first two steps ─ leadership and strategic context ─ he and Mike Shaw, head of Ramboll Environ’s UK health and safety practice, will be examining the remaining three pillars in more detail over the next few months to give senior management teams and health, safety and environmental practitioners a better understanding of these new requirements. This month: interested party analysis and communication.
To Read the Full Article on the SHPonline Website, Click HERE
Chief Inspector Challenges Small Construction Sites to Act Now to Manage Workers Health and Safety
The Health and Safety Executive’s (HSE’s) Chief Inspector of Construction is challenging the refurbishment industry to act now and protect their workers, after 46 per cent of sites fell below standards during a recent inspection initiative.
HSE targeted small refurbishment sites during the month long drive and 692 enforcement notices and 983 notifications of contravention had to be served where there was a material breach of health and/or safety. Inspectors had to deal with immediate risks, such as work at height*, and also to deal with sites where workers were being exposed to silica dust and asbestos, which cause long term health problems.
Health and safety breaches were also followed up with clients and designers, reinforcing their duties under the Construction Design and Management Regulations (CDM) 2015 and help them understand their responsibilities.
To Read the Full Article on the SHPonline Website, Click HERE
IOSH Welcomes UK Government’s Workplace Health Pledges
The UK Government’s pledge to invest extra funds into workplace health issues has been welcomed by the Institution of Occupational Safety and Health (IOSH).
In the Spending Review and Autumn Statement, Chancellor George Osborne pledged more funding to help people with disabilities and health conditions get work and remain in work.
This will include extra spending on Access to Work, which will provide specialist IT equipment or support workers to help 25,000 more disabled people remain in work each year, and expanding the Fit for Work service to support more people on long-term sickness absence with return to work plans.
To Read the Full Article on the IOSH Website, Click HERE
Corporate Manslaughter Firm Ordered to Publicise Conviction
A building firm which was fined £200,000 following the death of a 28-year-old worker who was fatally crushed when a 2.9 metre retaining wall collapsed onto him, has been ordered to take out an advert on the Construction Enquirer detailing its prosecution.
This is the first time a publicity order has resulted in an advert being taken out in the trade press. Previously notices have appeared in local papers or on a company’s own website.
Linley Developments’ ad will appear throughout December on the Construction Enquirer website.
The site’s pages are viewed around 60,000 times a day, though the advert does not appear on every page.
To Read the Full Article on the IOSH Website, Click HERE
Flying Safely a Guide for Recreational Drone Pilots
The safe use of drones is a hot topic in the UK and around the world as sales of drones for recreational and commercial use continue to increase. It is really important that all UK-based drone pilots are aware of and abide by the rules of the air as applied to drones by the CAA which are designed to ensure that people fly safely. Commercial drone pilots attend a ground school course as part of their training where they learn the rules of the air alongside other important and relevant topics.
The CAA also provide basic guidance for recreational pilots through their website https://www.caa.co.uk/drones/ this post repeats that guidance together with some additional points that we believe are relevant to the recreational pilot.
In simple terms, the main difference between a recreational drone pilot and one who uses a drone for business is the CAA Permission for Aerial Work (PFAW) which authorises a person to undertake commercial work using a drone in accordance with the guidelines set by the CAA and recorded in their PFAW.
To Read the Full Article on the UAVCS Website, Click HERE