First Hazard of the Month for 2020
First of all, we hope everyone had a lovely Christmas and New Year! Secondly, WA Management are excited to announce our first Hazard of the Month for 2020, Roles and Responsibilities! With this hazard, we will be focusing on the duties of both employees and employers in making sure their work adheres to Health and Safety regulations and what can happen if these aren’t followed. For employees, these duties include complying with the behaviour expected whilst performing activities within the workplace; on the other hand, employers must ensure they are competent and thorough in managing Health and Safety issues in the workplace. To learn more about this hazard, make sure you follow our social media accounts closely throughout January to read tips and tricks, as well as research blogs designed to take a more comprehensive look at the hazard.
Click the links below for our social media pages:
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In addition, for the month of January only, you can get 10% OFF our ‘Code of Conduct’ and ‘Managing Health and Safety’ with the code ‘Roles20’ – these will help both employee and employer know their roles and responsibilities for ensuring good Health and Safety in the workplace.
Sinking of Barge Causes Oil Spill in Galapagos Islands
Over the Christmas period, a barge carrying 600 gallons of fuel sank in the Galapagos Islands. The flatboat tipped over after a crane collapsed onto the ship whilst in the process of loading a container onto it. Ecuador has been fighting to contain the environmental impact of this oil spill. As seen in the video in the link below, Ecuador’s Integrated Security Service has said: “the barge crew jumped into the sea to safeguard their lives“. The Galapagos Islands is a UNESCO World Heritage site and is home to one of the most fragile ecosystems on the planet. Galapagos National Park said military personnel and environmentalists were “putting up containment barriers and absorbent cloths to reduce the environmental risk”.
Read more and watch the moment the boat sank on the BBC.
Plea for Help Found In Tesco Charity Christmas Card
Suspicions of prison labour in Tesco’s supply chain has arisen after a message asking for help was found in one of their charity Christmas cards. The message, found by a six-year-old girl, stated “We are foreign prisoners in Shanghai Qingpu prison China. Forced to work against our will. Please help us and notify human rights organisation.” It asked whoever found the message to contact Peter Humphrey, a British journalist who was himself imprisoned there four years ago. After the Widdicombe family sent him a message via Linkedin, Mr Humphrey said he then contacted ex-prisoners who confirmed inmates had been forced to work – the story was then reported in the Sunday Times. Tesco said it was “shocked” by the report, adding: “We would never allow prison labour in our supply chain.” The supermarket said it would de-list the supplier of the cards, Zhejiang Yunguang Printing, if it was found to have used prison labour. However, the factory in question was checked only last month and no evidence of it breaking the ban on prison labour was found, it said. This story emphasises the importance of strong and meaningful supply chain criteria and checks as part of a company’s policy.
Read more on this case on the BBC.
Data Protection Issue After MI6 Floor Plans Lost
A significant data protection issue has arisen after floor plans of MI6’s London HQ, containing sensitive data, were lost by building contractors during a refurbishment. The sensitive data detailed information on the layout, including entry and exit points. The company who worked on the refurbishment, Balfour Beatty, is reportedly no longer working on the project. The documents, which went missing a few weeks ago, were produced and owned by Balfour Beatty and designed to be used for the refurbishment. The contractor kept the plans on the site at Vauxhall Cross in a secure location. Most, but not all, of the documents were recovered inside the building after it was noticed they were missing. Balfour Beatty said it could not comment because of sensitivities, but the incident is reportedly a result of carelessness, rather than any hostile activity.
Read more on the case from the BBC.
Director Fined After Brother’s Fatal Fall
The director of a solar panel company has been ordered to carry out 200 hours of unpaid work and to pay costs of £15,000 after his brother fell to his death while installing solar panels. On 9th December 2015, Stephen Webb, who just that year became a father, was installing solar panels on the roof of a barn in Hereford when he fell about 7m through a fragile roof ridge panel to the ground below, suffering fatal injuries. The HSE investigation revealed there were no measures in place to prevent falls from or through the roof. Light Power Grp admitted breaching regulation 4 (1) of the Work at Height Regulation and was fined £80,000. The firm’s director, Michael John Webb, pleaded guilty to breaching regulation 4 (1) of the Work at Height Regulations. He was given a 12-month community order to carry out 200 hours of unpaid work and ordered to pay costs. “There are no winners in this tragic case,” said HSE Inspector James Lucas. “Falls from height remain one of the most common causes of work-related fatalities in this country and the risks associated with working at height are well known.”
Read more SHPOnline.