Category: In The News

“Don’t let your guard down”, IOSH urges businesses The Institution of Occupational Safety and Health (IOSH) today calls on businesses to “not let their guard down” to ensure COVID-19 doesn’t spread rapidly through workplaces. With children returning to school in much of England this week and people attending sports and music events in their thousands […]

Leamington Spa fire: Residents asked to help clear fallen debris Residents near a huge fire at a plastics manufacturer are being asked to help clear fallen debris. One employee is still missing following the blaze in Leamington Spa at Leeson Polyurethanes Ltd on Friday. Police earlier warned people against touching the charred debris but said agencies were struggling to […]

Trade bodies reveal CITB levy votes as Build UK urges ‘fundamental’ change Build UK, the largest of the trade bodies to vote on the Construction Industry Training Board (CITB) levy collection, has backed the organisation’s proposals but called on it to improve. The poll on whether the industry supports the collection of the levy for […]

IPCC Report Casts Somber Outlook on Global Warming A report released this week by the UN’s Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) has said that human activity is changing the climate in unprecedented and sometimes irreversible ways. The landmark study warns of increasingly extreme heatwaves, droughts and flooding, and temperature limits agreed under the Paris […]

Working at Height Safety Failings Lead to Costly Fine A Worcester-based construction company has been fined for failing to comply with work at height regulations after a worker fell from a garage roof. On 4 February 2020, the worker had accessed the roof using a ladder and was working on his knees with his side […]

Hackers Demanding $50m from Saudi Aramco Over Data Leak Saudi Aramco, the world’s most valuable oil producer, has confirmed that hackers are attempting to extort the company over leaked data. The hackers are demanding $50m (£36.5m) in cryptocurrency but it remains “unclear who is behind the ransom plot.” Attacks like these serve to reinforce longstanding […]

£30K Fine For Company After Worker Injured by Forklift Truck A facility services company operating at Winchester prison has been fined after a worker suffered a broken leg when he was struck by a forklift truck (FLT). On 23 May 2019, the Gov Facility Services Limited employee was carrying out inspections of drain covers adjacent […]

Gang Behind Huge Cyber-Attack Demands $70m in Bitcoin Cyber attacks are becoming increasingly sophisticated, as shown by a massive attack led by a gang last week which affected 200 firms. The REvil group claims its malware, which initially targeted US IT firm Kaseya, has hit one million “systems”. This number has not been verified and […]

Elephant & Castle Fire: Safety Fears About Railway Arches Raised Two Years Ago Safety concerns about railway arches were raised in a safety report two years before last week’s fire near Elephant & Castle station in south London. Around 100 firefighters and 15 fire engines tackled the “serious” blaze, with London Fire Brigade confirming that three […]

Serious Mitre Saw Injury Leads to £21K Fine for Construction Company A construction company has been fined after a worker’s hand was severed by an inadequately guarded mitre saw on a construction site in Bolney, Sussex. On the 9th January 2019, a worker installing skirting board in a new build house was using a powered […]