Category: Information and Research

Many tasks, such as cutting and handling volatile substances, require respiratory protection in the form of respirators. Respirators are a form of Respiratory Protective Equipment (RPE) (the other being breathing apparatus) designed to protect operatives from such hazards in environments when sufficient oxygen is present. RPE should only be worn after you have taken all […]

For Employers Employers and managers must ensure they are competent, meaning they have the appropriate skills and training, and thorough in managing Health and Safety issues in the workplace, as detailed under the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974. It can be useful for employers to have a benchmark in how they should be […]

Safety Net Rigging Techniques Safety Net Riggers are often required to work at height which puts them, and others around them, at significant risk of hazards related to working at height. Regulation 6 of The Work at Height Regulations 2005 (WAHR) details a simple hierarchy for managing work at height: Avoid work at height where […]

High Visibility Clothing BS EN 471 Distribution: Often work is carried out in situations which offer poor ambient lighting conditions. These conditions can sometimes be solved by introducing artificial task lighting as a control. However, it is always best to wear high visibility clothing, which is why high visibility clothing is one item of the […]

The Story of Father Christmas’ First Trespassing St. Nicholas was a Bishop who lived in the fourth century in a place called Myra in Asia Minor (now called Turkey). He was a very wealthy man after inheriting his parents’ wealth after they died. He had a reputation for helping the poor and giving secret gifts […]

Respiratory Protective Equipment Many tasks involve hazards which require respiratory protection, such as: cutting, handling volatile substances or working in confined spaces where oxygen levels could be low. Respiratory Protective Equipment (RPE) is designed to protect operatives from such hazards. RPE should only be worn after you have taken all other reasonably practicable measures to […]

Vibration, the Law and Trigger Time Vibration Exposure and the Law Regular use of vibrating equipment can lead to two forms of ill health, Carpal Tunnel Syndrome (CTS) and Hand Arm Vibration Syndrome (HAVS). Symptoms of these conditions include: ·        Hand Arm Vibration Syndrome: Tingling, numbness, pain and blanching (whitening) of the fingers and loss […]

How Do You Comply With Welfare Laws? Under the Workplace (Health, Safety and Welfare) Regulations 1922, if you employ anyone (however short the period) you must ‘so far as is reasonably practicable’, provide adequate and appropriate welfare facilities for them while they are at work. This means you are legally required to provide such facilities unless it is clearly unreasonable in terms of […]

PUWER The Provision and Use of Work Equipment Regulations 1998, also known as PUWER, is a pieceof legislation set out under the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974. As the name suggests these regulations aim to ensure that work equipment and machinery used at work is kept safe. PUWER aims to make sure that the […]

  Ladders When working at height, ladders can be a sensible and practical method option for low risk, short-duration tasks that take less than 30 minutes. However, ladders can only be used for work at height when a risk assessment has shown that using equipment offering a higher level of fall protection is not justified […]