Elephant poll urges world not to forget key issues This year, it seems an appropriate day to reveal what occupational safety and health (OSH) professionals believe to be the chief ‘elephant in the room’ when it comes to their practice. All of us will talk about the weather, we’ll talk about sport, we’ll talk about […]
Working alone can increase the risk to the health and safety of any employee due to a lack of supervision and longer response times to potential emergencies. In an industry like transportation, where workers already have a high risk profile, lone working can exacerbate existing risks and introduce new ones. What are the risk for […]
6.1M UK managers lack mental health training New research reveals 6.1m UK workers with line management responsibility are not prepared for conversations about mental health with those they have a duty of care for. The analysis, completed by health and safety training provider RRC International, found that one in four employees have management accountability, but 71% […]
“At one point I was genuinely terrified I was going to bleed out and die” A flower supplier has been fined after an employee’s leg was amputated following a serious incident at its processing facility in Huntingdon. Andy Hazelden was working for MM Flowers Limited, at its site in Alconbury Weald, on 4 February 2023 […]
Construction tops burnout despite wellbeing lead New research from Westfield Health finds that above-average wellbeing provision in construction is failing to prevent burnout, with a quarter of the sector’s workforce affected, more than any other industry. The study found that provision of core benefits in construction outperforms the UK average. Private healthcare (16% vs. 13%), […]
Manual handling is a common hazard in the workplace, covering any task that involves transporting or supporting a load by hand or bodily force. As an employer, it is important that you can spot where your employees might be struggling with such tasks, so that you can implement appropriate control measures to reduce the risk […]
Research finds manufacturing workers skipping eye tests New analysis by Specsavers has revealed an estimated 830,000 employees in the manufacturing sector may not have received an eye test in the past two years, putting their eye safety at risk. Specsavers is warning that many manufacturing and trades employees are carrying out safety-critical tasks without regular eye […]
Demolition of fire-ravaged building at Glasgow Central begins A huge blaze that engulfed a B-listed Victorian building in the centre of Glasgow on Sunday evening has left Scotland’s busiest railway station shut down for days and destroyed dozens of businesses. The fire started in a vape shop on Union Street at about 15:45 on Sunday, […]
Fine after employee killed operating ride-on lawnmower An investigation by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) found that MHS Countryside Management Limited had failed to carry out a suitable and sufficient site-specific risk assessment for the work being undertaken. The investigation also established that the mower’s roll-over protection system (ROPS) had been removed at some […]
As part of March’s Hazard of the Month, Warehouses, we’re highlighting two key areas: COSHH and Manual Handling. COSHH Employers have a legal duty to protect employees from exposure to hazardous substances, which may include: Dust Fumes Chemicals Vapours Mists Nanomaterials and nanotechnology by-products Gases Biological agents Germs Where substances are classified as carcinogens, mutagens, or […]