Tag: Health and Safety

£2.15m fine following recycling worker fatality HSE inspector Stephen Garner explains the background to a fatal accident at a paper recycling plant. On 30 January 2020, 32-year-old Dean Atkinson was returning from the employee welfare cabins to his workstation on the picking line at Ward Recycling’s paper recycling plant in County Durham, England. Dean needed […]

This blog breaks down the changes made in the most recent update to first aid at work guidance. These updates do not change what is required to comply with the law. Mental Health The updates to the guidance emphasise employers’ responsibilities to take account of employees’ mental health when conducting their first aid needs assessment. […]

Any substance with the capacity to inflict harm in any form is defined as hazardous. According to COSHH, hazardous substances are defined as those that are corrosive, explosive, toxic, or capable of oxidizing. Almost every UK workplace will use substances that pose potential health hazards. Therefore making sure that employees can recognize such substances and […]

Wood dust failures lands £15k fine A manufacturing company has been fined £15,000 after exposing its own workers to wood dust and failing to comply with two improvement notices. Wood dust can cause serious and often irreversible health problems, including sino-nasal cancer, asthma and dermatitis. Employers have a legal responsibility to prevent or adequately control […]

As part of February’s Hazard of the Month, Occupational Health, we’re highlighting two key areas: Asbestos Awareness and Control of Hazardous Substances. Asbestos Awareness Asbestos exposure is one of the biggest occupational hazards to workers in the UK, with around 5000 people dying from asbestos-related illnesses every year. These diseases, such as mesothelioma and lung disease, are incurable and […]

Lighthouse Construction Industry Charity shines in 2023 The Lighthouse Construction Industry Charity continues to be a steadfast beacon of hope for those in need and in 2023, they saw 4438 people reaching out for support through its 24/7 Construction Industry Helpline, a 30% increase on the previous year. Its charitable spend also increased by 12% […]

Hospital staff left with life-changing conditions Workers at Bio Decontamination Limited attended Scarborough Hospital on 18 September 2019 after being hired to carry out the decontamination of the Aspen ward. The company used ionised hydrogen peroxide to decontaminate the rooms in the ward. They failed to appropriately seal the rooms, meaning the ionised hydrogen peroxide […]

New data released for Blue Monday New research from MHFA England, released ahead of so-called Blue Monday, shows 59% of employees do not regularly feel joy and satisfaction at work. 1 in 5 (22%) workers feel their sense of purpose, satisfaction, and joy at work has decreased since the pandemic. So called ‘Blue Monday’ is […]

Mitigating the risk of Lithium-ion batteries: Eight-step action plan Reports of fires breaking out due to the increased use of Lithium-ion (Li-ion) batteries are on the rise. Speaking at FIREX 2023, Matt Humby, Senior Technical Sales Consultant at Firechief Global, outlined where the batteries are being used and how to mitigate the fire risk. Lucy […]

Japan jet crash: How crew pulled off flawless evacuation from plane inferno  Passengers dashed to the emergency exits of a burning Japan Airlines jet without their hand luggage, in compliance with the flight crew’s instructions. The simple act of leaving their valuables behind would be a “major factor” behind the speed of the evacuation, with […]