Working at Height Safety Equipment

Working at height remains one of the highest risk activities at work in the UK. HSE statistics show that in 2022/23 135 people were killed in work-related accidents in the UK, of these the highest proportion came from a falls from height, in which 40 people were killed. Work at height means work in any […]

Week Commencing 11/03/2024 – In The News

Preventable fall lands fine A company and its director have been fined after an employee was injured from a fall during the construction of eight new houses in Lichfield, Staffordshire. The man, employed by Alba Construction (Midlands) Limited, had been working in one of the new properties on the former site of The Greyhound Inn […]

Week Commencing 04/03/2024 – In The News

Unregistered plumber handed suspended prison sentence An unregistered plumber has received a suspended prison sentence after he carried out illegal gas work at a house in Peterborough. Anthony Rice, trading as Rice Plumbing and Oil Heating, attended the property on Edwalton Avenue on 31 January 2023 where he replaced a gas boiler and altered gas […]

Week Commencing 19/02/2024 – In The News

Research highlights impact of budget cuts on safety New research from Watco has examined the complexities of the facilities management (FM) industry, and how they impact the safety and smooth running within the modern facility. It revealed that almost two thirds (60%) of facilities managers have had their budgets cut by up to 25% in […]

Week Commencing 12/02/2024 – In The News

£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 […]

Updates to First aid at work: Guidance on regulations (L74)

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. […]

Week Commencing 05/02/2024 – In The News

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 […]

Week Commencing 22/01/2024 – In The News

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 […]

Safety Spotlight: Mental Health Awareness & Healthy Living

As part of January’s Hazard of the Month, Wellbeing, we’re highlighting two key areas: Mental Health Awareness and Healthy Living. Mental Health Awareness More than 17.9 million working days were lost in the last year due to stress, anxiety, or depression, with stress being the leading cause for sick days in the UK. All employers are required by […]

Week Commencing 04/12/2023 – In The News

Keep workers stay safe and warm, urges HSE Great Britain’s workplace regulator, the Health and Safety Executive, is stressing the importance of protecting workers during the cold weather. It comes as the Met Office has issued a yellow weather warning for ice and snow for parts of the UK. John Rowe, head of operational strategy said, “We’re calling […]