Week Commencing 30/08/2021 – In The News

Close up of a fire door on the panel that reads 'Fire Door Keep Shut'

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 […]

Heat Exhaustion – The Effects of Heat Stress and How to Treat Them

Thermometer showing 40 degrees Celsius

Heat stress, whether it be due to working during the summer months or in an environment that is hot year-round, can put employees at risk of heat exhaustion and, more seriously, heatstroke.  HSE guidance leaflet INDG451 states that heat stress occurs when the body’s means of controlling its internal temperature starts to fail. Air temperature, […]

Why is Working at Height ‘The Most Dangerous Construction Activity’?

A shot from below of skyscrapers disappearing into fog.

It’s safe to say that most people are aware that if you fall from a building, the likelihood is that you’re going to hurt yourself. So why is it that in the workplace the accident statistics for falling from height are still so high? In 2020 and 2021 falls from height continue to be the […]

Week Commencing 16/08/2021 – In The News

Farming, Sprayer

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 […]

Safety Spotlight – Working at Height and Risk Assessment

For the month of August, we are putting in the spotlight two key areas relating to our Hazard of the Month, Working at Height. These key areas are Working at Height and Risk Assessments. Working at Height Everyone knows that working at height is a hazard. Common knowledge, however, often breeds complacency and it is clear […]

Week Commencing 09/08/2021 – In The News

Dead trees in a desert

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 […]

Week Commencing 02/08/2021 – In The News

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 […]

Working at Height: Back to Basics

Everyone knows that working at height is a hazard. Common knowledge, however, often breeds complacency. This blog post is intended as a reminder of the basics of working at height safely, including regulations, HSE advice and an unmissable training offer! What is ‘Working at Height’? “Work at height means work in any place where, if […]

Week Commencing 29/07/2021 – In The News

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 […]

First Aid: Heart Attacks

What is a Heart Attack? A heart attack is a serious medical emergency in which the supply of the blood to the heart is suddenly blocked. This lack of blood may seriously damage the heart muscle and can be life threatening. Over time fat, cholesterol and other substances build up and form a plaque in […]