Risks to workers from extreme heat must be managed
Employers need to act now to make sure their workers are protected as a heat health alert has been issued for parts of the country until Thursday 25 June.
That’s the message from the Health and Safety Executive (HSE), the country’s workplace regulator, as summer arrives in the UK.
The regulator sees a surge in people seeking advice in periods of hot weather and, following the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) issuing the alert, is calling on employers to plan for and support those working in extreme heat. The regulator says doing so will keep workers healthy and safe while also maintaining productivity.
Employers must assess risks to the health and safety of their workers by law, including risks from extreme weather such as heatwaves. While there is no legal maximum temperature for workplaces, heat is classed as a hazard and should be treated like other hazards.
Read more on the HSE website.
Heatwave skin cancer warning for trade professionals
Werner is urging trade professionals to stay protected with its skin cancer safety guidance during the heatwave as temperatures soar to record highs of up to 39C.
The reminder comes after findings from a 2024 study by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) identified construction workers as a significant at-risk group for developing skin cancer due to prolonged exposure to ultraviolet radiation (UVR) from natural sunlight.
With many trade professionals spending long hours working outdoors, Werner is encouraging professionals to make sun protection part of their everyday routine, regardless of the season or weather conditions.
Sunscreen, also known as SPF, should be worn all year round — not just during the warmer summer months — to help prevent the DNA damage caused by UV exposure that can ultimately lead to skin cancer. While sunscreen is often associated with hot weather, UV rays can still penetrate cloud cover on overcast and rainy days.
Read more on the HSM website.
HSE urges construction companies to strengthen site security
As school holidays approach, construction companies across the region are being urged to take additional precautions to keep children safe this summer.
While rare, children have tragically lost their lives, and others have been injured, after making their way on to unsecure and unsafe construction sites.
The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) is calling on the construction industry to prevent children from accessing construction sites during the school holiday period, to stop children being injured or worse in pursuit of innocent fun and curiosity.
HSE is reminding those in control of sites that they have a duty to do everything they can to keep children out of the site and away from danger, with the following specific steps particularly relevant to child safety:
- Where necessary, to reflect the nature of the site and the surrounding area, ensure suitable perimeter fencing or hoarding is erected.
- Regularly check and review site security to ensure fencing or hoarding is maintained and kept in good order.
- Secure sites adequately when finishing work for the day.
- Barrier off or cover over excavations and pits.
- Isolate and immobilise vehicles and plant and if possible, lock them in a compound.
- Store building materials (such as pipes, manhole rings, and cement bags) so that they cannot topple or roll over.
- Remove access ladders from excavations and scaffolds.
- Lock away hazardous substances.
Learn more on the HSE website.
Industry and government set new bar for workplace health
A new framework has been launched to raise the standards of physical and mental health at work, within the chemicals and major hazards industries.
The new Principles of Workplace Health and Wellbeing Leadership were officially launched on 24 June at the House of Lords at an event hosted by Lord Ian McNicol and sponsored by Baroness Brenda Dacres OBE. The launch event featured an address by the Minister for Social Security and Disability, Sir Stephen Timms, who spoke on the importance of preventing work-related ill health, keeping people in work and growing the economy.
The principles were developed by the onshore Chemicals and Major Hazards working group, as a response to Health and Safety Executive’s (HSE) Prevention Programme, to place clear accountability on senior leaders, building on the model established for process safety leadership following the 2005 Buncefield tragedy.
Learn more on the HSM website.
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