Health Safety
The Health & Safety Executive has today launched a revised guidance on portable appliance testing (PAT) to put to rest a myth that every portable electrical appliance in the workplace must be tested once a year, every year.
A change to the rules on reporting workplace injuries will save British firms thousands of hours completing official paperwork.
The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) announced today that its cost recovery scheme, ‘Fee for Intervention’, is going ahead but will now not start in April 2012.
Below is a list of some simple ways of helping to avoid becoming a victim of violence and aggravation while driving alone on company business or for pleasure. While this list is intended primarily for women drivers, many of the points are equally suited to male drivers.
Most of the businesses in the UK are small or medium sized enterprises. The same health and safety laws apply to small businesses as apply to big ones, with a few exemptions on written risk assessments and policy documentation for very small companies.
Fire Safety Video / Podcast (part 1) from Mike Ellerby of LRB Consulting Ltd. Mike talks of duties of the Fire Safety Responsible Person - protecting employees, visitors and members of the public.
Fire Safety Audio Podcast
Fire Safety Video
Working in a cold environment is difficult and has many potential problems, normally a cold environment in the workplace could be a freezer, or server room, but during the winter outdoor workers will also experience some very cold, and potentially hazardous.
The best way to avoid working at height, is not to! If you can avoid it, then do so. If you can't avoid it, we have some advice for you.
There’s a story from across the ‘pond’ today, in America the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB), which is the agency for investigating major accidents, has called for a complete ban on calling and texting whilst driving, even when using a handsfree device.
At New Year, many people make resolutions to change - their lifestyle, attitude, eating habits, etc. Do businesses? Do the people who run businesses?
It is a popular misconception that it is against the law to clear snow and ice from pavements.
It has been incredibly busy in the office over the past few weeks. Our admin team give us a little update on what they have been doing.
Consideration should be given to the safe storage of cleaning chemicals. This is not difficult or onerous, but it is important (as the case below demonstrates). Some cleaning materials are corrosive and can cause burns (especially to the eyes and face). Storage should be considered as part of a COSHH and/or a workplace risk assessment.
Listen to the first Podcast from Mike Ellerby of LRB Consulting Ltd. Mike talks of the controversial HSE Cost Recovery Proposals.
From today (12th September 2011) new incident reporting arrangements to the Health & Safety Executive have come into place.
The HSE has outlined its plans to charge businesses that are in “material breach of the law”. How is this going to work, and will it affect you?
We have recently been running a number of Health & Safety training courses for a number of clients, which has meant our office has been a little bit busier than usual.
It's the weekend, enjoy the good weather and keep from harm, when outdoors the effects of the weather in this environment can potentially have a very serious impact on an your welfare if the risks are not considered or managed properly.
Are you looking for Health & Safety Training? We have two upcoming open courses, read on to find out more.
I thought I’d take a little bit of time to explain more about our blog and why we want you to get involved.
The British Safety Council has launched a health and safety campaign aimed at businesses - phase one focuses on hand and arm protection.
Lack of safety practise has recently cost a manufacturing firm over £26,000 in fines and costs ... after pleading guilty to breaching Regulation 11(1) of the Provision and Use of Work Equipment Regulations 1998.
The register gives you the peace of mind that you are dealing with a registered consultant who has complied to a high standard of qualifications recognised by a professional body.
The Health & Safety Executive is proposing to slash the number of proactive inspections it carries out in light of its 35-per-cent cut in government funding.
Starting today and for the next month, construction sites across the country will be visited by the Health & Safety Executive (HSE) as part of an intensive inspection initiative aimed at reducing death and injury in one of Britain's most dangerous industries.
Recently, I attended one of our regular Health & Safety in the Workplace Level 3 courses.
The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) has recently started its 3 month consultation on proposed changes to RIDDOR (The Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations 1995). These proposed changes derive from recommendations in Lord Young's Review...
The vast majority of people make New Year’s resolutions in the hope of having a fresh start as the old year fades away. Although conventionally made individually, what’s to stop a company making one? Furthermore, why not vow to make work a safer, more secure environment?
For most companies, reportable incidents are a rare occasion. However, if they do occur, it is best to know how to deal with the issue and inform the appropriate authority.
Health and safety inspectors will be out in force in Manchester on Thursday 25 November in a bid to tackle dangerous scaffolding.
Employees contemplating 'hot work' on used containers, and managers overseeing it, are being urged to check that the correct working procedures are followed after two people were killed in separate incidents in North East Scotland whilst cutting up drums.
The Institution of Occupational Safety and Health (IOSH) has warned that work-related deaths could rise if the government goes ahead with a 35 per cent budget cut to the Health and Safety Executive (HSE).
In November 2010 LRB Consulting celebrated its 10th anniversary. LRB Consulting was founded in 2000 by Michael Ellerby, a Chartered Safety Practitioner & Chartered Chemist.
The Occupational Safety Consultants Register (OSCR) is the first step to resolving the problems identified by Lord Young in his recent report.
Across the East Midlands fewer people are being seriously injured at work according to figures released by the Health & Safety Executive for 2009/10. There were 2,056 major workplace injuries in the region compared to 2,150 in 2008/9.
Advice about electrical burns, who is at risk, what an electrical burn is, and how to deliver basic first aid.
Much student accommodation is powered by electricity, not gas, due to the risk of any incidents arising- whether it be a maintenance fault, or students failing to use appliances safely (i.e. leaving the gas on).
The myth: Schools banned British Bulldog in playgrounds because of health and safety
Asbestos is a naturally occurring fibrous material and has been used for about 150 years on a large scale. It is versatile, plentiful and ideal as a fire-proofing and insulation material. But it can be deadly!
The Myth:
Children must wear goggles when playing conkers at school.
Chemical burns are a common workplace risk, yet some are more harmful than others. Hydroflouric acid (HF) is one of the strongest inorganic acids, so contact with a small amount of HF can be deadly- burn covering only 2.5% of your body surface area is enough to cause death.
The myth:
Concert goers have to wear earplugs ‘because of health and safety’
The truth: Can you imagine trying to tell a bunch of big hairy bikers that they can’t watch Slayer unless they put earplugs in? This myth is false!
A recent survey by St John Ambulance brought to light that when faced with an emergency situation, 60% of people wouldn’t know how to act. A portion of this 60% are probably employed and work regularly. If they don’t know how to deal with an emergency, then the welfare of their colleagues may be at further risk if injured.
The myth:
Graduates are banned from throwing mortar boards
The Myth - Teachers cannot put plasters onto children's cuts.
Toy 'weapons' in a play had to be locked-up and registered with the police!
Righto, I’m George, a 19 year old girl (yes, a girl called George) working over summer at a Health and Safety firm called LRB consulting. My first task on this blog is to put on my best Adam Savage impression and become a Mythbuster.
While working in the kitchens of a restaurant chain, a 17-year-old boy tripped, slipped and consequently immersed his left hand into a fryer unit full of hot oil, causing severe burns to his arm, parts of the chest and neck.
COSHH (the Control of Substances Hazardous to Health Regulations 2002) is often an area for concern for businesses, especially smaller businesses. It an area of health and safety that is poorly understood and is viewed with mysticism.
Failure to control the work (at height) of contractors led to a large waste management company being fined £100,000 (with costs of £22,000) for breaching Section 3(1) of the Health and Safety at Work, Etc Act 1974 (HSWA) by failing to ensure the safety of those not in its employment.
The Health Protection Agency (HPA) has been fined £25,000 for exposing its employees to the risk of infection from the potentially deadly E.coli O157 bacteria.
The Health Protection Agency (HPA) have suggested that motorists who do not use screenwash for their windscreen wipers risk getting potentially deadly legionnaires' disease!
July Health and Safety Myth of the Month: Health and safety brings candyfloss to a sticky end
The carriage of dangerous goods by road in the UK is regulated by:
- ADR (The European Agreement concerning the International Carriage of Dangerous Goods by Road)
- The Carriage of Dangerous Goods and Use of Transportable Pressure Equipment Regulations 2009 which sets the legal framework for ADR in the UK
Many businesses have storage and warehouse facilities as an integral and important part of their operation. These may be very busy places at all times - how can you avoid accidents?
