20 January Occupational Road Risk In this Question and Answer section, Mike Ellerby addresses some of the questions concerning employers about their duties and responsibilities with respect to Occupational Road Risk (ORR) and driving, including the need for risk assessment and the use of mobile phones whilst driving. Read More
15 January Health Risk from exposure to metal working fluids Health Risk from exposure to metalworking fluids – Exposure of workers to metalworking fluids can cause both skin irritation and respiratory ill health. The (COSHH) risk assessment for the use of metalworking fluids should identify a range of simple control measures that can significantly reduce the risks of ill health developing. The main health effects arising … Read More
15 January Health and Safety Newsletter for Jan 2015 Follow this link to see a copy of this months health and safety newsletter. This is our first Health and Safety Newsletter for a brand new year. If you have ideas for future articles or subjects that you would like to see covered this year, please let me know. We look forward to supporting you through … Read More
14 January Health and Safety for smaller businesses in 2015 Health and Safety is important for all businesses and Health and Safety enforcement action is on the increase in the UK, with the HSE carrying out more visits in a targeted fashion. Further to this, most small firms do not comply with the provisions of the Health and Safety at Work Act of 1974 (HSAWA74). … Read More
9 January Radon Health Hazards and Controls The radioactive gas radon is a hazard in many homes and workplaces. Breathing in radon is the second largest cause of lung cancer in the UK resulting in up to 2000 fatal cancers per year. However radon hazards are simple and cheap to measure and relatively easy to address if levels are high. It is important … Read More
23 December Staying Safe in Cold Weather What do I need to do to protect my staff from cold weather? The mercury in the thermometer has gone through the floor (almost literally!) and the cold is biting at fingers and toes. But what does the law say about your staff, is there a minimum temperature for them, and what must you do … Read More
20 December Slips, Trips and Falls Slips, trips and falls – what are the common reasons for them? There are many reasons for slips, trips and falls. The most common reasons are associated with: the floor contamination on the floor (or footwear) obstacles on the floor cleaning of the floors damaged flooring missing handrails inappropriate footwear environmental factors, such as: poor … Read More
20 December Electrical Safety In this blog article, we look at some of the questions that are concerning employers about electricity in the workplace. Consideration needs to be given to the system that we plug into (the fixed electrical installation) as well as what we plug in (portable electrical equipment). In both cases, testing should be carried out by … Read More
19 December Unsafe roof work – work at height Unsafe roof work – work at height: a West Midlands building firm has been fined after being spotted twice carrying out unsafe roof work just a few days apart. An employee of CB(WM) Ltd was seen working on the roof of a house in Quinton in 2014, having used a poorly-built tower scaffold to access the roof. A … Read More
8 December Snow and ice clearance advice It is a popular misconception that it is against the law to clear snow and ice from pavements. Put simply, there is nothing stopping you from clearing ice and snow from your property, or from public pavements and areas outside your property. Heads of establishments are responsible for ensuring that the means of access to … Read More