28 October Wood Dust Dangers lead to fine A Northwich furniture company has been fined £16,000 after it repeatedly failed to protect its employees from exposure to wood dust. Pineland Furniture Ltd, based on Witton Street in the Cheshire town, was inspected by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) on two separate occasions over a two-year period – with both identifying identical breaches. Nathan … Read More
29 August HSE Campaign – DUST KILLS It is a truism that: “The consequences of Safety Failures happen swiftly, whereas the Consequences of Health Failures arrive slowly”. The HSE has spent must of the Summer visiting sites and driving the Dust Kills Campaign Failure to prevent life-threatening diseases caused by dust at work is unacceptable, says the Health and Safety Executive (HSE), … Read More
23 September Metalworking fluids are still causing ill health Earlier this year, the HSE announced that it would be targeting organisations that use metalworking fluid (MWF) for inspection. Although this case predates the recent round of enforcement visits, it does support the narrative. Lantern Engineering Ltd was sentenced for health breaches after workers were exposed to metalworking fluid (MWF). MWF is hazardous to health, … Read More
9 August 15 years jail sentence for transport boss Two men died when their car was hit by a 30-tonne HGV with faulty brakes – transport boss been jailed for 15 years and a driver sentenced to six years Michael Holgate was convicted of gross negligence manslaughter after one of his lorries lost control and smashed through the central barrier of a motorway, hitting another … Read More
6 August Workplace Top Temperatures This summer has been one of the hottest, with some new records being set across the UK. The TUC is calling for a legal duty on employers to protect workers from heat-related risk after the Met Office issued its first-ever extreme heat warning in July 2021. Mika Minio-Paluello (who is the Policy Officer for Climate … Read More
5 August Workplace Transport – Death of a Driver (while he was a Pedestrian) Death of a Driver Whilst standing on open ground at the rear of the trailer of his articulated vehicle, the driver KA was struck by a wheeled shovel loader operating in the yard at their Auchinleck premises in Scotland, Ayr Sheriff Court heard. Failure to Assess the Risks and to implement Control Measures The investigation … Read More
5 August Roofer and scaffolder both sentenced following a fatal fall from height at a two-storey terraced house A roofer and a scaffolder have been sentenced following a fatal fall from height at a two-storey terraced house on Rosevine Road, Wimbledon. PD and AB were working on the house roof, which was accessed using a ladder and scaffolding that had been erected by DG. During the course of work, PD asked AB for … Read More
6 May Can you dismiss workers who refuse to attend the workplace over COVID-19 concerns? Can you dismiss workers who refuse to attend the workplace over COVID-19 concerns? I do not intend to digress too much into the world of Employment Law or HR, but a recent case (Rodgers v Leeds Laser Cutting Limited ET/1803829/2020) has proved very interesting. Over the last year (and counting), COVID-19 has created many challenges … Read More
26 August Schools, face coverings, and WHO guidelines With schools in England poised to return over the next week or so, the issue of face coverings has received much attention. The current WHO advice is that “children aged 12 and over should wear a mask under the same conditions as adults, in particular when they cannot guarantee at least a 1-metre distance from … Read More
20 August Coronavirus – spikes and lockdowns – are you COVID-19 secure? In the UK we have seen cities like Leicester placed under lockdown, and extra measures introduced in other areas (such as Manchester). Yesterday saw the news that Ireland’s coronavirus restrictions being “significantly” tightened after the number of cases increased rapidly over the past two weeks. All businesses in Ireland have been told to let employees … Read More