15 September Considering the Safety and Health of Home and Hybrid worker Home and Hybrid workers – Health and Safety Guide You’re a home worker if you permanently work from your home or split your working time between the workplace and home (sometimes called hybrid working). Ensuring workplace health and safety remains essential even when your employees work from home. Our health and safety guide is designed … Read More
13 May Plan and Manage the Return to the Workplace – the HSE will be watching you Lives and livelihoods could be at stake if organisations do not PLAN and MANAGE the return to work following the relaxation of the Coronavirus Lockdown. Indeed, companies that don’t follow coronavirus safety rules could face prosecution, the head of the UK’s Health and Safety Executive (HSE) has warned. Sarah Albon, of the HSE, told Tuesday’s … Read More
7 May Are you considering a (phased) return to the workplace? Many employees are still working from home. Employers need to formulate a plan to help keep employees healthy once they return to the workplace. Companies are starting to consider a return to the workplace, or at least a partial return. The general Government position is, currently: Coronavirus (COVID-19): what you need to do Stay at … Read More
21 April Avoid Hot-desking during the Pandemic What is hot-desking Hot desking is the use of non-allocated workstations. These workspaces can be used by any employee, from any department or level, on any given day. Many businesses have chosen to ban hot-desking during these times, to ensure the potential for infection is reduced. Our recommendation would be to avoid hot-desking where possible. If … Read More
7 April Face Fit Testing of RPE – Risk assessment and Prevention Face Fit Testing of RPE (Respiratory Protective Equipment) Respiratory Protective Equipment (or RPE) is used to protect wearers from exposure to a range of chemicals, solvents, dust, fibres, etc. It is often a protective measure that is identified in the risk assessment. The RPE must be able to provide adequate protection for individual wearers (otherwise … Read More
7 June Advice and tips to avoid risky school trips! We offer some advice and tips to avoid risky school trips, and we start by asking a couple of simple questions: Who needs to be involved with the risk assessment? Should parents see the risk assessment? It’s important where possible to bring classroom subjects alive. This may involve trips. To do this the school needs … Read More
26 March Risk Assessment: Being wise before the event We are all aware that risk assessment is a legal requirement, and most organisations have some form of risk assessment process in place. Sometimes this is only in place because risk assessment is a legal requirement. Fortunately, there are some organisations that embrace the risk assessment process and understand it can protect the health and the safety of their … Read More
9 July Machinery Safety Failure leads to fatality This is another reported case of a machinery safety failure leading to a fatality. In this case, Leeds Magistrates Court heard how, on 28 February 2014, a 50-year-old employee of WE Rawson Limited leant into a packaging machine whilst attempting to free a stuck package. Whilst doing so, he became trapped between an upper and lower … Read More
22 June Asbestos failures lead (again) to substantial fines A building contractor has been fined after failing to carry out the correct procedures after asbestos was found during the refurbishment of a building at Bedford School in Bedford. Asbestos failures included the lack of a demolition/refurbishment survey and failure to manage asbestos after it was disturbed. Luton Crown Court heard how on 11 August … Read More
8 May Worker was Fatally Crushed leads to £2,000,000 in fines A civil engineering contractor and a district heating firm have been fined £1,000,000 each after a worker was fatally crushed. In December 2015, 36-year-old DB was employed by R K Civil Engineers Ltd working at the EON Renewable Energy Plant in Sheffield. He was one of two workers unloading large heating pipes (12 metres long … Read More