Health & Safety

25 years on from the UK’s final asbestos ban, the material remains the biggest cause of work-related deaths

This month marks the 25th anniversary since legislation came into force across Great Britain and in Northern Ireland (the UK) making it illegal for anyone to buy, sell, import or export any materials containing asbestos. Laid before parliament in August 1999, but brought into force on 24 November of that year, the Asbestos (Prohibitions) (Amendment) Regulations 1999 extended existing controls to include all remaining asbestos containing materials, notably Chrysotile (white) asbestos; legislation in 1985 had banned the importation of Amosite (brown) asbestos and Crocidolite (blue) asbestos, which are more hazardous to human health.…

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ACAS updates its sexual harassment guidance in light of new duty

On 26 October 2024, the new duty on employers to take reasonable steps to prevent workplace sexual harassment took effect. Acas has now updated its sexual harassment guidance to take account of the new law. New duty now in force Employers are now under a duty to take reasonable steps to prevent workplace sexual harassment (Preventative Duty).…

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Monthly Update, night drawing in, stress management, legionnaires disease

Keep safe at work as the nights draw in At this time of year surfaces can be perilous, which means slips and trips accidents are are likely to become more frequent. Poor lighting, excess water from rain and even wet and decaying leaves can all cause slip and trip accidents to increase significantly.…

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Working at Height

Employers and those in control of work at height must first assess the risks. Before working at height you must follow these simple steps: avoid work at height where it is reasonably practicable to do so where work at height cannot be easily avoided, prevent falls using either an existing place of work that is already safe or the right type of equipment minimise the distance and consequences of a fall, by using the right type of equipment where the risk cannot be eliminated You should: do as much work as possible from the ground ensure workers can get safely to and from where they work at height ensure equipment is suitable, stable and strong enough for the job, maintained and checked regularly not overload or overreach when working at height take precautions when working on or near fragile surfaces provide protection from falling objects consider emergency evacuation and rescue procedures How to check your ladder is safe before you use it Before using a ladder, you should have access to user instructions from the manufacturer in case you need to refer to them.…

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retail sector

Violence and aggression at work

Control measures to prevent violence and aggression Your workplace The work you do Training De-escalation techniques Check what you have done Once you have assessed the risk of violence in your workplace, and where you cannot remove it, you must put the right controls in place to protect your workers. Often no single control measure will be completely effective on its own and it is best to use a variety of approaches.…

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Prosecutions – Construction

Builder avoids immediate prison sentence after failing to protect workers 7th August 2024 A builder has been given a suspended prison sentence after he put the lives of workers at risk on a construction site in London. David Beadle, trading as Beadle the Builders, failed to comply with a prohibition notice issued by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) in relation to unsafe working at height at the site on Woodyates Road in South East London.…

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HSE News

Building Safety ebulletin: August 2024 HSE ebulletin service sent this bulletin at 29-08-2024 02:05 PM BST Having trouble viewing this email? View the content as a web page.Building Safety ebulletin Welcome to the Building Safety Regulator ebulletinIssued: 29 August 2024 This ebulletin is for anyone who wants to keep up-to-date with the work of the Building Safety Regulator (BSR) which is part of HSE. …

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Accident & Investigations

Company fined £1m as employee suffers serious injuries

A logistics company has been fined £1 million after an employee fell over 10 metres and sustained serious injuries. Christopher Hooper suffered fractures to his skull, back, pelvis, arm, wrist and ankle after falling 11 metres at DP World Southampton’s terminal on 20 September 2022. The 31-year-old, from Winchester, had fallen through an open hole in the driver’s cab of a straddle carrier, landing on the concrete floor below.…

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MAJORITY WANT HSW ACT REVISED, STUDY REVEALS

Thursday 11th July 2024   Research undertaken by safety technology provider Dräger Safety UK suggests that more than nine in 10 respondents would like to revisit Great Britain’s Health and Safety at Work Act so it has a greater focus on mental health and wellbeing.   The Dräger Safety and Health at Work Report 2024, published this week, found that 97% of the 250 managers and 94% of the 750 employees polled feel Great Britain’s main piece of health and safety legislation should be revised so that it considers changing workplaces and different working styles.…

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Building Safety Regulation made simple…

The new building safety regulations, particularly in the wake of the Grenfell Tower tragedy, focus on improving fire safety, structural safety, and the overall management of building safety risks in high-rise residential buildings. Here’s an overview of the key aspects of these regulations: 1. Building Safety Act 2022 The Building Safety Act 2022 introduces comprehensive reforms to ensure higher safety standards for buildings, particularly high-rise residential buildings.…

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Duty to Manage Asbestos in Buildings (Free Webinar)

Free webinar! Duty to manage asbestos in buildings: The law, the risk to health and how to safely manage asbestos HSE ran this free webinar on 15 May 2024. If you missed it, you haven’t missed out; the webinar was recorded and can be watched again by registering here. Duty to manage asbestos in buildings: The law, the risk to health and how to safely manage asbestos (wbmwebinars.com)…

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