HSE

2023 is going to be a big year for Building safety It is clear as I continue to meet with various stakeholders that the level of activity is rising in preparation for the new requirements and responsibilities under the Building Safety Act. Consultation on secondary legislation is moving at pace bringing the clarity required for many who will have new responsibilities.…

HSE releases annual health and safety statistics 2021/22 The estimated number of workers in Great Britain suffering a work-related illness is 1.8 million with stress, depression, and anxiety making up around half of cases, new figures show. The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) has published its annual statistics on work-related ill health and workplace injuries.…

Is it too cold or hot to work? Working in cold temperatures The minimum temperature in an indoor workplace should normally be at least: 16°C or 13°C if much of the work involves rigorous physical effort There are practical steps you can take to keep people as comfortable as possible when working in the cold.…

Building control professionals will, in future, have to register with the Building Safety Regulator (BSR). It is expected the register will open from October 2023 before registration becomes a legal requirement in April 2024. Building control professionals will be expected to demonstrate their competence in order to register with the BSR. …

A building contractor has been fined £600,000 and its director has been ordered to complete 100 hours of unpaid work and fined £4,200 following serious and repeated failings in managing the risk of fire during work at a construction site. In January 2018 the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) undertook a proactive inspection to investigate health and safety failings by the builder at a construction site at Regent House, Brentwood, Essex after a concern was raised that people were sleeping on site.…

First aid in the workplace – what should Employers need to do? Employers must make sure employees get immediate help if taken ill or injured at work. The law applies to every workplace and to the self-employed. You must have: a suitably stocked first aid kitan appointed person or people to take charge of first aid arrangementsinformation for all employees telling them about first aid arrangements What ‘adequate and appropriate’ first aid arrangements are depends on the work you do and where you do it.…

The HSE has published a revised version of the publication Fire safety in construction (HSG168). This latest (third) edition contains guidance explaining the need to eliminate, and or mitigate fire risks during the design phase (where practicable), how to prevent site fires from starting and ensuring people’s safety if they do.…

The Fire Safety (England) Regulations 2022 introduce new duties under the Fire Safety Order for building owners or managers (responsible persons). The Government has introduced these regulations under article 24 of the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 (Fire Safety Order) to implement the majority of those recommendations made to government in the Grenfell Tower Inquiry Phase 1 report which require a change in the law.…

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What is the new Building Safety Regulator (BSR)? The Building Safety Act names HSE as the new Building Safety Regulator in England. BSR will have 3 main functions: overseeing the safety and standards of all buildingshelping and encouraging the built environment industry and building control professionals to improve their competenceleading implementation of the new regulatory framework for high-rise buildings BSR will regulate high-rise buildings.…

What is Portable Appliance Testing (PAT) ? Portable appliance testing (PAT) is the term used to describe the examination of electrical appliances and equipment to ensure they are safe to use. Most electrical safety defects can be found by visual examination but some types of defect can only be found by testing.…

Issue New HSE research has revealed that respirators/masks which rely on ear loops (including those provided with clips, ‘snuggers’ or other means of tightening the fit of the mask) to hold the respirator/mask in place, do not protect people adequately when used as tight fitting respiratory protective equipment (RPE). Outline of the problem HSE has seen an increase in the variety of ear loop respirators/masks, which indicate they offer the protection provided by FFP2 (filtering facepiece respirators or disposable half mask respirators).…