Posts Tagged ‘HSE’
“I hear so many companies that say health and safety is their number-one priority,” the HSE chair Judith Hackitt told a packed plenary session at the IOSH 13 Conference.
“Health and safety needs to become a core value in all businesses. Whether it has to become a bigger priority in its own right, I would really question.”
Speaking as part of a panel discussion on what action is needed over the coming 12 months to make health and safety a bigger priority across all industries, Ms Hackitt painted a very pragmatic picture of health and safety management for the year ahead, both within her own organisation and the myriad businesses it regulates.
She insisted that the regulatory framework is fit for purpose and that its reform work in this area is simply about “stripping out the duplication and the overlap”. When it comes to guidance, however, the HSE is focused on making it more accessible because “the easier you make things, the greater the compliance and the better the performance”.
Dr G Todd Wright, managing director of Sellafield, agreed, but added that priorities for businesses change and often get influenced by other priorities. He highlighted leadership, communication and training as the three core elements in health and safety that will help his business prepare for a crucial period of decommissioning nuclear facilities.
Dr Karl-Ulrich Kohler, CEO and managing director of Tata Steel, adopted a different stance, insisting that there is no discrepancy between saying health and safety is a priority and the realities of the business. He suggested that the reason his company describes health and safety as a priority is for communication. He said: “It’s not a question about motives. The one thing you can’t replace is health and the wellbeing of people. They are our strength and we need to protect them.”
An intensive inspection initiative in Merseyside and Cheshire over the past five days has shown that one in five construction sites have failed safety checks.
Health and Safety Executive inspectors (HSE), visited a total of 167 sites in the two counties between the 20th and 24th of February. During these inspections, 32 sites were found to have working practices which could put workers at risk.
These intensive inspections were carried out as part of a month long drive across Great Britain, in order to try and improve health and safety in one of the country’s most dangerous industries.
HSE inspectors are targeting sites where refurbishment or repair work is being carried out, with the aim to reduce the risk of ill health, death and injury.
The main focuses are on high-risk activity, including working at height and ‘good order’, such as ensuring sites are clean, tidy and have clear access routes. Structural stability, public protection, fire safety and asbestos are also being inspected.
The HSE issued 29 Prohibition Notices during their visits to Merseyside and Cheshire, stopping work immediately.
A definition of Manual Handling
Manual Handling has been defined as ‘any transport or supporting of a load which includes the lifting, putting down, pushing, pulling, carrying or moving thereof’ by hand or by bodily force.
The Manual Handling Operations Regulations 1992 is a legislation introduced to us in 1993. These new regulations replaced a number of earlier legislations which included sections for factories, offices as well as shops and railway premises.
A major source of injury within the workplace is manual handling and the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) has provided a lot of support and also guidelines for employers to follow in order to adequately manage the risks involved in manual handling operations.
Making it easier for Health and Safety managers to manage risks within the working environment
The Health and Safety at Work Act 1974 states that it should be the duty of every employer to ensure so far as is reasonably practicable, the health, safety and welfare at work of all his employees.
A company therefore should appoint someone whom is competent to help meet your health and safety duties. When appointing a Health and Safety manager they require a general introduction to health and safety in order to identify the risks within a specific working environment and also, to implement the procedures which will ensure employee safety.
Health and Safety managers’ responsibilities can be assessed by a consultation, this is a two way process, allowing nominated staff to raise concerns on health and safety and also influence the management of risks. When listening to these employees and understanding the risks which they identify in the workplace it shows employees that you take their health and safety seriously.
Do you have the adequate knowledge which every Health and Safety Manager should have?
Is your workplace ‘Fire Safe’? Applying E-learning Fire Safety training within a working environment is the most efficient way of ensuring your employees are fire smart.
The effect of any accidentally caused fire or explosion within the workplace can be devastating in terms of any lives lost, injuries, damage to property and the environment and also to the business community. Therefore we ask ourselves whether we are set up to manage both the risks and procedures to follow in terms of fire safety within the workplace.
Fires can be caused by many things which we might not necessarily be able to see. Working with flammable liquids, dusts, gases and solids is hazardous and increases the risk of fire and explosions. The implementation of fire safety training will ensure immediate communication of fire safety policies between employees.
Adequate Fire safety training can be completed within minutes
EssentialSkillz (a leading supplier of world-class online Health & Safety training and risk assessment software) offer a short course on Fire Safety, the course is designed to deliver information on this key topic quickly and effectively.
Online Fire Safety training is the most efficient method of training your staff on the facts around Fire Safety in the workplace; the course provides customisable screens allowing the display of organisation specific information, such as locations of fire alarms, escape routes and assembly points.
The Health and Safety Executive has prosecuted Thor Specialities Ltd as a result of a potentially fatal chemical reaction at its plant in Wincham, Northwich on 23 August 2007.
An employee at the plant had been mixing solid and liquid chemicals which eventually caused the release of both toxic and flammable substances into the workplace laboratory. The employee had continued to mix the chemicals together after mistakenly presuming that as there was no initial reaction to the mixing process that it was safe to continue doing so. However the chemical reaction suddenly got out of control and generated the hazardous substances into the working environment.
The chemicals had reacted so rapidly that it became impossible for the employee to bring the situation safely under control and he had to flee the building. There were no other employees in the laboratory at the time of the incident although when the alarm system was activated, another employee returned to the scene to investigate only to be forced to abandon the plant as a result of the cloud of toxic fumes.
HSE Passport is committed to helping agencies, umbrella companies, contractors and host companies achieve legal compliance to current Health & Safety legislation by supplying an
effective passport scheme that complies with the guidelines laid out in INDG381.
HSE Passport, the simple and cost effective health and safety compliance scheme (for contract and temporary workers) today launches a brand new health and safety industry blog. It can be found at:
The blog aims to inform recruitment agencies, agency workers, temporary workers, contractors, freelancers and host companies of their duty under current health & safety legislation, whilst operating any temporary contract or position.
Achieving legal compliance is at the forefront of most business agendas, this new industry blog will set to educate and engage with all Health, Safety & Environmental professionals and promotes their HSE Passport for contractors and temporary workers.
A Cardiff construction site manager has been fined after failing to comply with two safety orders issued to protect workers from injury.
Mr Haider Zaman, 53, trading as Pride Builders, was prosecuted by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) for ignoring two Improvement Notices served while he was refurbishing two residential properties in the Cathays area of Cardiff.
During an unannounced inspection of the two sites on 1 March 2011, HSE inspectors found sub-standard safety measures in relation to working at height, asbestos safety and structural stability and issued three Prohibition Notices ordering Mr Zaman to cease work immediately.
Two Improvement Notices relating to asbestos safety training and health and safety competence training were subsequently served to Mr Zaman.
Cardiff Magistrates’ Court heard the Improvement Notices served on Mr Zaman gave him until 10 May 2011 to make the necessary improvements. However, on returning to the site a week later HSE inspectors found the notices had not been complied with, and identified further sub-standard control measures for working at height.
Mr Haider Zaman, trading as Pride Builders, of 174 Mackintosh Place, Cardiff pleaded guilty to two breaches of Section 33 (1)(g) of the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974. He was fined a total of £1,280 and ordered to pay costs of £1,500 as well as a victim surcharge of £15.
An “entirely foreseeable accident” led to the death of a demolition worker, the Health and Safety Executive has said.
Bernard McCarroll, 68, from Croy, North Lanarkshire, had been dismantling a hydraulic excavator at Whiteinch Demolition yard in Glasgow in May 2008 when a weight from machinery fell on him.
Health and Safety officers found that the firm had not properly risk-assessed the operation.
Whiteinch Demolition Ltd, of Centurion Works, Balmuildy Road, Bishopbriggs, was fined £15,000 over the incident after admitting health and safety breaches.
The court heard that a safe system of work had not been provided to those carrying out the dismantling. Insufficient information was also made available over the assembly of the excavator by the company.
Source: IOSH
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