White coats. Safety goggles. Bunsen burners. For some, these items merely stir memories of high school science labs but for others they are daily essentials. In the world of laboratory research, chemists and lab technicians are surrounded by hazardous chemicals and dangerous elements daily. At times…
Blog posts : "Guidance"
Risk Assessments – What, Why and How
“Everything in life has some risk. What you have to actually learn to do is how to navigate it.” - Reid Hoffman
From the moment you wake up in the morning, you are constantly assessing levels of risk and implementing controls to remove or reduce the risk involved in that activity.
Let’s consid…
4 Common Forklift Accidents & How to Prevent Them
According to the British Safety Council, approximately 1,300 employees within the material handling industry are hospitalised annually as a result of a forklift accident within the workplace and that number is predicted to rise. Overall, that equates to five people a day suffering a forklift-related…
Proper safety tips when working with chemicals
Maintaining a safe and productive working environment is often challenging whatever the circumstances. When chemicals are involved, that challenge can be significantly increased. Without proper handling, many of the substances on which we rely can be dangerous. Whether they emit noxious fumes, b…
How To Get Through The Workplace Accident Claim Investigation
Workers have certain rights when working in the workplace. One of their legal rights is to make a workplace injury claim against their employer once they get injured at work. But it comes with certain conditions. The employees can only make an accident at work claim when they have sustained an injur…
How to stay safe in the winter weather
Research has found that prolonged exposure to moderately cold temperatures kills more people than extreme heat or freezing spells. Looking at data collected in 384 locations, researchers have identified that the majority of these deaths actually happen on moderately hot and cold days, with moder…
The Key Principles of COSHH You Need to Know
Many industries deal with hazardous substances in their workplace every single day. For instance, companies involved in manufacturing may need to use chemicals to produce certain materials. Other industries that are known to deal with hazardous substances are healthcare industries and food industrie…
Face fit testing - what you need to know
Ill-fitting clothing is unflattering. Ill-fitting shoes are uncomfortable and ill-fitting protective equipment is unfit for purpose and therefore unsafe. This fact is recognized in law.
For example, the law requires that almost all protective masks be face-fit tested to ensure that they provide e…
Health and safety & security threats in retail businesses and how to remedy them
Health and safety and security threats are often either the same or very closely related. This means that by practicing good health and safety, you will often improve your security - and vice versa. Here are some tips to help.
Conduct regular assessments of your premises
Risk assessments are m…
A health and safety guide to maintaining a private commercial car park
Car parks are now one of the UK’s most essential amenities and while their nature is changing (for example due to the move towards electric vehicles), the need for effective health and safety remain the same. With that in mind, here are some points to keep in mind.
Safety begins at the approach…
Common office health and safety risks and how to avoid them
Even though the average office is a whole lot safer than say, the average construction site, there are still a fair number of health and safety risks that need to be managed. Here are some of the most common and how to avoid them.
Slips, trips, and falls
These tend to be the number one health …
Asbestos 20 Years On: Still a Present Problem
Asbestos may have been banned in the UK 20 years ago this month, but it continues to have a devastating effect on people’s lives today. In this post, we explore how and why asbestos is still a problem.
The UK Ban on Asbestos
Following a ban in the 1980s on blue (crocidolite) and brown (amosi…
Five essential health and safety tips for the Haulage industry
HGVs are big, heavy, vehicles with lots of moving parts and as such they need to be treated with great respect as they have the potential to cause serious accidents (including fatal ones). Fortunately, paying suitable attention to health and safety can go a long way to avoiding this.
Here are f…
What is a 'Competent Person' and does my business need one?
Even the smallest businesses have the legal responsibility to manage health and safety at work and are mandated to appoint a competent person to take ownership of fulfilling this obligation.
The definition of a competent person
A competent person does not have to be a qualified and dedicated h…
Infographic: One Festive Tipple Too Many – The Sober Truth of Drink Driving During December
An estimated 10 million British motorists drink and drive. In December, when alcohol consumption rises by 40% in the UK, nearly 8% more people are arrested on drink driving charges than any other month of the year.
These surprising figures show just how many people are risking their lives – and…
Health and Safety Hazards in the Office
Offices may not seem like dangerous places to work, but they can pose serious health and safety risks. An estimated 609,000 non-fatal injuries were sustained by workers in 2016/17, according to the Labour Force Survey - and that’s just those that were officially reported.
Given the size of the …
7 Ways to Prevent Forklift and Equipment Hazards
Mechanised lifting and transportation greatly enhances the efficiency of workplace operations - but only if health and safety is given the attention it deserves. Neglecting hazards can cause accidents, leading to loss of livelihood, delayed operations, and disruption to both cost and time-efficiency…
ABCs Can Help Your First Aid Training
Coming across someone who has had an accident – or indeed being involved in or witnessing such – can be daunting. Thinking about it now, you may believe that you would panic; in fact, most people -when faced with such a situation – react with a calmness that may even surprise them, as your first ins…
5 challenges of being a manufacturer in 2018
The manufacturing industry faces many challenges year on year. It’s an important sector to both current and emerging markets.
These are the most commonly faced challenges to the industry in the UK in 2018.
- Manual handling and safety
Manufacturing can be a dangerous industry, and it’s…
A Guide to Personal Protective Equipment and Clothing
Personal Protective Equipment, often referred to as PPE, describes the equipment that is used in order to protect workers against any risks to their health and safety. PPE covers a wide range of equipment throughout many different industries, with some of the most common items of equipment being hel…
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