Blog posts : "risk assessment"
Addressing Hazardous Chemical Risks In Lab Settings
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…
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…
4 essential safety tips for operating a cherry picker
Cherry pickers – also known variously as elevated work platforms, basket cranes or man lifts – are movable access platforms that can be extremely useful for working at height. Mounted onto a truck, these machines provide high level access for many commercial applications including maintenance and cl…
Dos and don’ts for working at height
Workplace injuries can pose very real dangers in our daily jobs, particularly when the task involves working high up on a building or other structure. Safety statistics make for grim reading, with accidents on building sites responsible for more than their proportionate share of all fatal injuries a…
How to ensure your staff wear safety gear
In many workplaces, personal protective equipment (PPE) is an essential part of keeping employees safe. From Hi Vis jackets to safety goggles, your business might use a range of different equipment. But sometimes it can be difficult to convince staff to wear safety gear at all times. Here are five g…
Health and safety in the supply chain
For many years now, it has been widely acknowledged that any one action within any part of the supply chain can have a knock on effect, positively or negatively, further down the line.
To give an example, imagine a supplier changing the weights of their products, to make them bigger in order to t…
Glazing company fined £36,000 for dangerous work at height
Ideal Glazing (Euro) Ltd. has been fined £36,000 after carrying out work in the West End of London with no measures to prevent the workers falling eight metres and after dropping part of a window onto the public area below.
Westminster Magistrates’ Court heard the company carried out window inst…
Health and safety hazards on a farm
Farming is a risky occupation, it comes with many risks and hazards. The industry accounts for nearly 20% of the reported fatal injuries each year. The most common types of accidents that happen on farms involves heavy machinery and handling and lifting. If due care and attention is paid this can re…
Reducing accidents at work - it’s easier than it may seem!
In the past year alone (2014/15), approximately 1.2 million people suffered from a work related disease. To put it into perspective, that’s approximately 1 in 60 people. This is also equivalent to 27.3 million working days being lost because of work-related illnesses and injuries, or over £14 billio…
Leicestershire construction firm fined after sacks of rubble thrown from building window
J A Ball Ltd. of Coalville was fined £13,000 with £1,182 costs after admitting breaching Regulation 4(1) of the Work at Height Regulations 2005.
Workers were spotted throwing sacks of rubble from a building project opposite a police station, police officers called the Health and Safety Executiv…
New Links
Some recent additions to HealthSafetyNews.co.uk include a link to Lab Safety 101 on the main links page and to Earthworks-Jobs on the safety jobs page.
Lab Safety 101 is an excellent resource, aimed at students, which provides an introduction to general lab safety; safety advice for working with …
What you need to know about fire safety in the workplace
Fire safety is an issue that no firm can afford to ignore. If you let risk management standards slip when it comes to this issue, the consequences could be disastrous for your personnel, premises, finances and reputation. The fact is, the majority of blazes are preventable, as long as you adopt the …
Using technology to create a sustainable business environment
Creating a sustainable workplace can be easily achieved in various ways, especially with modern technology such as software automation. The integration of technology into the work environment improves the safety and health of employees. One way to safeguard your employees, assets, and products is by…
Two companies fined after worker loses left leg
A Tameside factory worker had to have part of his left leg amputated after he was struck by an 850kg metal frame being delivered to a plant in Glossop, a court has heard.
Two firms have been ordered to pay nearly £50,000 in fines and costs following an investigation into the incident on 5 January…
Suspended sentences for subcontractors after worker fatally crushed
Two subcontractors have been handed eight-month prison sentences, suspended for 18 months, after a worker was killed when part of a 33-tonne metal barge he was dismantling collapsed on top of him.
William Ward, 56, from Handsworth, Sheffield, sustained catastrophic crush injuries in the incident …
Setting up a health & safety procedure in a new business
Health and safety is a necessity for all new businesses, but it doesn't have to be a complicated process. Working out a simple and efficient approach that complies with legislation under the Health and Safety at Work Act (1974) and consistently ensures the safety of employees can make managing your …
How avoiding the ‘fatal four’ can improve your construction site
Your employees are your number one asset on the job site, and taking a few moments to make certain the job site is safe and secure can go a long way towards productivity and can save you money in the long run.
According to the US Department of Labor, 806 workers were killed in 2012 while working on…
Didcot manufacturer fined for acetone burn failings
A specialist manufacturer of vessels and pipework designed to carry liquid nitrogen and liquid oxygen has been fined after a welder was seriously burned during unsafe hotwork.
The 38 year-old employee, from Oxford, who does not want to be named, was in hospital for a week and needed skin grafts a…