Blog posts : "safety"
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…
Stay safe when working from home
Working from home was becoming increasingly common, even before the Covid-19 outbreak. With improvements in technology, it has become easier for many office-based workers to work from home for more of their working week. The attractions are easy to see: the lack of a commute; working in a relaxe…
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…
Stone merchant fined after vehicle struck an overhead power cable
Fairhurst Stone Merchants Ltd. has been fined for safety breaches after a vehicle made contact with an uninsulated overhead electric power line.
The company, of Langcliffe Mill, Stainforth Road, Langcliffe, Settle, pleaded guilty to breaching Regulation 3 of the Electricity at Work Regulations 19…
Construction company fined half a million pounds for fatal demolition work
McGee Group Limited was fined £500,000 with £66,236.22 in costs for a breach of Regulation 22(1)(a) of the Construction (Design and Management) Regulations 2007, following the death of 33-year-old labourer Dainius Rupsys in April 2014.
Southwark Crown Court heard that Mr Rupsys from Lithuania w…
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…
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…
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…
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…
Chemical Safety in the Hospitality Sector
Cleaning products and chemicals are probably one of the most common hazardous substances used in the hospitality sector. Apart from sharp equipment in kitchens that presents a risk, chemicals also present many hazards such as burns, skin irritation and respiratory harm. To minimise these risks, prop…
5 Health and Safety Hazards During the Winter – And How to Avoid Them
Plummeting temperatures and fallen leaves have been foreshadowing what this “year of the snowstorm” might look like, which is said to likely be the coldest since 2010/11. At this time of year, new potential hazards arise in the workplace – both outside and in – that need to be taken care of to preve…
8 Unusual Places You Might Find Asbestos
As a naturally occurring material, the history of asbestos in tools and products stretches back thousands of years. Its seemingly miraculous properties of fire resistance and tensile strength led to its use in all kinds of products, with a particular boom in the early 20th century.
While many of …
Using Virtual Reality To Simulate Real Risks
There will always be a place for PowerPoint presentations, especially if business boardrooms have anything to say about it. But as an effective learning tool, there is room for improvement.
Even the most attentive student isn’t going to absorb everything they need from bullet points and anecdotes…