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Health and Safety News

Occupational health and safety news and guidance

Blog posts : "Guidance"

What is a 'Competent Person' and does my business need one?

Photo shows two workers looking at blueprintsEven 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…

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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…

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Health and Safety Hazards in the Office

Image shows an office areaOffices 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 …

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7 Ways to Prevent Forklift and Equipment Hazards

Image of a forklift truckMechanised 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…

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ABCs Can Help Your First Aid Training

Photo shows a first aid training sessionComing 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…

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5 challenges of being a manufacturer in 2018

Photo shows a worker wearing personal protective equipmentThe 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.

  1. Manual handling and safety

Manufacturing can be a dangerous industry, and it’s…

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A Guide to Personal Protective Equipment and Clothing

Photo shows a worker wearing Personal Protective EquipmentPersonal 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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Health > safety: how to improve workplace wellbeing

Photo shows a healthy lunch optionModern day employees can receive training for site safety, fire safety, construction safety, food safety, and a million subjects besides. In short, safety is a pretty tightly controlled and well understood discipline. Yet many of the industries where health & safety training and protocols are most p…

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Top Five Common Warehouse Safety Hazards & Ways to Prevent Them

Photo shows a forklift being used in a warehouseWorkplace safety standards continue to improve each year; however, today’s workforce, especially within a warehouse, still can be dangerous environments with many potential hazards and associated risks.

Warehouse safety goes hand in hand with productivity. Lost workforce hours, damaged stock a…

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8 Tips for a Safe Journey During Your Next Business Trip

Photo shows people on an aeroplaneNowadays, the world is so connected and easily accessible that business now requires people to fly to the other side of the world in order to sell products, meet clients and establish potential partnerships.

However, as a business sending employees to travel into uncharted territory, it’s vital t…

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Workplace Injuries Cost Businesses Billions

Photo shows people on some metal stairsLast year, 609,000 injuries occurred at work according to the Labour Force Survey. Of those, the majority were as a result of a slip, trip or fall.

The cost to businesses is over £14billion a year and 31.2 million working days lost. The irony is that slip and trip accidents are some of the most e…

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New Design Innovations in Disposable Respirators

Photo shows a respiratory mask being worn when using chemicalsRespiratory innovation is happening but in baby steps. Personal protective equipment is traditionally a low innovation area, but new advances in technology in the area of materials, fabrics and overall design have dramatically improved worker protection and user comfort. Disposable respirators have …

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Chemical Safety in the Hospitality Sector

Photo shows a hotelCleaning 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…

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5 Health and Safety Hazards During the Winter – And How to Avoid Them

Photo shows footprints in the snowPlummeting 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…

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8 Unusual Places You Might Find Asbestos

Photo shows an ironing board - some old boards may contain asbestos, covers were also lined with asbestosAs 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 …

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6 Easy Ways to Reduce VOC Exposure in the Workplace

What are VOCs?

VOCs, or volatile organic compounds, are a family of chemicals that readily evaporate and turn into gases and vapour. Put simply, this means they give off odorous fumes and increase the concentration of potentially harmful chemicals in the air.

And in the modern age, they can be…

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Using Virtual Reality To Simulate Real Risks

Photo shows an example augmented realityThere 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…

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What is your office hygiene saying about you?

Photo shows a carpet cleaner

A clean work environment is vital for your business. It presents a professional image for your company, creates a healthier environment for your staff and boosts morale overall. It’s not enough to simply run a hoover over the carpet and empty the bins every week – if you’re serious about product…

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Infographic: How to treat and dispose of bed bug infested furniture safely

There aren’t many things worse than having a bed bug infestation in your home or business premises, but if you do, you need to know how to deal with it in the safest way possible. Not just for your own household, but for the local community. One of the main points to consider when it comes to safely…

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On the lookout for occupational asthma

Photo shows an inhaler

People who develop asthma because of the type of work they do have what's known as occupational asthma. It's actually referred to as adult-onset asthma and accounts for up to 15% of asthma cases in adults. What's more, it's believed that in certain industries, as many as 10% of workers develop o…

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20 Blog Posts