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Health and Safety News

Occupational health and safety news and guidance

Blog posts : "Guidance"

Health and safety in the office; what are you missing?

Photo shows people working in an officeThe emphasis on health & safety is now such an important aspect of our society. Governments, companies and local services all place our safety as one of their top priorities. But when it comes to safety in the work place it’s down to the employer and the health & safety trained to keep the work plac…

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Manual handling at work; when you probably shouldn't lift

Photo shows a close view of someone carrying a boxAt one time, what you could and couldn’t lift whilst operating in a workplace environment was down to what you could physically manage.

People love the phrase ‘can-do attitude’, but thankfully that doesn’t apply anymore when it comes to manual handling.

Whilst there are no legal limits…

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The benefits of online first aid training

Photo shows a man using a laptop at homeWhile children will all receive first aid training at school, it is important that adults are also first aid trained. Whether you have never received any training at all, or your existent knowledge is out of date, bridging that skills gap has become easier than ever with online e-learning courses. T…

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What you need to know about fire safety in the workplace

Photo shows firefighters tackling a fireFire 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 …

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A guide to racking safety

Photo shows racking in a warehouseRacking safety should never be overlooked. And yet, because racking is something which is used everyday, it is easy for businesses to get complacent. This is something that happens to SMEs and multinationals alike. So whether you’re a startup entering distribution for the first time, or a warehousin…

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What you need to know about portable appliance testing (PAT)

Image shows the plug of a portable appliance near an electrical socketUnder the Electricity at Work Regulations 1989, dutyholders (employers and self-employed people) are legally required to ensure that electronics with the potential to cause injury are maintained in a safe condition, so far as is reasonably practicable. Dutyholders are jointly responsible for equipme…

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Workplace fitness

Photo shows office workers using the stairsFor many modern professionals, there’s a frustrating irony to their hard work--their fast- paced, high energy jobs actually prevent them from being active and healthy. While one might think high stress would equal high energy output--and thus, a fine-tuned physique--the World Health Organization s…

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Is your business doing its bit to protect the environment?

Photo shows lots of paper around a waste paper binThe role, and education of, environmental protection is something that shouldn’t be limited to schools, science labs, or left solely down to the general public. According to the UN, the world's 3,000 biggest firms cause around $2.2 trillion worth of environmental damage - when you consider that th…

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Éliminer les brûlures sur le lieu de travail

Photo shows a man sampling liquidThis article is also available in English.

Les brûlures sont souvent négligées comme lésion liée au travail, mais elles se produisent par milliers chaque année et dans plusieurs domaines professionnels. Alors que les brûlures sont moins fréquentes que les blessures par glissement et par chutes ou…

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Using technology to create a sustainable business environment

Photo shows a group of office workers looking at a computerCreating 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…

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Eliminate burns in the workplace

Photo shows a chef in a hot kitchenBurns are often overlooked as a workplace-related injury, but occur by the thousands each year and in several occupational fields. While burn injuries are less common than slip and fall injuries or sprains and strains, according to a study conducted by the Occupational Safety and Health Administrati…

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Be CO safe at work

picture shows how to identify a problem with a gas flameToxic to humans, carbon monoxide (or CO) is an extremely poisonous gas caused by unsafe gas appliances. Dubbed the ‘Silent Killer’ as it’s colourless, tasteless and odourless, it has claimed the lives of many thousands of people. In fact, it is estimated that around 50 people die each year from …

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Major Workplace Disasters

Research indicates that since the Introduction of the Health and Safety at Work Act in 1974, fatal injuries to employees have fallen by 87%, and reported non-fatal injuries have fallen by 77%.

However, recent figure provide evidence that 153 workers have a work-related accident every 53 seconds i…

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What you need to know about the new 2015 health and safety legislation

Photo shows a representation of JusticeIt was back in 2011 when the UK government commissioned a review of health and safety legislation by Professor Löftstedt. Despite the fact that Professor Löftstedt concluded no real modifications were required, the government tasked the Health and Safety Executive Executive (HSE) with evaluating and…

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Fire Safety: Foam Vs. Dry Powder Fire Extinguishers

Click for full size image of the fire extinguisher colour codeA fire extinguisher is one of the most important pieces of fire safety equipment you can have in your car, home, or place of work. What is vital to know is that different extinguishers work on different types of fires. 

Unfortunately, all fire extinguishers are red, making it difficult to decip…

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Safety at Height: Ladders Vs. Scaffold Towers

Photo shows a woman using a ladder incorrectly for DIYIn the UK every single year there are accidents related to falling from height that could and should have been avoided. In total, between 2013 and 2014 there were nearly 3,000 incidents where employees were injured from falls from height. Of that figure, 39 people died; that’s 39 people whose lives …

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Training in first aid – how companies can make their work environment safer

Photo shows a first aid kitIt’s a sad fact that accidents, injuries, and illnesses can take place in the workplace. For this reason, many countries have adopted a law ensuring that workers have access to a well-stocked first aid kit and facilities alongside an actual response system that provides an established proced…

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Musculoskeletal Disorders - 5 ways an employer can cut down on absences

Photo shows a man with back painMusculoskeletal disorders (MSDs) were responsible for the loss of more than 8,000,000 UK working days in 2013/14. So how could employers improve to get some of these days back in the future?

These statistics were published by the Office for National Statistics, who also revealed that more…

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6 key requirements of an on-line health and safety management system

Photo shows a woman using a computerAre you looking to make managing your business's health & safety compliance an easier, more efficient process? Maybe you're a risk assessor who is looking to the benefits of an electronic system? We all know technology can revolutionise so why shouldn't the legal compliance industry benefit from the…

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Are you paying the price for not looking after your employees?

Businesses owners can see just how costly a health and safety lapse could be thanks to a brand new infographic by the Occupational Safety & Health Consultants Register (OSHCR).

‘Health & Safety at Work: The Cost of Doing Nothing’ shows that the cost of a qualified health and safety consultant is no…

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20 Blog Posts