Menu

Health and Safety News

Occupational health and safety news and guidance

Blog posts : "risk assessment"

Common mistakes in risk assessment

In this comprehensive video, we delve deep into the critical aspects of workplace risk assessments. Discover the most common mistakes that can compromise employee safety and the overall effectiveness of assessments. From incomplete hazard identification to overlooking human factors, we explore each …

Read more

Effective risk assessments

From the moment you wake up, risk assessment is woven into your daily routine—evaluating hazards and applying controls to ensure safety. Embracing this mindset in the workplace is crucial, yet the notion of workplace risk assessment can be daunting. Fear not, as this video is your comprehensive reso…

Read more

4 key skills needed to be a health and safety professional

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…

Read more

Proper safety tips when working with chemicals

chemical safety tips infographic

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…

Read more

Health and safety in the pharmacy


 

4 essential safety tips for operating a cherry picker

Photo shows a worker using a cherry picker to work at heightCherry 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…

Read more

Dos and don’ts for working at height

Photo shows a painter standing on a stepladderWorkplace 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…

Read more

How to ensure your staff wear safety gear

Photo shows people wearing personal protective equipmentIn 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…

Read more

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.

Photo shows a cargo ship transporting goodsTo give an example, imagine a supplier changing the weights of their products, to make them bigger in order to t…

Read more

Glazing company fined £36,000 for dangerous work at height

Photo shows the dangerous work at heightIdeal 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…

Read more

Health and safety hazards on a farm

Photo shows cows in a fieldFarming 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…

Read more

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…

Read more

Leicestershire construction firm fined after sacks of rubble thrown from building window

Photo shows works working at height and a large bag of rubbleJ 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…

Read more

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 …

Read more

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 …

Read more

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…

Read more

Two companies fined after worker loses left leg

Photo shows the metal frame which caused Vincent Suttons injuriesA 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…

Read more

Suspended sentences for subcontractors after worker fatally crushed

Photo shows William Ward who was killed in the incidentTwo 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 …

Read more

Setting up a health & safety procedure in a new business

Photo shows a man in a business suit about to hurdleHealth 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 …

Read more

20 Blog Posts