| Welcome to the August 2007 edition of the Mesh Consultants Safety Matters email newsletter.
This newsletter is available on free subscription only and is our way of keeping you informed about developments in Health and Safety. To review or amend your subscription details, please see the notes at the end.
In this issue:
The number of employees killed at work has leapt by 11 per cent in past year, Health and Safety Commission (HSC) figures show
Unions have branded the omission of explicit legal duties and penalties for company directors in the new corporate killing legislation as being a major flaw
EEF urges employers to step up Health & Safety measures
Firms told not to 'overcomplicate' Health and Safety
Scientists have raised concerns that laser printers are causing a health and safety threat to office workers
An RAF typist has been awarded more than £480,000 compensation after injuring her wrist
New research by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) aims to reduce the number of falls from workplace transport vehicles
HSE identifies that falls and trips in construction are no laughing matter
Survey identifies bosses don’t have time for Health and Safety
Two bosses sentenced to prison terms
B&Q ordered to pay £230,000 for poor transport management
Update on open training NEBOSH, IOSH and Fire courses offered by MESH and Mesh-4-Safety
Are your company's safety systems up to scratch or are you risking prosecution? At MESH we have extensive experience of helping companies to improve their health and safety and in many cases improve their competitiveness.
The number of employees killed at work has leapt by 11 per cent in past year, Health and Safety Commission (HSC) figures show
HSC chairman Bill Callaghan said that the loss of 241 lives over the last 12 months was unacceptable and issued a fresh challenge to industry to place safety at the top of its agenda.
"It is disappointing to see that the overall number of deaths has risen," he said. "We have worked hard with industry and trade unions over the past few years to bring the number down. Behind every one of these numbers was a man or a woman, with a life, friends and family," Mr Callaghan said.
"Despite all the negative stories written and told about over-bureaucracy and banning 'fun', in reality trying to stop the tragedies we are talking about today is what health and safety is all about," he added.
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Unions have branded the omission of explicit legal duties and penalties for company directors in the new corporate killing legislation as being a major flaw
The Corporate Manslaughter Bill was passed this month and is due to enter into force next April. However, a number of unions have criticised the bill for not going far enough. The concern is that individual directors and employers may still be able to evade prosecution for their negligence which results in serious injuries and deaths.
The unions are united in the call for pressing the Government for individual duties for directors found guilty of serious breaches of health and safety to be included. Their concern is that all the evidence shows that this is a key determinant in companies making improvements to their health and safety provisions.
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EEF urges employers to step up Health & Safety measures
Too many companies fail to realise that they need to adopt a systematic approach to risk management and remain unaware of the damage caused to staff morale and attendance by poor health and safety practices, according to the Engineering Employers' Federation (EEF).
Responding to the recent publication of Health and Safety Executive figures that showed an upturn in the number of workplace fatalities in the UK, the employers' body warned employers against "resting on their laurels".
"The number of deaths at work remains unacceptable and, whilst there were fewer deaths in manufacturing, the fact the overall number has increased shows that employers need to redouble their efforts," commented EEF director general Martin Temple.
The EEF point out that there is a wealth of evidence which shows that investment in good health and safety practice is good business sense.
Is your company investing in health and safety or this an area where you need help? Please take a look at some of the companies that MESH has assisted to improve their health and safety.
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Firms told not to 'overcomplicate' health and safety
Speaking at an event that announced a number of Government better regulation initiatives, HSC chairman, Sir Bill Callaghan, said: "What has come to be known as 'elfandsafety' can be a frustrating business. In part it's frustrating because so many of the stories you hear are based on misinterpretations of the law, or the misguided actions of a few individuals. In reality, much health and safety law is flexible, but it can be intimidating if you are not sure what is required."
He continued: "We are saying you don't need to overcomplicate things, keep your risk assessment fit for purpose, make it a living document and act on it. Risk assessment should be about what practical steps you need to take to protect people, not paperwork for its own sake."
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Scientists have raised concerns that laser printers are causing a health and safety threat to office workers
According to Australian scientists the printers release ultra-fine particles that can penetrate deep into the lungs where they can pose a significant health threat.
The study identifies the health effects from inhaling ultra-fine particles depend on particle composition, but that the results can range from respiratory irritation to more severe illnesses such as cardiovascular problems or cancer.
The study, to be published this week in the American Chemical Society's journal 'Environmental Science and Technology', identifies brands and models that give off the highest emissions and calls for some of them to be accompanied by health warnings.
Employers are advised to ensure that printers are based in ventilated areas because, in offices with poor ventilation, higher concentrations of particles could "prevail for the whole day, posing health risks that were quite high for workers who sit in an office like this for days or months".
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An RAF typist has been awarded more than £480,000 compensation after injuring her wrist
The unnamed employee, who is in her twenties, sustained the repetitive strain injury while inputting data. The size of the award reflects the likelihood that the injury has impaired the woman's ability to return to employment.
A spokesman for the Ministry of Defence said: "Medical experts agreed that the claimant would be unlikely to return to part or full-time work as the condition had become permanent. The £484,000 is made up of compensation and legal costs."
A recent study by the Health and Safety Executive found that over half a million UK workers suffer upper neck and limb disorders.
Has your company carried out work station assessments as required by the Display Screen Equipment Regulations? Or could you be caught out by an employee claim? MESH has extensive experience of undertaking both DSE assessments and training for companies to enable them to fulfil their legal obligations.
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New research by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) aims to reduce the number of falls from workplace transport vehicles
The objectives of the study were to identify trends in RIDDOR data regarding falls from vehicles, provide recommendations to reduce the number of incidents and highlight areas where intervention may be most effective.
The main findings include:
- The most commonly identified shortcoming was a lack of adequate risk assessment;
- Large goods vehicles and fork lift trucks were the vehicles most commonly involved in fatal and major incidents;
- The most common activities being conducted at the time of the incidents were loading or unloading;
- 15 per cent of falls occurred during cleaning and maintenance activities.
The report makes a number of suggestions for improvements, which the HSE believes will contribute to reducing the number of falls from vehicles. These include better training and education for duty holders and employees, improvements to vehicles and cultural changes in the transport and haulage industry.
Copies of the report are available from: www.hse.gov.uk/research/hsl_pdf/2007/hsl0739.pdf .
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HSE identifies that falls and trips in construction are no laughing matter
The latest HSE injury statistics show that 40% of all worker deaths in construction are caused by a fall from height. In addition, hundreds of major injuries have involved a fall from below head height or tripping over materials on walkways.
In a bid to reduce the number of deaths and injuries caused by falls and trips, the HSE conducted targeted inspections of construction sites during July. During the visits inspectors provided advice and took robust enforcement action where there was a serious failure to comply and control the risk to those working on site.
HSE inspectors focused on making sure the correct precautions were taken during work at low and high heights to prevent the risk of a fall. They also checked that sites were kept in good order.
Employers are advised that they must ensure that workers are competent and have access to the right equipment. They must also implement sensible measures like keeping walkways on site clear in order to see an improvement in site safety.
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Survey identifies bosses don’t have time for Health and Safety
The survey of 2000 employers was undertaken across various industries by the Peninsula consultancy group. Worryingly, 77 per cent of those surveyed claimed not to have the time to concentrate on health and safety legislation as they are too busy.
They also identified that even if they had the time, that the legislation is too complex and difficult to keep up with. This shows that the bosses are putting themselves and their companies at risk; as failure to comply with the regulations often has costly implications.
Are you one of these bosses? Why not leave the burden to the experts at MESH? Take a look at some of the diverse organisations that we have assisted to develop robust and simple to use health and safety systems.
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Two bosses sentenced to prison terms
An area manager and managing director pleaded guilty to manslaughter charges following the death of a worker at the company premises. The MD was sentenced to 12 months in prison and the manager to 9 months. The company was fined £75,000 and ordered to pay costs of £89,000.
The death occurred at the Concrete Company in Norfolk when the worker became trapped in a slew conveyor that he was trying to clear whilst the belt was still running. The conveyor had no guarding, nor was there an emergency stop in easy reach.
An investigation into the death identified that across the companies 13 sites that safety systems were almost non-existent. The HSE subsequently issued 15 enforcement and prohibition notices.
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B&Q ordered to pay £230,000 for poor transport management
Following a number of health and safety failures involving workplace transport at a store in Leicester, DIY giant B&Q plc has been ordered to pay £230,000 in fines and costs.
In one of the failures an employee acting as a banksman was forced to jump out of the way of a customer’s vehicle; in doing so he was struck by a fork lift truck (FLT) operated by a B&Q driver. The employee suffered severe foot injuries leading to months off of work.
An investigation by an environmental health officer revealed that there was little organisation of safe traffic routes in the stores car park and that the use of the FLT in the car park was unsafe. It was found that training for staff on site was inadequate and that no specific risk assessment for traffic management had been undertaken, nor were staff wearing high viz clothing.
B&Q has since recognised the need to consider local conditions as part of risk assessments and not rely upon generic assessments that are not suitable and sufficient for the store.
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Training Update - Aug 2007
IOSH Managing Safely in Sep & Dec 2007
Our sister company Mesh-4-Safety Ltd has joined forces with Develop-U to bring you IOSH accredited courses in the South East, and with the first IOSH Managing Safely 4-day course successfully completed in June this year, two more are being planned before the end of the year: in September (18th-21st) and December (11th-14th).
For more information visit the IOSH web page.
NEBOSH General Certificate in November 2007!
With a proud passing record currently standing at 91%, Mesh-4-Safety welcomes further bookings for the November running of the NEBOSH General Certificate (Dates: Nov: 6th-8th, 13th-15th, 20th-22nd, 27th-29th, Exam: 7th Dec)
For more information visit the NEBOSH web page.
Fire Safety Awareness 1/2 day workshops: No more excuses!
The new legislation has now been implemented for a while now and if your staff have not been made "Fire Safety" aware, this workshop has become an absolute priority in your bid to remain compliant, avoid unnecessary fines, and most importantly keep your workforce safe & healthy!
For more information visit the Fire Safety web page.
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