Welcome to the December 2011 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 …
[0 comments] Read and discussConstruction failures cost £84,000
An accident whilst building the Arsenal football stadium resulted in three companies (the principal contractor and two sub-contractors) being prosecuted. The accident involved a man having his leg run over by a dumper truck on the site which resulted in the leg being amputated above the knee. The HSE investigation found …
[0 comments] Read and discussIs Health and Safety a barrier to business?
The results of the “Löfstedt Report” along with the Government Responses have now been published and the aim of reducing the health and safety burden on businesses is at the forefront of this report. Some key recommendations include: Reducing the number of regulations – which we feel in principle can only be …
[0 comments] Read and discussAre QR codes useful in Health & Safety?
We recently followed a blog that identified some potentially novel uses for QR codes including using them to provide access to information. The blog discussed the use of QR codes as signs containing information for engineers, and this does seem to have some benefits. We started to think along these lines …
[0 comments] Read and discussCOSHH is not understood in most business
We have spent years looking at hazardous substances and the health & safety risks for businesses across the UK; whether for COSHH or under DSEAR and Fire risks. In most instances we have found a general lack of understanding of what could go wrong and how people can be harmed …
[0 comments] Read and discussWhy you need to set and publish health and safety goals
Most businesses we come across don`t set health and safety goals and subsequently tend to have little direction when it comes to making improvements in their business. Those that do generally focus on areas such as reducing accidents and struggle to understand the benefits of setting more proactive and focussed …
[0 comments] Read and discussWhere are DSEAR assessments needed and can they be done in-house?
Firstly to clarify, DSEAR stands for the Dangerous Substances and Explosive Atmospheres Regulations 2002. The regulations are in place because dangerous substances can put peoples' safety at risk from fire and explosion. What DSEAR does is to require businesses to assess the risks from fires, explosions and similar events and to …
[0 comments] Read and discussIs Health & Safety a help or a hindrance?
This is a question we believe all businesses should ask their staff and management in order to determine what type of “safety culture” the business truly has. It’s often the case that how the business would like to see itself is not properly understood by those working inside the business. If …
[0 comments] Read and discussIs your business Fire safe? – Fire Service identifies 90% SMEs are not.
We recently attended a branch meeting of IOSH where two representatives from the Fire Service delivered a presentation. One key aspect that stood out to us was the fact that they believed 90% of SMEs are not meeting all of the requirements of the RRFSO 2005. The Fire Service is …
[0 comments] Read and discussHow to keep the HSE away from your door
With its resources under pressure the HSE has had to prioritise their activities. Many businesses are much less likely to receive a proactive inspection. But does this mean that your business can just sit back and relax your health & safety focus? We know that some companies will take this approach, …
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