Latest Information from The HSE

Posted 20.12.2016

Hospital fined after safety failings led to dementia patient’s death

Norfolk and Suffolk NHS Foundation Trust has been fined £366,000 after the death of a patient on a specialist dementia ward.

Council fined £250,000 for not protecting workers health

Thanet District Council has been fined after a worker was left with permanent injured after being diagnosed with hard arm vibration (HAV).

HSL: Respirable Crystalline Silica (RCS) – Health Surveillance and Exposure Control – Buxton, 17 Jan 2017

This one-day course will deal with background issues, current practice and how things are changing in relation to health surveillance, particularly in light of the new HSE guidance. It will also provide information about controlling RCS exposures in the workplace.

RR1087 – Market surveillance of FFP3 disposable respirators’

Filtering Facepieces (FFPs) are disposable Respiratory Protective Equipment (RPE) for protection against dusts, particles and aerosols. This report describes market surveillance testing of samples of ten FFP3 respirator models from ten different manufacturers that are available on the UK market.

RR1086 – Noise risk as described in instructions supplied with printing machinery

The printing industry uses a wide range of noisy machines that have the potential to damage workers’ hearing if the risks are not effectively managed. This report describes research that was carried out to assess the adequacy of the noise emission information provided in a sample of fifteen instruction manuals supplied by manufacturers of printing machinery.

Updated 22.12.2016

HSE SECTOR PLAN FOR HEALTH AND SAFETY IN CONSTRUCTION

HSE has recently published its draft Health and Work strategy and Sector plans.

The construction sector plan details what HSE are doing to help Great Britain work well. It covers health and safety performance, the top three strategic priorities for the next three to five years and actions we propose to take.

Our top 3 priorities are

To help make further improvements, we will be starting a discussion early in the New Year with the wider health and safety community before publishing later in 2017.

Find out more by joining the conversation

2. RECENT ENFORCEMENT ACTIVITY

HSE prosecution announcement 07/12/16

 HSE informed BAM Nuttall Limited, Ferrovial Agroman (UK) Ltd, and Keir Infrastructure and Overseas Ltd that they will be prosecuted in relation to three incidents that took place during the construction of the new Crossrail railway tunnel construction, which runs east to west across London.

 Excavations

09/12/16: Construction companies fined after failing to carry out basement excavation work safely

19/12/16: Trio of firms fined £2million after worker’s leg is broken in trench collapse 

Further information

Construction Safety Topic – Structural stability during excavations

Busy Builder leaflet – Excavation: What you need to know as a busy builder

Busy Builder leaflet – Basement construction: What you need to know as a busy builder

 Mobile Plant and machinery

24/11/16: Man riding basket and worker crash five metres to the ground

09/12/16: Employee Seriously Injured after Fork Lift Truck Overturns 

Further information

Construction Safety Topic – Telescopic handlers

Construction Safety Topic – Mobile elevating work platforms (MEWPS) 

 

Roofwork/Working at height

08/12/16: Company and Director fined after Multiple Safety Failings on Construction Site

13/12/16: Builder prosecuted for worker’s fall

12/12/16: Prosecution of local roofing specialist company and its directors over unsafe roof work

19/12/16: Employee prosecuted for dangerous work at height

16/12/16: Air conditioning maintenance company in court over workers fall

Further information

Construction Safety Topic – Assessing all work at height

Construction Safety Topic – Working at height

Free leaflet – Fragile roofs

Busy Builder leaflet –Fragile roofs: What you need to know as a busy builder, contractor or maintenance worker

Busy Builder leaflet – Fragile roofs: What you need to know as a building owner, user or managing agent

Asbestos

25/11/16: Real estate company fined for safety failings

Further information

Asbestos health and safety 

Struck by

01/12/16: Worker suffers facial injury from crowbar

Further information

Busy Builder leaflet- Construction Phase Plan (CDM 2015)

 Gas safety

15/12/16: Building company fined for putting childminder and children at risk

Further information

Domestic gas health and safety

3. NEWS & PUBLICATIONS

HSL eBulletin – Exposure Assessment and Control

4. HEALTH AND SAFETY EVENTS

WWT events

Improve the health and safety of your business by attending a health and safety event near you. Most of the Working Well Together (WWT) events we list are FREE and all provide an opportunity to meet like-minded people, see interesting new equipment and get confidential advice.

 27 January 2017 – CDM Q&A with HSE Construction Inspectors, Leeds

 Other events

The Stress Summit 2017

Improving worker health, wellbeing and business performance through a preventative approach to stress

Hosted by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE), The Stress Summit brings together keynote speakers and industry leading lights to show how an organisational approach to preventing known stressors in the working environment can deliver tangible benefits.

Attendees will learn how to successfully implement HSE’s Management Standards, to prevent stress and to tackle current problems, helping to improve the physical and mental health of employees and reduce sickness absence.

In 2015/16 stress, anxiety and depression resulted in 11.7 million working days lost at an estimated social and economic cost of £5.2 billion. Not only is work related stress damaging to health and wellbeing, it can impact productivity, competitiveness and profitability.

Earlybird prices available until 6 January 2017

Visit the HSE website to find many more national events, conferences and HSL training.