Lawford Kidd's Blog

The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) has launched a consultation on changes to the content of an Asbestos-related Approved Code of Practice (ACOP) that will consolidate two existing documents.

Following an initial consultation in June 2012, it was agreed by the HSE Board that a number of ACOPs would be revised, consolidated or withdrawn in line with the recommendation by Professor Ragnar Löfstedt in his report 'Reclaiming health and safety for all'.

For the ACOPs dealing with the Control of Asbestos Regulations 2012 (CAR 2012), L127 (The management of asbestos in non-domestic premises) and L143 (Work with materials containing asbestos), the proposal to consolidate the two ACOPs into a single revised ACOP (L143) was approved.

There was a slight increase in the number of workers killed in Scotland last year, despite an overall fall across Great Britain, according to new provisional statistics from the Health and Safety Executive (HSE).

Great Britain as a whole saw 148 workers fatally injured between April 2012 and March 2013, compared with 172 in the previous year, says the HSE. This means that the overall rate of fatal injury has dropped to 0.5 per 100,000 workers, below the five-year average of 0.6.

In Scotland, however, 22 fatal injuries were recorded – a rate of 0.9 deaths per 100,000 workers – and while this matches the average of 22 deaths in the past five years it is an increase from the 19 deaths recorded in 2011/12.

There has been a worrying rise in the number of motorcycle and pedal cycle casualties and also pedestrian and pedal cycle fatalities on Scotland’s roads, according to the latest figures released by Transport Scotland.

The Key Reported Road Casualties Scotland 2012 statistics give provisional indications on the number of road injury accidents and casualties that were reported to the police throughout the year.

Overall fall in road casualty figures

A Wellingborough firm has been fined for safety breaches after a worker’s hand was crushed in an unguarded laminating machine.

Michael Taylor suffered serious injuries when his right hand and forearm were drawn into gluing rollers of the machine. Mr Taylor has had four operations and extensive physiotherapy but it is unlikely he will ever regain full movement in his hand.

The court heard that the company, which uses recycled paper to make pallets, failed to ensure a honeycomb laminating machine was guarded and that staff were adequately trained and supervised in order to use it safely.

The Scottish Government is to donate £100,000 to the Pound for Piper Memorial Trust to help maintain a memorial garden to the victims of the Piper Alpha disaster.

The funding was announced as the Scottish Government unveiled plans to mark the 25th anniversary of the disaster.

The donation will be made from money seized under proceeds of crime legislation, which is used to support worthwhile causes all across Scotland.