Lawford Kidd's Blog

A new initiative from NHS England aims to combat skin cancer caused by sun exposure among men who work outdoors.

A recent survey has revealed that the main causes of major injuries to workers in the UK food industry are slips and trips, manual handling and falls from height.

According to the study by the Institution of Occupational Safety and Health’s Food and Drink Group (IOSH), there were 125 major injuries and 584 over-three-day injuries across 30 companies in 2013/14.

Around half of the major injuries were as a result of slips, trips or falls on the same level, while one in five major injuries were also as a consequence of either manual handling or falls from height.

An amended Government plan to deregulate areas of health and safety remains “unnecessary, unhelpful and unwise”, the Institution of Occupational Safety and Health (IOSH) has said.

Clause 1 of the Government’s Deregulation Bill will amend the Health and Safety at Work etc Act 1974 to exempt certain self-employed from general health and safety duties.

IOSH and a wide-range of other stakeholders have said the clause could lead to confusion, lower standards and increase the risk of injury and illness at work.

The Irish Injuries Board has recently released an analysis of 2013 workplace claims, which reveals that it awarded compensation of €24 million in respect of 826 claims for workplace accidents in 2013, compared to €22 million compensation for 807 awards in 2012.

The average award for a workplace accident last year also increased from €27,286 in 2012 to €28,886 in 2013.

The highest award for a workplace accident last year was €432,000, a substantial increase on the previous year’s figure of €332,143.

The Institution of Occupational Safety and Health (IOSH) has expressed its disappointment after the House of Lords voted in favour of Government plans to deregulate areas of health and safety.

Clause 1 of the Government’s Deregulation Bill, which is currently making its way through Parliament, contains plans to make certain self-employed workers exempt from health and safety law.

IOSH opposes the clause and has raised concern that exemption could lead to confusion, lower standards and increase the risk of injury and illness at work. Other bodies have also raised similar concerns.