Occupational health and wellbeing “wake-up call” needed
The Institution of Occupational Safety and Health (IOSH) has urged politicians to put greater emphasis on good occupational health and wellbeing. Tragically, 148 people were killed in Britain last year, while more than 12,000 died from diseases caused by what they have done for a living. These statistics are too high and the Government and employers […]
HSE prosecutes firm for insurance failure
A Sunderland firm has been fined for failing to hold statutory insurance that enables employees to claim compensation should they be injured at work. Section 1 of the Employers’ Liability (Compulsory Insurance) Act 1969 requires that employers carry insurance against the personal injury of their employees. As well as being insured, employers must make available details […]
TUC publishes safety manifesto
Regular safety inspections, a maximum temperature in the workplace and far greater control of carcinogens are just some of the improvements that the TUC is calling for in its new ten point safety manifesto. The report, Time for change, features ten key recommendations which the TUC believes, if implemented by a future government, could help […]
Edinburgh food firm fined after worker injured
An Edinburgh food firm has been fined after a worker seriously injured his hand on an unguarded dough mixer. Edinburgh Sheriff Court heard that Joseph Burnett had been employed as a factory assistant for almost four months and helped to sort ingredients, make Chinese dumplings to order and package products. On the day of the incident he […]
Equipment supplier fined after worker’s hand severed
A worker from County Durham had his hand severed while carrying out maintenance on glass cutting machinery a court heard. The 34-year-old maintenance technician was investigating a fault on a new tilt table with a colleague. He was on his hands and knees while trying to ascertain the cause of the fault and had activated […]
Workers’ Memorial Day
On Saturday 28th April, unions and safety campaigners around the world will be marking Workers’ Memorial Day and remembering the two million men and women who die every year as a result of work-related accidents and diseases. In the UK over 20,000 people die prematurely every year as a result of injuries or accidents caused […]
Call centre workers suffer
One in four call centre agents suffer voice problems because managers are failing to properly protect their health, a health and safety body has said. A new study, commissioned by the Institution of Occupational Safety and Health (IOSH) found that call handlers had suffered one or more of a range of ill-effects because of their […]
Fresh warning after 15 Scottish workers killed
Fifteen people lost their lives while at work in Scotland last year and 2,645 suffered a major injury, according to the latest statistics. The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) has issued a fresh warning about workplace safety after the number of deaths rose across Great Britain in 2010/11. It is urging employers to make the […]
Changes to HSE incident reporting
New incident reporting arrangements introduced by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) have come into operation with effect from Monday 12th September. Only fatal and major injuries and incidents will be able to be reported by phone to the HSE, with all other work-related injuries and incidents reportable under RIDDOR (the Reporting of Injuries, Diseases […]
Prosecutions over asbestos exposure
A Norfolk company and a contractor from Manchester have been fined after failing to manage asbestos removal work at a renovation site in Great Yarmouth. Mohammed Zahid was employed in May 2009 by Azam Bros Ltd of Hunstanton to clear damage caused by a fire at two commercial units they owned. Complaints were received by […]
