H&S News February 2008

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East End Foods plc fined £25,000 and costs of £28,000.  50kg sacks of rice were being routinely being manually offloaded from containers without the aid of any mechanical aids, one employee was injured when a sack fell onto the back of his neck.  No suitable and sufficient RA for task.

A new resource and poster designed to help safety reps prepare for International RSI Day (held on the last day of February annually) has been put together by the Hazards Campaign.

Inadequate training in basic firefighting skills has resulted in a sharp increase in fatalities according to a major firefighters' union.  Seven firefighters have perished in eleven months, and during the period 1997 to 2006 ten died, six of them during the last three years of that period.

An investigation is underway into a massive oil refinery fire that is believed to have started after a leak of petroleum gas.  Although nobody was hurt in the incident, it took ten fire appliances and seven special units to put out the blaze at the Petroplus Coryton Refinery.

Work has begun on the first dedicated High Occupancy Vehicle (HOV) lane on a UK motorway.  It will allow cars with two or more people in them, coaches, buses and motorcyclists to bypass traffic at the busy Chain Bar junction.

One in four people will personally experience a mental condition in their life, but more than half are too embarrassed to tell their employer.  How can businesses support staff with mental illness in the workplace?

The jailing of a Polish sea captain after his ship hit and unmanned gas platform sends a clear message to the maritime industry to keep a safe distance from offshore installations, say the HSE.  Zbigniew Krakowski was jailed for 12 months after his ship crashed into the platform 40 miles north-east of Cromer, Norfolk.

Managers in charge of H&S in catering and hospitals will be interested in three special events taking place between January and March.  The events will provide more detailed information on preventing slips and dermatitis, provoke discussion on preventing accidents and ill health and explore the factors that inhibit change.

A new compilation of child-safety films are ideal for teachers and pupils in first schools, parents, farmers and construction companies wishing to highlight specific dangers to youngsters when carrying out work near to schools.

The TUC's best-selling guide to H&S at work has been updated to include rewritten chapters on smoking and asbestos, and updates on relevant statutes, including the Corporate Manslaughter Act.

A discovery that we have much to learn about how nanoparticles may affect our health.  (Nick Cook)

Another DWP Select Committee is to look into the work of the HSC and E, just over three years since the last review.

More than 50 MPs have pledged their support for regulation of the H&S Profession, following concerns raised by IOSH over standards of H&S advice.

According to the Office of National Statistics, men aged 25-64 working "routine" jobs such as bus drivers or refuse collectors, have a death rate 2.8 times higher than that of men working as employers or managers.

Small businesses are to get help dealing with the "sicknote culture" among employees suffering from stress and mental ill health in the form of an £8 million advice and support service from the Government.  The service will be part of the national strategy for health and work.

Following a slow but steady ten-year decline in people working more than 48 hours a week, the number of people who are working long hours is on the rise again.  More than one in eight of the workforce now works more than 48 hours a week, rising to one in six in the London area.

A reminder to managers that they may have duties as the "responsible person" under the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005.  (Michael Appleby)

A look at logistics, planning and risk management specifically for overseas expeditions in light of a recent standard published by the BSI for visits and fieldwork.  (Andrew Böber)

In light of Government initiatives and strategies to improve worker health, and to fulfil their legal requirements, many employers make use of an expert occup health advisor.  The advantages of employing them, and what is available to employers.  (Susanna Everton)

Although radon is one of the largest sources of exposure to a carcinogen in most workplaces, many employers remain unaware of the potential health risk, or the regulations to control it.  An outline of what employers need to know and do to combat the problem.  (Daryl Dixon and Tracy Gooding)

Most people have heard of Legionnaires' disease, but measures to reduce the likelihood of outbreaks are less well known.  With a growing number of samples testing positive for legionella bacteria, a call for a halt to the rise in outbreaks.  (Kevin Woolnough)

Martin Griffiths fined a total of £6,000 and costs of £4,478 under GSIUR 1998.  Mr Griffiths fitted a boiler by himself at a flat he owned, despite not being accredited to carry out work on gas appliances.  The tenant noticed there was a gas leak and reported it to Transco, who made it safe.

Rhondda Cynon Taf Borough Council fined £60,000 and costs of £22,675 under HASAWA 1974 s3 and PUWER 1998.  Mr Adam Morris, who had cerebral palsy, was put in a bed fitted with bedrails that were not properly maintained or adjusted.  He was injured when his head became trapped in the gap between the headboard and the bedrail, resulting in asphyxiation and severe brain damage.  He subsequently died.

HSE has launched the second stage in the competition to run a new gas installer registration scheme, set to bring added value to gas consumer safety and benefits to gas installers across the country.

Severn Trent Water Ltd fined £19,750 and costs of £6,730.  Dennis Hawksworth was trying to unblock a machine used for removing debris from sludge when his left hand became trapped in the machinery.  The interlock on the machine's lid was damaged, leaving dangerous parts in the machine unguarded.

HSE has published the results of the Government's consultation on revised policies to address societal risk around hazard installations.  Societal risk is the chance of a number of people being harmed by a single incident, as apposed to individual risk.

Top tips have been given to some of those "in the trade" on how to safely move beer barrels at a "Better Backs" campaign.

A Better Backs seminar has been held by Copeland Borough Council in partnership with HSE as part of the national campaign to tackle back pain and upper limb disorders at work.

Stephen James Badcock, trading as SJB Demolition & Groundworks, fined £12,500 and costs of £12,500.  Demolition at a two-storey former garage began whilst three workers were still within the ground floor section.  One worker, alarmed at the rubble coming down the internal stairwell, ran out the front and was hit by the collapsing front façade wall.

Powys CC has signed up to the HSE's campaign to combat the growing number of myths that are undermining H&S legislation.  They publicly signed up to "ten principles of sensible risk management" which gives organisation practical advice on what risk management should - and should not be about.

Fined £35,000 under HASAWA 1974 s2.  This case did result from the investigation of a fatality.  Unsupported trench collapsed.

Fined £2,5000 under HASAWA 1974 s37.  This case did result from the investigation of a fatality.  Unsupported trench collapsed.

Fined £750 under HASAWA 1974 s7.  This case did result from the investigation of a fatality.  Unsupported trench collapsed.

Fined £3,000 under PUWER 1998.  Employee had 4 toes amputated when foot became entangled in an unguarded chain and sprocket drive.

Fined £3,500 under WHR 2005.  Employee fell through fragile roof whilst engaged in roof work on industrial premises.

Fined total of £800 under ALR and CAWR 2002.

Fined £60,000 under HASAWA 1974 s3.  Reversing forklift truck driven in external yard struck person entering the unit by designated walkway.

Fined £140,000 under HASAWA 1974 s2.  Employee suffered serious injury to hand when it became entangled in a revolving shaft and screw whilst he was carrying out routine maintenance work.  Failure to provide system for employees who were expected to work on maintenance of spray booth area.

Fined £4,500 under PUWER 1998, WHR 2005 and MHSWR 1999.  Accident to Michael Norton, an employee.  Double ladder split for 2 employees to lift glazing unit to 3m height.  Documented as faulty a month earlier, and not tied, nor were employees trained on work at height or glazing.

Fined total of £5,000 under MHSWR 1999 and HASAWA 1974 s3.  Patient climbed out of window and sustained fractured ankle falling to the ground.  Failure to ensure H&S of persons not in their employment and to assess the risks of persons falling from openable windows.

Fined £1,500 under HASAWA 1974 s3.  Conducted an examination of an inflatable device intended for public use and issued documentation under ADIP Scheme when exam was neither suitable nor sufficient.  Also issued documentation stating that an electric blower intended for use with the inflatable had been tested and examined when none was.

Fined total of £650 under HASAWA 1974.  This case did result from the investigation of a fatality.  DP died as a result of falling into an unguarded trial hole that had been excavated in a public park.

Easco (Midlands) Limited fined £200,000 and costs of £55,000 under HASAWA 1974 s2.  Ronald Barnacle, who was working as a burner, was killed when he was struck by a reversing skip lorry.  During the period March 2004 and December 2005, there were inadequate precautions in place to segregate pedestrians from vehicles, despite previous warnings from HSE at other sites in the Easco group.

MPs have attacked the respective Chairs of the HSC and HSE for the Executive's failure to meet several important H&S targets this year, and for several worrying rises in work-related ill health and fatality statistics.  They were both grilled by the House of Commons Work and Pensions Select Committee at the end of November.

Scots First Minister, Alex Salmond, has called for control of North Sea oil and gas safety to be granted to Holyrood.

The CBI has expressed "considerable concern" over draft proposals from a sentencing advisory body suggesting companies convicted of the new corporate manslaughter offence be fined by up to 10 per cent of their annual turnover.  The issue is to be discussed further by members of the CBI.

A roofing boss has been jailed for two and a half years for the manslaughter of a contractor in his care who fell through a skylight.  The Court heard that, following the accident, Steven Smith, director of Wrexham Roof Services Ltd, had attempted to cover it up by purchasing a harness and installing it during the aftermath.

RHS fined a total of £15,000 and £15,000 costs.  Thomas Harper, 19, was a part-time employee of the Society when he slipped off the edge of the hoist platform and got stuck underneath, crushing his toes.

Findel Education Ltd fined £13,000 and costs of £22,504.  A mezzanine floor being used as a meeting room, collapsed onto the cabinets of the office below.  The floor was only fixed on one side by six fixings 14mm into the brickwork, the other three sides to the floor were glass partitions.

TK Maxx fined £50,000 and costs of £9,887.  Chris Polles had been instructed that, in the event of a blockage of the compactor, he should climb a stepladder and unblock the machinery with a stick.  While he was doing this, he overbalanced and fell onto a concrete floor below.

Hounslow Homes, which manages Hounslow Council's housing stock, has an enviable safety record - the secrets of its success.  (Tom Mendelsohn)

Britain is in the grip of an ill-health epidemic - we're fatter, lazier and more stressed than ever before, and it's beginning to tell.  Healthier is more productive though, so what can companies do to make a difference?  (Tom Mendelsohn)

The HSE estimates that every year around 7,000 people develop asthma caused or made worse by their work, at a cost to society of up to £1.1 billion over a decade.  The causes of the disease and how to prevent it.  (Susan Gordon and Trevor Cattermole)

The lessons about legionella control that employers should take on board from the landmark case.  (Greg Davies)

The Government has announced that it strongly supports an agreement across the EU to a set of standards that will enable fire-safe cigarettes to be manufactured.  Dropped or poorly extinguished cigarettes are a major cause of accidental fires but fire-safe cigarettes, with their reduced or lower-ignition propensity, go out under the same conditions.

Nightway Ltd has been fined £41,000 for 12 fire safety offences, including wedged open fire doors, no clear escape routes and an exit staircase obstructed by rubbish.

Fire safety in residential apartments - from means of escape to the provision of sprinkler systems.  (Colin Bennett)

Authorities and landlords are uncertain about their responsibilities for enforcing fire safety in residential accommodation.  (Richard Jones and Neil Marsden)

The case for Grade D, LD2 smoke alarm systems, particularly in tenanted properties.  (Neil Perdell)

The need to reduce false alarms in houses of multiple occupancy.  (Peter Holmes and Phil Witts)

Fire safety design issues in custodial properties.  (Terry O'Neill)

A major survey into public attitudes towards high-rise building safety.  (FRM)

The challenges of applying for Firecode and other associated fire safety guidance in healthcare.  (Nigel Hiorns)

A personal view of fire safety risk assessments in healthcare and the knowledge and expertise needed by advisors.  (Steven Brown)

Evaluating and upgrading escape routes within existing buildings is a complex issue which needs careful consideration.  (Paul Harris)

Some of the current and future developments in the field of smoke control.  (Paul Compton)

Indesit fined £19,000 and costs of £20,500 under HASAWA 1974 s2 and MHSWR 1999.  Failure to risk assess activities involved in stacking appliances on top of one another.  No suitable control measures in place.

Motorists who drive using handheld mobile phones could face up to two years in jail following new guidelines on what constitutes "dangerous driving" published by the CPS.

Vijay Kara fined £99,000 under HASAWA 1974 s37 and costs of £150,000.  Pawel Szczotka seriously injured when a flooring plank he was helping to move fell on him whilst he was attempting to free it after it became jammed.  No RA, no method statement, no H&S policies.

One in five European workers could be at increased risk of cancer because they work shifts, an international panel of experts has found.  According to the Inter'l Agency on Cancer, shiftwork that disrupts circadian rhythms - the so-called body-clock - is "probably carcinogenic to humans".

A manager who was signed off sick with stress after being refused flexible working hours is to receive compensation from her employer for discrimination and unfair dismissal.

HSE looks set to receive a clean bill of health from BERR in its audit of the Regulator's work to see how far it conforms to the principles set out in the Government's 2005 Hampton review.

Calendar of new and upcoming legislation.

M&N Fabrications fined £3,000 and costs of £3,621 under PUWER 1998 after employee Anthony Dines had two fingers amputated by a circular saw.  Saw not properly guarded.

Key figures in the health and safety world pick out the issues they believe will keep practitioners busy in 2008.

The first of two articles, discharging your duty to safeguard homeworkers is not so hard.  (Howard Fidderman)

Lifeboats are archetypal pieces of safety equipment - they exist to protect lives.  So why do they also kill and maim dozens of seafarers?

A Shropshire safety manager has built up a lively monthly forum where local businesses share their expertise.  (Louis Wustermann)

Liverpool city's authority has set itself high standards for fleet maintenance and driver training.  (Jocelyn Dorrell)

Simplifying health and safety management for small businesses, outlines of the basics of a management system.  (Paul Reeve)

The most useful websites offering guidance on the new corporate manslaughter offence.  (Bridget Leathley)

A look at whether natural latex gloves really represent a health hazard.  (Chris Packham)

Singing the praises of vacuum lifts.  (Rob Andrews)

In a bid to help the construction industry tackle occup health issues, the HSE has launched its Construction Occup Health Management Essentials (COHME).  The tool will equip all construction companies with practical advice on how to tackle rising occup health issues such as dermatitis, asbestos, respiratory diseases and musculoskeletal disorders.

Dick Thompson and Co (Cumbria) Ltd fined £2,000 and costs of £834 under HASAWA 1974 s2.  An HSE Inspector who visited the firm saw an employee being lifted eight feet into the air on a pallet on a forklift truck to fit a company sign to their own premises.

The latest in a series of agricultural awareness events is taking place at Otley Agricultural College on 14 February.  The free event will feature those issues that cause the majority of injuries including transport, falls from height and manual handling.

Asbestos related disease accounts for over 3,500 deaths each year.  To help tackle the problem, HSE has called its eleventh special leadership summit to ask the asbestos removal industry to make further improvements in reducing ill-health caused by work with asbestos.

Last year over half the workers who died on construction sites were working in refurbishment.  HSE has announced that throughout February it aims to inspect 1,000 refurbishment sites across GB to tackle poor safety standards.  Various topics will be looked at including working at height.

Roofing contractors in the NE are being invited to a free breakfast seminar on 21st February.  Aimed at self employed roofers and small roofing companies, the seminar will cover what the Work at Height Regs require: the standard HSE expects to see during roof work, use of ladders and tower scaffolds, and what HSE Inspectors and H&S awareness officers do.

HSE NW staged two seminars this week at St Helens and Vale Royal.

Rugby Livestock Sales fined £15,000 and costs of £8,000 under HASAWA 1974 s2 and s3.  Andrew Truelove was trampled by a 585 kg heifer that escaped from a penning area.  Inadequate measures taken to prevent livestock from escaping.  As a consequence, employees and others attending the market, nearby pedestrian areas and the adjacent railway station were insufficiently protected.

Pilkington Tiles Ltd fined £18,000 and costs of £7,500 under HASAWA 1974 s2 and PUWER 1998.  Brian Wells caught his fingertip in the running machinery of the conveyor belt he was adjusting when it suddenly started up.

Fined £5,000 under HASAWA 1974 s3.  Whilst moving roof panels at eaves height, employee slipped and fell approx 4.2 metres.

Fined total of £95,000 under HASAWA 1974 s2 and MSHWR 1999.  This case did result from the investigation of a fatality.

Fined £3,200 under CHSWR 1996.  Taking down a wall, incorrectly built, fell against site perimeter fence.  Fence struck school building, pushing window and frame into classroom, class of eight yr olds being taught.

Fined £3,500 under PUWER 1998.  Handbrake on forklift truck not maintained in an efficient state, in efficient working order and in good repair.

Fined £20,000 under HASAWA 1974 s2.  Employee injured whilst dismantling scaffolding on BP site.

Fined £3,500 under GSIUR 1998.

Fined total of £50,000 under HASAWA 1974 s2 and MHSWR 1999.  Injury to employee engaged in disposal of glass.  Fell into skip, struck by large pane of toughened glass which fell on top of him.

Fined £4,000 under PUWER 1998.  IP feeding material through press tool - 100 ton press - and simultaneously operated button with right hand crushing fingers on left hand under press tool.

Fined total of £13,000 under MHSWR 1999, PPEWR 1992 and PUWER 1998.  Following accident investigation whilst operating a 3-roll bending machine.

Fined £70,000 under HASAWA 1974 s3.  Elderly man in special reclining chair with lapbelt left unattended, slipped down chair, lapbelt became trapped around his neck.  Died later in hospital.

HSE has reminded companies to ensure they pay attention to trainees' H&S needs and that they are properly supervised.  The warning comes after three companies and a manager were fined a total of £217,500 with costs of £125,000 for breaching H&S legislation following the death of a 17-year old trainee scaffolder.  Steven Burke died after falling approx 18 metres whilst working to construct a scaffold within a 20-metre high sewage digester tank.

Committees from both Houses of Parliament have questioned the competency of the European Aviation Safety Agency.

Extra support will soon be available to armed forces veterans who developed health problems as a result of their service.

Constructing Better Health - the sector's workplace health scheme - has published the first part of its industry-specific occup health standards.

The Government and Lord Advocate of Scotland have announced the terms of reference of the public inquiry into the Stockline plastics factory explosion.  The inquiry is to be led by Lord Justice Gill QC.

Exposure to known workplace carcinogens could be eliminated in Britain by 2025, experts have claimed, but only with the introduction of better systems of tracking occup exposure to carcinogens.  The claim follows a recent study by Dr John Cherrie and colleagues.  Dr Cherrie said, "I find it odd that, through the Government's set of indicators for UK sustainable development, we know more about the numbers of wild birds in the country than we do about the number of people exposed to carcinogens at work."

The Labour Force Survey may be overestimating the incidence of RSI, a study through the Medical Research Council has shown.

The HSE has decided against scrapping the mandatory requirement for employers either to display an H&S poster or supply their employees with a booklet.  The poster had been mooted as a possible victim of the HSE's latest simplification plan.  Instead the design and content of the poster may be changed significantly.

Of the 410 LAs, 267 did not prosecute for H&S offences in 2006/07, with a further 43 not bothering to tell HSE whether they had taken prosecutions.

HSC has backed HSE proposals to charge employers in the major hazard regimes with the full cost of enforcement.

A look at the latest Government attempt to "improve" health and safety standards in, and expectations of, SMEs and "low-risk" enterprises.  (Howard Fidderman)

The increasing use of "Trojan Horses" on UK construction sites.  (Lucinda Ponting)

A bleak future for pleural plaques victims.  (Karen Humby)

Even though UK employers have yet to use genetic tests at work, campaigners want protection for employees against genetic discrimination.  (Becky Allen)

Bob Morgan, a train driver who was convicted of two counts of manslaughter in 1990 following the Purley rail crash, has had his convictions quashed by the Court of Appeal.  The original conviction had not taken into account the fact that the signal the train had passed at red, was dangerous and had been passed at danger on four previous occasions by different drivers.

Construction union UCATT is calling for an urgent inquiry into a crane collapse on a construction site in Forest Hill, London.  Since 2000, there have been eight deaths, 24 serious injuries and a large number of near misses as a result of accidents involving cranes.

Over the past two years there have been 103 fatal injuries to workers and just under 4,000 major injuries as a result of accidents involving workplace transport in GB.  Latest figures show the number of employees killed in this type of accident rose from 38 in 2005/06 to 50 in 2006/07, the highest rise in deaths in six years.

The jury at an inquest into the death of pensioner Brigid O'Callaghan have returned a verdict of accidental death.  Mrs O'Callaghan died after being left overnight in her wheelchair whilst in the care of a privately run care home.  When she was found, it was apparent that she had not been put to bed the previous evening, had slipped down in her wheelchair and asphyxiated by a wheelchair strap which caught around her neck.

Hadden Construction fined £2,500 under HASAWA 1974 s3.  Robert Bone sustained severe injuries, including broken bones in his back and a fractured breastbone, when he fell over three metres from scaffolding on a construction site.  Failure to ensure that scaffolding on site was maintained in a safe condition and that only competent persons carried out alterations to it.

Users of excavators are being warned to ensure they take adequate precautions when using quick hitch devices.  Four construction workers died during 2007 in incidents involving semi-automatic quick hitch devices.

HSE is holding a series of free roadshows around the UK to raise awareness of REACH.

A look at some recent prosecutions involving gas safety and migrant workers.

Employees took around 14 million working days off sick in 2006/07 as a result of stress - three million more than in the previous year.  In 2004, HSE launched its Stress Management Standards to help firms work with their employees to take simple steps to tackle work-related stress.  (Elizabeth Gates)

New guidance providing practical advice on board level involvement in H&S leadership was published at the end of last year.  A look at one company which is already putting the advice into practice.  (Nick Cook)

Managing H&S in the charity and voluntary sector involves dealing with all the common workplace hazards such as moving and handling.  However, there are also some very important differences which make managing H&S in this sector a very challenging remit.  (Sarah Tullett)

Some of the points put forward in evidence as part of the inquiry into improving and promoting the health of the working-age population.  (Roger Bibbings)

HSE has warned the construction sector in Newcastle that they will be out in force carrying out spot checks on refurbishment projects to ensure workers' lives are not being put at risk and that sites are in good order.

A total of 14 contractors had an unannounced visit from the HSE last week and as a result two PNs were issued, stopping work immediately on the sites.  They related to working at height at a site in Sunderland and electrical safety at a site in Easington.

Surjit Singh Kundi, trading as Kundi Electrical, fined £25,000 and costs of £2,301 under HASAWA s2 and s3.  Mr Satnam Singh suffered a fatal fall of 3 - 4 metres through a fragile rooflight whilst preparing to undertake work on the factory roof.  The roof was being accessed by a ladder and across several different types of pitched roofs of several factory units and an adjacent engineering works, below which employees were working.

Coventry City Council fined £125,000 and costs of £40,000 under HASAWA 1974 s3.  Amy Robinson, 11, was on her way to school when she was struck and killed by a reversing City Council collection vehicle.

Gateshead Metropolitan Council will face a criminal charge which alleges that they did not have an effective gas safety management system and therefore did not do everything reasonably practicable to ensure the heath and safety of people it did not employ.  The charge is in connection with a carbon monoxide incident at Crookhill Primary School, Ryton.

Standard Soap Company fined £2,500 and costs of £1,864.80 under WHR 2005.  Gareth Davies fell over 3 metres from an unsecured ladder whilst carrying out maintenance work on the company's site.  He suffered a serious back injury.

HSE Inspectors were out and about in the Borders area from 8 - 11 February as part of a major initiative to crack down on safety on refurbishment sites across the area.

During random spot checks on ten refurbishment sites in a number of Border towns, HSE Inspectors found examples of bad and even dangerous practices.  Five PNs were issued for bad practice on working at height.  INs were also issued for further incidents where sites had not complied with H&S law.

HSE Inspectors have carried out spot checks across Leicestershire refurbishment sites to tackle poor safety standards.

Jeld-Wen UK Ltd fined £2,000 and costs of £3,500 under PUWER 1998.  An employee was repairing a frame-making machine at the company, which makes doors.  Diagnosis of the fault was done with the machine live and his fingers were dragged into the machine resulting in two of them being broken.

Teams of HSE Inspectors will be targeting the refurbishment sites in the area on 19 February.

HSE have run three successful awareness-raising events in the South-West Region to alert businesses to the dangers of ULDs (often referred to as repetitive strain injury or RSI).

HSE has announced its aim to inspect 1000 refurbishment sites across Britain, to tackle poor safety standards - up to 100 of them in West Yorkshire.  The initiative in the area begins 19 February.

HSE has launched its campaign to inspect construction sites to tackle poor safety standards.  Working at height and good site order will be the focus of inspections.

HSE is running a free seminar with expert advice for the cleaning industry on how to prevent workplace accidents.  The seminar will be held on 3 March at EEF, Broadway House, London.

David Mees was sentenced to a community order of 280 hours unpaid work and a supervision order, and HSE costs of £6,000 and LA costs of £750.  He carried out work on gas appliances at three addresses without being CORGI registered.  He was also prosecuted by Powys Trading Standards Dept for advertising his services as a CORGI registered gas engineer.

HSE Inspectors will be out in force carrying out spot checks on refurbishment projects to ensure workers lives are not being put at risk and that sites are in good order.

Three contractors had an unannounced visit from HSE and as a result all three were served PNs relating to work at height.  One was also served an IN requiring them to keep their site in good order.

HSE has warned the construction sector in North Tyneside that they will be out in force carrying out spot checks on refurbishment projects to ensure workers lives are not being put at risk and that sites are in good order.

Environmental Reclamation Ltd fined total of £30,000 and costs of £21,360.11 under HASAWA 1974 s2 and WHR 2005.  Clarks Construction Ltd, Principal Contractor, fined £7,500 and costs of £9,388.64 under HASAWA 1974 s3.  Two men working on a derelict barn fell through a fragile asbestos cement roof and suffered multiple fractures and spinal injuries.

Fined £5,000 under HASAWA 1974 s2.  IP fell from top of trailer when attempting to close a roll top roof.

Fined total of £3,000 under WHR 2005.  PN issued when HSE Inspector visited a site and found unsafe work at height practices.  Revisit discovered similar problems - further PN issued.

Fined £7,500 under HASAWA 1974 s2.  IP thrown from tower scaffold with no edge protection during an unsafe operation to manually move an original roof truss during a barn conversion.

Community service under HASAWA 1974 s33 and GSUIR 1998.  Failure to comply with IP, to arrange safety inspections of gas appliances, and maintain gas appliances and flues.

Fined £6,700 under HASAWA 1974 s3.  Private car being driven by MOP struck by steel beams being transported on a sideloader forklift truck being driven by employee of DDS Fabrications.

Corus UK Ltd, trading as Corus Packaging Plus, fined £250,000 and costs of £42,965 under HASAWA 1974 s2 and PUWER 1998.  Mr Francis Coles died after being struck on the head by a piece of machinery.

The HSE has refuted the suggestion that the current climate of negative publicity over its perceived role as a "scaremonger" is affecting its decisions on whether or not to act in certain situations.  It follows the inquest into the death of Rhianna Hardie.

Following an internal report into H&S procedures at the time of the 2002 legionella outbreak, Barrow Borough Council says it is to change its approach.  Council leader Bill Joughin said, "We had all the policies written on paper but … it was not part of the culture of the organisation, and there was no chain of command.  We ticked all the boxes, but there was not a procedure which ensured it was adhered to."

The joint deputy chief executives of the HSE have both left their roles.  Justin McCraken will remain until after Easter when he takes up his new post as CE of the Health Protection Agency.  HSE would not comment on where Jonathan Rees has moved to.  The interim deputy CE will be head of the Field Operations Directorate, Sandra Caldwell.

Makro fined £3,000 plus £3,500 costs under HASAWA 1974 s2 and 3.  They put the safety of staff and customers at risk by failing to cordon off an area in one of its stores where a forklift truck was in operation.  The truck dislodged a racking beam causing pallets of beer cans and alcopops to shower down.  The staff were ordered to clean up the area immediately after the incident, despite the risk of the racking collapsing further.

Following on from the consideration of duties under the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 and the risk of personal liability under article 5(3), a look at "responsible persons" in the broader context.  (Kevin Bridges)

Fatalities and injuries on construction sites continue to rise, despite new and updated regulations covering the industry.  The reason for this is many contractors are more interested in ticking boxes for the purpose of compliance rather than improving the actual safety of their workforce.  (Rob Slater)

In the aftermath of a workplace accident, one of the many problems is establishing criminal liability.  How H&S law is more driven by consequence than cause, and arguments that this may be the wrong approach.  (David Branson)

As commercial buildings, production facilities, and offshore structures get ever larger and more complex, the risks involved in their construction and operation become harder to keep track of without smart information management.  Shedding light on why electronic permit systems are a popular way of doing so.  (Simon Olliff)

OHSAS 18001, the definitive international H&S safety management standard, has recently been updated to become BS OHSAS 18001:2007. An explanation of what certification means to a large building services company and its stakeholders.  (Tony Sidwell)

Automatic fire detection systems have saved thousands of lives over the last 60 years but, by generating false alarms, they've also resulted in a huge waste of time and resources.  Recent developments in legislation and technology are now addressing this issue.  (Don Scott)

Fire service and emergency personnel have to wear protective clothing for their work but as well as the physical properties of such garments, physiological comfort is also a crucial consideration.  (Dr Wolfgang Nocker)

Various H&S regulations for the emergency services will be removed if the Tories come to power, David Davis has said.  In an interview with the Sunday Telegraph, he pledged to "rebalance" the system so that police and rescue workers would not find themselves penalised for acts of bravery.

Experts have predicted that company drivers dying in work-related road traffic accidents could prompt the first corporate manslaughter prosecutions once the new Act comes into force in April.  Statistics released by the DfT suggest that at-work driving deaths are the single biggest killer of employees in Britain with 858 people killed in 2006 in crashes involving at-wok drivers.

Network Rail has been ordered by the railways inspectorate to improve the "inadequate" management of its track management system.  HMRI served an IN in December after a report found "systematic failings" in the systems in place across the network for planning and monitoring visual track inspections.

Responsibility for regulating sites carrying out animal disease research is to be transferred from DEFRA to the HSE.  The move follows a review into the regulatory framework for handling animal pathogens.

"Rigorous enforcement of safety laws by a properly resourced safety watchdog must be a top priority" says the TUC in a message to the Government.  They also say safety law is "generally robust, but is undermined by a lack of enforcement", pinning the problem on a severe funding shortfall.

Jurassic Coast Divers fined total of £6,000 and costs of £6,200 under HASAWA 1974 s3 and the Diving at Work Regs 1997.  Failure to adequately maintain breathing equipment.  It followed the loss of a young diver who went missing on a training expedition.

When you're brewing "probably the best lager in the world", it helps to stay safe and think green.  That's why Carlsberg has introduced dedicated SHE days at its brewery in Leeds.  (Joanna Gurman)

On 6 April this year, the Control of Noise at Work Regulations 2005 come into effect for the music and entertainment industry.  A quiet look at the noisiest industry in town.  (Tim Turney)

The time of reckoning is at hand - the Corporate Manslaughter Act 2007 comes into force at the start of April.  What it means and how you can prepare for it.  (Julian Roberts)

In Autumn 2006, HSE identified that there was the potential for asbestos to be released in particular circumstances in CLASP (system built) schools.  Immediate and positive action was taken advising relevant dutyholders to visually check their buildings and seal any gaps.  HSE has since checked whether the advice had been followed, and say that, in the majority, they found that dutyholders had done so.

HSE Chief Executive, Geoffrey Podger, has challenged the major hazards industry to take more responsibility for tackling the safety issues it faces.  He was speaking to the American Society of Safety Engineers.

Examples of bad and even dangerous working practices have been found by HSE Inspectors during random spot checks on refurbishment sites in Newcastle.  A total of 30 contractors had unannounced visits and as a result five PNs were issued stopping work immediately on the sites.

HSE has warned the construction sector in  Northumberland it will not tolerate poor safety standards that put refurbishment workers at risk of dying or serious injury.  Throughout February, HSE Inspectors will be carrying out unannounced inspections of refurbishment sites.

Gateshead Metropolitan Borough Council fined £10,000 and costs of £6,830 under HASAWA 1974 s3.  Tests carried out by HSE found that carbon monoxide being produced by an inadequately maintained boiler in the boiler plant room was leaking into the classroom above.

Chair of HSC, Judith Hackitt, has chaired an International Safety Conference hosted by the petroleum industry which brought together experts from the oil industry, regulators, professional bodies and trade associations in order to generate a wider debate on process safety and sharing of best practice in the downstream oil industry.  Once again she called for effective leadership, a major theme she has championed since taking on her role as HSC Chair.

A campaign launched in the North West warns that every week twenty tradesmen die simply because they have breathed in asbestos fibres during the course of their work.  Recent research shows that young tradesmen such as plumbers and electricians, know that asbestos is dangerous, but just don't believe that they are personally at risk.

Examples of bad and even dangerous working practices have been found by HSE Inspectors during random spot checks on refurbishment sites in Dundee and Angus.  Seventeen sites had unannounced visits and as a result PNs were issued at eight sites, stopping work activity, and one IN was issued.

HSE has warned the construction sector in Edinburgh, Glasgow and the Highlands that they will be out in force carrying out spot checks on refurbishment projects to ensure workers' lives are not being put at risk and that sites are in good order.

Teams of HSE Inspectors will be targeting the refurbishment sites in the area on February 28th.  A number of sites will be visited to make sure they are getting it right when working at height, and keeping their sites in good order.

Wakefield Council and HSE were joined by business men and women across the community to announce a first for the region - help for a community to build a strong working future for itself based on a healthy lifestyle.

Forest of Dean District Council has signed up to the HSE's campaign to combat the growing number of myths that are undermining important H&S legislation.

HSE is targeting farmers in Berkshire, Buckinghamshire and Oxfordshire in an effort to reduce the number of farm workers killed and injured each year.

During 11-15 February, HSE inspectors visited refurbishment and construction sites across the South West as part of a targeted campaign aimed at raising awareness of the hazards and dangers of working on such sites.  48 sites were visited with 21 PNs being issued stopping work immediately and 13 INs to secure improvements in standards on the sites.

A free, one day health awareness event is being staged by the HSE on 28 February at Staff House, Hull University.  It is designed to help everyone in business find simple, cost-effective solutions to reduce sickness absence and maintain production levels.

Hertford school children preparing for a skiing trip are set to highlight that sensible H&S risk is "snow" joke.  They were joined by the HSE and Herts CC at an event on 19 February to promote the campaign looking at real risks, which affect real people.

Fourteen LAs from the Kent and Medway areas are set to sign up to the HSE's campaign to combat the growing number of myths that are undermining important H&S legislation.

At the end of a two-month intensive campaign of inspections, the HSE has undertaken 112 site visits and made 72 full inspections of farms in North Leeds, Harrogate and the Vale of York.  Six PNs were issued, where the risk of personal injury was so great that work activities had to be stopped, and 17 INs.

HSE North West is to hold two half-day seminars at Manchester United FC in partnership with HSE and Trafford Council on 6 March.  It will be the local focus of the Better Backs campaign, a national campaign to tackle back pain and ULDs at work.

HSE North West is to hold a seminar at High Hesket in partnership with Carlisle City Council and Eden District Council on 5 March.  It will be the local focus of the Better Backs campaign, a national campaign to tackle back pain and ULDs at work.

The smallest Cumbrian construction firms are being invited to receive free H&S advice at one of two Working Well Together events to be held at Carlisle United FC on 26 February.  They are part of a series of free partnership events designed to raise awareness of key H&S issues in the industry and also giving advice on how to avoid risks on building sites.

HSE has warned the construction sector in Argyll, Bute, Dumfries and Galloway that they will be out in force carrying out spot checks on refurbishment projects to ensure workers' lives are not being put at risk and that sites are in good order.

HSE offers free guidance to business advisors.  HSE is running a free seminar with expert tips for business advisors on how to prevent workplace incidents and accidents.  It takes place at EEF, Broadway House, London on 17 March.

Fined £7,000 under HASAWA 1974 s33.  PR failure to comply with a notice.

Fined £20,000 under WHR 2005.  Failure to ensure work at height in construction of mezzanine floor carried out safely.  Subcontracted work out to Travhydro sa.  Agency worker fell 6 metres through unsecured floor panels.

Fined £60,000 under HASAWA 1974 s3.  Failure to ensure safety of non-employees fixing floor panels 6m high mezzanine floor.  Inexperienced agency worker failed to clip onto the safety line and fell 6m onto unsecured floor panels.

Fined total of £1,250 under HASAWA 1974 S33 and GSIUR 1998.  Landlord failed to comply with IN to check gas appliances in rented domestic accommodation and to ensure yearly check made on flue and gas appliances.

Fined total of £13,000 under HASAWA 1974 s3, RIDDOR 1995 and CHSWR 1996.  Self-employed joiner sustained fractured spine when he fell from unsuitable ladder through unprotected stairwell opening.  Failure to manage H&S at construction site.

Fined £14,000 under HASAWA 1974 s2.  Length of profile on track of saw, hand fed profile towards clamping position, hand went into moving saw.

Fined total of £6,000 under HASAWA 1974 s3 and DWR 1997.  This case did result from the investigation of a fatality.

Fined £1,500 under HASAWA 1974 s2.  IP reinstating netting in property, climbed ladder, slipped, fell to floor fracturing left elbow.  Unsafe access, IP working alone, ladder in poor condition, unsafe system of work.

Compensation Award, under HASAWA 1974 s2.  This case did result from the investigation of a fatality.  Failure to ensure, sfarp, that employees were not injured by falling.

Fined £1,500 under HASAWA 1974 s3.  Examination under ADIP scheme neither suitable nor sufficient.  Issued documentation stating electric blower on an inflatable has been tested and examined when none was.

Supermarket chain Asda fined total of £225,000 under HASAWA 1974 s3 and MHSWR 1999, and costs of £42,000.  Customer Kenneth Farr was killed when a security barrier smashed through the windscreen of his car as he drove into the car park.  The barrier was unsecured and was caught in a sudden gust of wind.

Sefer Enver fined £2,000 for each of six offences under the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order, plus £2,250 costs.  According to Lancs F&RS, the Britannia Mill had no working fire alarm, no emergency lighting, no fire risk assessment in place, and piles of flammable boxes blocking fire escapes.  Mr Enver had previously ignored an Enforcement Notice.

A plastics manufacturing factory was saved by a sprinkler system following an arson attack on the building.  Eight heads activated to control and extinguish the fire.

A major new BS covering building fire safety is due to be issued as a Draft for Public Consultation.  BS 9999: "Code of practice for fire safety in the design, construction and use of buildings", which has been under development for some time, will effectively replace BS5588: "Fire precautions in the design, construction and use of buildings".

The economic cost of fire - from the need for better data, to the mounting commercial fire losses in the UK.  (Roy Watkinson)

A broad range of fire science and engineering projects outlined at the BRE Trust Fire Conference.

An FIA survey reveals that there are still big challenges in ensuring compliance with the UK's new fire safety regime.  (Mark Denley)

Current moves to improve the protection of UK heritage properties - from emergency planning to salvage training.  (Steve Emery)

Fire services and heritage agencies in Scotland are building on the success of the historic building national fire database.  (Mike Coull)

A major project on fire losses to built heritage in Europe has recently concluded.  (FRM)

Heritage issues were among the challenges faced in developing the fire strategy for St Pancras International Station.  (Andrew Ferguson, Suzanne Freed, Andrew Gardiner and Martin Gates-Sumner)

Domestic fire deaths are not just accidents, but consequences of public policy.  (Nick Ross and Ronnie King)

2008 signals another busy year for the UK sprinkler industry.  An outline of the key priorities.  (Stewart Kidd)

Despite ongoing debate, sprinklers are still not a core element of the fire safety strategy for UK buildings, particularly warehouses and hotels.  (Alan Brinson)

An outline of a partnership approach to raising the profile of residential sprinklers in houses of multiple occupation.  (Baz Fox)

Stressed white-collar workers are more likely to suffer coronary heart disease according to new evidence from one of the UK's longest running health studies.

The union Unite has secured a £175,000 compensation payment from the employer of a member who suffered psychological problems after five operations to his hand which was partly degloved in an unguarded machine.

Law firm Peninsula canvassed senior managers in 1,685 organisations and found that 79 per cent were unaware of the new corporate manslaughter act which comes into force in April.

During the recent Ladder Exchange campaign, HSE says businesses handed over 4,194 "dodgy" ladders.

A Prohibition Notice was issued to PMT Industries after a worker suffered serious burns, with two other also being hurt, in an incident involving molten metal.

Martin Syms has been warded £80,000 compensation from his previous employer, Arriva Trains Wales.  During a break in the station mess room , Mr Syms was sitting in a plastic moulded chair which collapsed under him.  Despite treatment, he has had to retire from his job and has been left unemployed.

Two out of three private vehicles used for business travel are unroadworthy, according to research.  3,750 private cars used for work between April and October last year were checked.  The most common faults were under-inflated or defective tyres - linked to one third of all road crashes resulting in injury.  Almost all of the drivers said their companies required no checks on their cars.

After a six-year legal case costing HSE hundreds of thousands of pounds, Hatton Traffic Management has been cleared of safety failures over the deaths of two workers.  The case reached the Court of Appeal in 2006 when HSE appealed a judge's decision at a pre-trial hearing.  Fred Cook and John Crimmins were electrocuted when they moved a 9m mobile tower light which then touched 20kv power lines overhead. 

The HSE has launched a campaign to raise awareness about slip, trip and fall risks.  The Shattered Lives campaign aims to reduce slips, trips and falls from heights and is aimed at those in the highest risk occupations, including construction workers, electricians, gas fitters and other tradespeople.

Calendar of new and upcoming legislation.

The supplier of half the UK's sugar has developed a model of director responsibility that goes way beyond any guidance, where board members are each responsible for discrete areas of safety such as fire or contractor management.

Ways to keep home-based staff secure and in the communications loop.  (Howard Fidderman)

The merits of risk registers.  (Duncan Spencer)

In the first of two articles on safety data sheets, an explanation on who needs to supply what and when.  (Lawrence Bamber)

The delicate subject of work on fragile roofs.  (Andrea Oates)

So-called safety cages on fixed ladders are more likely to break employees' limbs than break their fall.  (Dr Dave Merchant)

A look at guard-rail systems.  (Jacky Walker)

HSE has warned the construction sector in Teesside that they will be out in force carrying out spot checks on refurbishment projects to ensure workers' lives are not being put at risk and that sites are in good order.

Joint investigation by HSE and Kent County Council, prosecution of trader who allegedly put vulnerable people at risk of carbon monoxide poisoning.

Team Q Maintenance Limited fined £20,000 under HASAWA 1974 s2.  Schawk UK Limited fined £20,000 under HASAWA 1974 s3.  Costs were also payable of £3,098.  Mr Kantilal Mistry suffered serious head injuries after falling over 2 metres.  No fixed means of access nor edge protection to prevent falls.

HSE held a free event in Buckinghamshire this week, to demonstrate the dangers of tree work and give tips on how to manage tree contractors.

Every week five tradesman in the North West die simply because they have breathed in asbestos fibres during the course of their work.  That's the startling statistic revealed by the HSE to raise awareness of the danger of asbestos in support of Action Mesothelioma Day.

Asbestos is the most lethal workplace killer in Great Britain.  Every week twenty tradespeople die simply because they have breathed in asbestos fibres during the course of their work, the HSE told an annual North East conference on 27 February.  HM Inspector of H&S outlined the dangers presented to tradespeople at a conference held for Action for Mesothelioma Day at Gateshead Civic Centre.

Every 25 mins, someone breaks or fractures a bone at work according to the latest figures from the HSE.  HSE launched the "Shattered Lives" campaign in the South West this week, to highlight the devastating consequences of simple slips, trips and falls in the workplace.

A seminar in Bury St Edmunds on 13 March is set to go with a bang with a physical demonstration of the dangers of electrical equipment using state of the art pyrotechnics.  A mock overhead power-line will be used to demonstrate how easily people can get into problems.

HSE Inspectors are out this week in Camden, Kensington and Chelsea and Westminster, checking refurbishment sites to ensure that effective working practices are in place to keep workers and the public safe.

Fined £8,000 under HASAWA 1974 s2.  Working on church roof with no fall protection.  Method statement stated should be wearing harnesses, operatives not even wearing them.

Fined £17,500 under HASAWA 1974 s3.  Fatal accident to member of public.  Using excavator, bucket of excavator struck wall, that collapsed onto member of public.  Failure to segregate work from members of the public.

Fined total of £7,000 under PUWER 1998 and MHSWR 1999.  IP suffered a crush injury while trying to clean door seal of a filter drier.

Fined £4,000 under HASAWA 1974 s2.  System of work not maintained resulting in amputation of hand by hammer of piling rig.

Fined £3,000 under PUWER 1998.  Person injured operating unguarded machine.  Company's failure to provide fixed guards, information, instructions, training and supervision.

Fined £1,000 under HASAWA 1974 s2.  Employee suffered laceration to left leg when stuck by length of steel pipe when it fell from raised forks of forklift truck. 

Fined £2,500 under WHR 2005.  Person suffered serious injury from scaffolding that was very poorly maintained resulting in fall from height.

Fined £40,000 under HASAWA 1974 s2.  Employee had leg amputated below the knee, where mobile crane hit cast iron lamppost which fell on him. No safe system of work in place, no suitable RA/method statement. Failure to recognise risk of lamppost as a possible hazard.

Fined £1,500 under PUWER 1998.  Preventative inspection, lack of guarding on minimax circular saw observed.  Previous enforcement for the same in 2003.