A new chief inspector of construction has been appointed by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE). Heather Bryant, who is currently HSE’s divisional director for London, the East and South East, will replace Philip White at the end of March. After four years in post, Philip moves to lead another key division at HSE. The…
According to the 2013 Wellness at Work Survey, the UK workforce is under pressure and is not being given sufficient support by their employers. The survey conducted by OnePoll for The Best You magazine questioned workers from across the UK about mental health and well-being at work, and discovered that only 29% of employees polled…
Christmas is a special time of year. Even so, it doesn’t stop health and safety being (wrongly) cited as a reason for preventing pretty harmless activities from going ahead. Not only does this needlessly ruin the festive spirit but it also trivialises the true purpose of health and safety: protecting people from real risks at,…
The Institution of Occupational Safety and Health (IOSH) has stated that it believes work-related road traffic accidents should be reported by employers to help cut the number of people killed or injured while driving for work. In the midst of Road Safety Week 2012, IOSH has urged the Government to include work-related road traffic accidents…
A Gloucestershire manufacturer has appeared in court after a teenage apprentice had parts of two fingers severed in unguarded machinery. The 17-year-old, who has asked not to be named, was working at The Albany Engineering Company Ltd factory in Lydney on 3 May this year when the glove on his right hand became caught in…
A Shropshire concrete firm has been prosecuted after a worker suffered serious leg injuries when he was hit by a forklift truck. Tomasz Kosmacz, 38, of Hadley, was responsible for removing excess concrete from moulds at Elite Precast Concrete Ltd’s Telford factory. Mr Kosmacz was putting the excess concrete in a bucket and then onto…
Following an initial pilot, today sees the roll-out of the new Fee for Intervention (FFI) guidelines (1 October 2012), which are set to have significant financial implications for businesses. The highly debated FFI regime will allow the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) to recover its investigation costs from businesses. This fee will apply when a…
Two companies have been fined after a man was killed when he drove a specialist machine into an unprotected pit in a factory floor. Martin McMenemy, 52, of Grimsby, was working for O. Turner Insulation Ltd, also of Grimsby, on the construction of a food processing plant in Ratby Lane, Leicester, on 12 April 2008.…
HSE safety spot checks discovered almost half of refurbishment construction projects in North East London were failing to meet even basic health and safety requirements. A day-long inspection initiative by the HSE last week (3 July) saw a small team of Inspectors visit 22 construction sites across North Hackney and South Tottenham, Haringey. The Construction…
The Chair of the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) Judith Hackitt has revealed that the Myth Busters Challenge Panel, which was set up in April has already dealt with over 50 cases. Writing in her blog about the confusion that exists over what health and safety actually stands for she said: “Reading some of the…
The HSE has today confirmed that its cost recovery scheme, Fee for Intervention (FFI), will start on 1 October 2012 subject to Parliamentary approval. FFI recovers costs from those who break health and safety laws for the time and effort HSE spends helping to put matters right such as, investigating and taking enforcement action, but…
A Derbyshire manufacturing firm and its director have been fined £22,000 and ordered it to pay costs of £12,134 and a £15 victim surcharge. after two teenage agency workers fell from a lifting platform. The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) prosecuted Storetec Limited and one of its Directors after Leon Payne, 18, from Sutton in…
Recycling company SITA UK Ltd has been fined £200,000 after a 21-year-old employee died from head injuries at its paper baling site in Tipton. The HSE prosecuted the firm after Mark Bate was killed instantly when the arm of a JCB skid steer loader crushed his head on 12 June 2008. SITA UK Ltd pleaded…
I’ve just read about two different companies who were recently prosecuted for health and safety breaches. One was fined £15,000 and is now in liquidation, the other was fined £80,000 and is still operating. But which of the two had the most good fortune, do you think? One, a construction company, was fined for breaching…