First Aid

Thu, 10 May 2012 09:55:17 +0100

Before First Aid is Required

· Ensure you know where the first-aid kit is kept.

· ...

NAIL GUN SAFETY

Linda — Thu, 29 Mar 2012 23:00:00 +0100

Recently, three injury reports described the details of accidents that occurred while employees were using pneumatic nail guns.

One injury resulted in an employee shooting himself through the thigh. The nail was a Ring Shank and it embedded itself in the employee's femur (large thigh b...

Call for action on drug driving

Linda — Fri, 16 Mar 2012 00:00:00 +0100

A road safety charity has called for action on drug driving following new research which indicates that drivers who smoke cannabis within three hours of getting behind the wheel are nearly twice as likely to cause a vehicle collision than those who are not under the influence of drugs or alcohol.

The research, published in the British Medical Journal, concluded that the consumption of cannabis impairs the motor tasks important to safe driving, increasing the chance of collisions.

The ...

MANUAL HANDLING

Linda — Fri, 02 Mar 2012 00:00:00 +0100

1. Where possible, gloves should be worn to protect against cuts, scratches or punctures.

Sources of silica dust

Stones, rocks, sands and clays can contain large amounts of crystalline silica. These materials are used to make kerbs, flagstones, bricks, tiles and many other cement or concrete products.

Winter Driving

Linda — Mon, 09 Jan 2012 15:00:38 +0100

Driving requires all the care and caution possible any time of year. But winter driving has even greater challenges because of wet and icy road surfaces, longer hours of darkness and poor visibility because of snow, rain and fog.

1. Allow enough time to get to your destination. Rushing in difficult driving conditions can lead to an accident. T...

Ten Rules To Preserve Ten Fingers

Linda — Thu, 20 Oct 2011 23:00:00 +0100

Beware of pinch points. Train yourself to recognize pinch pints and avoid placing your hands and fingers in such hazardous spots.

Many of us know about the Incident Pyramid already, but some of the newer employees may not.

This pyramid is nothing more than a representation of the statistics about injuries. Year after year, industry after industry, injuries statistically fall into this pyramid.

Near Misses – Unsafe Acts are the bottom of the pyramid. There are thousands of these. These are things such as not wearing your seatbelt on a forklift. No...

Call for reduction in dust level limits

Jerome — Tue, 20 Sep 2011 23:00:00 +0100

The Trades Union Congress (TUC) has published new guidance calling for urgent action to reduce dust levels in the workplace, pointing out that the hazard is responsible for thousands of deaths in the UK every year.

In the new guidance, the TUC outlines the case for stronger action against dust and argues that the current standards used for the assessment of dust exposure in the workplace are “totally inadequate”.

The publication says that there is now “clear scientific evidence” to...

Go-ahead for RIDDOR changes

Linda — Tue, 13 Sep 2011 23:00:00 +0100

The Board of the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) has confirmed that, despite opposition from unions and some voices in the health and safety world, it will recommend changes to the Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations 1995 (RIDDOR) in order to increase the period for reporting injuries.

The change is the result of the HSE’s recent consultation on the RIDDOR legislation, initiated by Lord Young’s Common Sense, Common Safety report on health and s...

Road Safety Week

Linda — Tue, 06 Sep 2011 23:00:00 +0100

The road safety charity Brake is already gearing up for Road Safety Week, which will take place from 21 to 27 November 2011.

The event is an established week in the UK calendar. It was set up by Brake in 1997 and has been organised by the charity annually ever since. The aim of the week is to promote road safety in communities, schools and companies.

Brake is urging the police and fire services, community groups, road safety professionals, educators, companies and other organisations ...

Safety review risks injury to workers

Jerome — Tue, 30 Aug 2011 23:00:00 +0100

The Association of Personal Injury Lawyers (APIL) has warned that workers could be exposed to unnecessary risk of injury if Britain’s health and safety regulations are watered down.

The not-for-profit campaign group spoke out as it responded to the Löfstedt Review. which recently closed for comments.

Karl Tonks, the Vice-President of APIL, said, “Any assault on health and safety, in a bid to cut back on what is perceived to be too much regulation, is a shot at the wrong target. All...

Ladder Exchange Initiative 2011

Linda — Tue, 23 Aug 2011 23:00:00 +0100

The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) has launched its Ladder Exchange Initiative 2011, making this year the fifth during which the programme has run.

The initiative provides UK businesses with an easy and simple way to replace broken, damaged or bent ladders and trade them in for safe new ones.

Since its launch, Ladder Exchange has resulted in over 8000 “dodgy ladders” being removed from use. This year's programme will run for three months from 1 September until 30 Novemb...

Wet work dermatitis risk

Linda — Tue, 16 Aug 2011 23:00:00 +0100

I have been told that we should take measures to control the risks from dermatitis caused by work activities that involve the hands getting wet. Can such work cause dermatitis and what can we do to prevent it?

The skin is made up of the dermis and epidermis. If the moisture content of the epidermis is too high or too low, it can affect the skin’s barrier properties. If it is too moist, eg due to prolonged contact with water, the skin becomes over-hydrat...

New standard for workplace first-aid kits

Linda — Tue, 09 Aug 2011 23:00:00 +0100

A new national standard for workplace first-aid kits has been introduced, by the British Standards Institute (BSI), following extensive co-operation with the British Healthcare Trades Association (BHTA) and the Health and Safety Executive (HSE).

In 2009/10, 26,061 workers were injured sufficiently b...

British Safety Council to launch new e-newsletter and website

Linda — Wed, 03 Aug 2011 06:17:53 +0100

The British Safety council is updating its communications with members

The health, safety and environm...

Men more dangerous than women on roads

Linda — Thu, 28 Jul 2011 09:56:58 +0100

Men are more likely than women to be involved in crashes because of bad driving habits such as driving too fast and drink-driving, according to a new research report by a road safety charity.

The report is by the Institute of Advanced Motorists (IAM), which supports the raising of driving and riding...

One in eight drivers nodded off in past year

Linda — Thu, 21 Jul 2011 11:35:15 +0100

The road safety charity Brake has published new research which indicates that one in eight drivers had nodded off at the wheel in the past year, warning that it takes only seconds of sleep behind the wheel to cause a fatal crash.

The survey by Brake and Cambridge Weight Plan says “head...

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