This year two cases brought before the court illustrated how the availability of training and other records can influence the likelihood of a prosecution after an accident. In August 2019 Volvo Group UK was fined £13,333 after it pleaded guilty to breaching s.2(1)Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974 (HSWA). The charges followed an […]
Admin Construction Safety
HSE CONSTRUCTION INSPECTION INITIATIVE – 7TH OCT TO 1ST NOV 2019
Between 7 October – 1 November, HSE will be carrying out its latest construction inspection initiative. This will continue the focus on health, in particular the measures in place to protect workers from occupational lung disease caused by asbestos, silica, wood and other dusts when carrying out common construction tasks. WHY: Priority is often given […]
Electrical safety in construction – breaches on construction sites up by 31%
The British Safety Group (BSG) has reported a 31% increase in electricity breaches on construction sites. The report was based on 20,000 independent site inspections carried out in the first six months of 2019, compared with the first six months in 2018. The most common breaches were damaged and trailing cables (including damaged wire sheathing […]
Hand-arm vibration exposure calculator and publication updated
HSE has made updates to a hand-arm vibration (HAV) publication and tool. Find out more below. Hand-arm vibration exposure calculator HSE has made updates to our hand-arm vibration (HAV) exposure calculator. HSE’s HAV exposure calculator helps estimate and record workers’ exposures to HAV and compare them with the actions values in the regulations as part […]
STOP USE & PRODUCT RECALL – 3M SELF-RETRACTING LIFELINES
Issue Date: 25/07/2019 On July 25, 2019, 3M Fall Protection announced an immediate stop use and product recall of the 3M™ DBI-SALA® Twin-Leg Nano-Lok™ edge and the Twin-Leg Nano-Lok™ Wrap Back Self-Retracting Lifelines. 3M determined that in a fall and under certain conditions, the energy absorber of these devices may not properly deploy which could expose the worker to […]
Provision of welfare facilities during construction work – construction firm prosecuted due to inadequate welfare facilities on site
A construction company has been prosecuted after failing to ensure suitable welfare facilities were provided for workers on site. The Court heard that the company had been issued with multiple Improvement Notices, following an inspection by a Health and Safety Executive (HSE) inspector at the company’s site in the summer of 2018. The company subsequently […]
Plasterboard manual handling aids
Plasterboard manual handling aids and factors helping and hindering the practicability of their application (HSE research report) Introduction Handling and installing plasterboard represents a moderate to high level of musculoskeletal disorder (MSD) risk. This is predominantly due to the weight and unwieldy nature of the plasterboard. The handling and installation tasks are highly repetitive and […]
Preventing unauthorised access onto scaffolding and other work platforms
Issue Date: 11/07/2018 Introduction Scaffolding on all construction sites, but especially in residential areas, can seem like an inviting playground for children – who do not have the ability to perceive danger in the same way as adults. Clients and contractors must ensure that unauthorised access onto scaffolding is prevented, not just outside working hours, […]
Tower Crane, Slew Brakes and Release Mechanism Maintenance
Issue Date: December 2018 Introduction: HSE is investigating the collapse of a tower crane jib in high wind. The precursors of the incident are not fully determined at this point but investigations to date suggest that problems with adequate maintenance of the slew brake release mechanisms and the addition of accessories were contributing factors. We […]
Change in Enforcement Expectations for Mild Steel Welding Fume
Issue Date: February 2019 Introduction: There is new scientific evidence from the International Agency for Research on Cancer that exposure to mild steel welding fume can cause lung cancer and possibly kidney cancer in humans. The Workplace Health Expert Committee has endorsed the reclassification of mild steel welding fume as a human carcinogen. Consequences: With […]