This is another excellent tool / video provided by the HSE for employers who use Hand-held power tools with some great links and further PDF information such as ‘Supporting enforcement to protect the health of workers using hand tools.’
As part of HSE’s Science Review 2023, a video to highlight HSE’s research into noise and vibrations emissions in battery and traditionally powered hand-held power tools was published.
If you are worried about your companies Health & Safety contact us now | Update from Consensus HR, outsourced HR solutions. Herts, Beds, Cambs.
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Here is the latest article from the HSE (Health & Safety Executive) in relation to working at Heights which is the most common kind of workplace fatality and a few of the Myths that the HSE have dealt with in the past:
A few of the common working at Height Myths:
· HSE have banned the use of ladders on building sites
No, this isn’t the case. Ladders and stepladders can be a sensible and practical option. They can be used for work at height when the use of other work equipment is not justified because of the low risk and short duration (short duration means working on a ladder for no more than 30 minutes at a time); or when there are existing workplace or site features which cannot be altered.
· You need to be formally ‘qualified’ before using a ladder at work
No, you do not. You need to be competent. This means having the necessary skills, knowledge and experience to use a ladder properly for the work you will carry out, or, if you are being trained, you work under the supervision of somebody who can perform the task competently. Training often takes place on the job and does not always have to take place in a classroom. What matters is that an individual can apply what they have learned in the workplace.
· I am working at height if I’m walking up and down a staircase at work
No, you are not. Work at height does not include walking up and down a permanent staircase in a building.
Falls when working at height remain the most common kind of workplace fatality.
HSE’s annual fatality statistics reported that there were 40 fatal injuries caused by falling from height in 2022/23.
Make sure you take the necessary precautions and visit our working at height website for guidance on how you can protect workers.
The site also has a range of useful information and sources of advice for employers. They include
If you are worried about your companies Health & Safety contact us now | Update from Consensus HR, outsourced HR solutions. Herts, Beds, Cambs.
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One hundred and thirty-five workers were killed in work-related incidents in Great Britain in the last year, according to figures published by the Health and Safety Executive.
The industries with the highest deaths were construction (45), agriculture, forestry, and fishing (21), manufacturing (15), and transportation and storage (15). Agriculture, forestry, and fishing has the highest rate of fatal injury per 100,000 workers of all the main industrial sectors followed by waste and recycling.
The annual data release published by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE), Great Britain’s workplace regulator, covers the period from April 2022 to March 2023.
The three most common causes of fatal injuries are falls from height (40), being struck by a moving object (29), and being struck by a moving vehicle (20).
The total of 135 worker deaths in 2022/23 is higher than the previous year (123) but is in line with pre-pandemic levels. The figure for 2020/21 was 145.
Great Britain is one of the safest places in the world to work. There has been a long-term downward trend in the rate of fatal injuries to workers, though in the years prior to the coronavirus pandemic the rate was broadly flat.
A further 68 members of the public were killed following a work-related incident in 2022/23. This is a decrease of 20 from last year.
HSE’s Chief Executive Sarah Albon said: “Any loss of life in the workplace is a tragedy.
“While these figures show Great Britain is one of the safest countries in the world to work, safety must continue to be at the top of everyone’s agenda.
“Our mission is to protect people and places and we remain committed to maintaining safe workplaces and holding employers to account for their actions.”
HSE has also published the annual figures for Mesothelioma, a cancer caused by past exposure to asbestos. The figures show 2,268 people died from the disease in 2021. This is a fall of 302 compared with the 2,570 deaths in 2020 and substantially lower than the average of 2,520 deaths per year over the period 2012-2019.
Asbestos-related diseases take decades to develop. Most people with them today will largely have been exposed before the tightening of controls and the use of asbestos was banned in 1999.
The current regulations state that where asbestos is present in buildings it must be managed, maintained in a good condition, and stay undisturbed. If this level of protection cannot be achieved, then asbestos must be removed.
These regulations have led to a significant reduction in exposure and the number of people developing asbestos-related illness is predicted to fall as we get further from the date asbestos was banned in 1999. Prior to that point, asbestos was used extensively in construction.
HSE’s approach to asbestos management is based on evidence that is constantly reviewed. HSE has recently launched a campaign called Asbestos & You to raise awareness of the risks associated with the dangerous substance.
Misconduct issues can hit any business, of any size. Update from Consensus HR, expert outsourced HR services. Herts, Beds, Cambs
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Employers could be legally required to offer free health checks to staff under new rules proposed by ministers. Under plans designed to reduce workplace absence, the government could also expand tax breaks for services such as eye tests and basic medical check-ups to cover a wider range of medical services. In a document setting out the consultation on tax breaks, Chancellor Jeremy Hunt and Work and Pensions Secretary Mel Stride warned there are now 6.5m working age people who are neither in work nor looking for a job, and 2.6m people economically inactive due to long-term sickness. They wrote: “Typically, for every 13 people currently working, one person is long-term sick. Maintaining workforce participation is crucial to ensure that we have enough workers to support the future needs of the UK and maximise productivity growth.” A separate consultation from the Department for Work and Pensions suggests that larger firms could be required by law to offer a basic level of occupational health services to staff. Analysis shows that just 45% of British workers have access to occupational health services at work, falling to 18% among small businesses. The two ministers observed: “Greater access to good quality occupational health services has the potential to reduce UK productivity losses caused by long-term sickness and disability, and improve people’s lives by reducing sickness and ill-health.” Separately, writing for the FT, Brooke Masters says the more employers insert themselves into supporting mental health, the more they open themselves up to claims that they are falling short.
Our HR Comment- Employers could legally have to offer free health checks to staff
Matthew P Chilcott, FCIPD, ACEL, Owner of Consensus HR comments: “At Consensus HR we are seeing an increase in the need to use our Occupational Health Providers more for independent professional advice on how to manage employees sickness and this article in the papers demonstrates in statistics how big a problem this is becoming. This proposal looks like a good idea but obviously it is at its early stages and it will not be until it progresses will be know the true costs to employers financially and operationally. We will keep you updated.”
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Long term sickness and health issues can hit any business, of any size. Update from Consensus HR, expert outsourced HR services. Herts, Beds, Cambs
Give us a call now if you wish to discuss.
Here is the latest from The Health & Safety Executive (HSE) which also includes an excellent animation on what to expect when you receive a visit from an HSE Inspector and reminds me of my days when managing Health & Safety for South Mimms Welcome Break and training for Veolia Water in Hertfordshire.
Companies need to ensure that the relevant HSE records are kept such as training that has been carried out with members of the team on Health & Safety such as Risk Assessments, First Aid, Manual Handling, DSE, COSHH, Working at Heights, Abrasive Wheels, and fire to name a few and that the team are demonstrating the correct behaviours and attitudes in the workplace.
This latest information forms the HSE also includes the process of fees for intervention and query and dispute process which came into effect on 1 October 2012 and which as with all information received from the HSE should be fully understood and appropriate action taken.
This week’s edition includes:
advice on what to expect when you receive a visit from an HSE inspector
news of the winning entry in HSE’s MSD ‘Risk-reduction through design’ award
guidance and information about managing vehicle and driver safety at work
links to recent HSE enforcement prosecutions and some of our latest job vacancies
The company, Serco Limited, was fined £240,000 following the fatal incident.
The man was killed when the lorry he was a passenger in crashed into litter picking vans blocking a lane of a dual carriageway. HSE’s investigation found that Serco had:
· failed in its health and safety management of litter picking activities on high-speed dual carriageways
· not provided its employees with appropriate work instructions to ensure the litter picking activity was safe
· failed to supervise and monitor the high-risk activity to ensure it was carried out safely
The company, Serco Limited, was fined £240,000 following the fatal incident.
The man was killed when the lorry he was a passenger in crashed into litter picking vans blocking a lane of a dual carriageway. HSE’s investigation found that Serco had:
failed in its health and safety management of litter picking activities on high-speed dual carriageways
not provided its employees with appropriate work instructions to ensure the litter picking activity was safe
failed to supervise and monitor the high-risk activity to ensure it was carried out safely
The HSE (Health & Safety Executive) have produced some improved guidance on managing Health & Safety and controlling risk with some excellent example risk assessment templates for businesses such as:
The following is the latest update issued: 26 April 2023
HSE has improved its guidance on managing health and safety and controlling risks for businesses.
There are no changes to legal requirements, but the new design and structure will help you quickly find and understand what your business must do to comply with health and safety law.
The improvements are based on research which showed businesses felt some guidance was:
hard to understand, making it time-consuming to find the area relevant to them
long and complex, leaving them uncertain that they had the full answer
We have substantially removed duplication and replaced various publications with more accessible webpages. This will save you time and resource searching for the fundamental pieces of guidance your business needs.
The guidance stresses the importance of not only controlling risks but making sure they stay controlled. It also offers easy-to-follow guides on controlling common health and safety risks as well as advice on providing the right workplace facilities and protecting vulnerable workers.
use the Plan, Do, Check, Act approach to manage health and safety in a way that is simple and proportionate to your risks, while still complying with the law
We have listened to feedback and incorporated a new feature that allow you the option of easily printing off these webpages.
We now offer easy-to-follow common workplace risks guidance, so you can quickly find specific advice on the risks in your workplace.
Matthew Pinto-Chilcott, Owner of Consensus HR comments: “Violence and aggression in the workplace and world in general seems to be on the increase with the Health & Safety Executive (HSE) saying that in 2019-2020 there were 688,000 reported incidents of violence at work. As part of our Employee Handbook and the HR Policies and Procedures we ensure a detailed section if written that provides clear and practical guidelines to businesses and their team on how to manage correctly, to best practice and the law. Nobody comes to work to experience bullying, violence or aggression and should this occur companies and their teams should ensure that s comprehensive process of action and recording is put in place for all member of the team. The HSE gives some excellent examples of this in the information shown in the HSE article above.”
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If you want to always keep up with employment law and wish to know more please get in contact now.
Matthew Pinto-Chilcott, Owner or Consensus HR comments: “Well, another death reported by the Health & Safety Executive (HSE) due to an employee working at Heights and not having the correct equipment for the job and falling to his death. In this situation the HSE stated that the company had not planned for getting the rope access equipment on to and off the roof safely, and provided no instructions to the operatives. The HSE provides excellent guidance on roof work which can be found on their website or by clicking here.”
A company has been fined £120,000 after a dad died following a fall from the roof of a building site.
Father-of-one Dennis Vincent, 36, and another worker were using ropes to install a lightning protection system to the front of a Warrington office block being converted into flats.
Mr Vincent, who was from Stoke-on-Trent, Staffordshire, was lowering the access equipment from the roof, using a rope attached to a frame at roof level and a handrail at ground level. As he did so, both he and the frame fell from the roof to the ground.
The incident happened on 24 February 2021 at Palmyra House, Palmyra Square in Warrington.
Palmyra House, Palmyra Square
An investigation by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) found Mr Vincent’s employer, PTSG Electrical Services Limited, failed to adequately assess the risks associated with this work, giving little consideration to the work at height hierarchy of control and opting for personal protection measures over more suitable collective protection measures, such as scaffolding or a mobile elevating work platform (MEWP).
In addition to this, the company had not planned for getting the rope access equipment on to and off the roof safely, providing no instructions to the operatives.
PTSG Electrical Services Limited, of Flemming Court, Whistler Drive, Castleford, West Yorkshire, pleaded guilty to breaching Section 2(1) of the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974. The company was fined £120,000 and ordered to pay £5448.51 in costs at Wirral Magistrates’ Court on 9 February 2023.
HSE inspector Sara Andrews said: “Our thoughts today are with the family of Dennis Vincent, a young dad and husband who did not return home on 24 February 2021 because of the failings of his employer.
“This incident could easily have been avoided by better planning of the work to ensure adequate controls were in place to prevent falls from the roof. Whilst rope access techniques are appropriate in some circumstances, they should only be used if more appropriate measures, such as fixed scaffolding, cannot be.
“Companies should be aware that HSE will not hesitate to take appropriate enforcement action against those that fall below the required standards.”
A further two companies will appear at Liverpool Crown Court later this year in relation to the incident, after pleading not guilty at an earlier hearing.
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If you want to know more on how we can help your business with Human Resources and the importance of getting it right, contact us now.
Matthew Pinto-Chilcott, Owner of Consensus HR comments: “Another interesting Health & Safety fact from the Health & Safety Executive. 29 fatal injuries occurred in 21/22 due to falls. The HSE and Ladder Association have created a very informative guidance document. This updated guidance now highlights the importance of training and offers expanded guidance on different types of portable ladders, such as telescopic ladders and combination (or multi-purpose) ladders and is available by clicking on the link within the article. This is just one of the many areas within Health & Safety that employers need to ensure are managed correctly and the appropriate development for the team taken and correct Health & Safety Policies and Procedures in place to avoid such fatal injuries.”
Falls when working at height remain the most common kind of workplace fatality.
HSE’s annual fatality statistics reported that there were 29 fatal injuries caused by falling from height in 2021/22.
Ladders and stepladders are not banned under health and safety law. They can be a sensible and practical option for low-risk, short-duration tasks, although they should not automatically be your first choice.
To help you make sure you use the right type of ladder, and that you know how to use it safely, our website has guidance on staying safe when using ladders at work. It includes:
more detail on competency, and what that means for ladder users and those managing ladder use on site
key safety advice for using telescopic ladders
practical tips for using combination and multi-purpose ladders
good practice for securing ladders
You can also download the guidance document Safe use of ladders and stepladders, which was jointly produced by HSE and the Ladder Association.
Matthew Pinto-Chilcott, Owner of Consensus HR comments: “As with all areas of Health & Safety, you should always Make sure you are working safety with DSE. Many employees nowadays spend hours at their desks on their PC’s without taking a break, let alone the statutory legal amount they are entitled to take but failure to ensure your Display Screen Equipment (DSE) is not maintained to the standard required can / will result in problems with the team’s health such as bad posture. The Health and Safety Executive provides some excellent tools for use by employers as shown in this recent checklist provided by them.”
Health & Safety Executive article:
All employers must protect workers from the health risks of working with display screen equipment (DSE).
Incorrect use of DSE or poorly designed workstations or work environments can lead to pain in necks, shoulders, backs, arms, wrists and hands, as well as fatigue and eye strain.
A food production company has been fined £858,000 after an employee had his arm amputated after becoming entangled in an industrial food mixer.
Lee Simpson was removing filling ingredients from a paddle mixer, from which the contents could be removed at the front, at David Wood Baking Limited’s premises in Sheerness, Kent when his right hand and arm were drawn in.
Lee, from Sheerness, who was 26 years old at the time, had to have his arm surgically removed.
He said he has now lost much of his independence. He said: “Life has changed so much since the accident and I am doing everything I can to improve, but it will never be the same.
“Since my accident I have become dependent on others, primarily my family and fiancée, to complete daily activities for me, such as cooking and domestic tasks such as doing the laundry.”
The incident happened on September 27, 2021 at the Mill House, Dorset Road, Sheerness, where David Wood Baking Limited makes sausage rolls, quiches and other food products.
Is continually becoming more complex and the average costs of getting it wrong have never been higher – Average £8.5k per day x 4 days for attendance at an Employment Tribunal (£34k). This is why we at Consensus HR can provide your business with access to a local and professionally legally qualified HR Consultant for practical onsite or off-site employment law advice, at low cost monthly fee.
We support our monthly retained clients with everything from poor attendance of employees, introducing reward / benefit & performance management schemes, training & development to daily line management difficulties and Clients can either email or call us for the right HR advice and we can provide legally / best practice drafted letters for any situation.
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If you would like some support on recruitment policies and procedures and HR in general to get the right team, give us a call now.
Matthew Pinto-Chilcott of Consensus HR comments: “Following our numerous previous Health & Safety (H&S)j Emails, the Health & Safety Executive (HSE) have produced some more great user friendly tools in relation to two more key H&S areas, Preventing stress at work and ensuring you know the COSHH essentials. Businesses always need to ensure that they are at the forefront of HR and People Welfare and their duty under the Health & Safety at Work Act 1974 and these free H&S tools are a way to achieve this. Details and links for all these can be seen below and on the HSE website.
Preventing work-related stress: the leading cause of illness at work
Stress, anxiety and depressionis the biggest cause of work-related illness in Great Britain and numbers continue to rise.
According to the latest statistics (PDF) there were 914,000 workers suffering from work-related stress, depression or anxiety in 2021/22. 17 million working days were lost due to stress in this period.
HSE’s stress website has plenty of advice and includes examples of stress risk assessments tailored to different business sizes, as well as case studies and much more. The stress talking toolkit shows how line managers can have simple, practical conversations with employees to help prevent stress at work.
Our Working Minds campaign aims to prevent work-related stress and encourage good mental health.
Make sure you know your COSHH essentials
A variety of harmful substances are found in our working environments. Knowing how to control these safely is key to safety and protection from harm.
If you work with hazardous substances, our COSHH website can help you understand the actions you should take to stay healthy.
HSE’s COSHH Safe Handling Chemicals poster also provides crucial guidance on how to handle chemicals safely in your workplace, including Do’s and Don’ts and a useful hazardous signs check.
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This latest information from the Health & Safety Executive (HSE) demonstrates the huge amount of people who are currently suffering from stress in the workplace and gives some great, user friendly tools
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