The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) has warned employers that they must take action to protect their workers during periods of extreme hot weather. Britain’s health and safety watchdog spoke out as temperatures rose across the UK and have said that recent heat-health alerts issued by the Met Office, coupled with the record high...
Health and safety organisations form ‘historic alliance’
Leading professional health and safety organisations have formed an alliance to provide a unified voice for the sector. The Institute of Occupational Safety and Health (IOSH), the British Occupational Hygiene Society (BOHS), the British Safety Council (BSC), Chartered Institute of Environmental Health (CIEH), International Institute of Risk and Safety Management (IIRSM) and the Royal...
Developing a positive workplace culture in social care
A new campaign from Skills for Care will support teams in the social care sector to develop a positive workplace culture. Running throughout June and July, the campaign will see the national workforce development charity provide information and resources explaining what exactly is meant by workplace culture, and how to create a positive one....
Diabetes Week celebrates individuals
It’s Diabetes Week in the UK and, this year, the focus is all on celebrating individuals who are living with the condition. Established by Diabetes UK and running from 12th to 18th June, the annual nationwide initiative is designed to raise awareness of diabetes while also raising money to fund research into the condition,...
Child Safety Week makes safety simple
It’s Child Safety Week in the UK and the theme for this year is Safety Made Simple. The annual community education campaign, which takes place from 5th-11th June this year, is run by the Child Accident Prevention Trust (CAPT) in a bid to spark safety conversations and build families’ knowledge and awareness regarding child...
Child sexual abuse victims lack access to specialist support
Analysis conducted by the NSPCC reveals that most victims of child sexual abuse will struggle to access specialist support, as 77% of local authorities do not offer it. The national children’s charity found that less than a quarter (23%) of local authorities in Britain offer specialist, dedicated support – in the form of independent...
10% increase in children struggling with exam stress
Childline has reported a 10% increase in counselling sessions about exam stress since the Covid-19 pandemic in the UK. The confidential charity helpline for children said that almost 2,000 children contacted them to talk about exam stress last year as formal exams returned following the disruption caused by the Covid-19 pandemic and resulting lockdowns...
Children’s social care strategy ‘lacks ambition and pace’
A new report from a House of Lord’s Committee has concluded that the Children’s social care strategy is unambitious and slow. The Public Services Committee has published its new report in response to the Government’s Strategy to reform children’s social care, ‘Stable homes built on love: implementation strategy and consultation: Children’s Social Care Reform...
New guiding principles for delegated healthcare tasks
Skills for Care has published new guiding principles and supporting resources for the completion of delegated healthcare tasks. The workforce development charity for adult social care has worked with the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) and other partners to co-develop the voluntary guiding principles. The principles, which will support person-centred, safe and...
HSE spotlight on fairground ride safety
The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) is carrying out 100 targeted inspections of theme park and fairground ride safety this summer. Britain’s health and safety watchdog has planned extra checks on various theme park and fairground rides after a string of incidents in London, Barrow, Cardiff, Hull and Barnsley during recent years. The focused...
New guidance for digital transformation in care
The government has published new guidance frameworks to drive digital transformation across the social care sector. The ‘What Good Looks Like’ and Digital Skills Frameworks were published by the Department of Health and Social Care on 17th May 2023 to support social care staff, providers and UK local authorities to modernise and improve the...
Push to improve dementia diagnosis rates
Its Dementia Action Week in the UK, and this year the Alzheimer’s Society are encouraging families to seek a timely dementia diagnosis. It comes as dementia diagnosis rates have stagnated in the UK, meaning many people are facing the illness alone without access to support and treatment. The national charity believes many people may...
Training failures in managing violence and MSDs in the NHS
The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) has identified failings, including in training, in relation to managing violence and aggression and musculo-skeletal disorders (MSDs) in the NHS. Britain’s health and safety watchdog carried out a targeted inspection programme on NHS trusts and boards between 2018 and 2022 to assess the management of risks from violence...
IOSH warns scrapping EU health and safety laws could lead to deaths
The Institution of Occupational Safety and Health (IOSH) has warned that plans to consider scrapping EU health and safety laws could cost lives and livelihoods. IOSH said that the majority of occupational safety and health (OSH) professionals believe that the amended Retained EU Law Bill (REUL) will still harm businesses, workers and economic growth....
HSE inspection initiative targets construction dust
The Health and Safety Executive have launched a two-month long inspection initiative for the construction sector focusing on how dust is managed on sites. From Monday 15th May until Friday 14th July 2023, inspectors from Britain’s health and safety watchdog will be visiting construction sites across the country to check that construction dust is...