A national campaign has been launched to improve farm safety in Britain, with a focus on the dangers of livestock. The Your Farm, Your Future campaign was relaunched on 19th February 2024 by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) after incidents involving livestock were identified as the number one cause of work-related deaths on...
Manufacturer fined £250K for ‘serious and avoidable’ incidents
A bedding manufacturer has been prosecuted and fined £250,000 after two of its employees were badly injured in “serious and avoidable” incidents at work. Sartex Quilts and Textiles Limited were prosecuted by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) following separate serious incidents at its site in Rochdale in March 2020 and October 2021, which...
IOSH: Prioritise workplace health to keep people in work
A policy expert from the Institution of Occupational Safety and Health (IOSH) has called on the government to prioritise investment in workplace health, safety and wellbeing in order to keep people in work. In a recent blog post, Corey Edwards, Senior Policy and Public Affairs Manager at IOSH, said that better investment in occupational...
HSE: ‘too many’ metalworking firms lack key safety measures
The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) has warned that “far too many” metalworking firms lack key safety control measures to protect their workers. Britain’s health and safety watchdog began carrying out targeted inspections of metalworking firms last year. They have found that more needs to be done across the industry to protect workers from...
HSE launches new asbestos safety campaign
The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) has launched a new campaign to keep people safe from asbestos. With the ‘Asbestos: Your Duty’ campaign, Britain’s health and safety watchdog is focussing on buildings that people use in their daily lives, including workplaces, schools and hospitals. The campaign aims to improve understanding and awareness of what...
HSE undertakes assurance inspections in the NHS
The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) is undertaking a series of assurance inspections in the NHS to assess how risks of workplace violence and aggression and musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs) are managed. Inspectors from Britain’s health and safety watchdog are focusing on the findings and recommendations from the HSE’s 4-year inspection programme on the risk...
Building safety regulator leads ‘culture of higher standards’
The new Building Safety Regulator (BSR) has published its first three-year strategic plan in which it sets out how it plans to oversee a “culture of higher standards” in building health and safety. The new independent regulator was created by the Building Safety Act 2022 and is part of the Health and Safety Executive...
Frontline staff most likely to face work-related violence
Working with the public can now be identified as one of the biggest risk factors for work-related violence. Workers in public-facing sectors such as retail, public transport and healthcare have reported frequent and sometimes very serious abuse in recent years. In fact, the British Retail Consortium have reported that violence and abuse against their...
HSE statistics reveal 2 million cases of work-related ill-health
Annual work-related ill-health and workplace injury statistics published by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) this week show that almost 2 million British workers are suffering from work-related illnesses. The HSE’s annual statistics for 2022-23 also reveal that around half of reported cases of work-related ill-health are still due to mental health problems. The...
Farming safety focus of HSE inspection drive
The latest focused inspection initiative from the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) is part of a campaign to change Britain’s farming safety culture. Inspectors from Britain’s health and safety watchdog will visit farms across England, Scotland and Wales in the coming months to check for compliance with health and safety requirements and standards. The...
Take action for National Inclusion Week 2023
This week (25th September – 1st October) is National Inclusion Week 2023 in the UK, and the theme for this year is all about taking action to support people at work and make a positive impact. Founded by Inclusive Employers, National Inclusion Week is dedicated to celebrating inclusion and taking action to create more...
IOSH calls for ‘proactive and holistic’ approach to health and safety
The Institution of Occupational Safety and Health (IOSH) is calling for a “more proactive and holistic approach” to health and safety at work to prevent UK standards from falling. The world’s largest professional health and safety body is urging the government to ratify the International Labour Organization’s (ILO) conventions relating to occupational safety and...
HSE inspections target moving and handling
The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) has launched an inspection campaign focused on the health risks of moving and handling materials on construction sites. Britain’s health and safety watchdog wants to highlight the long-term health impacts of poor or unsafe moving and handling practices, with figures showing that around 42,000 construction workers suffer from...
School trust fined £80K after multiple children injured
A school trust has been fined £80,000 after safety failings led to multiple young children being injured in an incident that risked significant “mental and emotional impact.” The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) decided to prosecute Thurlow Educational Trust after a classroom ceiling collapsed at Rosemead Preparatory School in London, injuring 15 year 3...
HSE publishes asbestos report for schools
The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) has published a report about the management of asbestos in schools, including key safety recommendations. Britain’s health and safety watchdog visited over 400 primary and secondary schools across England, Scotland and Wales between September 2022 and March 2023. They wanted to check that schools were effectively managing the...