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...
Care firms fined following violent attacks on staff
Two firms operating in the adult social care sector have been fined more than £400,000 after “systemic failures” led to staff being injured in repeated violent attacks by patients. The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) said the leading care firms should have implemented “preventative measures to prevent violence,” such as training for staff. Britain’s...
Hospitality firms urged to ensure electrical safety this summer
Hospitality venues are being urged to check the electrical safety of their outdoor equipment, after a young boy lost his life when he was electrocuted in a pub garden. Danielle Jones, aged 34 from Romford, is calling on all pubs, restaurants and other hospitality venues to ensure that their outdoor electrical installations and equipment...
Firm fined after worker paralysed in ‘preventable’ incident
A manufacturing firm has been fined for health and safety failings after a worker was left paralysed following an “easily preventable” incident. Last month, Kidderminster Magistrates’ Court heard how the worker, a 65-year-old man from Worcester, suffered “life-changing” injuries when working for Mountfield CNC Ltd on 4th January 2022. He had been setting up...
School fined £35,000 for ‘shocking and scary’ burn incident
A primary school has been prosecuted by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) and fined £35,000 for “common sense” safety failings that led to a “shocking and scary” burn incident involving a young child. The London-based school had pleaded not guilty to breaching health and safety regulations but were found guilty following a trial...
HSE reveals 135 people were killed at work last year
The latest work-related fatality statistics for Great Britain reveal that 135 people were killed in accidents at work last year. Published by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) this month, the annual figures cover the period from April 2022 until March 2023 and detail work-related fatalities. Britain’s health and safety watchdog says that the industries...
HSE dust inspection drive targets woodworking businesses
Inspectors from the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) will be visiting woodworking businesses to check they are managing the respiratory risks from wood dust. Britain’s health and safety watchdog warns that many businesses in the woodworking industry are endangering their workers’ lives by failing to implement the required safety measures to prevent or control...