Monthly Archives: May 2014

Asbestos – What are the Health Risks?

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Asbestos is responsible for over 4000 deaths every year. Younger people, if routinely exposed to asbestos fibres over time, are at greater risk of developing asbestos-related disease than older workers. This is due to the time it takes for the body to develop symptoms after exposure to asbestos (latency).

Exposure to asbestos can cause four main diseases:

  • mesothelioma (a cancer of the lining of the lungs – it is always fatal and is almost exclusively caused by exposure to asbestos)
  • asbestos-related lung cancer (which is almost always fatal)
  • asbestosis (a scarring of the lungs which is not always fatal but can be a very debilitating disease, greatly affecting quality of life)
  • diffuse pleural thickening (a thickening of the membrane surrounding the lungs which can restrict lung expansion leading to breathlessness).
It can take anywhere between 15 to 60 years for any symptoms to develop after exposure, so these diseases will not affect you immediately but may do later in life. You need to start protecting yourself against any exposure to asbestos now because the effect is cumulative.
Asbestos was a widely used material within commercial buildings, homes and machinery until 1999, when it was banned. This means that asbestos is common in the general environment. However, working directly with asbestos- containing materials (ACMs) can give personal exposures to airborne asbestos that are much higher than normal environmental levels.
Repeated occupational exposures can give rise to a substantial cumulative exposure over time. This will increase the risk of developing an asbestos-related disease in the future.

The majority of the current fatal cases from asbestos exposure are associated with very high exposures from past industrial processes and installation of asbestos products. 

For more information about asbestos, see http://www.hse.gov.uk/asbestos/faq.htm

HSE ABC – How do your health and safety skills measure up?

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It’s as easy as ABC

A risk assessment for using a tape measure and written guidance for walking up stairs – these are just two of the bizarre actions that some companies mistakenly believe are necessary.

These absurd steps were typical of several myths uncovered in an HSE survey. So to help anyone who wants to separate fact from fiction, HSE is encouraging small and medium sized employers to use its free online tools and guidance.

The H&S ABC provides simple information to help small firms save time, effort and money by identifying the things they really do and don’t need to do.

The results also revealed that one in five people (22 per cent) surveyed believed they weren’t capable of managing health and safety themselves and needed to hire a specialist consultant. Eleven per cent believed that a qualified electrician must test electrical appliances, such as kettles and toasters, every year – another persistent myth.

Nearly a third of small businesses surveyed classed themselves as ‘hopeful-have-a-gos’ when it came to health and safety – aware they have to take some action but unsure where to start or if what they are doing is correct.

Whether a business employs one or two people, or is expanding to multiple locations, the free online guidance will help even complete beginners get health and safety right.

Visit www.hse.gov.uk/abc to get started with sensible health and safety.

The HSE Fight Back – Part 1

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The HSE fight back and respond to an article in The Morpeth Herald – ‘Health and Safety Madness Risks Lives’. 

The original “news” story:

‘RIDICULOUS’ health-and-safety rules could be leaving children’s lives at risk, a councillor has warned.

The Herald revealed in June that hundreds of children at Chantry and Newminster Middle Schools were being left to cross the busy Mitford Road without an attendant. Parents and teachers were told in December that a lollipop man was due to start soon, but he never showed up for duty and there continues to be no school crossing patrol in place.

Now Morpeth Town Council has learnt that teachers and parents are unable to help show youngsters safely across the road without having appropriate training or insurance. Coun Alison Byard told the Planning and Transport Committee last week: “I went to the schools to have a look to see what was happening at home-time.

“They did have a teacher on duty, but what I didn’t realise is that the teacher is 10ft back from the road and out of sight of the cars. They can’t even let the cars see them. All they can do is ensure the kids don’t run towards the road.”

The committee suggested approaching local Police Community Support Officers to fill the gap until a crossing attendant is appointed. But it dismissed calls from Coun David Clark for the community to take on the task, saying any volunteer could be at risk of legal action if an accident occurred.

Coun Clark said: “I find it hard to believe that the head and teachers can’t form a rota. These health-and-safety rules are madness. It just seems crazy.” After the meeting, he said: “It seems as though we are putting ridiculous health-and-safety rules and fear of litigation before the safety of our children. The world has gone mad.

“I think parents should don high-vis vests and take matters into their own hands as Northumberland County Council seems unable to resolve this.”

The HSE’s response was as follows:

Sir,

Your report (Morpeth Herald online, 23 January, “Health and Safety madness risks lives”) suggests ‘health and safety’ is the reason for teachers not helping children to cross a road.

Whatever the reasons for teachers believing they are not allowed to see youngsters safely across the road, we at the Health and Safety Executive would like to be clear that it is not because there is anything in health and safety legislation that prohibits it.

We see hundreds of stories each year in which health and safety is blamed incorrectly for an unnecessary or overzealous restriction. So much so that we’ve set up a panel of experts to help people challenge daft decisionshttp://www.hse.gov.uk/contact/myth-busting.htm

‘Health and safety gone mad’ is something we hear too much about, but we should keep our minds on what health and safety legislation is really there to do – ensuring everyone can return home to their families, safe and well, from their day’s work.

Yours

John Rowe, Head of Operations Yorkshire & North East

Zombie invasion foiled by health and safety officials

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Another step too far??

Plans to hold a zombie invasion theme night at a disused hotel have been turned down because of safety concerns.

Events company Requiem Live wanted to turn the International Hotel, in Rutland Street, Leicester, into a house of horrors on May 24. It was aiming to sell up to 500 tickets to enthusiasts looking to spend the night being plagued by actors dressed as the undead.

But councillors refused to grant the firm a temporary event notice.

A licensing hearing, held at Leicester Town Hall yesterday, heard council officials were concerned about the run-down state of the building – the reason it was attractive to the company, which wanted a venue with a post-apocalyptic vibe.

Council pollution control officer Andrew Sansome told the hearing: “Building work has come to a halt, leaving it in an unfinished state.

“I believe it is unsuitable for a playground-type chase event with participants who would be in a highly charged state.” He said the event would use four floors from the basement up but there was a limited electricity supply, uneven floors, broken windows and asbestos.

Mr Sansome warned of the potential for accidents and said there were concerns about “noise break-out from the occasional scream”.

Oliver Snedker, of Requiem, said safety fears were based on assumptions. He said the £25-a-head event, which would see people walking a pre-determined route, encountering zombie volunteers, would be marshaled and all participants would have a head torch.

There would be public liability insurance of up to £10 million. He said the event would not involve chasing and customers would be briefed not to run, except in one open area in the basement car park.

“We are responsible for providing a safe event but the customers are responsible for themselves,” he said.

Councillors raised concerns about plans to sell alcohol but were told it would be available only at the end of the experience and would not be allowed back into the zombie zone. Mr Snedker said there would be a maximum of 250 to 300 people in the building at any time and only 100 of them were likely to be moving, with the rest waiting their turn.

Richard Wheatcroft, of Requiem, said the company used one floor of the building in a similar event last year without any objection from the council. Mr Snedker said any hazards would be made safe by a contractor. He said: “We believe we have suitably offered remedies to the concerns raised.”

Licensing committee chairman John Thomas said: “Our major concern is the possible risk to the public posed by the state of the building.” He told Mr Snedker and Mr Wheatcroft another building might be better and said: “We think it’s a great concept. We feel you will take this as a learning exercise.”

After the hearing, Mr Snedker said: “We are disappointed given we have used the venue before without objection by the council.

“Nevertheless, we appreciate the concern and will be considering the alternatives.”

Article shared from The Leicester Mercury. 

 

Local Council Risk Aversion – Bonfire Night fireworks cancelled over health and safety

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SPARKS are flying after council chiefs confirmed there will be no official Bonfire Night celebrations for Peterlee this year. Yet another classic example of risk aversion over risk management. Is there really no limit to the lengths organisations will go to avoid the basic need to manage risks, giving health and safety a bad reputation?

The decision was made at a town council meeting before the 2014-15 budget was set. Town council leader, Councillor Bill Jeffrey, insists the reason is because of health and safety, and congestion caused by heavy traffic.

But fellow town councillor Andrew Watson, of the Free and Independent Representation Party, claims it is due to cost-cutting. The event is said to cost between £4,000 and £7,000 to stage.

Coun Jeffrey said: “It wasn’t done because of money, it was done because of health and safety.

“Last year there was a lot of congestion – people couldn’t get in or out.

“But where do you stand if there’s an emergency?” But Coun Watson said: “The reason is they can’t afford it, it’s a money-saving exercise. Durham County Council and County Durham and Darlington Fire and Rescue Service recommend people go to an organised display.”

Shared from The Sunderland Echo.

Health and Safety ‘red tape’ cut will threaten workers’ lives

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The government’s fervent desire to cut back on “key” health and safety legislation will increase accidents and fatalities in the workplace, says TUC.

For Workers’ Memorial Day, April 28th, the TUC alerted the public that workplace deaths are infrequently genuine accidents, and are more likely the result of serious employer negligence.

The union organisation’s commemorative report, Toxic, Corrosive and Hazardous: the government’s record on health and safety, warns that the coalition government has “drastically cut” health and safety inspections.

Despite this, it is estimated that around 20,000 people die each year as a direct result of injuries or health problems sustained whilst at work.

Health and Safety Executive (HSE) inspections, the report says, have experienced a 40 per cent cut to funding, compounded by a block on further regulation.

Shockingly, the report claims local authorities have dropped inspections by 93 per cent over the last four years. Further government proposals include H&S exemption for self-employed workers, a particularly vulnerable group for workplace accidents.

TUC General Secretary Frances O’Grady said: “The government says that the UK is a safe place to work and that we don’t need any more regulation. If only this were the case. With the UK ranked just 20th in the health and safety risk index of 34 developed nations, we’ve hardly got a record to be proud of”.

The TUC recommend the government reconsider and completely reverse their position on the importance of health and safety, instead ensuring that all workplaces are inspected regularly and providing further resources for the often overlooked area of occupational health.

Regulation must be upheld for workers who inhabit particularly dusty or otherwise carcinogenic environments, the report states, as well as ensuring that a maximum acceptable workplace temperature is enforced.

O’Grady added: “There is a real danger that further cuts and deregulation will destroy the workplace safety culture that has existed in Britain for many decades – with a disastrous effect on workers health and safety.

“But there is an alternative – a government that is committed to protecting workers and puts a stop to the large-scale negligence that claims the lives or health of far too many workers and costs the state billions of pounds”.

Article shared from www.theinformationdaily.com

HSE Mythbusters – Junior School is to ban children bringing a snack of fruit or rice cakes

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A Junior School is to ban children bringing a snack of fruit or rice cakes to school on the grounds of “health and safety”. Their reasoning is that this is a health and safety risk to children at school with food allergies.

Whilst schools need to have procedures in place for managing pupils with food allergies, they should not misquote ‘health and safety’ as a reason for justifying a disproportionate ban on all snacks. Various guidance by other organisations than HSE make it clear that schools need to have a policy and an action plan in place to manage the risk of allergic reactions. A complete banning of all snacks seems a thoroughly disproportionate response which goes against some of the stated principles in the guidance of helping food allergic pupils to learn to take responsibility for their own allergy – an important life skill given that the world cannot be made nut/allergen-free!

More mythbusting cases can be found at http://www.hse.gov.uk/myth/myth-busting/index.htm

Firm Fined for Putting Workers at Risk

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An inspection at a Tyne and Wear company has saw the firm fined for putting workers at risk of serious injury after numerous potentially dangerous machines were found to be poorly guarded (prosecuted under a breach of PUWER).

The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) carried out an inspection at two premises belonging to floral foam manufacturers Smithers-Oasis UK Ltd on the Crowther Industrial Estate, Washington. It followed an incident in which a machine operator suffered a partial amputation of her left middle finger and a broken left index finger while operating a milling machine.

Sunderland Magistrates’ Court heard today (25 April) that at the time of the incident, on 9 May 2012, HSE found there were no protective measures in place to stop workers getting too close to a specific dangerous moving part of the milling machine.

After the incident Smithers-Oasis UK Ltd did fit guarding to this area, but it was not fully effective and HSE served an enforcement notice requiring the firm to further improve the safety guards, which was complied with.

In October 2012 HSE Inspector Paul Miller carried out a general inspection of the company’s Tilley Road and Crowther Road sites and a significant number of machinery guarding defects were identified on several machines.

HSE served another Improvement Notice requiring action where the existing machinery guarding arrangements were found to be deficient. Again, this notice was complied with.

Smithers-Oasis UK Ltd, of Crowther Road, Washington, was fined £8,000 and ordered to pay £6,630 in costs after pleading guilty to breaching Regulation 11(1) of the Provision and Use of Work Equipment Regulations 1998.

After the hearing, HSE inspector Paul Miller said:

“For a number of months employees at two sites had been put at risk of serious injuries due to Smithers-Oasis UK Ltd failing to prevent access to dangerous parts on a substantial number of machines. This was despite a worker’s injury and visits by HSE.

“These failings could have led to further injuries to workers including cuts, amputations and crush injuries. The company was simply lucky that a more serious incident to the one in May 2012 did not occur.

“Employers must take effective measures to prevent access to dangerous parts of machinery. This will normally be by fixed guarding but where routine access is needed, interlocked guards (sometimes with guard locking) may be needed to stop the movement of dangerous parts before a person can reach the danger zone. Where this is not possible – such as with the blade of a circular saw – it must be guarded as far as is reasonably practicable and a safe system of work used.”

More information about the safe use of machinery can be found at http://www.hse.gov.uk/work-equipment-machinery/puwer.htm

Healthy Workplaces Manage Stress

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EU-OSHA‘s Healthy Workplaces Campaign 2014 – 2015 is ‘Healthy workplaces manage stress’. You can find campaign specific information and resources at their website www.healthy-workplaces.eu/en

The key task of the campaign is raising awareness of stress and psychosocial risks in the workplace and encouraging employers, managers and workers and their representatives to work together to manage those risks.

Healthy Workplaces Manage Stress

The Campaign Guide presents the main principles and objectives of the campaign. It includes definitions of stress and psychosocial risks, and contains useful facts and figures to help you in your awareness-raising activities.

Tackling stress and psychosocial risks creates a healthy work environment, improves worker well-being and business performance. To promote these outcomes, the main focuses of the campaign are:

  • To raise awareness of the growing problem of work-related stress and psychosocial risks.
  • To provide and promote the use of simple, practical tools and guidance for managing psychosocial risks and stress in the workplace.
  • To highlight the positive effects of managing psychosocial risks and stress in the workplace, including the business case.

The Campaign Guide explains the background to the problem and why it is so important to tackle it. It outlines the warning signs and how to prevent and manage psychosocial risks, providing information on resources and support.