Latest News and Case Studies
Case Studies
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Latest News
May 2025
Under the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974, employers have a legal obligation to provide a working environment safe and free from health risks, including those brought about by extreme weather conditions. Here’s an overview on health and safety protocols to beat high workplace temperatures:
Cambridgeshire County Council pleaded guilty to two offences under section 3(1) of the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974. It has been fined £6mn plus £292,460.90 for serious safety failings on its Guided Busway that led to three deaths and multiple injuries over a ten-year period. The Guided Busway, being a unique form of public transport infrastructure, did not fall clearly under the standard categories typically enforced by either the HSE or local authorities. This ambiguity led to initial uncertainty over which agency was responsible for its safety enforcement:
According to new research by Towergate Employee Benefits, 54% of UK employers provide support for mental and social health, 52% provide support for social wellbeing, 44% for physical health and wellbeing, and 43% for financial health. Most shockingly, 9% of employers provide no health and wellbeing support at all. With 33.86 million people currently employed in the UK, that amounts to over 3 million employees:
Two UK companies have been honoured for their innovative workplace safety designs that reduce the risk of musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs) in their operations. Ainscough Crane Hire has won the MSD Risk Reduction through Design Award 2024/25, while UPM Raflatac Ltd has received the Small to Medium Enterprise (SME) Recognition Award:
Sussex-based Truffles Bakers and Confectioners Limited has pleaded guilty to a breach of Regulation 11(1) of The Provision and Use of Work Equipment Regulations 1998 after an employee lost part of his left index finger in machinery in December 2023. The company was fined £12,000 plus £3,045.65 costs:
New research by Eunomia for the Environmental Services Association (ESA) shows that implementing universal kerbside collections for waste batteries and small electricals across the UK could save £6bn over the next decade:
Researchers from the University of Glasgow have found that slag, an industrial waste product from the steel industry, is turning into solid rock in as little as 35 years - challenging centuries of understanding of the planet’s geological processes:
The Corry Review recommends a number of changes to the way environmental regulation operates. Delivering Economic Growth and Nature Recovery: An Independent Review of Defra’s Regulatory Landscape, produced by economist Dan Corry, sets out 29 recommendations intended to have “a system level impact”:
The Department for Work and Pensions has reappointed Sarah Newton as Chair of the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) Board. Sarah Newton has led HSE since 2020. Her reappointment will last for two years starting from 1 August 2025 to 31 July 2027:
Five years on from the first UK lockdown, office brokers Click Offices have analysed data from across the UK to see the impact of burnout on the workforce:
Are comfort and safety mutually exclusive? Improving wear rates of protective uniforms, a new report from Alsico on UK industries where electrical systems are present and protective uniforms must be worn (including electrical engineers, power plant workers, and road workers), has revealed that only 40% of professionals agreed to always wearing every part of the uniform provided to them:
April 2025
The huge ‘Health & Safety Event› is on in Hall 3, NEC, Birmingham, from Tuesday 8 April until Thursday 10 April. Registration is free:
As of 31 March 2025 (31 March 2027 for micro-firms), all workplaces (businesses and non-domestic premises) in England have a legal duty to present the following wastes separated in accordance with the arrangements with their waste collector: dry recyclable materials - plastic, metal, glass, paper and card; food waste; and black bin waste (residual waste):
As we approach Global Asbestos Awareness Week (April 1 – 7), the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) is reminding those running businesses occupying buildings built before 2000 to properly assess, manage and monitor asbestos risks in line with the law:
A new international workplace study by real-estate firm JLL places British workers as among the most reluctant to return to office-based working after the COVID pandemic. This significant cultural shift could have lasting consequences for office occupancy and commercial property – but also demands effective management to prevent worker disengagement, low productivity, and high staff turnover:
Surface Technik (Old Hill) Limited of Dudley (now in liquidation) has been found guilty of a breach of Section 2 (1) of the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974, and fined £90,000 plus costs of £28,956 after a worker fell 20 feet to his death dismantling a steel cleaning machine on 29 June 2018:
Work-related ill-health is costing the UK economy over £415 million a week. According to new analysis published by TUC, the number of days lost due to health conditions – including stress, depression and anxiety – has shot up by a third since 2010. In 2023 to 2024, 34 million working days were lost to work-related ill-health, compared to 22 million in 2010:
AB Agri Limited of Weston Centre, Grosvenor Street, London, an animal feed manufacturer, pleaded guilty to breaching Section 2(1) of the Health and Safety at Work etc Act 1974, and was fined £566,000 plus costs of £6,410 after an employee’s lower arm was severed when it became entangled in a conveyor in November 2021:
Shockingly, 90% of PPE inspected by the Office for Product Safety and Standards (OPSS) fails to comply with regulations. ‘PPE Saves Lives’, a ‘Health and Safety Matters’ webinar with the British Safety Industry Federation (BSIF) focused on examples of inadequate PPE products, and how to source compliant PPE under Great Britain’s current legal framework:
hsmsearch.com. Watch the 1-hour webinar here: wbmwebinars.com/not-fit-for-work/register
On 31 March 2025 the UK Chemicals Helpline telephone services line 0330 159 1985 for the Biocidal Products Regulation (BPR), Prior Informed Consent Regulation (PIC) and Classification, Labelling and Packaging Regulation (CLP) will be closing, and support reverting to the HSE. The line will remain open for UK REACH enquiries:
New data reveals that almost half of UK employees believe their job poses a risk to their eye health, yet many workplaces are failing to implement adequate safety measures:
A new blog series from IOSH looks at the growing need for occupational safety and health (OSH) professionals to help protect workers from the effects of climate change. In the opening blog, Ria Sooknarine, Communications Coordinator for the Hazardous Industries Group, assesses the health and safety challenges of rising sea levels:
Advice on selecting the right ergonomic chair to reduce musculoskeletal problems and comply with the PUWER (Provision and Use of Work Equipment) regulations:
The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) has published its 2025 Annual Science Review highlighting the range of research that HSE scientists are working on, from the safe introduction of hydrogen technologies to assessing the evidence for safe levels of exposure to various toxicological hazards. Download here:
March 2025
West Fraser (Europe) Ltd, formerly known as Norbord, a multi-national manufacturer of wood-based products, has been fined more than £1 million after two workers were injured in separate incidents at its Cowie plant in 2020. The company failed to comply with regulations 11(1) and (2) of the Provision and Use of Work Equipment Regulations 1998, and sections 33(1)(a), 33(1)(c), and 4(2) of the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974:
An inspection programme by Britain’s workplace regulator has led to major safety improvements in the offshore industry. The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) inspected 13 production operators between January 2022 and May 2024 as part of its Process Safety Leadership Principles (PSLP) programme.
The International Powered Access Federation (IPAF) is working with the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) and its Product Safety and Market Surveillance Unit (PSMSU) to ensure a shared understanding of emergency stop functionality requirements for Mobile Elevating Work Platforms:
Vanessa Harwood-Whitcher, the Chief Executive of the Institution of Occupational Safety and Health (IOSH) has expressed concern about the potential removal of funding for Level 7 occupational safety and health (OSH) apprenticeships:
Free registration for Health and Safety Matters Live on 4 June 2025 at the Coventry Building Society Arena is now open. The one-day, free-to-attend conference and exhibition is co-located with a NEBOSH alumni event:
A new White Paper from IOSH, iosh.com/about/what-we-do/white-papers/a-platform-for-success, calls on the Government to ensure gig economy workers have the same employment rights and health and safety protections as those in more secure jobs, and seeks alternatives to zero-hour contracts.
An interdisciplinary network of engineers, policymakers, industry stakeholders and social scientists, led by the University of Surrey’s Centre for Vision, Speech and Signal Processing (CVSSP), has received funding of over £1.8 million to promote conscious design processes to address UK noise pollution:
A recent study commissioned by BKV GmbH analyses the current availability of post-consumer recycled (PCR) materials and forecasts demand up to 2030. The results show that despite expected improvements in recycling infrastructure, significant supply shortages are looming:
Cleveland Steel and Tubes Ltd has been fined £250,000 after a worker died in November 2022 after becoming trapped in an unguarded machine holding a five-tonne pipe. The company pleaded guilty to one offence under Regulation 11(1) of the Provision and Use of Work Equipment Regulations 1998:
With 1.16 million workers in the UK aged 66 or older, organisations must be proactive in reassessing and adjusting their health and safety procedures, policies and measures to ensure they adequately protect and support older workers:
Circular Online examines the top 10 technological innovations that are set to shape waste management goals in sustainability and efficiency in 2025:
February 2025
A debate on the Consumer Products (Control of Biocides) Bill Second Reading was held in the House of Lords on 17 January 2025:
2024 has been a transformative year for offshore oil and gas safety, with Red Zone monitoring becoming a cornerstone of operational best practices:
David Head, Head of Safety Marketing at Draeger Safety UK, provider of medical and safety technology products, reports on five trends in workplace safety to watch in 2025:
As the UK reduces its reliance on coal and oil, Aniqah Majid speaks to the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) about risk factors to look out for as assets age and operators look to repurpose them:
Builders’ merchant Travis Perkins have been fined £2m plus £85,000 costs after part of a timber load fell off one of its lorries on the A26 and into the windscreen of an oncoming car, killing the driver. The company admitted three offences contrary to the Health and Safety at Work etc Act 1974:
British Safety Council has teamed up with Dr. Tim Marsh, a world-leading safety psychologist, to publish a collection of his writing on health, safety and wellbeing in a book ‘Tim Marsh’s Musings: Wisdom and Wit from a Safety Psychologist’:
IOSH’s Eloise Byrne explores the societal perceptions and potential stigma associated with refuse collection work and how occupational safety and health (OSH) professionals can influence change:
2023 marked a significant spike in suicide rates in England and Wales, reaching their highest levels since 1999. Paul Verrico, partner at Eversheds Sutherland, highlights the increasing risk of corporate manslaughter cases and regulatory interest in occupational health:
Lord Patrick Vallance has emphasised plans for a close collaboration between the government and private sector, in line with the Labour Party’s plan to reestablish the country as a clinical research hub:
The British Safety Industry Federation is urging buyers and wearers of PPE to review their stocks and replace old and damaged items after a member survey showed outdated and poorly maintained PPE is in use across UK workplaces:
The new EU Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence Directive (CS3D) entered into force on 25 July 2024. Which businesses will be affected?:
January 2025
The UK’s national regulator for health and safety, the Health & Safety Executive (HSE), celebrated its 50th Anniversary on 1 January. It was created by the Health and Safety at Work etc Act 1974, and has played a central role in reducing workplace death and injury. In 1974, 651 employees were killed at work; HSE’s latest annual statistics for 2023/24 show that number had reduced to 138:
HSE.
In related news, Dr. Simon Walker, senior occupational health researcher, member of the University of Glasgow’s Healthy Working Lives Group, and grandson of Labour MP Harold Walker, stands up for the Health and Safety at Work etc Act 1974:
In the New Year’s honours list the Chief Executive of the HSE, Sarah Albon has been appointed a Companion of the Order of Bath for her services to the public sector:
Plastics manufacturer FloPlast Limited of Sittingbourne, Kent, pleaded guilty to breaching Section 2(1) of the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974 and fined £400,000 plus £5,567 in costs after an employee was seriously injured by a forklift truck in July 2023:
2024 saw million pound or more fines for the likes of Openreach, Samworth Brothers Limited (Ginsters), and Tata Chemicals, but also for smaller firms, for unsafe working conditions, missing or insufficient risk assessments, and failing to implement their own safety policies. Here are Safety & Health Practitioner’s Top 10 health and safety prosecutions of 2024:
New data published by the Office for National Statistics shows that there has been no change in health improvement since 2011, as the percentage of people who reported being in “very good” or “good” health increased by only 1%. In response, the Royal Society for Public Health are calling for an increased proportion of the health budget to be spent on preventative services (less than 8% in 2022), rather than in acute settings:
Over 1.6mn work-related illnesses have been reported in the UK during the last 12 months. Data from the Labour Force Survey (LFS) reveals that mental health issues (stress, depression, and anxiety) alone accounted for 776,000 cases - 46% of all work-related illnesses. Here are actionable steps employers can take to promote health and well-being in the workplace:
International drinks manufacturer Diageo Scotland Limited has been fined £500,000 after an employee sustained burns to over 30% of his body when pot ale erupted from a pipe at 104 degrees Celsius at the Glenlossie Distillery Complex, Elgin in March 2021. The company pleaded guilty to breaching Sections 2(1), 2(2)(a), 2(2)(c), 33(1)(a) and 33(1)(c) of the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974:
There are around 22,000 fires in the workplace across the UK each year, with a massive 25% caused by faulty or misused electrical equipment. IOSH look at the 8 most common causes and how to reduce the risks:
In December 2024, the Fulmar A platform operated by Repsol was served with a prohibition notice by the HSE. It was the fifth time the HSE had reprimanded Repsol in 2024, and the third time it had involved problems with the deluge system. The industry publication ‘Energy Voice’ had previously raised concerns about the issues on Fulmar A, and how industry use of the “fail fix” equipment test puts North Sea oil and gas workers at risk of fire:
The British Safety Council is the latest signatory to the ‘Battery Breakdown’ campaign run by Electrical First which seeks to raise awareness of risks from e-batteries and to improve their safety:
A comprehensive report from Electrical First can be downloaded www.electricalsafetyfirst.org.uk/battery-breakdown
Surrey-based plastic manufacturing company Brand Energy and Infrastructure Services UK Ltd, trading as Lyndon SGB, pleaded guilty to breaching Section 2(1) of the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974 and was fined £1.6mn plus £23,194 in costs after the death of an employee during a lifting operation using a lorry mounted crane in August 2019:
How to undertake a risk assessment for the use of hydrogen as an alternative energy source in a range of industries is set out in the Dangerous Substances and Explosive Atmospheres Regulations 2002 (DSEAR):
HSE.
In related news, a new report, ‘Powering Growth – The Role of Hydrogen Internal Combustion Engines in Non-Road Mobile Machinery’ provides recommendations for advancing hydrogen engines in the UK’s off-road machinery market in sectors including construction, agriculture, mining and forestry:
A health and safety manager for leading seafood supplier Orkney Fisherman's Society (now Orkney Crab Ltd) who quit the job he had held for 27 years when they ignored his repeated concerns over processing of rotting dead crabs has won an initial £9,256 in compensation for constructive and unfair dismissal. The company also failed to comply with The Transfer of Undertakings Regulations. Further compensation will be decided at a later date:
December 2024
According to International Labour Organization (ILO) estimates, nearly three million people worldwide die of work-related accidents and diseases every year. Another 395 million workers sustain non-fatal injuries, particularly in hazardous industrial sectors such as agriculture and construction. Even more alarming, the Poll data suggests that globally, 49% of all cases of workplace harm go unreported:
Munira Wilson, Liberal Democrat Spokesperson (Education, Children & Families) requested that leave be given to bring in a Bill to require the Chief Inspector of Drinking Water to issue guidance to water companies on poly and perfluorinated alkyl substances in drinking water; and for connected purposes:
www.theyworkforyou.com. The Bill was read for the First time on 5 November, and will be read a Second time on Friday 24 January 2025, and be printed (Bill 120).
Answer by Stephen Timms, The Minister of State, Department for Work and Pensions, to a question by Iain Duncan Smith, Conservative, on what assessment Government has made of the potential merits of applying a weight of evidence approach when making decisions on the mandatory (a) classification and (b) labelling of chemicals:
The International Association of Drilling Contractors (IADC,) the group behind a drive to improve mental health in the North Sea, has praised the response after 35 organisations working in the UK Continental Shelf sign up to its Mental Health and Well-being Charter:
Kent-based plastics manufacturer FloPlast Limited has been fined £400,000 plus £5,567 costs after an employee was seriously injured by a forklift truck on 4 July 2023. The company pleaded guilty to breaching Section 2(1) of the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974:
The fifth session of the Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee to develop an international legally binding instrument on plastic pollution, including in the marine environment (INC-5), has begun in Busan, Republic of Korea. The session, which ends on 1 December, aims to finalise and approve the text of the instrument:
The Institution of Occupational Safety and Health (IOSH) is calling for Government action to tackle “the scourge” of work-related ill health as new figures reveal that 1.7 million people were suffering from poor health caused by work last year, leading to 29.6 million lost working days:
Energy from Waste (EfW) company Bio Dynamic (UK) Limited of Nottingham has been fined £304,500 plus £229,988 in costs after two workers suffered ‘life changing’ injuries when a metal tank exploded at the company’s anaerobic digestion (AD) plant on 20 September 2017. The company pleaded guilty to breaching Section 2(1) and Section 3(1) of the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974; to breaching regulation 38(2) of the Environmental Permitting (England & Wales) Regulations 2016 (EPR), and s.33(1)(c) of the Environmental Protection Act 1990 (EPA):
The fatal injury rate in the waste industry is 3.65 per 100,000 workers, which is 9.1 times the all industry rate, according to the latest Health & Safety Executive (HSE) statistics for 2023/24. There were four fatal injuries to workers in the waste industry in 2023/24, and one fatal injury to a member of the public. According to the Annual Population Survey in 2023, the waste sector accounts for around 0.3% of the workforce in Great Britain:
Ginsters’ parent company, Samworth Brothers of Melton Mowbray, Leicestershire, has been fined £1.28mn plus £24,106 in costs following a fatal accident at The Cornwall Bakery in Callington, Cornwall. An employee on his first lone shift was crushed by a reversing lorry on 2 December 2021. There were 25 fatalities at work involving pedestrians in 2023/24:
October 2024
Based on quantitative and qualitative analysis of almost 900 responses from EHS professionals, the 2024 Health & Safety Report from RS in association with Health and Safety Matters is now available for free download, providing a definitive snapshot of health and safety across the UK and Ireland:
Craig Wiggins, chief executive of trade body Step Change in Safety, says “uncertainty” is a major concern for offshore safety, alongside “the great retirement” that stands to impact offshore workers in the high-risk environment of the North Sea:
The Lithium-ion Battery Safety Bill moves to the next step of the UK’s House of Lords by entering the Committee Stage. Since 2020, lithium-ion battery fires linked to the charging of e-bikes and e-scooters have contributed to 13 deaths in the UK, with many other people seriously injured or hospitalised:
Lithium-ion Battery Safety Bill [HL] - Parliamentary Bills - UK Parliament. See also: www.msn.com & www.britsafe.org
Hand-Arm Vibration Syndrome (HAVS) regulation and legislation differ in the US and UK. Tim Turney from monitoring solutions supplier Casella explains why, and the implications:
Overworking is a significant psychosocial hazard with serious health implications such as increased risk of cardiovascular disease, stroke, fatigue, stress, poor mental health, sleep disturbances, and even death. IOSH's Genis Fernandes considers these impacts and how to address the issue:
iosh.com. See also Ruth Wilkinson, IOSH Head of Policy and Public Affairs, responding to the publication of the UK Employment Rights Bill: iosh.com
Delays in fixing damaged or corroded fire safety equipment in the North Sea is causing huge concern. Industry figures have called for operators to stop using “fail fix” safety equipment test processes on offshore deluge systems:
ESG Consultant Keith Hole asks “Has safety changed too much?” as he reflects on a changing profession:
The “NEBOSH Online Conference: Creating… great health and safety practice” takes place on 20 November 2024, providing aspiring and practising health and safety professionals with a free day of educational content to support their professional development. Registration is open now:
On World Mental Health Day (10 October), the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) warned employers that they risk losing valued team members if they fail to manage their workers’ stress levels in the workplace. Around half of work-related ill health is down to stress, depression or anxiety with each person suffering taking an average of 19.6 days off work:
August 2024
Solicitor Beverley Sunderland asks what’s the reality of Labour’s promised sweeping changes to employment law?:
Scotland’s Just Transition Commission, an independent advisory body, has released a briefing paper on securing an orderly and just transition when Grangemouth, Scotland’s only oil refinery, closes in 2025 and is switched to being an import station for finished fuels:
Recycling company Veolia ES (UK) Limited of London, pleaded guilty to breaching Section 2(1) of the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974 after a demolition operative died and another was seriously injured while decommissioning a North Sea gas rig at an onshore facility in Great Yarmouth in October 2019. The company was fined £3,000,000 plus £60,000 in costs:
Circular waste management offers the potential for a net gain of more than USD 100 billion per year by 2050. To achieve this, a comprehensive framework is needed that integrates waste prevention, followed by reduction, reuse and recycling as priority measures:
The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) are urging offshore oil and gas companies to take a closer look at human factors with regard to safety critical tasks:
A direct link has been established between early (childhood) exposure to air pollution and bronchitic symptoms in adults without previous lung problems:
In related news, expanding London’s Ultra Low Emissions Zone (ULEZ) last August contributed to “dramatically lower” pollutant emissions across the UK capital in 2023:
The Office for the Internal Market (OIM), part of the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA), which independently advises the UK government, launched a study of regulatory restrictions on single-use plastics, on 29 July. A short online survey, which can be found on the single-use plastics project page, will run until 16 September 2024:
In a new white paper, ‘An EPR of Everything, Starting with Batteries’, the Chartered Institute of Waste Management (CIWM) has called for extended producer responsibility (EPR) for batteries (and products containing batteries) and a targeted deposit return scheme (DRS):
www.circularonline.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/CIWM-373-Batteries-Report-Document-Final-upload-compressed.pdf & www.circularonline.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/CIWM-Battery-Report-FINAL-20240718-upload.pdf
The UK’s Health and Safety at Work etc Act 1974 remains fit for purpose but needs updating to reflect modern working practices, say the majority of respondents to an IOSH online poll. 31 July marked half a century since the Act received Royal Assent. It has been widely credited with helping to reduce the number of fatalities in UK workplaces – from 651 in the year it was published to 138 last year:
To commemorate the 50th anniversary of the Health and Safety at Work etc Act 1974, industry publication ‘Safety & Health Practitioner’ (SHP) in association with the National Examination Board in Occupational Safety and Health (NEBOSH), has commissioned short essays from a range of people from the profession, each reflecting on the Act’s impact and its future role:
July 2024
Ruth Wilkinson, IOSH’s Head of Policy and Public Affairs, says with a new government in place it is time for a greater focus on protecting people at work:
The Dräger Safety and Health at Work Report 2024, an annual study exploring attitudes to safety and health topics in UK workplaces, has found that more than nine in ten workers believe that the Health & Safety at Work etc. Act should be overhauled, fifty years after it was introduced.
The Health & Safety Executive (HSE) has published the latest statistics on deaths resulting from work-related accidents in 2023/24 that were reportable under the Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations (RIDDOR): www.hse.gov.uk/statistics/assets/docs/fatalinjuries.pdf The report reveals that 50 workers died due to a fall from height in 2023/24 in Great Britain – an increase of 22% from 2022/23, which saw 41 deaths. These are the highest fatality numbers in the last 17 years:
www.hsmsearch.com/Height-industry-workplace-deaths-increase
Military explosives manufacturer Chemring Countermeasures Ltd., of Romsey, Hampshire, has pleaded guilty to breaching Regulation 2(1) of the Health and Safety at Work etc Act 1974 and been fined £670,000 plus £12,835 costs after an employee was killed and another seriously injured in an explosion at its factory in August 2018:
An article by Dr Karen McDonnell, Head of Global Relations at the Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents (RoSPA), on how vehicle-related deaths and injuries are preventable if employers take the right steps to assess the risks and implement the right control measures:
The not-for-profit International Powered Access Federation (IPAF) has released its Global Safety Report 2024 which examines the primary causes of major injuries and fatalities during the operation of powered access machinery, including Mobile Elevated Work Platforms (MEWPs), Mast Climbing Working Platforms (MCWPs), and Construction Hoists (CH):
A ‘Safety & Health Practitioner’ (SHP) webinar on neurodiversity ‘You, me, and diversity – working better together – Are you bringing out the best in your entire workforce?’, which took place on 10 July, is now available on demand:
There is currently no law in the UK on maximum working temperatures. The TUC is calling for a change in the law so that employers must attempt to reduce temperatures above 24°C, plus an absolute maximum indoor working temperature of 30°C or 27°C for strenuous jobs: www.personneltoday.com/hr/maximum-working-temperature-uk-law-tuc. In the USA, the White House has unveiled a long-awaited proposal to establish the nation’s first-ever federal workplace standard for extreme heat:
June 2024
Data collected by the business insurer QBE suggests that batteries powering electric vehicles were involved in almost three fires a day in 2023, compared to under two fires a day in 2022. The findings show that 29% of lithium-ion fires involved e-bikes, but fires increased also for e-scooters, e-cars, e-trucks, and e-buses:
www.shponline.co.uk. A free e-book ‘Lithium-Ion batteries. A guide to the fire risk that isn’t going away but can be managed’ is available for download: www.shponline.co.uk/downloads/lithium-ion-batteries-guide-to-fire-risk-firechief-2024
RIDDOR guidance has been improved, providing more direct links on types of reportable incidents; who should and should not report under RIDDOR; clarity on ‘work-related’ accidents; when an occupational disease is not reportable; ‘over-7-day’ absences:
Free tickets are now available for the Environmental Services & Solutions (ESS) Expo to be held at the Birmingham NEC from 11-12 September. The Expo will showcase cutting-edge technologies and strategies in net-zero, decarbonisation, resource management, circular economy, water scarcity and management, biodiversity conservation, environmental emergency response and emissions control:
Aberdeen-based MRS Training & Rescue has issued a free downloadable White Paper on working in confined spaces following Institution of Occupational Safety and Health (IOSH) findings that 15 people die per year while working in such spaces in the UK. The Paper covers current legislation, responsibilities of CEOs, HR, managers and supervisors, and risk assessments:
In a report published on 5 June, ‘The Case for a National Chemicals Agency’, the Royal Society of Chemistry (RSC) urges the next UK government to establish a dedicated chemicals agency. It states the UK’s current system for chemicals regulation and management is inefficient, poor value for money and lacks long-term planning. Download:
Openreach Limited has pleaded guilty to breaching Section 2 (1) of the Health and Safety at work etc. Act 1974 and was fined £1.34 million plus costs of £15,858.35 after an engineer drowned in the River Aber in Abergwyngregyn whilst trying to repair a telephone line. There had been no safe system of work in place for work on or near water, and no training, information or instruction for the team of workers.
The Institution of Occupational Safety and Health (IOSH) has launched a manifesto, ‘Safer, healthier, happier’, calling for the next government to prioritise improving occupational health services in order to rebuild the economy and reduce NHS waiting lists. Download:
The lifting of the cap on civil sanctions that can be imposed by the Environment Agency (EA) on companies in breach provides a meaningful alternative to prosecution. Could this be an attractive approach for the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) to follow?
‘The control of legionella bacteria in evaporative cooling systems’ (HSG274: Part 1), has been updated. It includes clearer advice on testing of pH and biocide levels. Free downloads:
Middlesbrough-based Esken Renewables, which generates biofuel from renewable waste, has pleaded guilty to breaching Regulation 7(1) of the Control of Substances Hazardous to Health (COSHH) Regulations 2002, fined £160,000 plus over £5,000 in costs. The HSE brought the case over long-term risks to staff of excessive exposure to wood dust:
Nearly three quarters (74%) of employers offer more health and wellbeing support now than they did two years ago. However, it is not always effectively targeted, meaning that quiet quitting, high staff turnover, hybrid working, presenteeism, absence rates and early retirement are still threats to businesses:
The HSE has published its strategic approach to Artificial Intelligence (AI). The use of AI comes within the scope of the Health and Safety at Work etc Act 1974, and so the principles of health and safety law need to be taken into account:
May 2024
Global advisory, broking and solutions company WTW’s 2024 Global Directors and Officers Survey Report identified health and safety as the top risk category in 2024 as measured across more than 50 countries:
Global Directors’ and Officers’ Survey Report 2024 - WTW (wtwco.com)
Following this year’s World Day for Safety and Health at Work on 28 April 2024, which was based around the impacts of climate change on occupational safety and health, the Institution of Occupational Safety and Health (IOSH) and the UN Global Compact Network UK have united to call for corporate action:
iosh.com/news-and-opinion/protecting-workers-from-the-impacts-of-climate-change
Hull-based Niche Fused Magnesia Limited, a manufacturer of magnesium oxide, has pleaded guilty to breaching Section 2(1) of the Health and Safety at Work etc Act 1974 and fined £366,500 plus costs of £7,325.82 after a worker suffered fatal crush injuries in 2018:
Company fined £360k after trapped worker loses life (shponline.co.uk)
The US Environmental Protection Agency has announced that it will ban most uses of methylene chloride which has been linked to dozens of deaths. All consumer use will be prohibited within a year, and most commercial and industrial use will be phased out within the next two years. There will be stronger worker safety protections for the remaining “critical” uses:
SHP’s bi-annual legislation update webinar on Wednesday 29 May (11.00 a.m. BST) will cover the latest Health and Safety guidance and forthcoming consultations including 50 years of the Health and Safety at Work Act; an update on Martyn’s Law; and changes around flexible working:
www.shponline.co.uk/resources/webinar-health-and-safety-legislation-update
The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) has issued an improvement notice to Diamond Offshore Drilling for failing “to provide comprehensible instructions” ahead of the collapse of equipment on the GreatWhite drilling rig West of Shetland during a storm of 1 February this year:
A report by hygiene and workwear products provider RS Safety Solutions reveals that 82% of health and safety officials agree current female PPE is unsuitable for women due to sizing and fit issues:
Health and safety officials: suitable woman PPE hard to find (foodmanufacture.co.uk)
In a related article, the British Safety Industry Federation (BSIF) discusses the responsibilities of buyers of PPE and safety equipment and explains how incorporating the Registered Safety Supplier (RSS) scheme into procurement processes can help: Are you meeting your responsibilities as a buyer of PPE and safety equipment?(shponline.co.uk)
Having identified that thermites, and thermite containing articles, meeting the criteria for being classified for transport in Great Britain and the ADR area as Class 1 dangerous goods (as explosive substances and articles) are currently being transported either as non-dangerous goods or as Class 4.1 dangerous goods (flammable solids), the HSE has issued a new safety notice:
Praxis42‘s Head of Fire Safety Rob Sherman analyses the main concerns of having an Electrical Vehicle (EV) fleet, and how to minimise risk:
www.shponline.co.uk/prevention-and-protection/ev-fleet-are-electric-cars-safe
The HSE has issued Guidance on its regulatory approach to Artificial Intelligence (AI), including regulating the use of AI where it impacts on health and safety in workplaces; regulating the use of AI in design, manufacture and supply of workplace machinery, equipment and products; and where AI impacts on HSE’s role to protect people and places, including building safety, chemicals and pesticides regulation:
HSE’s regulatory approach to Artificial Intelligence (AI) – News - HSE
April 2024
Britain is becoming a toxic chemical dumping ground – yet another ‘benefit’ of Brexit, says George Monbiot:
Stateside Foods Limited of Bolton, one of the UK’s largest producers of supermarket pizzas, has been fined £800,000 after two workers suffered serious injuries in 2020 when limbs became trapped in unguarded machinery. The company pleaded guilty to breaching Section 2 (1) and 3 (1), of the Health and Safety at Work etc Act:
The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) has published the second Post Implementation Review (PIR) of RIDDOR, with a view to expanding it to include areas where HSE regulatory intervention can add value. There are five recommendations, and work is already underway on the first two regarding guidance and online reporting:
After a detailed period of development, the much-anticipated Asbestos Network Technical Working Group (ANTWG) guidance on Personal Monitoring (PM) has been published and is available from the ACAD Technical Reference Library
AN-TWG-Appendix-01_23-Personal-Sampling-Employee-Health-and-Exposure-Records-FINAL.pdf
America’s Environmental Protection Agency has announced a comprehensive ban on chrysotile asbestos, the only type of asbestos currently used in or imported to the country. The aim is to reduce cancer deaths and prevent cases of lung, ovarian, colorectal, laryngeal and other cancers:
For the second time in four years Hertfordshire-based Materials Movement Limited has caused the death of an employee. Most recently, it pleaded guilty to breaching Regulation 15(2) of the Construction (Design and Management) Regulations 2015 after a fatal crush injury at a site in Brampton, Cambridgeshire:
The HSE has served an improvement notice on offshore drilling service company Valaris after an 85kg sheet of Perspex was dropped on one the company’s rigs in an uncontrolled manner which had the potential to result in a serious personal injury or a fatality:
The magazine ‘Private Eye’ no. 1620 29 March-11 April 2024 [no link available] has highlighted the lack of action within the Asbestos industry on making it safer for female Analysts to use decontamination units. Several have reported intimidation, assaults, and worse, as was highlighted in this 2021 article following the Faculty of Asbestos Assessment and Management (FAAM) Conference:
The HSE Recruitment Network’s ‘The 2024 HSE Remuneration Report’ delves into the average salaries, bonus expectations, and the most valued employee benefits across various HSE roles. It reveals a clear correlation between years of experience and salary levels across different HSE roles, and that a distinct gender disparity exists within the profession:
The HSE has warned Stork Technical Services Ltd. of Aberdeen after an inspection on the Shell-operated Nelson platform that respiratory equipment worn by their painters was compromised by their facial hair. The paint used contained xylene, ethylbenzene and 4-methylpentan-2-one (also known as methyl isobutyl ketone), all of which are hazardous to human health if inhaled:
March 2024
INEOS Chemicals Grangemouth Limited has been fined £400,000 after an employee’s leg was severely burned after he fell into a sump containing a caustic solution in November 2019. The company pleaded guilty to an offence under Section 2(1) and Section 33(1)(a) of the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974:
More than 50 percent of all US medical supplies are sterilised by ethylene oxide, and there are significant health risks now coming to light:
Registration is now open for Health and Safety Matters Live Coventry 2024, a free-to-attend conference taking place on 27 June 2024. It will be co-located with a NEBOSH Alumni conference:
A look at the hazards associated with offshore decommissioning:
The UK’s House of Lords environment and climate change committee is to examine the impact of methane on climate change, the benefits of delivering reduction targets and the UK’s progress on its commitments. It seeks evidence up to 15 April from the waste and waste management sector, along with agriculture and fossil fuels:
Dame Carol Black, the UK government’s new Occupational Health Tsar, will head up a Taskforce producing a voluntary occupational health framework for businesses. Just 28% of employers provide some form of occupational health, with large employers (89%) nearly three times more likely than Small-Medium Enterprises (SMEs) (28%) to do so:
A safety-critical maintenance backlog has become a major issue for the offshore oil and gas industry, with some individual platforms having tens of thousands of outstanding hours post-Covid. The HSE warns of the risk of major accidents:
The UK’s Chancellor Jeremy Hunt’s spring budget included a rise in the standard rate of landfill tax by 21% (from £103.70 a tonne to £126.15). The lower rate will rise from £3.30 to £4.05. This will take effect from 1 April 2025 and will raise around £50m a year for the Treasury:
Scrap metal recycling company F.J. Church and Sons Ltd of Rainham, Essex, has been fined £200,000 after an employee’s right arm was severed in June 2021 when it was caught in a catalytic converter sampling machine:
The winners of the SHE Awards 2024 and the British Safety Industry Federation (BSIF) Award will be announced at a gala ceremony hosted by comedian Dara Ó Briain at the Vox in Resorts World, NEC Birmingham on 1 May. The 2023 event was a sell-out, and 2024 tickets are selling very fast:
Four out of five of the world’s workforce are estimated to lack access to basic occupational safety and health services. A two-year study part funded by the Institution of Occupational Safety and Health (IOSH) will seek to gain a better understanding of the scope, reach and effectiveness of OSH around the world:
February 2024
The UK’s regression from EU environmental standards are on such a scale that environmental legislation in Britain is facing death by a thousand cuts:
The government has rejected - on the grounds it already has sufficient legal powers to enforce higher standards of air quality under the Environment Act 2021 - a private member’s bill calling for a new Clean Air Act. The government’s claim has been disputed by, amongst many others, the Building Engineering Services Association (BESA):
The HSE has issued an improvement notice to the Chinese state-backed operator CNOOC over its inspection routines for process equipment on the North Sea Buzzard platform:
UK workplaces are facing “a perfect storm” when it comes to wellbeing at work, with sickness absence barely improved since the pandemic, according to the Britain’s Healthiest Workplace survey by Vitality and the Financial Times. Employers lost the equivalent of 50 days of work per employee last year because of poor physical and mental health:
Liquidated waste firm Ward Recycling Limited has been found guilty of breaching Section 1 of the Corporate Manslaughter and Corporate Homicide Act 2007, Section 2(1) and Section 3(1) of the Health and Safety at Work etc Act 1974. The company was fined £2.1mn after an agency worker was killed by a loading shovel in January 2020:
An article by fire safety experts SOCOTEC on how to safely use and store lithium-ion batteries in the workplace:
Peterborough-based Electrostatic Magic Limited has pleaded guilty to breaching Regulation 7(1) of the Control of Substances Hazardous to Health Regulations 2002 and Article 67 of the REACH regulation after a worker died from multiple organ failure, chemical pneumonitis and cutaneous burns from exposure to dichloromethane, hydrofluoric acid and methanol:
Tickets are now available for the WEEE Conference 2024 to be held on 21 March at the Royal College of Physicians NW1 4LE, which will focus on the latest breakthroughs in the recovery, reuse, recycling, and treatment of waste electrical and electronic equipment:
A retired draughtsman who had worked at the former Engelhard precious metal factory in Cinderford and subsequently at GlaxoSmithKline, died from malignant epithelial mesothelioma, the effect of asbestos exposure, in January this year:
The HSE has put Petrofac on notice after it found poor COSHH risk assessments left offshore workers on the North Sea Kittiwake platform at risk of exposure to hazardous fumes, in particular welding fumes - a known human carcinogen:
January 2024
A New Year reminder that the HSE provides an extensive collection of free updates on a vast range of topics (from Asbestos to Workplace Transport) and industries (from Agriculture to Woodworking) via an eBulletin:
An estimated 4% of the world’s annual GDP is lost to workplace accidents and diseases. This cost the global economy c. £4 trillion in 2021; and in the UK, the annual cost is around £30 billion. A new tool, which can be used on a site with 40 employees, provides calculators to help put a cost and value on safety performance at business or even site level:
A new study by non-profit organisation the Alliance to End Plastic Waste highlights potential pathways to significantly increase waste collection and plastic recycling rates globally. The Plastic Waste Management Framework has policy levers and actions that can be used to develop national action plans for advancing waste management systems.
Lithium-ion (Li-ion) battery fires are on the rise. Firechief Global have provided an eight-step action plan on how to mitigate the risk:
The National Examination Board in Occupational Safety and Health (NEBOSH) has published a new guide for individuals undertaking auditing to determine whether appropriate health and safety management systems are in place and that suitable risk control systems and workplace precautions are being implemented. The NEBOSH Quick Reference Guide to Auditing for Health and Safety is available from:
Plastics recycling is vital to fight the deluge of plastic waste and plastic pollution. While mechanical recycling has been around for decades, chemical recycling is the new kid in town. But do they compete or cooperate?
There were 29 fatalities in the UK in 2022/23 caused by contact with moving vehicles or machinery. HSE guidance can be found at:
More than 100,000 people in the UK could be at risk of developing long Covid in the coming weeks as infections and hospitalisations are rising sharply during the winter months:
Alex Spencer, COO chief operating officer of energy industry-owned not-for-profit standards and training organisation OPITO examines why safety, skills and sustainability are all key for future energy workers:
A reminder that entry is now open for The Safety & Health Excellence Awards. Free to enter, the deadline is 16 February 2024. The winners will be announced at a gala awards ceremony at the NEC Birmingham on 1 May 2024:
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