Following the publication of the final report from the Grenfell Tower inquiry, Ruth Wilkinson, Head of Policy and Public Affairs at the Institution of Occupational Safety and Health (IOSH), said:

“We are very concerned by the findings in the final report from the Grenfell Tower inquiry, particularly the flagrant disregard of safety from those involved. Let’s be clear, chances should never be taken when it comes to people’s safety.

THE Health and Safety at Work Act (HSWA) marked its 50th anniversary in July – Usdaw and TUC call for the Government to build on its success.

The global chartered body for health and safety professionals has called on UK Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer and his government to invest further in legislation which prevents workers from being harmed.  

The pre-1974 system had evolved piecemeal over 150 years. Individual inspectorates had been created on an ad hoc basis, industry-by-industry. Initially, they were forced into being as egregious problems became social concerns and the state – reluctant to intervene – came under pressure to do something.  Starting with the Factory Inspectorate in 1833, a model was established, but it was dependent upon persuading employers to make changes. Enforcement action was relatively limited and very much a last resort. Even when new inspectorates were created, most working people were not covered by the relevant bodies or legislation.

MD Safety comment:  Another avoidable accident from poorly planned work at height.

A logistics company has been fined £1m after an employee fell 36ft (11 metres) on to a concrete floor.  Christopher Hooper, from Winchester, was 29 when he fell through an open hole in the driver's cab of a straddle carrier at DP World Southampton's terminal on 20 September 2022.

MD Safety comment:  This unfortunate case highlights the essential need to properly plan lifting operations.

The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) investigation found the incident was “entirely avoidable” and Russell Hartley, 48, would still be alive had this work been planned, managed and monitored to a sufficient standard.  Both Premier Engineering Projects Ltd and M&M Mobile Crane Hire Ltd pleaded guilty to breaching Section 3(1) of the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974.

Two companies have been fined after a father-of-three was crushed to death by a machine.  The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) investigation found the incident was entirely avoidable and Russell Hartley would still be alive had this work been planned, managed and monitored to a sufficient standard.

A company has been fined £160,000 after an employee lost both legs whilst working at its site near Warrington.  On 20 June 2022, Andrew McAuley, from Runcorn, an employee of William Stobart & Son Limited was picking orders at the firm’s warehouse in Appleton Thorn.

The Health and Safety at Work Act (HSWA) marks its 50th anniversary today (31 July), prompting calls from the TUC for the new government to build on its success.  The Act, which gained Royal Assent in July 1974, introduced mandatory health and safety measures across UK workplaces for the first time.

A Stoke-on-Trent worker plunged to his death after a health and safety blunder. Stephen Picken was decommissioning an on-shore North Sea oil rig when tragedy struck in 2019.   A court has heard the 62-year-old was working with colleague Mark Kumar to remove an overhanging 27-tonne piece of metal pipework. But the pipework gave way, struck a platform, and resulted in the two men falling 12 metres.