Health and Safety News
We scour the Internet for Health and Safety related news items on an almost daily basis.
The news articles and clippings, curated by MD Safety, highlight the requirements for compliance with UK Health and Safety Legislation and best practice across all industry sectors.
The majority of the information and cases will apply to a greater or lesser degree to our broad range of Clients and lessons to be learned will be able to be gained.
Staying COVID-secure notice
The requirement to dispaly the "Staying COVID-secure" poster at your premises to demonstrate that you have made your workplace COVID-secure has been withdrawn - in effect from 19th July 2021.
Read MoreVue cinemas prosecuted over seat crush death
A major cinema chain has been ordered to pay £750,000 after a customer died after getting trapped under a faulty chair. Vue Entertainment, which has sites 91 sites across the UK and Ireland, was also ordered to pay £130,000 in prosecution costs. On 9 March 2018, Ateeq Rafiq visited Birmingham's Star City cinema with his wife. After watching a movie, the 24-year-old reached down to search for his keys and mobile phone when his neck became trapped by a motorised footrest on the chair.
Read MoreDo staff have to self-isolate if they’ve been pinged by the NHS Covid app?
Thousands of people are having to self-isolate having been pinged by the NHS Covid-19 app. Being pinged by the NHS Covid-19 app is entirely different being asked to isolate from NHS test and trace system. If you are asked to self-isolate by NHS test and trace it is a legal requirement. If you are pinged by the NHS Covid-19 app at the moment it is just guidance. You are advised but not legally obliged to self-isolate for 10 days, which means that that if an employer cannot requiree you to necessarily self-isolate, They can ask you to come into work. But then the employer has to bear in mind their obligations and duties under the Health and Safety at Work Act.
Read MoreFigures show agriculture remains the worst performing industrial sector
HSE has today published a report detailing that agriculture has the worst rate of fatal injuries of all the major industrial sectors, around 20 times higher than the average five-year annual rate across all industries. Provisional figures from 1 April 2020 until 31 March 2021 show 41 people were killed in agriculture related activities, almost double the number of deaths in the previous year, which was 23.
Read MoreConstruction company fined after worker falls from domestic garage roof
A construction company has been fined for failing to comply with work at height regulations after a worker fell from a garage roof in Worcester. Kidderminster Magistrates’ Court heard that on 4 February 2020, the worker had accessed the roof using a ladder and was working on his knees with his side to the open edge whilst fitting a rubber trim. There wasn’t any edge protection in place and he fell from the roof. He sustained a broken hip, fractures to his foot and knee damage as a result of the fall.
Read MoreWorking safely during coronavirus (COVID-19)
Find out how to reduce the risk of COVID-19 spreading in your workplace - from 19th July 2021. These new guides cover a range of different types of work. You may need to use more than one of these guides as you think through what you need to do to keep people safe.
Read MoreIs the Health and Safety at Work Act a problem?
Subash Ludhra, Managing Director at Anntara Management Ltd and former IOSH President, looks at how people’s attitude towards health and safety has potentially impacted the Health and Safety at Work Act.
Read MoreTool company fined after employee sustains fatal head injuries
Cheltenham Tool Company Limited has been fined after an employee was fatally injured while moving heavy machinery. Cheltenham Magistrates’ Court heard how on 13 November 2019, 57-year-old Ian Challinor, a maintenance engineer at the company, was working with colleagues to move a large and heavy milling machine using a forklift and machine-moving skates. During the work at the site on Swindon Road, Cheltenham, the machine became unstable and toppled onto him causing fatal head injuries.
Read MoreFatalities spike in agricultural industry
Agriculture is one of the most hazardous industries in the world. Latest GB figure have revealed a spike in fatalities in an industry renowned for its under-reporting. In April this year, 21-year-old farmer Caroline Rennie was found dead in a field in Aberdeenshire following an accident with a tractor and seed drill.
Read MoreEmployee killed in electrical incident
A warehouse management solutions company has been fined after an employee was electrocuted while servicing an air compressor. Andrew Meade was carrying out pre-planned maintenance on an air compressor at a distribution centre in Gravesend, when he was electrocuted. Maidstone Magistrates’ Court was told. He was not found for more than an hour following the incident, which happened on 8 December 2017. His injuries were fatal.
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