News
-
Will Brexit Affect Health & Safety in the UK?
Is Britain’s Gold Standard of Health and Safety Under Threat from Brexit? When it comes to health & safety, the United Kingdom has been a pioneer, with an enviable reputation throughout the rest of Europe for occupational safety and health. Now, with 51.9% of Britons voting to leave the EU and with the triggering of…
-
Mitigating Risk
Working Safely at Height A number of recent fatal accidents involving the use of cranes and mobile elevating work platforms (MEWPs) have raised concerns about the misuse of safety equipment. There are several areas of development aimed at accident reduction. However, these are only appropriate if adopted correctly. A combination of heavy lifting and working…
-
Best Practices for Safe Working at Height
Working at height remains one of the most perilous activities in the construction industry, exposing workers to significant risks that can lead to severe injuries or even fatalities. Despite stringent safety regulations and advancements in protective equipment, the statistics surrounding falls from height continue to be a stark reminder of the dangers involved. In the…
-
Why do I Need IPAF Training?
It does not take a genius to surmise that working at height comes with its fair share of dangers. In fact, working at height remains one of the biggest causes of fatalities and major injuries in working situations. The most typical scenario of a working at height accident is a fall from a ladder or…
-
How To Avoid Exposure to Asbestos
Everyone in the trade is by now well aware of the health risk posed by exposure to asbestos and yet cases do still occur and education and training in awareness of the risks posed by asbestos and how best to reduce them is vital if asbestos poisoning cases are to be eradicated. Good Practice and…
-
A Guide to Working at Height Training
What Does ‘Working at Height’ Refer to? When we talk about working at height we are making reference to work in a location that without necessary precautions could result in a worker falling such a distance as to result in personal injury. Essentially, you are working at height if you’re working higher than ground floor…
-
PASMA draws attention to two recent HSE prosecutions
The Prefabricated Access Suppliers’ and Manufacturers’ Association (PASMA) has recently taken the opportunity to comment upon two recent HSE prosecutions regarding working at height and mobile access towers. The first case relates to a tragic accident which took place in 2011 but has only recently been settled in court. James Baillie, 53, fell six metres…
-
HSE carrying out refurbishment site inspections
Between September 14th and October 9th this year, the Health and Safety Executive will be carrying out random inspections of refurbishment sites across the country. This is the 10th year in a row the HSE has undertaken such an initiative, and the aim is to ensure that dangerous activities, especially those risking the health of…
-
Safety considerations regarding powered access equipment
As more companies become aware of the dangers of working at height, there has been a shift away from traditional equipment such as ladders towards powered access solutions. The use of safer and more stable equipment has helped to reduce accidents in the workplace, but of course the need still remains to make sure aerial…
-
UKATA issue reminder to contractors and specifiers
The UK Asbestos Training Association (UKATA) has issued a timely reminder to contractors, and anyone commissioning building to be vigilant regarding the dangers of asbestos. In a recent case, a Welsh businessman was heavily fined following a prosecution brought by the HSE (Health and Safety Executive) in which he was found guilty of allowing the…
-
UKATA warns that asbestos training is being ignored
The press have reported a number of incidents recently from across the UK concerning the mishandling of asbestos in varied settings and the UK Asbestos Training Association (UKATA) has spoken out to express its concern that training, though given, is being widely ignored. The General Manager of UKATA, Craig Evans, has made it clear that…
-
IPAF reveals new safety calculations
IPAF (International Powered Access Federation) have used the latest analytical tools to calculate accidents in the workplace caused by working at height and have concluded that MEWPs (Mobile Elevating Working Platforms) are one of the best and safest ways to work at height on jobs which do not require permanent scaffolding to be assembled. Using…
