Shocking stats: why we need more workplace defibrillators and CPR trained staff

You’ve just suffered a cardiac arrest. What are your chances of survival. The bad news is that up to 95% of victims die without immediate treatment. How immediate?

Electrical flash over causes severe burns and serious fine

Two workers at a Nottinghamshire foundry suffered serious skin burns following a ‘preventable’ electrical flashover in September 2016. This occurred while they were working on restoring the power supply to a furnace.

Handle with care. Forklift deaths land firms with £1m fines.

Two visiting delivery drivers have died in avoidable forklift truck accidents, resulting in seven figure fines for a major plastic piping company and a large kitchen manufacturer.

Flawed safety procedure costs oil refinery £400k

A recent court case has dramatically illustrated the need for eternal vigilance and "going the extra mile" with health and safety management, even when great care is being taken. It involves a flammable gas leak at the Total Lindsey Oil Refinery (TLOR) in North Killingholme, on the Humber estuary near Grimsby.

IOSH joins cross-industry initiative to cut cancer risk

Measures to control employee exposure to respirable crystalline silica (RCS), the second biggest cancer-causing agent in the world’s workplaces, have been introduced by a cross-sectoral group of organisations. After signing a commitment to tackle the cancer risk, organisations have removed or substituted materials containing the deadly dust. Others have introduced mechanisms to control what workers breathe in.

Company fined for exposing workers to Hand Arm Vibration Syndrome (HAVS)

HSE is reminding companies to monitor workers’ health after a South Wales housing association was fined for exposing workers to Hand Arm Vibration Syndrome (HAVS). Cwmbran Magistrates’ Court heard that Charter Housing Association Ltd reported six cases of HAVS following a health surveillance programme launched in June 2015.

IOSH says high-rise fire safety needs ‘right people making right decisions’ after Grenfell

Ensuring that “the right people” are in place to “make the right decisions” on fire safety in high-rise or complex buildings is vital to prevent a repeat of tragedies like the Grenfell Tower fire. The interim report by Dame Judith Hackitt into building regulations and fire safety, commissioned following Grenfell, was published on Monday 18 December.

How to become a Health & Safety Inspector

Become a health and safety inspector and you are most likely to be working for the Health and Safety Executive (HSE), although there are also opportunities to work as an inspector for local authorities and large organisations.

How long is a NEBOSH certificate valid for?

Once you have successfully completed all the units of a NEBOSH qualification, it will never expire. There is no need to retake the exams after a certain period. BUT (and this is one of the biggest buts you’ll ever see)…

What is the pass mark for the NEBOSH General Certificate, and what else do I need to know?

If you are setting out on a career in health and safety, the NEBOSH National General Certificate in Occupational Health and Safety is an excellent first step. However, anyone with responsibility for safe working environments and employee well being can also benefit from the course.

What is HAVS?

Hand-arm Vibration Syndrome is a medical condition caused by frequent use of vibrating tools over an extended period of time – ten years or more in most cases. An estimated 1 in 10 people who use such tools eventually develop HAVS.

How to become a qualified First Aider

The UK needs a lot of first aiders. By law every organisation has to have someone responsible for first aid in the workplace; an ‘appointed person’ in the words of the Health and Safety (First Aid) Regulations 1981. So what needs to happen If you are that person?

Glossary of Health and Safety Terms (updated)

At Phoenix HSC, we aim to make health and safety as straightforward and comprehensive as possible. Our glossary of commonly-used terms has been devised for health and safety committee members and representatives, or for anyone who is responsible for health and safety in the workplace.

What is a health and safety audit, and why have one?

A health and safety audit is an expert assessment of an organisation’s health and safety policies, systems and procedures. Questions it answers include: Are they correct and delivering the expected outcomes? Are they protecting the well being of the workforce and keeping the company compliant with the relevant regulations?

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