Taking a fresh look at health & safety (7th December 2011)

It has taken a straight talking Swede to shine a light on the UK’s peculiar fixation with health & safety to identify how the nation can move forward. Following the long awaited publication of Professor Löfstedt’s review into health & safety and the Government’s acceptance of its recommendations (full story page 5), in an interview on Radio 4, Löfstedt summarised the health & safety debate in the UK as “amplified and heated”.

From Comment

Health & safety regulation to be cut by half (7th December 2011)

The Government has announced plans to begin a major cut back of health & safety red tape as early as January. It will begin an immediate consultation on the abolition of a number of health & safety regulations and intends to have removed the first rules from the statute book within a few months. It will also establish from 1 January a new challenge panel which will allow businesses to get the decisions of health & safety inspectors overturned immediately if they are wrong.

From News

Call for end to longterm sickness absence (7th December 2011)

The Government has called for a review of the sickness absence system in Great Britain in order to help combat the £100 billion that working age ill health costs the economy every year.

From News

Pressure mounts for dangerous dogs law change (7th December 2011)

Frustrated by the Government’s slow response to calls for changes to laws concerning dangerous dogs,a group of organisations has launched a petition calling for urgent action. Antonia Molloy reports on how dangerous dogs are now a serious occupational hazard for some workers and discusses what can and is being done

From Managing safety

Education, education, education (1st September 2010)

Training budgets on the whole may have been cut but there is still an appetite for health & safety training, provided it is accessible and offers value for money. HSM talks to the key organisations involved in health & safety training about what issues are currently driving the market

From Training

What’s in a name? (1st June 2010)

The overriding reaction to news that Lord Young is going ahead with a review into health & safety (full story page12) has been that it’s time to make a distinction between: the pursuit to protect people and prevent death and injury; and the kind of petty bureaucracy that gives this pursuit a bad name

From Comment

Health & Safety ‘10 South attracts the biggest names (1st February 2010)

Two of the most recognisable names in health and safety, Lawrence Waterman and Nattasha Freeman, will be heading up the free seminar programme at Health & Safety ‘10 – South, endorsed by the IIRSM, which takes place at Sandown Park in Surrey on the 23rd and 24th February 2010. Here HSM previews what the seminar programme has to offer.

From News

June: “However beautiful the strategy you should occasionally look at the results” (25th June 2009)

From Comment

Q & A - June 2009 (25th June 2009)

I know that every organisation is required to appoint a competent person.What makes someone competent to take up this responsibility ?

From Q & A

Q & A - May 2009 (1st May 2009)

“I work at a travel company and have been asked to carry out a risk assessment for our small sales office (20 people). What sorts of points do I need to consider?

From Q & A

Q & A - February 2009 (1st February 2009)

“I am a plant engineer at a medium sized manufacturer and have taken on some responsibility for the health and safety of my team over the past two years. Apart from knowing how to operate machinery safely and taking a basic First Aid course, I have no real health and safety experience but I have decided I would like to follow a career in this field. I would like to continue to work in manufacturing.How should I go about this?”

From Q & A

Q & A - February 2009 (1st February 2009)

Q: I have been asked to carry out a risk assessment for my company's fleet.How should I go about this?

From Q & A

DWP announces enquiry into construction fatalities (1st December 2008)

James Purnell, Secretary of State at the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP), has announced he has commissioned an inquiry into the underlying causes of construction fatalities.

From News

BACKING FOR BLACK (1st December 2008)

The Government has responded positively to Dame Carol Black’s review of the health of the working age population

From News

A question of standards (1st December 2008)

Current levels of understanding surrounding head protection may be leaving many workers over protected while others are be being left under protected. Georgina Bisby investigates

From Ppe

Protecting young people at work (1st August 2008)

Young people between the ages of 18-24 suffer a 50% higher injury rate in the workplace than their older colleagues. A dedicated training approach is clearly required to better prepare young people for the world of work,

From Training