Increased demands on designers

Even in 2017, the construction sector remains one of the most hazardous and accident-prone industries in the UK.

Despite improvements and changes to the industry over the years, construction workers continue to have high risks of injury, and they’re likely to suffer from occupational ill health arising from exposure to respiratory hazards, such as silica dust and asbestos.

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Prepare for ISO 45001: the new health and safety management standard

Statistics from the International Labour Association have revealed that more than 6,300 people die each day from work-related accidents or diseases – which amounts to nearly 2.3million each year.

Injuries and illnesses can result in losses including staff absence, early retirements and rising insurance premiums, so the burden for both employers and the wider economy can be significant.

To help to combat the problem, ISO has developed a new standard for health and safety, ISO 45001, which is replacing the current standard, BS OHSAS 18001.

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What are the most recent legislation changes to be aware of?

Each year the months of April and October are when the majority of new legislation becomes active. This year, things have been quieter than usual in this aspect given the impact of Brexit and the impending General Election in June. However, there are still certain legal requirements to be aware of.

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HSE backs down on FFI dispute

In March this year, we posted a blog explaining that the Health and Safety Executive’s (HSE) Fees for Intervention (FFI) scheme was under scrutiny, following a legal challenge at the end of 2016.

Because of this, the FFI dispute process was to face a full judicial review hearing in the High Court this month, brought by facilities management company OCS Group UK.

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Research reveals cost of ignoring health and safety procedures

Good health and safety practice is expected from any responsible employer – but compliance can be a considerable cost to SMEs.

However, recent research has shown that it is actually cheaper to comply with health and safety legislation, rather than leave it to chance.

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Report stresses importance of clerk of works role

A report into the defective construction of 17 schools in Edinburgh has stressed the important role that clerks of works play in ensuring that buildings are properly constructed.

In January 2016, a large section of a brick wall at Oxgangs Primary School in Edinburgh collapsed during a storm onto an area where children normally played. Nine tonnes of masonry fell in the incident, which could have had catastrophic consequences.

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A person dealing with work-related stress sat with their head in hands infront of a laptop

Work-related stress caused 12 million lost working days, says HSE

The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) has released sobering statistics which reveal there were 488,000 cases of work-related stress, depression and anxiety in 2015-16, leading to 11.7 million days off work.

Overall, stress accounted for a staggering 45 per cent of all working days lost and 37 per cent of all work-related ill health cases.

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HSE Fees for Intervention challenged

The Health and Safety Executive’s (HSE) Fees for Intervention (FFI) scheme has come under the spotlight following a legal challenge at the end of 2016.

As a result, FFI will be the subject of a full Judicial Review hearing in the High Court in May 2017, brought by facilities management company OCS Group UK.

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HSE publishes 2016 statistics

The Health & Safety Executive (HSE) has released its annual figures detailing how the UK is performing in terms of health and safety. The statistics reveal that:

  • 144 people were killed at work in 2015/16. This is an increase from 142 people in 2014/15.
  • 72,702 non-fatal injuries were reported by employers. This is a decrease from the 2014/15 figure of 76,000.
  • An estimated 9 million working days were lost due to work-related illness. This is a decrease from 27.3 million in 2014/15.
  • The estimated annual cost of work-related injury in 2015/16 is £14.1 billion

The increase in fatal accidents over the past two years is sad news, although the decrease in non-fatal injuries and working days lost is encouraging.

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