HSEWeekly Digestebulletin

Issued: 1 May 2024

This week's edition includes:

• guidance and advice for keeping new, temporary and agency workers safe at work
• information about HSE's annual statistics and how you can highlight their importance in the workplace with our poster
• details of the winners of our 2024 MSD risk reduction through design awards
• news of a recent enforcement case resulting in a worker suffering burns to his face and a 500,000 fine was issued to his employers
• links to some of HSE's latest job vacancies

For more health and safety updatesvisit our website

It is vital that employers protect the health and safety of gig economy, agency and temporary workers.

Workers are as likely to have an accident in their first 6 months at work as during the whole of the rest of their working life.

We have advice around protecting those who are new to the job, including 6 ways to protect new starters.

Our website has guidance to help users and suppliers of agency and temporary workersunderstand their health and safety responsibilities.

If you are an agency or temporary workeryour health and safety is protected by law and employment businesses (agencies) have a duty to make sure they follow it.

A packaging manufacturer was recently fined 100,000 after an agency worker received severe hand injuries at a factory.

We are delighted to announce our prestigious 2024 risk reduction through design award winners.

The awards celebrate solutions that reduce the risk of musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs) in the workplace. The winners are:

• MSD risk reduction through design award 2024: Cranswick Gourmet Pastry
• Small to medium enterprise (SME) recognition award 2024: MRF Contracting

For details on the winners and their design solutions:

• visit the MSD awards page
• read our press release

The HSE website also has a range of advice, guidance and resources on managing the risks of MSDs in the workplace.

HSE publishes a range of statistics relating to health and safety in Great Britain on an annual basis.

HSE's statistics website provides detailed commentary on the figures for 2022 to 2023.

The annual report found that:

• 1.8 million working people are suffering from work-related ill health
• 135 workers were killed in work-related accidents during this time period
• 35.2 million working days were lost due to work-related illness and workplace injury

HSE's Vital statistics poster illustrates these key statistics as an infographic. When displayed in a workplace, serves as a reminder to workers about the consequences of poor health and safety in priority risk areas. It enables the employer to raise awareness and start conversations with workers about the importance of managing risk well.