Having trouble viewing this email? View the content as a web page.

Protect your workers from violence and aggression

Violence and aggression at work can have a serious impact on your workers physical and mental health.  HSE's guidance on violence at work will help you protect your workers.    The guidance will help you: assess the risks put the right controls in place to protect workers report and learn from incidents  We also have specific guidance on how to support your workers after a violent incident. There are also examples drawn from typical situations.    In addition, there is separate advice for workers, which explains how they can help employers prevent violent incidents at work.   Those who work alone can be particularly vulnerable and we have specific advice on how employers should protect lone workers from violence.

Company fined after worker crushed to death

A plant services company has been fined £175,000 after a worker was fatally crushed by an excavator attachment.

A demolition grab, attached to an excavator, fell onto the worker while it was being loaded onto a lorry.

 

HSE's investigation revealed that the company failed to ensure:

• there was a safe method of work while loading and unloading excavators and attachments
• steps were taken to ensure HGV drivers fully engaged the quick hitch when moving attachments during loading and unloading activities

Read this press release for full details about the incident.

 

HSE's website has guidance for those planning and organising lifting operations.

 

Other recent enforcement cases include:

• Food manufacturer fined £800,000 after 2 workers lose fingers

• Horticulture company fined after lorry driver suffers life-changing injuries

Safety notice issued: Manufacture, storage and carriage of thermites and thermite-containing articles

HSE has issued a safety notice for those involved in the manufacture, storage and carriage of thermites and thermite-containing articles.

HSE has identified that goods including substances and articles that meet the criteria for classification as dangerous goods are not being properly classified.

 

Failure to properly classify goods may result in:

• the hazards associated with those goods not being properly communicated to people working throughout the transport chain and emergency services
  
  
• the safeguards expected to be in place to protect people and places when these goods are manufactured and stored not being fully implemented

For more information view the safety notice.

HSE – market surveillance authority for workplace products

HSE is one of the UK's market surveillance authorities, which monitor and enforce legal requirements on the safety of most products used in the workplace, including any risks to health. 

HSE has a duty to notify the Secretary of State about unsafe or non-compliant products and of the measures taken and communicated by an economic operator.  

 

Products that present a serious or high risk to the health and safety of the user, and products that have been recalled, are published as product recalls and alerts on GOV.UK.  

 

Recent examples of products notified are: 

• Elight and Yag - 2 in 1 IPL Laser Tattoo Removal and Hair Removal Machine 
• Siemens 3 MW SWP 3.0 Wind Turbine Generator fitted with Avanti SWP L service lift
• Diferro Sublimation Calender Press - DP-series, MP-series, DM-series

Stress Awareness Month: NEBOSH and CIPD join HSE’s Working Minds campaign

April is stress awareness month and HSE is urging employers to prevent and reduce stress in their workplace. HSE’s Working Minds campaign brings together a range of tools and support to help businesses. These include: free online learning talking toolkits risk assessment templates and examples The Chartered Institute of Personnnel and Development (CIPD) and The National Examination Board in Occupational Safety and Health (NEBOSH) are the latest organisations to join as campaign partners, taking the total number of supporters to more than 30.   HSE and NEBOSH have also jointly developed the NEBOSH HSE Certificate in Managing Stress at Work. This one-day qualification is aimed at helping you and your organisation identify and reduce workplace stressors in order to create a positive, healthier workplace.