 World Mental Health Day was marked on 10 October and has been celebrated for over 30 years. However, while awareness and acceptance of stress and mental health may be increasing, action particularly prevention is not. This week, HSEs Working Minds campaign calls for employers to take action to mark World Mental Health Day. Stress, depression and anxiety are the number one cause of work-related ill health in Great Britain. No matter the size or type of business, employers have a legal duty to ensure risks of stress and mental ill-health are considered in stress risk assessments and acted upon. HSE has welcomed three new partners to its Working Minds campaign for the entertainment and leisure sector an industry which by its very nature, is fast paced and changeable with many being self-employed, freelancers or contracted for set amounts of time. Help is available If you, or someone you know, needs help or support, reach out and ask how they are feeling and coping. We haveguidance, resources and sources of support to help. Sign up to support HSEs Working Minds campaignto help drive positive change across Britains workplaces. |
The fine relates to an incident where a worker's arm was drawn into machinery and suffered injuries that required surgery. The worker had been removing debris that was trapped on the hinges of an open access panel door at the base of a hopper machine. The door had been opened to allow the debris to drain from the auger.While removing the debris, the auger was still in operation and caught the workers right arm, drawing it into the machine up to the elbow. HSE's investigation found that: - the access panel door was able to be opened freely while the auger was in motion
- there were no controls in place to prevent the panel from being opened while the auger was moving
- there was no safe isolation procedure for this weekly cleaning task
Read this press releasefor further details on the incident. HSE has guidance on working safely with equipment and machinery. Other recent prosecution cases include: HSE will be visiting farms across Great Britain throughout this winter and into spring. Inspections will focus on the main causes of death and serious injury in farming, including falls from height. Autumn and winter are traditionally times when farms may need to carry out building maintenance, for example to repair leaking roofs, replace damaged roof sheeting or repair storm damage. Unsafe work at height is not worth the risk. Make sure that work at height risks are controlled on your farm. Before carrying out any work at height, stop and think: - avoid work at height wherever possible
- avoid doing the work yourself
- dont be tempted to use the wrong equipment
Find out more on our website:  Our inspectors are the frontline of HSEs life-saving work. We are currently recruiting for trainee inspectors of Health and Safety in our Chemicals Regulations Division. Working across a wide geographic area, you will begin your career in a robust training programme. This will involve a combination of field and classroom-based training, culminating in a postgraduate-level qualification and promotion to the career grade for an inspector. Get more information at: Visit our careers website to see our othercurrent vacancies. |
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