Don’t be put off clearing paths because you’re afraid someone will get injured. Remember, people walking on snow and ice have a responsibility to be careful themselves. And don’t believe the myths – it’s unlikely you’ll be sued or held legally responsible for any injuries if you have cleared the path carefully.

Follow the advice below to make sure you clear the pathway safely and effectively.

• Clear the snow and ice early in the day
• Pay extra attention to clearing snow and ice from steps and steep pathways – you might need to use more salt on these areas
• Use salt or sand – not water
• Don’t make the pathways more dangerous by causing them to refreeze. If you use water to melt the snow, it may refreeze and turn to black ice. Black ice increases the risk of injuries as it is invisible and very slippery.
• You can melt snow or prevent black ice by spreading some salt on the area you have cleared. You can use ordinary table or dishwasher salt – a tablespoon for each square metre you clear should work. Don’t use the salt found in salting bins – this will be needed to keep the roads clear.
• If you don’t have enough salt, you can also use sand or ash. These won’t stop the path icing over as effectively as salt, but will provide good grip underfoot.
• When you’re shovelling snow, take care where you put it so it doesn’t block people’s paths or drains. Make sure you make a path down the middle of the area to be cleared first, so you have a clear surface to walk on. Then shovel the snow from the centre of the path to the sides.

HSE Construction inspectors will be carrying out an intensive inspection initiative during February and March 2012.

These inspections will focus on the refurbishment/building site risks that make construction one of Britain’s most dangerous industries – working at height safely, good order on site, and the risks associated with the removal of asbestos.

• Falls from height remains one of the most common causes of fatalities and major injuries in the construction industry, with more than five incidents every day.
• 54% of the workers who have died in construction over the last few years were doing refurbishment, repair and maintenance jobs.

HSE will not hesitate to take action if they find poor practice that is putting the lives of workers and the public at risk

Why is HSE interested in COPD

There is increasing research evidence that COPD can be caused or made worse by dusts, fumes and irritating gases at work.

Work related COPD is a priority because of the human costs in terms of suffering, its effects on the quality of life and the financial costs due to working days lost and medical treatment.

Research findings suggest that for Great Britain: –

• Around 15% of COPD may be caused or made worse by work
• 4000 COPD deaths every year may be related to work exposures
• 40% of COPD patients are below retirement age
• A quarter of those below retirement age are unable to work at all

Can COPD be cured?

Once COPD develops the damage to the lungs cannot be reversed. However you can help stop it getting worse by reducing exposure to the dust, fume and irritating gases at work that are causing the problem, and if you do smoke, by stopping.

You should consult your doctor for further medical information and advice on treatments.

What are the causes of COPD?

The main cause of COPD is cigarette smoking. But exposure to dusts in the workplace can also cause COPD, even in people who don’t smoke.

Do you know that thousands of British coalminers recently received compensation for COPD?

But COPD is not just a problem for coalminers, breathing in too much fume and/or dusts in the workplace could put you at risk of developing COPD.

The risk of developing COPD is greatly increased if you breathe in dusts/fumes in the workplace and you smoke.

COPD is a major cause of disability and death. It is the 4th leading cause of death throughout the world.

What are the symptoms of COPD?

Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) is a long-term illness that makes breathing difficult. The lungs and breathing tubes are damaged making it difficult to get air in and out. Walking up a hill, playing football or even playing with your grandchildren can become difficult because of shortness of breath.

Other common symptoms include;

• a persistent chesty cough and phlegm
• wheeze
• more frequent and troublesome chest infections

COPD is a slow developing condition, the symptoms tend only to start becoming a problem in mid-life, usually in the late forties onwards.

Because COPD creeps up slowly, many people do not realise they have the disease. They think their symptoms are simply due to lack of fitness or getting older. This means that often the disease does not get diagnosed in the early stages.

The sooner you realise you have lung problems, the quicker you can try to stop smoking and reduce harmful exposures to dusts, fumes and gases. Medical treatments may also help.

More to follow tomorrow……………………………………

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Investigation of a fatal incident by HSE has identified that unintended movement of some mobile crushers can occur when there is an earth/ground fault. This can result in unintended movement of the machine track(s) and the potential for injuries from being struck by or trapped by the machine.

Where damage/deterioration of the electrical control cables can lead to a risk of unintended movement, the actions outlined in the safety notice should be taken.

Read the Safety Alert in full to find out what action to take – http://www.hse.gov.uk/safetybulletins/mobilecrushingplant.htm?ebul=gd-cons/nov11&cr=1

From the start of next year, training providers and employers offering apprenticeships will no longer have to comply with any requirements that go ‘above and beyond’ health and safety legislation.

Announcing new measures last week as part of the Government’s Plan for Growth, Business secretary Vince Cable said red tape that can deter employers from taking on apprentices would be slashed.

The changes announced by Mr Cable, which also include financial incentives for small firms to offer apprenticeships, will see health and safety requirements streamlined so that there are no additional demands on employers that already comply with legislation and national standards.

A spokesperson for the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills (BIS) told SHP that these additional requirements are burdensome for all employers, but particularly for smaller businesses.

IOSH said it welcomed efforts to encourage more high-quality apprenticeships, but regretted that health and safety was again being portrayed as a hindrance.

The waste was found on Freeman Road North in early November and a week later more was discovered at Thurnby Lodge Boys Club on Thurncourt Road.

In both cases, corrugated asbestos waste was found in large sheets or smashed up and sealed in plastic bags.

Leicester City Council’s environmental crime team said it was investigating. Councillor Sarah Russell, one of the assistant city mayors, said if the asbestos material discovered was not disturbed by the public, it was “unlikely” to have any health implications to people.

“The dumping of asbestos material in public places like this is highly irresponsible and a matter we treat very seriously,” she said.

“There are strict guidelines about the way asbestos material is disposed of and the implications of not following these guidelines can lead to a prosecution.”

Enforcement officer Paul Rudkin, from Leicester City Council, added: “We are appealing to any members of the public who may have had an asbestos structure removed recently, or who have any information whatsoever that may assist with our investigation.”

Source: BBC News Leicester

Below is an excerpt from the Executive Summary from Professor Lofstedts report into H&S in the UK.

I think that its bang on accurate ….misinterpretation is killing safe practices (no pun intended) and causing overkill (still no pun intended)

In general, the problem lies less with the regulations themselves and more with the way they are interpreted and applied. In some cases this is caused by inconsistent enforcement by regulators and in others by the influences of third parties that promote the generation of unnecessary paperwork and a focus on health and safety activities that go above and beyond the regulatory requirements. Sometimes the legislation itself can contribute to the confusion, through its overall structure, a lack of clarity, or apparent duplication in some areas.

Three quarters of workers have said they waste up to two hours every week because they do not understand how to get their work completed.

The Chartered Management Institute (CMI) surveyed 2,000 workers and three out of four said hours were wasted due to management giving unclear information and no direction.

The CMI calculated businesses could lose around £900 a year per employee because of these management “errors”.

“Improving the skills of the management workforce is absolutely key in terms of individual business success, in terms of delivering effective public services and in terms of helping the UK deliver on a world stage.”

CMI added that 13% of workers “alarmingly” said they had encountered managers discriminating against their staff due to race, age, gender or sexual orientation.

One third also said they had witnessed managers harassing and bullying their employees.