The safety alert points out that limiting the closing forces of gates alone will not provide sufficient protection to meet the relevant standards, and installers must fit additional safeguards to gates in public areas.

HSE’s Director of Field Operations said:

“When manufacturing, designing or installing electric gates, it’s crucial to consider who will be in the area when it’s operating. If general public can access the gate then additional protections should be in place. These protections can be in the form of creating safe distances, installing fixed guards, limiting the forces or installing sensitive protective equipment – among others.”

HSE’s advice today also reminds those in control of the maintenance of electric gates to regularly review their risk assessments, taking account of or any changes to the operating conditions or environment.

During its investigations, the HSE found the photoelectric detectors, called light curtains, used to protect workers from the closing tools of the press, were not operational at the time of the incident and had been routinely over-ridden for a number of years. Magistrates heard the light curtains only became operational again following the serving of prohibition notices as part of HSE’s investigation.

 Directors were found guilty of breaching regulation 11(1) of the Provision and Use of Work Equipment Regulations 1998

(Every employer shall ensure that measures are taken which are effective to prevent access to any dangerous part of machinery or to any rotating stock-bar; or to stop the movement of any dangerous part of machinery or rotating stock-bar before any part of a person enters a danger zone)

 Light curtains need to be regularly checked to ensure that they are working effectively; and the best way for management to check this is being done is to have machine operators record these checks

 For further information on health and safety in engineering workshops visit http://www.hse.gov.uk/pubns/books/hsg129.htm or email Andrew on info@spectrumrisk.co.uk for a copy of the HSE Guidance

SOURCE HSE

The load came down heavily beside part of the campus regularly used by students; the impact also demolished the site boundary fence and damaged a college building.

The company, which owned and operated the crane, admitted breaching Section 3(1) of the Health & Safety at Work etc Act 1974 (duty to ensure persons not in your employment are not exposed to risks to their health or safety) and Regulation 5(2) of the Construction (Design and Management) Regulations 2007 (all persons concerned in a project, working under the control of another person, shall report to that person anything which he is aware is likely to endanger the health or safety of himself or others) and was fined £18,000 and ordered to pay £15,837.45 in costs.

 HSE said it was a matter of good fortune that no-one was injured in this entirely avoidable incident and that those undertaking lifting operations have absolute duties to plan, supervise and carry them out safely.  

For more information on lifting plans and the relevant legislation, contact Andrew on 07870 777303

 The course is intended for anyone who carries out risk assessments and writes method statements and will be run by Mr Nigel Deane, a well know and respected health & safety trainer and preferred supplier for all training.

 Aim

• To enable delegates to be able to identify hazards, produce risk assessment, institute controls, and use this to produce a suitable method statement.

 Objectives

At the end of the course delegates should be able to:

• State the legal basis for risk assessments
• Identify typical hazards in construction work
• Evaluate risk using a variety of techniques
• Develop suitable controls for associated risks.
• Produce a suitable method statement

 Programme

• Legal requirements
• Identification of hazards
• Specify typical risk controls
• Hierarchy of controls
• Principals of practical method statement production

 Cost is £175.00 plus VAT; contact Andrew today to reserve a place

The company had been hired to replace a central heating boiler at the property. Carpenters were taking off a cupboard door clad with asbestos insulation board (AIB) so they could access the boiler when they were approached by a supervisor from a licensed contractor, who was working in a nearby property.

The supervisor informed them AIB was present.

Any work where AIB is present must be carried out by licensed contractors, according to the law. However, an investigation by the HSE found the workers were told to seal the walls of the cupboard with plasterboard by senior managers.

Having pleaded guilty to two charges under the Control of Asbestos Regulations 2006 in Magistrates’ Court, the company was fined a total of £2,500 and ordered to pay £1,250 costs.

Asbestos is safe when in good condition, and is only dangerous when fibres become airborne and are inhaled, which can happen when materials are damaged. It remains the single greatest cause of work-related deaths in the UK.

Don’t take the risk, for more information on asbestos contact:

• Andrew on 07870 777303 or
• Ian on 07853 131851

@ C & G Assessments & Training Ltd
Venture One Business Park
22 Long Acre Close
Sheffield
S20 3FR

Due to late cancellations we are now offering this course at a reduced rate of -  £200 + vat.  – Normal price – £295 + vat.

CALL NOW TO BOOK YOUR PLACE!! – 0114 251 1584

A new UK scheme to accredit health and safety consultants is likely to be announced in the next few weeks. Work to develop the scheme has been accelerated as a result of Lord Young’s government review into health and safety. Lord Young has been critical of people operating as unqualified consultants, and blames them for some of the worst examples of over–the–top actions carried out in the name of health and safety.

The scheme, which will be voluntary, is likely to be introduced early next year, it will be set up and initially chaired by the HSE  and has been developed by a group of professional bodies led by IOSH and the Chartered Institute of Environmental Health.  

IOSH members working as consultants will have to be Chartered to join the scheme, so that clients can be confident that they will get advice from someone with a degree level qualification in health and safety, practical experience, and a formal commitment to Continuing Professional Development. 

For more information on competent consultancy , contact Andrew (CMIOSH ) on 07870 777303

A HSE report into the use of two-pack paints containing isocyanates has identified that there are still a number of areas of concern; HSE estimates that vehicle spray painters are 80 times more likely to develop occupational asthma than the average worker because they fail to take the correct precautions.

HSE found some sprayers and managers remain unaware of the link between breathing in isocyanates contained within the invisible spray mist, and developing occupational asthma.

Almost one in five managers did not know their booth clearance times. This, combined with the finding that many sprayers are still unaware of the dangers of invisible spray mist puts workers at risk of re-entering booths too soon, making them more vulnerable to breathing in isocyanates.

The study found that 85% do wear air-fed breathing apparatus; however, many continue to put their health at risk by lifting their visors to check the finish before the paint is dry, potentially exposing themselves to the isocyanate-containing mist.

The research also considered how factors such as size of business, working hours and bonus systems, health surveillance, personal protective equipment and training impact on health and safety practices in isocyanate paint use.

HSE’s key messages for safe working practices in the motor vehicle repair industry are:

• Never spray outside a spray booth or room
• Know clearance times
• Sprayers should always wear air-fed breathing apparatus, and
• Anyone exposed to isocyanates must have regular health surveillance.

For more information on the affects of occupational asthma in the motor vehicle industry, contact Andrew on 07870 777303

CHAS have been reviewing the application form and have updated it to make the application process easier; however, it now requires much more evidence that you have the relevant systems in place so be warned

The new application requires extra information to be provided on:

• Management arrangements (such as manual handling ,work equipment, hazardous substances) – you must now provide practical advice such as instruction, training records, assessments and inspection records to indicate that your arrangements are being applied and communicated appropriately
• Health surveillance – what you do to protect your workers from noise, dust, respiratory and vibration

CHAS Assessments – 100% success rate!

Are you thinking of hiring a consultant that has guaranteed a 100% success rate with CHAS assessments?

Think again!

If someone has promised this without visiting your site or office CHAS advise that it should set alarm bills ringing. The fact is that the biggest cause of failure in the CHAS assessment process is due to a very small minority of consultants who provide generic, off-the-shelf documentation that obviously doesn’t relate to the contractor being assessed.

For more information, go to http://www.chas.gov.uk