Hearing loss and the associated claims which have skyrocketed in the past 7 years are a major issue for all businesses. Those within the construction and contracting sectors seem to be particularly targeted by claims and we’ve seen recent payout approach £30,000 for a single person. What’s important to note here is that some simple…
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It won’t be news to any of our existing clients to say that occupational health surveillance is key in managing risk to your business. We’ve long been involved in the monitoring and risk assessment of hazardous substances in the workplace and we’ve also been supporting our clients by recommending spirometry (lung function tests) for staff…
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Many businesses have gas cylinders stored, and used, within production and other areas but the labelling of gas cylinders is often less understood. Each cylinder comes with its own markings and these are a valuable source of information, these are required by the Carriage of Dangerous Goods and Use of Transportable Pressure Equipment Regulations 2009. …
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As Occupational Hygienists we’ve been involved in air monitoring for hazardous substances for over 20 years and we’ve visited a vast array of business in that time. We’ve monitored construction dust such as wood and crystalline silica from cutting blocks and bricks, we’ve visited artists foundries and workshops and monitored for patination compounds, we’ve been…
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The current Work at Height Regulations were put into action in 2005 and we’ve been working with hundreds of our clients to put in place workable solutions to keep people safe at height since we started the business in 1994. Key amongst these risks is unsafe scaffolding. All contractors should have access to a competent…
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With the CDM Regulations now in place since 2015 most people should have a pretty good understanding of what they are, how they affect them and what to do to comply with them…. shouldn’t they? Not every domestic project principal contractor is…. Well, this isn’t really the case and the most difficult duty holders to…
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A CDM Client and what should have been their Principal Contractor have both been fined for failing to manage their responsibilities for safety. CDM Client and Contractor Prosecuted Stuart Barnes Ltd and the CDM Client Aster Property Ltd have been sentenced as a fall through fragile roofing. Luke Maslen, 27 years old, fell almost 2…
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Well then – who better to tell you about how provide a risk assessment training than an actual HSE Inspector! Or is it…. HSE have recently started to offer more in the way of courses and have some which cover risk assessment, others covering CDM and more are likely to arrive in the future. The…
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A domestic Principal Contractor (someone with Principal Contractor duties under CDM but working on a domestic rather than commercial project) has faced a significant fine. This is one of the key changes with the 2015 CDM Regulations – they apply to domestic as well as commercial projects in contrast with all regulations up until that…
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Throughout the UK and Europe there are a multitude of workplaces still clad in asbestos cement from roofing to rainwater to any number of other similar items. Back in the 50’s and 60’s this ‘wonder material’ was marketed as a solution to all building problems due to its characteristics for strength, lightness and fire resistance.…
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