Most businesses use agency staff at some point. Whether to cover a longer term absence, cope with an upturn in business or to cover a the absence of a key worker. Naturally, the person who is employed to carry out this role has a right to expect a safe workplace and you, as an employer,…
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A stonemason has been fined £30,000 after employees working around silica based materials fell ill with lung diseases. William Anelay Limited has been told by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) to take correct safety precautions after two employees developed the potentially life shortening illnesses upon exposure to uncontrolled levels of respirable crystalline silica. COSHH…
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As most businesses will already be aware, at present a person who has suffered some loss can bring a personal injury compensation claim with no financial risk to themselves whatsoever. If they win the defendant pays the solicitor’s costs and fees, including a special bonus – the “success fee”. If they lose their solicitor agrees…
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The Employment Agency Standards (EAS) inspectorate has reported that eleven out of twelve employment agencies it investigated were failing in their health and safety duties. If you do use agencies you should be aware that they share the burden of good health and safety with you and must play their role to ensure that their…
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An HSE inspector prosecuting a theme-park firm over the death of a worker ended up in the dock owing to her behaviour in court. Inspector Helen Diamond was fined £2000 at Kilmarnock Sheriff Court on 10 November after being found in contempt of court. The charge related to her behaviour in court and towards a…
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The death of a seven-year-old, who’d managed to gain access to scaffolding, led to a successful prosecution by the HSE. Background Lovell Partnerships Ltd erected a scaffold so that its staff could repair a chimney flue whilst controlling the risk of falling from height, all well and good you might think. The plan was to…
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On April 26 2007, a fire ripped through New Look’s flagship store in London. The damage was so severe that what parts of the building were left standing had to be pulled down. The retailer was found guilty as none of its staff had of what to do – to the extent that they did…
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The Health and Safety Executive announced yesterday, 19/01/2010 that hauliers in the UK are to be subject to spot checks conducted by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) in order to ensure they are complying with load safety regulations. The Health and Safety Executive are concerned that too many haulage firms are placing both their…
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When you hire an item of plant or equipment you are often given a short introductory training course. The aim of the short session is to give rudimentary advice about the operation of the equipment and its key features but are you then competent to operate this machine? Familiarisation training is meant to be just…
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Some confusion exists over this issue but the realities are clearly explained in regulation. In fact, the regulations specify areas where cover may not be refused, for example; “any breach of the insurance policy by the employer following the event giving rise to a claim, e.g. failure of, or delay in, notification any breach of…
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