30 April 2006 - Site News

Site News

The Legislation News pages have been updated where you can read more on the following:

• The Smoking, Health and Social Care (Scotland) Act 2005 and the Prohibition of Smoking in Certain Premises (Scotland) Regulations 2006 (Consequential Provisions) (Scotland) Order 2006
• Public consultation on proposed amendments to the Blood Safety and Quality Regulations 2005 (SI 2005 No 50)
• The Railways and Other Guided Transport Systems (Safety) Regulations 2006
• The Railways and Other Guided Transport Systems (Safety) (Amendment) Regulations 2006

29 April 2006 - Improving worker involvement - Improving health and safety

29 April 2006 - Improving worker involvement - Improving health and safety

The Health and Safety Commission (HSC) have recently issued a consultation document entitled Improving worker involvement - Improving health and safety, which seeks views on how to encourage, improve and increase worker involvement in health and safety risk management.

The consultation suggests that there are three pillars to the strategy to increase workers' participation in managing health and safety, which are: legislation, guidance and encouragement.

The document sets out the current position and options to strengthen each of the suggested pillars, including possible amendments to the law on consultation with employees. The document invites comments on the options and any new ideas that have not been considered.

Geoffrey Podger, Chief Executive of HSE commented:

"Workers know the most about the jobs they do, so they are often in the best position to develop safe and practical systems of work. Effective worker involvement can reduce accidents and ill health. It is fundamental to ensuring the success of all other interventions on health and safety. It is important, therefore, that we actively encourage and support organisations to involve their workers."

Zoe Woodrow, Policy Adviser with HSE's Worker Involvement Programme also commented:

"We want this consultation to gather as many views as possible. Both workers and employers are instrumental in making involvement successful. So we want to know what managers, workers and their representatives think. We have suggested some options but we would welcome other ideas, too.

The feedback we receive will help us to make the right decisions about how we focus our efforts in this important area. We recognise that people's time is limited, which is why we have also published a summary document. We hope that as many people as possible will take a look at the documents and let us know what they think."

To encourage as many people as possible to participate in the consultation, HSE is also publishing a summary document to introduce the issues involved, as well as organising a number of regional meetings to encourage people to share and discuss their views.

The consultation ends on 8 September 2006.

The Consultative Document Improving worker involvement - Improving health and safety (CD207), the summary document and feedback form can be accessed at http://www.hse.gov.uk/consult/condocs/cd207.htm

Single printed copies of the Consultative Document and summary can be obtained from HSE Books, PO Box 1999, Sudbury, Suffolk CO10 2WA, Tel: 01787 881165, Fax: 01787 313 995

Comments should be sent to: Zoe Woodrow, Worker Involvement Programme, HSE, 5th Floor, North Wing, Rose Court, 2 Southwark Bridge, London SE1 9HS.

30 April 2006 - Bhopal: HUGE Victory!

Bhopal: HUGE Victory!

On the night of 3 December 1984, a Union Carbide plant (now owned by The Dow Chemical Company) in the city of Bhopal, India began leaking large amounts of the deadly gas methyl isocyanate (MIC). None of the six safety systems designed to contain such a leak were operational, which allowed the gas to spread throughout the city of Bhopal. Half a million people were exposed to the gas and 20,000 have died to date as a result of their exposure. More than 120,000 people still suffer from the effects of the accident and subsequent pollution at the plant site.

The people of India, and thousands of people around the world, have been vigorously campaigning for justice to be brought against those responsible for the terrible tragedy. Campaigners finally won a huge victory who were calling upon The Dow Chemical Company to face trial; provide long-term health care; clean up the contaminated land affected by the site; and provide economic and social support to people affected by the tragedy.

The Students for Bhopal have released details of the victory in an email and on their website pages. The email is copied below. Further information can be found on the Students for Bhopal website here: Students for Bhopal

Hi everyone,
Thanks to the support of compassionate people like you around the world, the Bhopal campaign just won a huge victory (www.bhopal.net/march)!

What we did

We won – and when you boil it down, there were two basic reasons.

1. The spirit, determination and perseverance of the Bhopalis – those poisoned people who walked 500 miles on grit and blisters, who sang through police truncheons, who starved for justice.
2. You: the unyielding anger of compassionate people the world over, burying the government in protest, scorn and shame.

All of you have contributed monumental efforts in the past few weeks. These are a few of the things you accomplished:

• Fax Action. Nearly 3000 individual faxes were sent from the website (http://www.studentsforbhopal.org/FaxAction/fax_action.php) directly to the Prime Minister’s office in Delhi. Imagine hundreds of irate faxes spilling out and onto the floor daily – a mess and a migraine at the same time.
• Congressional Letter. Thanks to our lobbying efforts, 20 members of the United States Congress – led by Rep. Frank Pallone of New Jersey – signed a strongly-worded letter to the Indian Government, demanding that it meet the Bhopalis’ demands (http://www.bhopal.net/delhi-marchers/docs/bhopal.letter.pdf). “At a time when a new generation of victims is surfacing among children born to gas-affected parents and those exposed to contaminated drinking water, the government must take care of those affected by this horrible tragedy. In addition, they must hold the Union carbide and its parent company Dow Chemical responsible for the disaster," the members wrote.
• Embassy Protests. In late March the first demonstration shook the Indian Embassy in Washington, rattling their windows and the ambassador himself – he fled (http://www.bhopal.net/blog_act/archives/2006/03/pictures_from_t.html). On April 7 another demonstration took place outside the New York consulate (http://www.bhopal.net/blog_act/archives/2006/04/action_report_f.html). Supporters met with the San Francisco and Houston consulates – in the latter case, with the Consul General and DCG themselves. Bhopal supporters asked the Consul General of New York about the Indian Government’s response at two separate speaking engagements in Boston.
• Daily Actions. Over the past several weeks the Indian Government was inundated with nearly 6000 emails and hundreds of phone calls at every Indian Government office in the United States and at the Prime Minister’s office in India as well.
• Relay Hunger Strike. In response to the indefinite fast of the Bhopalis, more than 350 people from around the world signed up for the Global Relay Hunger Strike (http://www.bhopal.net/2006hungerstrike.html).
• Non-Resident Indian organizations. More than 50 groups - including over 30 local and national NRI organizations - signed on to a letter to the Indian Government, endorsing the Bhopalis demands and urging action.
• Petitions. The Bhopal campaign petition to the Prime Minister collected nearly 700 signatures (http://www.petitiononline.com/m4jib2d/petition.html). An Amnesty petition in support of unpoisoned water collected 4000 signatures.
• Awareness-raising. Countless events including skits, movie screenings, photo exhibits, demonstrations (http://www.bhopal.net/blog_act/archives/2006/03/bloody_love.html), and others were held across the country.

What we won

Our efforts paid off. On April 17, the Indian Prime Minister agreed to fulfill four of the Bhopalis’ six demands:

1. National Commission on Bhopal: The Government should set up an interministerial coordinating agency, with necessary authority and funds to provide facilities for health care, medical research, social support and economic rehabilitation of the people poisoned by Union Carbide/Dow Chemical and their children for at least the next 30 years. This commission must have the active participation of non-government doctors, scientists and representatives of survivors’ organisations.

We will return to Bhopal when the Government announces the setting up of the agency along the above lines, and commits to funding it with a corpus that will yield Rs. 50 crores per year.

2. Provide Safe Drinking Water: Commit full funds for the implementation of the May 2004 Supreme Court order and provide clean piped drinking water from Kolar reservoir to communities affected by Union Carbide/Dow’s contamination.

We will return to Bhopal when the Government of India commits to allot at least Rs. 10 crores to the Madhya Pradesh Government for construction of pipeline and other infrastructure to deliver clean water from Kolar Reservoir.

4. Make Dow Clean Up and Pay: Ensure scientific assessment of the depth and spread of toxic contamination in and around the Union Carbide factory in Bhopal and make Union Carbide or its current owner, The Dow Chemical Company, pay for the clean-up of toxic contamination and also compensation for related health and environmental damage.

We will return to Bhopal when the Government of India commits to performing a comprehensive assessment of cost of clean-up, and use legal and extra legal options to make Union Carbide/Dow Chemical pay for assessment of contamination and clean-up. Legal options for the Indian Government include playing a more active role in the case currently being heard in the New York court claiming damages and clean-up from Carbide.

Estimated costs of clean-up range from $25 million to $500 million, and highlight the lack of a comprehensive assessment and estimate of costs.

6. Remember Bhopal: Include representatives of survivors’ organisations in the creation of a memorial to the disaster, declare December 3 as a National Day of Mourning for Victims of Industrial Disasters and Pollution and ensure that the Bhopal disaster and its aftermath is included in school and college curricula.

We will return to Bhopal when the Government of India commits to ensuring that a memorial in Bhopal with the full participation of survivors, and commits to introduce the story of the Bhopal disaster in school and college curricula.

Every one of these demands is a massive victory in itself. In many cases these are demands for which the Bhopalis have been fighting for more than two decades. Altogether this is the biggest victory our campaign has ever won – a victory that will improve the lives and health of thousands.

We couldn’t have done it without you. There may be no justice in this world, but there are good people. This is what gives us hope.

Peace & justice,
Ryan Bodanyi
Coordinator, Students for Bhopal
www.studentsforbhopal.org

25 April 2005 - May Day - Say 'Yes' to Workers' Rights

25 April 2005 - May Day - Say 'Yes' to Workers' Rights

The Trades Union Congress (TUC) and the London May Day Organising Committee have jointly organised a march for modern workplaces and a Trade Union Freedom Bill, which aims for workplace justice and minimum rights for all. The march entitled - Free Unions! Free Rights!, will take place in London and will set off from Clerkenwell Green at 1.00pm. The rally will take place at Trafalgar Square at 2.30pm on Monday 1 May (May Day).

Speakers will include London Mayor, Ken Livingstone; Gloria Mills, TUC President; Brendan Barber, TUC General Secretary; Tony Woodley, TGWU General Secretary; Maria Helena Andre, ETUC; Randall Howard, SATAWU; Greg Combet, ACTU; Dave Prentis, Unison; Derek Simpson, Amicus; Paul Kenny, GMB and Tony Benn.

TUC General Secretary, Brendan Barber, said:

"The mass dismissals at Gate Gourmet show our laws do not meet international standards of protecting people at work from exercising their basic rights. Unions are campaigning for a Trade Union Freedom Bill because it is time industrial relations law lifted bureaucratic burdens on unions, protected people exercising their rights from employer victimisation and caught up with modern company structures. This march is a key part of the campaign for workplace justice."

Further information can be found on the TUC web site by clicking the following link:

Trades Union Congress - May Day 2006 March and Rally

23 April 2006 - HSfB Site News

Site News

Three new items added to the downloads page.

• Excavation by Nick Higginson (PowerPoint) 390KB
• CR NEBOSH Notes by Carl Royston (.doc) 226KB
• Flowcharts - legislative processes & TU influence by Helen PJ (.doc) 89IKB

The Legislation News pages have been updated where you can read more on the following:

• The Disability Discrimination Code of Practice (Supplement to Part 3 Code of Practice) (Provision and Use of Transport Vehicles) (Appointed Day) Order 2006
• The Disability Discrimination (Guidance on the Definition of Disability) Appointed Day Order 2006
• The Disability Discrimination (Guidance on the Definition of Disability) Revocation Order 2006
• The Fire and Rescue Services (National Framework) (England) Order 2006

21 April 2006 - Latest HSE Leaflets and Offshore Statistics

21 April 2006 - Latest HSE Leaflets and Offshore Statistics

The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) have provided leaflets containing guidance and advice for those within the woodland and forestry industry.

The content of the leaflets, in pdf format, although not compulsory, contain good practice guidance on fire-fighting, de-bogging and safe working practice guidance, when using firewood processors.

Each guidance can be accessed by clicking the relevant link below:

• Woodland and Forestry Fire-fighting

• De-bogging and Recovery of Forestry Machines

• Safe Working Practices when using Firewood Processors

There is also, in pdf format, an HSE best practice guidance on orphaned cylinders in the waste and recycling industries, which can be accessed by clicking the following:

• Orphaned compressed gas cylinders in the Waste and Recycling Industries

Recently published, is the full offshore health and safety statistics for 2004/05, which can be accessed from the HSE's webpage by clicking the following:

• HSE publishes full offshore health and safety statistics 2004/05

Some of the content within the above report is as follows:

• Graphs plotting injury rates since 1995/96.

• Tables breaking down injuries by type.

• Part of body injured.

• Age of injured person, etc, plus cases of ill health reported since 1998/99.

• Details of reported dangerous occurrences.

Article by Alexandra Johnston

11 April 2006 - Students Online Stay Safe Toolkit

11 April 2006 - Students Online Stay Safe Toolkit

A new online toolkit for students has been devised and launched by the Home Office and the National Union of Students, with the aim of reducing crime against students in Universities and Colleges within England and Wales.

Some of the features of the "Student welfare toolkit", available to 750 student unions, are as follows:

• Deterring burglary of laptops and other expensive equipment.

• Protection against street crime.

• Advising fellow students of the best way to protect themselves.

• How to get help when needed.

• Ideas as to how Student Welfare Officers can raise awareness of student crime on their campuses.

• Advice for the running of crime prevention initiatives.

Hazel Blears, Home Office Minister, said:

"Being at university is one of the most exciting experiences anyone can have. But it can be spoiled by unexpected crime, which can be a devastating experience for someone living away from home for the first time.

"Young people aged 16 to 24 year old are around three times more likely to be victims of burglary than people in other age groups. Helping students with practical advice will help us to tackle that.

"That is why we have joined together with the NUS to produce this toolkit to help students protect themselves at this important time in their lives.

"I hope this toolkit will provide welfare officers with valuable information that they can pass on to fellow students throughout their time at university or college."

Veronica King, NUS Vice president Welfare, said:

"NUS is proud to present the Home Office "Student Welfare Toolkit".

"The Home Office and NUS have been working very hard to put together examples of best practice on how to keep crime down on campus and make students safer.

"Students come to university or college with their brand new laptops, and the latest i-pods, and personal safety is not usually their top priority, with the excitement of student life taking over.

"Unfortunately, 1 in 3 students becomes the victim of a crime each year at university.

"We hope students' unions will use the toolkit as a way to increase awareness of crime and make student life a crime-free experience."

The "Student Welfare Toolkit" can be accessed from the NUS Website by clicking the following:

National Union of Students Officer

Article by Alexandra Johnston

11 April 2006 - Research Reports and Nuclear Information Within HSE Website

11 April 2006 - Research Reports and Nuclear Information Within HSE Website

Following are the latest research reports within the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) Website, which can be accessed from the appropriate webpage by clicking the relevant link:

• RR343 Impact evaluation of the Control of Major Accident Hazards (COMAH) Regulations 1999

• RR429 - Structural Reliability Framework for floating production, storage and offloading vessels/floating surface units Phase II

• RR437 - The underlying causes of falls from vehicles associated with slip and trip hazards on steps and floors

• RR439 - A review of carbon monoxide incident information for 2003/04

The following HSE reports can be viewed in pdf format by clicking the link:

• HSL/2006/25 - Manual handling in kerbside collection and sorting of recyclables

• Waste and Recycling Vehicles in Street Collection

• Avoiding the risk of infection when working with Poultry suspected of having HPAI

Since the SAP's review in 1992, experience in their use and developments in the nuclear safety field, both in the UK and Internationally, has led to a further need to undertake another revision of all principles.

The HSE have therefore produced, in pdf format, a nuclear draft for publication consultation on SAP's, which can be accessed by clicking the following:

• Safety Assessment Principles for Nuclear Facilities - Draft for public consultation

Article by Alexandra Johnston

9 April 2006 - HSfB Site News

Site News

Two new items added to the downloads page.

• HAVS Levels Database by Mark Sutton
• Crane Lifting Plan Method Statement and Risk Assessment by Mark Sutton

6 April 2006 - HSE Reminder of New Noise Regulations Enforceable Today

6 April 2006 - HSE Reminder of New Noise Regulations Enforceable Today

The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) are today reminding businesses of their duties under the new Control of Noise at Work Regulations 2005 which become enforceable as from today, Wednesday 6 April 2006, replacing the existing Noise at Work Regulations 1989.

Compliance of the new Regulations applies to all but the music and entertainment sector, which have until April 2008 to comply.

Health and safety minister Lord Hunt of Kings welcomed the new Regulations and said:

"With over one million employees in Great Britain exposed to levels of noise at work which could damage hearing the new regulations will reduce exposure without placing unnecessary burdens on employers."

The following list, though by no means exhaustive, provides some simple rules of thumb that may indicate a business has a noise problem requiring rectification:

• Surrounded by intrusive noise for most of the working day.

• Having to raise your voice to be heard by someone just 2 metres away, for at least part of the day.

• An employee who uses noisy powered tools or machinery for more than 30 minutes a day.

• Employees working in a noisy industry such as construction, road repair, engineering or manufacturing.

• Employees work causes impacts such as hammering, drop forging, pneumatic impact tools, etc.

• Employees who work with explosive sources such as cartridge-operated tools, detonators, or guns.

Under the new Control of Noise at Work Regulations 2005, employers must comply by:

• Assessing the risks to their employees from noise at work.

• Taking action to reduce the noise exposure that produces those risks.

• Make provision for employees with hearing protection if they cannot reduce the noise exposure enough through other methods (making hearing protection available on request at 80 dB and ensuring it is worn at 85 dB).

• Making sure the legal limits on noise exposure (87 dB daily or weekly exposure or peak sound pressure of 140 dB taking account of hearing protection) are not exceeded.

• Provide employees with information, instruction and training.

• Carry out health surveillance where there is a risk to health.

Brian Lamb, Director of Communications at RNID, said:

"We welcome the new Control of Noise at Work Regulations.

"Prolonged exposure to loud noise can cause permanent hearing loss and employers have a legal duty to cut down noise and protect their employees from the harmful effects of noise at work. However, employees also have to play their part and use the hearing protection available to them.

"Noise induced hearing loss is often cumulative and not immediately obvious, so its threat is seldom recognised or taken seriously.

"Whilst the effects of noise are irreversible, noise induced hearing loss is totally preventable."

Further information on the new Regulations and simple steps that can be taken to reduce employee noise exposure, is available from the HSE Webpage and can be accessed by clicking the following:

HSE - Noise

Article by Alexandra Johnston

6 April 2006 - Reminder of New Offshore Regulations Enforceable Today

6 April 2006 - Reminder of New Offshore Regulations Enforceable Today

Key changes to the Offshore Installations (Safety Case) Regulations 1992, replaced by the the Offshore Installations (Safety Case) Regulations 2005, have become enforceable as of today, Wednesday 6 April 2006.

The new Regulations aim to allow Health and Safety Executive (HSE) Inspectors to carry out more planned interventions and to cut bureaucracy for industry.

Commenting on the new Regulations, Ian Whewell, acting head of HSE's Offshore Division, said:

"The Safety Case Regulations continue to be the foundation of a safe and sustainable UK Continental Shelf (UKCS).

"The new regulations will build on the successes of the previous version and ensure that the post-Piper Alpha safety regime remains relevant and proportionate to the changing nature of the UK offshore industry.

"The industry, including workforce representatives, has played an invaluable role in developing the new regulations.

"HSE believes that they will provide real benefits in terms of reduced bureaucracy, enabling us to increase offshore inspection visits, and extend the role of safety representatives.

"Guidance on the regulations will be published in April and I would urge duty holders to engage with the new requirements."

Some of the key changes introduced by the 2005 Regulations are as follows:

• The requirement for duty holders to send an early design notification, instead of a design safety case, to HSE when establishing a new production installation.

• Duty holders are required to carry out a thorough and fundamental review of their safety cases at least every five years, or as directed by HSE.

• The present requirement to re-submit safety cases every three years has been removed (inspectors will be checking to see that safety cases are being kept up to date through inspection).

• New duties require licensees to ensure anyone they appoint as an operator is capable of fulfilling their legal responsibilities for safety.

• Combined operations safety cases have been replaced by notifications, which do not need HSE acceptance.

• The Offshore Installations (Safety Representatives and Safety Committees) Regulations have been amended to extend consultation with safety representatives to reviewing and revising a safety case, as well as preparing one.

The Offshore Installations (Safety Case) Regulations 2005 can be accessed from Her Majesty's Stationary Office (HMSO), by clicking the following:

The Offshore Installations (Safety Case) Regulations 2005

Guidance and the Operations Notice 69, published on the HSE's Website in November 2005 for duty holders on the transitional arrangements, can be accessed by clicking the following:

HSE - OFFSHORE: Operations Notice 69 - Revising an existing safety case to comply with the 2005 Safety Case Regulations

Article by Alexandra Johnston

6 April 2006 - New Waste Management for Farmers in May 2006

6 April 2006 - New Waste Management for Farmers in May 2006

New waste management Regulations, in order to protect the environment even further, for the first time, now include waste management for the farming sector.

Agricultural waste has, until now, been excluded from the waste management controls, but as from 15 May 2006, the agricultural sector in England and Wales will have to comply with the management and control of their waste. However, manure and slurry, when used as fertilizers, are not classed as waste in the new regulations.

Under the new regulations, some of the 400,000 Tonnes of waste farmers must manage are as follows:

• Old pesticide containers.

• Silage wraps.

• Tyres.

• Batteries.

• Oil.

Ben Bradshaw, Local Environmental Quality Minister, said:

"For many years agriculture has been excluded from our national waste management controls. The new Regulations will extend existing waste management controls to agricultural waste for the first time.

"This change is a real opportunity to develop a practical system for minimising and managing agricultural waste.

"Waste is often a hidden business cost. I hope that farmers up and down the country see the changes more as a business opportunity than a regulatory burden.

"Farmers must stop using their farms dumps to dispose of their waste before the Regulations come into force on 15 May.

"Any farmer who continues to use a farm dump from 15 May will be required to close it down in accordance with the requirements of the Regulations."

There are 5 basic options open to farmers for compliance with the new regulations. They can:

• Store their waste on-farm for up to 12 months.

• Take their waste for recycling or disposal off-farm at a licensed site.

• Get an authorised waste contractor to take their waste away.

• Register license exemptions with the Environment Agency to recycle or dispose of their waste on-farm. Farmers can register at any stage during the first 12 months of the Regulations.

• Apply to the Environment Agency for a waste management license or a landfill permit to recycle or dispose of their waste on-farm. For most farmers obtaining a landfill permit for their farm dump will not be a viable option because of the engineering requirements and costs involved.

There will be help and assistance, allowing farmers to implement changes, such as the following:

• There are transitional arrangements for most other recycling and disposal activities on-farm.

• Farmers will have 12 months to register licence exemptions with the Environment Agency or to apply to them for a licence.

• A wide range of licence exemptions will be available to farmers - all of them free of charge for agricultural waste.

• The Environment Agency is producing an "Exemptions Pack" to help farmers register their exemptions.

• Defra's Environment Sensitive Farming (ESF) programme provides workshops, seminars and self-help groups across all regions on all aspects of farm management including waste.

• The Environment Agency has already issued a series of guidance notes explaining the impact of the Regulations and advising farmers on what they should do.

• The Agricultural Waste Stakeholders' Forum and the Environment Agency have developed and launched a Recycling Directory to help farmers find local sites and companies that can take their waste.

Further information, help and advice for compliance with the new Regulations can be accessed from the Environment Agency's Website by clicking the following:

Environment Agency - Agricultural waste

Further information on companies who can provide a service for removal, disposal or treating of waste can be accessed from the Waste Recycling Directory by clicking the following:

Waste Recycling Directory for Business

Defra's Environment Sensitive Farming (ESF) programme can be accessed from their Website by clicking the following:

Defra , UK - Department for Environment Food and Rural Affairs

Article by Alexandra Johnston

6 April 2006 - Ireland's HSA Announce Farm Safety Campaign

6 April 2006 - Ireland's HSA Announce Farm Safety Campaign

Ireland's Health and Safety Authority (HSA) have announced, as part of their Farm Safety Campaign, that 500 proactive examinations nationwide are to take place, in a bid to cut the death toll within the farming community.

HSA's figures show the following trend in Ireland's farm fatalities:

• This year alone (2006) there have been already been 4 deaths.

• In 2005, a total of 18 deaths occurred in the farming sector.

• Over the past 3 year period, 50% of fatalities involved people over the age of 65 years.

• Children were involved in some 20% of Irish farm deaths.

• There are over 3,000 accidents which cause injury each year on Irish farms.

Pat Griffin, Senior Inspector with the HSA, said:

"Accidents in agriculture are predictable and preventable.

“Farmers should take just 5 or 10 minutes each day to consider farm safety and put things right before carrying out their work.

“It may save their life or the life of a family member or close friend.”

Included in the HSA Farm Safety Campaign are the following:

• Continuing the Authority’s national TV advertising campaign.

• A safety advertisement aired in marts nationwide via Farm TV.

• Distribution of a farm safety DVD.

• Rolling out the Authority’s Farm Self assessment system.

• Using the Farm Safety Partnership to spread the safety message through its affiliate organisations.

Further information for the farming sector can be accessed from the HSA Website, by clicking the following:

HSA Agriculture & Forestry Webpage

Article by Alexandra Johnston

5 April 2006 - Latest HSE Research Reports and Leaflets

5 April 2006 - Latest HSE Research Reports and Leaflets

The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) have produced the following two new research reports within their website, which can be accessed by clicking the relevant link.

• RR420 - The demographics of children living and/or working on farms

• RR433 - Safety implications of TOFD for in-manufacture inspections

The HSE have also produced two new leaflets, which can be accessed, in pdf format, by clicking your chosen link below.

• INDG365 - Working safely with metalworking fluids - A guide for employees

• Health and Safety Law - What you should know

There is also an HSE webpage with updated asbestos in schools information. This webpage contains the Working Group on Action to Control Chemicals (WATCH) conclusions of the potential level of asbestos exposure within schools.

The asbestos in schools information webpage can be accessed by clicking the following:

• HSE -Asbestos - updated information for schools

Article by Alexandra Johnston

4 April 2006 - New Road Safety Bill Impacts on Safer Level Crossings

4 April 2006 - New Road Safety Bill Impacts on Safer Level Crossings

Amendments to the Road Safety Bill are set to impact on making roads crossing over railway lines and approaching areas safer.

The road safety amendments, now accepted by Ministers in Parliament, will allow Network Rail to make recommendations for roads at level crossings.

At the moment, most local authorities have the choice as to whether recommended road improvements close to level crossings should be implemented.

According to Network Rail, most local authorities refuse the recommended road improvements. Commenting on this in 2005, Chris Rumfitt, Network Rail's Head of External Communications said:

“Unless they are compelled to they won't because they don't see the level crossings as their risk to manage."

The agreed amendment to the Road Safety Bill will provide Network Rail with a say in such areas as raised strips on level crossing approach roads and bollards to prevent cars from weaving around closing barriers. Central barriers and anti-skid surfaces will also be put in place.

Approximately 1,600 of the total of 8,000 level crossings on the British rail network are positioned on roads and as a consequence of the Government support of the new Road Safety Bill, Network Rail have agreed to a £10million per year cost towards such road-works.

The Railway Groups Level Crossings Performance Report for July 2005 can be accessed, in pdf format, by clicking the following:

RSSB Level Crossing Performance Report July 2005

Article by Alexandra Johnston

4 April 2006 - HSfB Site News

Site News

The Legislation News pages have been updated where you can read more on the following.

• The Working Time (Amendment) Regulations 2006
• The Working Time (Amendment) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2006