Monday, July 31, 2006

31 July 2006 - Directgov Launches Blue Badge Parking Bay Map

31 July 2006 - Directgov Launches Blue Badge Parking Bay Map

A new interactive online service has recently been launched by www.direct.gov.uk, which will make it much easier for disabled people to find Blue Badge scheme parking bays in many cities across the UK.

The new mapping facility is the first of its kind and will enable people to search by postcode or town/area name for designated Blue Badge parking bays, parking bays that fall on red routes in London and accessible petrol stations. The service will also outline any time restrictions or special notices that apply to individual allocated Blue Badge parking bays.

Anne McGuire, Minister for Disabled People commented:

“Disabled people need to be supported to live life independently in the community, at work and at leisure. That is why I am delighted that this interactive tool should really make a difference. For many disabled people who do drive or are a passenger, knowing where they will be able to park will enable them to take part in day to day activities that non-disabled people take for granted. This service will help many people a great deal.”

Transport Minister Gillian Merron also commented:

"We want everyone who is entitled to use a Blue Badge to benefit from a user-friendly and properly enforced system. Together with our recent steps to stamp out fraud, this innovative service will help badge holders, whether drivers or passengers, get more out of the scheme."

The mapping facility that enables the public to view Blue Badge parking bays in 64 cities and towns in the UK as follows:

  • Aberdeen
  • Bath
  • Belfast
  • Birmingham
  • Blackpool
  • Bournemouth
  • Bradford
  • Brighton
  • Bristol
  • Cambridge
  • Canterbury
  • Cardiff
  • Carlisle
  • Cheltenham
  • Chester
  • Coventry
  • Derby
  • Dover
  • Dundee
  • Durham
  • Eastbourne
  • Edinburgh
  • Exeter
  • Folkestone
  • Glasgow
  • Gloucester
  • Guildford
  • Harrogate
  • Hastings
  • Hereford
  • Inverness
  • Kingston upon Hull
  • Leeds
  • Leicester
  • Lincoln
  • Liverpool
  • London
  • Manchester
  • Middlesborough
  • Milton Keynes
  • Newcastle upon Tyne
  • Norwich
  • Nottingham
  • Oxford
  • Perth
  • Plymouth
  • Portsmouth
  • Reading
  • Salisbury
  • Scarborough
  • Sheffield
  • Southampton
  • Stoke on Trent
  • Stratford upon Avon
  • Sunderland
  • Swansea
  • Swindon
  • Torquay
  • Watford
  • Weston super Mare
  • Winchester
  • Windsor
  • Worcester
  • York

Directgov hosts the Blue Badge map facility in its section for disabled people which can be found by clicking the following link www.direct.gov.uk/disability

The Blue Badge map can be viewed at www.direct.gov.uk/bluebadgemap

30 July 2006 - An Investigation into Cyberbullying

30 July 2006 - An Investigation into Cyberbullying

With the advancements and increased use in new technology, cyberbullying is on the increase also. Cyberbullying is a new phenomenon which can easily be described as forms of bullying using various electronic devices, such as mobile phones and email.

A recent study investigates cyberbullying among school pupils in the London area where 92 pupils aged between 11 and 16 years old from 14 different London schools were given a questionnaire.

The questionnaire looked at the incidence of cyberbullying in school, and outside of school, distinguishing between seven types of cyberbullying;

  • Text message bullying
  • Picture/Video Clip bullying (via mobile phone cameras)
  • Phone call bullying
  • Email bullying
  • Chat-room bullying
  • Bullying through instant messaging
  • Bullying via websites

Results included:

  • 20 students, or 22%, had been victims of cyberbullying at least once, and 5, or 6.6%, had experienced being cyberbullied more frequently, over the last couple of months.
  • Phone call, text messages and email were the most common forms of cyberbullying both inside and outside of school, while chat room bullying was the least common.
  • Prevalence rates of cyberbullying were greater outside of school than inside.

The study brief can be found by clicking the following link:

An Investigation into Cyberbullying, its Forms, Awareness and Impact, and the Relationship Between Age and Gender in Cyberbullying

25 July 2006 - Final Phase for Implementing the WEEE Directive

25 July 2006 - Final Phase for Implementing the WEEE Directive

The Government has launched a consultation marking the final phase on the key proposals for implementing the EC Directive on Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE) which are to be introduced from 1 July 2007.

The WEEE Directive aims to address the environmental impact of electrical and electronic equipment (EEE) and to promote its separate collection when it becomes waste (WEEE).

The Directive introduces producer responsibility for waste electrical and electronic equipment (WEEE) where retailers have an obligation to offer take-back services to householders. The Directive does not place any obligations on householders, and they will be not be prohibited from throwing away WEEE such as toasters, laptops, or washing machines along with general domestic rubbish. It will however encourage more WEEE to be reused or recycled by ensuring that there is a network of facilities in place where householders can return their used equipment free of charge.

Malcolm Wicks, Energy Minister commented:

"Electrical equipment is the fastest growing category of rubbish across the European Union, with around 20kg per person produced every year, and the UK alone is now generating around 1m tonnes of the stuff every year.

"These proposals are good for consumers, good for responsible producers and good for our environment. By providing a way of ensuring that electronic waste no longer has to go to landfills, manufacturers and importers will have the responsibility to ensure that they plan for both their new and existing products to be recycled rather than dumped.

"In announcing full producer responsibility I want to provide those businesses who have yet to take up their obligation with the certainty they need in order to plan for implementation."

The key proposals are as follows:

  • A national Distributor 'take-back scheme' which will establish a network of Designated Collection Facilities enabling consumers to return their used items for recycling or reuse.
  • Obligatory registration for producers through approved compliance schemes.
  • Authorised Treatment Facilities, which will process WEEE and provide evidence to producers on the amount of WEEE received for treatment.
  • Accredited reprocessing/recycling facilities who will provide evidence of reprocessing to producers.
  • An end-of-year settlement to ensure producers are able to meet their obligations via an "Exchange system.
  • A voluntary approach for producers to show the cost of handling historical WEEE.

Environment Agency's Liz Parkes also commented:

"We are pleased to have been part of the DTI's wider implementation team. The regulations will lead to less waste going to landfills and more materials being made available for recycling.

"Making sure waste is dealt with in an environmentally responsible manner is a priority for us. We have been preparing in anticipation of our role and have been gearing up to handle the registration of producers of WEEE in line with DTI proposals. This will no doubt help contribute towards creating a better environment for everyone."

he consultation will run from 25 July until 17 October and can be found by clicking the following link: DTI - Implementing the Directives 2002/96/EC and 2003/108/EC on Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment in the United Kingdom

24 July 2006 - Latest Fire Statistics Lowest Since 1959

24 July 2006 - Latest Fire Statistics Lowest Since 1959

The figures in the quarterly “Fire Statistics Monitor” publication are provisional figures compiled from reports submitted to the Department for Local Government and Communities (DCLG) on fires, fire deaths and injuries, and false fire alarms attended by the fire and rescue service throughout the UK. The latest figures for fatalities are provisional and subject to revision as information supplied by the fire and rescue service needs to be cross-checked against the cause of death that appears on the death certificate.

The latest national fire statistics covering the 12-month period up to 30 September 2005 continue to show a fall in the total number of fire related deaths - now the lowest since 1959.

A person whose death is attributed to a fire is counted as a fatality even if death occurred weeks or months later. However, it is not always the case that fire was the cause of death.

Key statistics are as follows:

  • The UK fire and rescue service attended 870,000 fires or false alarms (698,000 in England) in the 12-month period up to 30 September 2005 – 8% less than in the previous year.
  • The total number of fires attended in the UK fell by 11% to 431,000.
  • The number of primary fires (fires involving property, vehicles and/or casualties) fell by 10% to 170,000 – the lowest since 1988.
  • Secondary fires fell by a 12% to 251,000. There were 58,000 fires in the home, a fall of 7% compared with the previous year.
  • In England, there were 344,000 fires consisting of 141,000 primary fires (of which, 46,000 were in dwellings) and 196,000 secondary fires.
  • Fire related deaths recorded in the UK fell to 489 - the lowest total since 1959. Of these deaths 300 were from accidental dwelling fires, compared with 358 a year earlier, a fall of 16%.
  • Injuries resulting from fires fell by 6% to 14,100 (of these 9,700 were in accidental dwelling fires).
  • In England, 366 fire deaths and 11,200 injuries were recorded. There were 216 deaths in accidental dwelling fires compared with 269 in the previous year, a fall of 20%.
  • The number of false fire alarms attended in the UK fell by 4% to 439,000. Within this category the number of malicious false alarms fell by 22% to 40,800 whilst false alarms due to apparatus decreased slightly to 284,500. In England, a total of 354,300 false alarms were attended.

The Fire Statistics Monitor is available on the DCLG website: Fire statistics monitors - Department for Communities and Local Government

  • “Primary” fires include all fires in buildings, vehicles and outdoor structures or any fire involving casualties, rescues, or fires attended by five or more appliances.
  • “Secondary” fires are the majority of outdoor fires including grassland and refuse fires unless they involve casualties or rescues, property loss or five or more appliances attend. They include fires in single derelict buildings.
  • Chimney fires are any fires in occupied buildings where the fire was confined within the chimney structure (and did not involve casualties or rescues or attendance by five or more appliances).

24 July 2006 - Good Practice Conference 2006 Fire investigation - Lessons learned

24 July 2006 - Good Practice Conference 2006 Fire investigation - Lessons learned

This publication shows presentation slides from the Arson Control Forum's one-day conference that took place on 26 June 2006. It examined lessons learned from real fire situations, including fire investigation research and techniques.

The document can be downloaded via the Department for Communities and Local Government website here: Good Practice Conference 2006: Fire Investigation - lessons learned - Department for Communities and Local Government

20 July 2006 - Small Building Contractors in Cardiff Benefit from Free Safety Training

20 July 2006 - Small Building Contractors in Cardiff Benefit from Free Safety Training

A new partnership initiative between the Health and Safety Executive (HSE), the Cardiff local Working Well Together (WWT) group, and the Cardiff County Council Building Control Officers has been set up to improve the health and safety performance of small building contractors in Cardiff.

Cardiff County Council Building Control Officers will be carrying out routine visits during June, July and August where they will be recommending various small building firms to attend free half day health and safety training workshops.

From Wednesday 19 July and every Wednesday thereafter for eight weeks, the free health and safety workshops will be held in the mornings at the Council's training premises at Bessemer Close.

The training is being delivered by trainers from the Construction Industry Training Board (CITB) National Construction College and will cover the following topics:

  • avoiding slips and trips
  • ill health
  • working at height
  • safe manual handling
  • control of substances hazardous to health
  • safe site-traffic management
  • identifying and working safely with asbestos

Those who attend will also be given the opportunity to take on further free training in the preparation of risk assessments and method statements, as well as undertaking free CHAS (Contractors' Health and Safety Assessment Scheme) assessments which could lead to CHAS registration.

Chantal Nicholls, HSE Principal Inspector for Construction Wales commented:

"It is vital that construction companies take ownership of their health and safety by taking advantage of the free training being offered during this pilot. Small firms often miss out on training opportunities, as many events require them to miss out on paid work. The training being offered here, is only four hours, enabling delegates to go back to work later. I am also pleased to see a partnership initiative working so well. Cardiff Building Control Officers are working with HSE's Working Well Together Campaign to directly improve the health and safety of the industry."

County Councillor Judith Woodman, Chair of the Council's Health and Safety Forum and the Executive member with responsibility for health and safety also commented:

"I would encourage all local contractors to take this training. Sensible health and safety recognises that not all risks can be eliminated. Where they can they should be, but in other cases it is is about managing risks, controlling and minimising them to an acceptable level. Ask yourself, how would my business cope if I lost a skilled worker for a few days?"

HSE construction inspectors undertook a "mini-blitz" on Monday 3 July 2006 where inspectors visited 28 duty holders at small projects across Cardiff. Six prohibition notices were issued and three voluntary cessations of work, mostly relating to work at height and scaffolding issues.

Chantal Nicholls commented on the results by saying:

"Many builders visited during the exercise were unaware of their legal duties. Those who were aware clearly decided to ignore the law, putting themselves, their workers and others at risk. Sensible health and safety was promoted during the exercise. The majority of builders were keen to attend the training to gain the knowledge and skills they needed to manage risks sensibly. I expect demand for training to increase. HSE and Cardiff County Council are providing training for those who genuinely want to meet their legal and moral obligations. Those who continue to flout the law will find inspectors will use the full extent of their powers on future visits."

The free training is open to sole traders, and owner/ managers of construction companies with fewer than 15 employees. Further information can be found by calling 0870 4166222.

19 July 2006 - HSE Statement on Brent Bravo Inquiry Determination

19 July 2006 - HSE Statement on Brent Bravo Inquiry Determination

The determination in a Fatal Accident Inquiry into the deaths of two workers on the Brent Bravo offshore installation in September 2003 has been published yesterday (18 July 2006).

The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) extends its condolences to the families and loved ones of Sean McCue and Keith Moncrieff.

The HSE's own findings confirm the importance of our continued emphasis on plant integrity issues in the offshore industry. The HSE fully co-operated with the Inquiry and provided 11 witnesses who gave evidence that helped to establish the circumstances of the two men's deaths and the management failings that led to their deaths.

Ian Whewell, Head of HSE's Offshore Division commented:

"The Sheriff's determination endorses the importance of the findings from HSE's investigation into the double fatality on Brent Bravo. There has been a significant record of improvement in the management of offshore health and safety since a new legal regime was introduced after the 1988 Piper Alpha disaster. However, there is no room for complacency, as these two tragic fatalities illustrate.

"HSE believes the industry can, and should, do better. The industry agrees and has set itself a target of making the UK Continental Shelf the safest offshore sector in the world by 2010. HSE is working with the industry, with support from trades unions, to help make this happen.

"Health and safety law provides a comprehensive framework to regulate offshore risks. Its primary requirement is that those who create these risks are responsible for managing them. This means ensuring potential dangers are identified and systems of work put into place to reduce dangers to the lowest practicable level. HSE enforces the law robustly and will continue to do so against any company that fails to manage and control the risks it creates.

"Our sympathies remain with the families of Sean McCue and Keith Moncrieff."

Shell UK Limited were prosecuted following an investigation by the HSE - resulting in a fine of £900,000.

19 July 2006 - HSE Warns Parents and Children of Quad Bike Risks

19 July 2006 - HSE Warns Parents and Children of Quad Bike Risks

Recent surveys carried out at the recent Safe Highlander events in Fort William and Skye have revealed that many children have admitted to dangerous practices whilst riding quad bikes, including not wearing helmets.

The Health and Safety Executive said that "riding quad bikes without a helmet is a tragedy waiting to happen" and are urging parents to ensure young people follow safety rules for using the machines.

Safe Highlanders is a community safety scheme aimed at Primary 7 school children which allows them to experience and participate in a range of simulated practical exercise situations which, in real life, would be potentially threatening, show healthy living or preventable crimes. Organisations involved include the emergency services, railway police, LA and HSE.

The aims of the scheme are to teach children to become more aware of personal safety and healthy living choices; make a contribution to crime prevention and community safety; avoid becoming victims of crime; learn how to react to dangerous situations; know the role the emergency services play; and foster good citizenship.

In Agriculture the law states that children under 13 are prohibited from driving or being a passenger on any self-propelled machine, and that includes quad bikes while at work. Children aged 13 or over, may be allowed to ride quad bikes of an appropriate size and power after they have been given formal training.

There is also a need for owners to adhere to the manufacturer's minimum age recommendations for their quad bikes, and this may be older than 13. The ratio of a child's weight to that of the quad bike is significant as weight transfer allows for safe handling. For this reason, these machines are not designed to carry passengers and the long seat is designed for the rider to shift position to allow the rider to keep the bike under control.

Ian Sutherland, HSE inspector commented:

"My colleagues and I were shocked to learn that so many young people were using quad bikes not designed for their age group, and, making a bad situation worse, were doing so without using helmets. I fear that unless these machines are used responsibly, that sooner rather than later children will be injured or even killed. It is not just the operator of the bike that is at risk. This practice has already resulted in the tragic death of a seven-year-old boy hit by his brother when he lost control.

"Quad bikes are widely used on farms throughout the country, and they have a useful role to play. However, they can lead to accidents and must be treated with respect.

"Children should always use a machine appropriate for their age, and should always wear a suitable helmet. Most machines are marked with the minimum age recommendations. Parents must make sure these are being adhered to. Many ATVs are too large and powerful for a child to safely control.

"In one overturn accident HSE recently investigated, the farmer received a serious shoulder injury but had been wearing a helmet. During the investigation he admitted that he did not usually wear a helmet on his quad. He now recognises that he could easily have been killed had he not been wearing one on this occasion."

On average, two people die each year in quad bike accidents. Non-fatal accidents are estimated to amount to over 1,000 serious injuries per year. Most were caused by the following:

  • Lack of training and / or experience
  • Lack of maintenance of the vehicle
  • Incorrect or lack of protective clothing
  • Excessive speed
  • Carrying a passenger or an unbalanced load
  • Tipping on a bank, ditch, rut or bump
  • A steep slope combined with other factors e.g. ground or load conditions; or towing excessive loads with unbraked equipment.

The majority of quad bike fatalities in the UK in the last five years have involved head injuries. No operator wearing a helmet has ever been killed in a quad bike accident at work on a farm in the UK.

19 July 2006 - Lord Hunt Calls for Health and Safety System that Leads the World

19 July 2006 - Lord Hunt Calls for Health and Safety System that Leads the World

Lord Hunt of Kings Heath, minister for health and safety has recently addressed the 17th annual Hazards conference in Manchester. Lord Hunt is calling for greater partnership working to protect British workers and give Great Britain a health and safety system that leads the world.

In his speech Lord Hunt highlighted the importance of how good communication between the workforce and the employer is vital in raising standards and keeping workplaces safe for all. The speech also highlighted the necessity for formal enforcement to have a clear commitment to 'targeted, consistent and proportionate enforcement' that does not place unnecessary burdens on businesses but brings to account those who allow their workers to be put at risk.

Lord Hunt commented:

"I want to take this opportunity to thank all safety representatives, for being there, for you continued commitment to health and safety. You do a vital job, day in, day out, and have a vital role in helping to make workplaces safer.

"There is absolutely no room for complacency, we still have far too many people coming to harm as a result of work. We all want to see significant risks well managed and we need HSE and Local Authorities to work with business to help improve risk management standards. But I also expect them to be tough on those businesses that wilfully break the law."

Sunday, July 16, 2006

11 July 2006 - HSE Revamps Risk Assessment Guidance

11 July 2006 - HSE Revamps Risk Assessment Guidance

The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) has published revised risk assessment guidance which aims to help businesses spend less time dealing with red tape and more time on putting practical actions into effect. The revised guidance provides examples that spell out, in plain English, what is - and what is not - expected.

The original guidance - Five Steps to Risk Assessment - was first published in 1993. This revision has simplified the guidance to make it even easier for normal business people to use and not just health and safety professionals. It also places greater emphasis on making sure that decisions are actually put into practice.

The 11 page booklet highlights the following five steps to risk assessment:

  1. Step 1: Identify the hazards
  2. Step 2: Decide who might be harmed and how
  3. Step 3: Evaluate the risks and decide on precaution
  4. Step 4: Record your findings and implement them
  5. Step 5: Review your assessment and update if necessary

The booklet is supported by examples of what a risk assessment might look like with the emphasis on the fact that risk assessment need not be difficult or overcomplicated. For most risk assessments, simple bullet points are more than suitable.

HSE's Deputy Chief Executive, Jonathan Rees commented:

"We want to save lives, not tie businesses up in red tape - good risk assessment is the way to achieve this. Risk assessment is at the heart of sensible health and safety. We believe it should be a practical way of protecting people from real harm and suffering, not a bureaucratic back-covering exercise. On its own paperwork never saved a life, it needs to be a means to an end, resulting in actions that protect people in practice.

"I hope that this new, more straightforward guidance will help managers understand what's expected of them and get more focus on the kind of risks that cause real harm and suffering - the ones that killed 220 workers last year and resulted in 35 million working days being lost. This guide takes the user through the process step-by-step with the minimum of fuss to achieve this aim."

Copies of Five Steps to Risk Assessment, INDG163(rev2), are available from:

HSE Books, PO Box 1999, Sudbury, Suffolk CO10 2WA

Tel: 01787-881165 or fax: 01787-313995.

Priced publications are also available from good booksellers. Alternatively the leaflet can be downloaded free from the HSE website at: HSE - Risk Management

10 July 2006 - Job Strain Linked to High Blood Pressure

10 July 2006 - Job Strain Linked to High Blood Pressure

A recent study published in the American Journal of Public Health by medical researchers at Laval University in Quebec, Canada, has concluded that stressed-out workers with little social support on the job are at risk from high blood pressure.

The study of more than 8000 professionals carried out between 1991 and 1993, with a follow-up over 7 years later reassessing 84% of the participants to estimate cumulative exposure to job strain.

Both male and females were found to face the health risk, especially if they lacked social support at work; however, the study concluded that job strain was more likely to raise blood pressure in men than women.

An abstract of the article will appear in the August 2006 issue of the American Journal of Public Health.

You can view the abstract here: Effects of Job Strain on Blood Pressure: A Prospective Study of White-Collar Workers

8 July 2006 - HSC Annual Report and HSC/E Accounts

8 July 2006 - HSC Annual Report and HSC/E Accounts

This new report deals with the delivery of the Commission's Business Plan 2005-06, together with other key developments in the organisation during the year. In particular, it records achievements against the Commission's strategic themes and provides detailed examples of key programme work. It also shows operating costs of the Commission and Executive and a statement of the financial position at the year-end.

The full report can be found by clicking the following link:

Health and Safety Commission Annual Report and Health and Safety Commission/Executive Accounts 2005-06

8 July 2006 - Legal Age for Buying Tobacco to Increase

8 July 2006 - Legal Age for Buying Tobacco to Increase

Public health minister Caroline Flint has recently unveiled plans to crack down on the numbers of teenagers who smoke.

Three significant plans are to raise the minimum legal age of buying tobacco from 16 to 17 or 18 and imposing tougher sanctions on retailers who persist in selling cigarettes to under-age teens. The legal age for the purchase of tobacco products has been 16 since 1908. Proposals to toughen up these sanctions include prohibition orders that will ban repeat offenders from selling tobacco. The introduction of prohibition orders would mean a major new penalty, particularly for shops who rely on tobacco sales for much of their turnover.

About nine per cent of children aged between 11 and 15 currently smoke and the Smoking, Drinking and Drug Use Among Young People in England Survey 2004 showed that nearly 70 per cent of 11 to 15 year old smokers say they buy their cigarettes from small shops such as newsagents and corner shops.

The current prosecution rates for the under-age sale of tobacco can be low, and although the maximum fine for breaching the under-age law is £3,500, fines are usually relatively small.

It is hoped that the changes would bring the legal age for purchasing tobacco into line with that of alcohol and it would reinforce the dangers of smoking to young people as well as helping retailers to comply with the law. It would also bring England and Wales into line with Canada, Australia, New Zealand and the US.

Public Health Minister Caroline Flint commented:

"Smoking is dangerous at any age, but the younger people start, the more likely they are to become life-long smokers and to die early. Someone who starts smoking aged 15 is three times more likely to die of cancer due to smoking than someone who starts in their late twenties.

"Access to cigarettes by under 16s is not as difficult as it should be and this is partly due to retailers selling tobacco to those under the legal age. If a particular shop is known locally as the place for children and teenagers to easily buy tobacco, we want to stop that shop selling it.

"These proposals demonstrate our determination to reduce the number of teenagers from smoking thereby reducing the number of people with preventable diseases and the incidence of health inequalities."

The Government is inviting views from the public, the retail industry, local authorities and stakeholders on the proposals.

Ron Gainsford, Chief Executive of the Trading Standards Institute commented:

"The Trading Standards Institute strongly supports the proposal to change the age limit on sales of tobacco. The Institute has previously called for such action based upon the growing concerns about the health risks of smoking among children and teenagers.

"The Institute also believe that changing the age of sale in line with the age limit on, for example, alcohol sales will help eliminate confusion among retailers.

"Across the Country,Trading Standards colleagues already do an enormous amount of work to help educate and inform retailers of their responsibilities to comply with the law across the whole range of age-restricted products. However, in 2004-5, some 117 retailers were still successfully prosecuted for selling cigarettes to children under 16, receiving penalties ranging from a conditional discharge to fines of up to £1,000.

"The Trading Standards Institute therefore believe that changing the age of sale for tobacco , combined with the proposal for stronger penalties against the minority of shopkeepers who repeatedly make illegal underage sales, would make it significantly more difficult for young people to purchase cigarettes."

The consultation will run from Monday 3rd July to Monday 9th October 2006.

Those who wish to submit their views should email underagesales@dh.gsi.gov.uk or write to:

Age of Sale Consultation,
Health Improvement Directorate,
Department of Health, Room 712,
Wellington House,
133 -155 Waterloo Road,
London SE1 8UG

5 July 2006 - New Powers to Tackle Abuse of Blue Badge Scheme

5 July 2006 - New Powers to Tackle Abuse of Blue Badge Scheme

New measures to tackle the abuse of the Blue Badge Scheme for disabled people will come into force from 29 September 2006 and brings into force powers under section 94 of the Traffic Management Act 2004. The new powers will give the police, traffic wardens, local authority parking attendants and civil enforcement officers the ability to inspect blue badges as part of their normal enforcement duties.

The changes will make it an offence for a person to refuse, without reasonable excuse, to produce a badge for inspection - punishable on conviction by a fine of up to £1,000.

Gillian Merron, Transport Minister, commented:

"Abuse of the Blue Badge Scheme is a serious issue that not only affects disabled badge holders, but anyone who needs to find a parking space.

"These new measures will strengthen the existing powers and will mean that it is far easier to identify people who are abusing the Scheme and to bring them to book."

4 July 2006 - Warrington Construction Sites can expect HSE Inspections in July

4 July 2006 - Warrington Construction Sites can expect HSE Inspections in July

The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) are set to carry out their campaign on construction site inspections this July in Warrington. They will be concentrating their attentions on the significant risks that are responsible for many of the 'serious and fatal accidents each year'.

The town of Warrington is undergoing significant construction activities from the Golden Square redevelopment and the new bus station, to the new housing at areas like Burtonwood.

HSE construction inspector Nic Rigby commented:

"During July many of the active construction sites in Warrington can expect to be visited. The inspectors will be concentrating their attentions on those risks that are responsible for the majority of the serious and fatal accidents each year.

"Contractors need to be sure that they are managing the significant risks on their sites, in particular those involving falls from height and vehicle movements. There has been an improvement in the standard of good order on the sites in the last year, but this also has to be maintained.

"If HSE's inspectors come across situations where there is a significant risk to those working on the site, or to members of the public affected by it, they will take action to ensure the problem is resolved.

"In many cases this will involve the service of enforcement notices that may close the site down completely. On others, particularly where contractors have a record of poor performance and they don't appear to have got the message, prosecution may be more appropriate.

"I hope that contractors will take this message seriously and make sure that health and safety issues on their sites are being properly managed at all times, not only when we visit."

2 July 2006 - The National Archives and The Office of Public Sector Information to Merge

2 July 2006 - The National Archives and The Office of Public Sector Information to Merge

The National Archives and The Office of Public Sector Information (OPSI), which is currently attached to the Cabinet Office, are set to merge, creating a stronger centre for information management in the public sector enabling a more responsive approach to the challenges of new technology.

The merger was announced in a joint statement made by Hilary Armstrong MP, Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster, in the Commons and Baroness Ashton of Upholland, Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State at the Department for Constitutional Affairs, in the Lords.

"I am announcing to the House that, as a result of joint work between the Department of Constitutional Affairs and the Cabinet Office, The National Archives and the Office of Public Sector Information will merge, under the joint name of The National Archives. The combined organisation will lead on information policy and support effective delivery of records and information management across government and the wider public sector. This merger will take effect in October 2006."

Natalie Ceeney, Chief Executive of The National Archives commented:

"Bringing our two organisations together, and combining our specialist skills and services, creates a stronger organisation and presents exciting future opportunities. The National Archives can now help shape the future of information, as well as use it to illustrate the past. This is essential to help realise the true value of information, as well as to capture the records of today for tomorrow's researchers."

Carol Tullo, Director of OPSI commented:

"Our shared vision is to combine the complementary strands of our portfolio of information responsibilities and from a position of strength deliver greater value and service to our users. The new organisation will create a centre of gravity for information management in the public sector. I relish the opportunities that lie ahead."

OPSI and HMSO will continue to deliver their services as part of The National Archives. The National Archives will continue to operate as a government department and as an executive agency of the Secretary of State for Constitutional Affairs.

The National Archives, www.nationalarchives.gov.uk, based at Kew, west London, is a government department; it is also an executive agency of the Secretary of State for Constitutional Affairs. Its 550 staff work in Kew or at the Family Records Centre in Islington. The National Archives leads on record management policy with government, and provides access to government records on its two sites and through digital resources available online. The National Archives also oversees information and archive management across the UK, setting standards and providing advice and support to raise the standards of information management. The vision of the National Archives is to:

  • Lead and transform information management
  • Guarantee the survival of today ’s information for tomorrow
  • Bring history to life for everyone

The Office of Public Sector Information (OPSI), www.opsi.gov.uk, based in central London and Norwich, is at the heart of information policy - setting standards, providing a practical framework of best practice for opening up and encouraging the re-use of public sector information. It provides a wide range of services relating to finding, using, sharing and trading in information. to the public, to the information industry, to government and to the wider public sector Her Majesty’s Stationery Office with its copyright, legislation and official publishing roles operates from within OPSI. OPSI is part of the Cabinet Office.

29 June 2006 - Latest HSE Research Reports

29 June 2006 - Latest HSE Research Reports

The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) have produced the following research reports, each of which can be accessed from the HSE Website by clicking the relevant link.

The last two reports are in pdf format.

Article by Alexandra Johnston