13 August 2006 - HSfB Site News

Site News

13 August 2006

• The Legislation News pages have been updated where you can read more on the following:
  • The Fire (Scotland) Act 2005 (Consequential Modifications and Savings) Order 2006
  • Consultation on the implementation of EU Directive 2003/99/EC - the Zoonoses (Monitoring) Regulations 2006

6 August 2006

• The Legislation News pages have been updated where you can read more on the following:
  • The Disability Discrimination Code of Practice (Goods, Facilities, Services and Premises) (Revocation) Order 2006
• A new article has been published with thanks to System Concepts
  • Suspension trauma - are you prepared?

5 August 2006

• A new training provider has been added to our Training Pages.
  • Fire Safety Services

1 August 2006

• The Legislation News pages have been updated where you can read more on the following:
  • Proposal for Work at Height (Amendment) Regulations
• The ever growing HAVS levels database created by Mark Sutton has been updated once again, download the updated version below:
  • HAVS Levels Database by Mark Sutton (.xls) Spreadsheet - Updated 01/08/06

July 2006 Site News Archive

July 2006 Site News Archive

30 July 2006

• The Legislation News pages have been updated where you can read more on the following:
  • Proposals to implement the second list of indicative occupational exposure limit values (European Directive 2006/15/EC)
  • The Disability Discrimination Act 1995 (Amendment) (Further and Higher Education) Regulations 2006

16 July 2006

• A new article has been published with many thanks to Eton Environmental Services Ltd | Asbestos Consultancy Service
  • Asbestos for the Health and Safety Beginner
• A new download has been added to the Downloads page.
  • Suspension Trauma by Suspension Trauma

12 July 2006

• A new article has been published with many thanks to The Caretakers' Website
  • Risk Assessments and Health and Safety

5 July 2006

• A new article has been published with many thanks to Ritchies Training Centre - www.ritchiestraining.com
  • Changes to the Rule for Training of Drivers of Vehicles Carrying Dangerous Goods
• A new download has been added to the Downloads page which should be read in conjunction with the new article mentioned above.
  • Carriage of Dangerous Goods Exemption Book A4 Size (PDF 296KB)

2 July 2006

• The Legislation News pages have been updated where you can read more on the following:
  • The Contaminated Land (England) Regulations 2006
  • The Electromagnetic Compatibility (Amendment) Regulations 2006

June 2006 Site News Archive

June 2006 Site News Archive

26 June 2006

• A new download has been added to the Practical Exam Revision pages:
  • BurkeyB's Example Practical Inspection Report
• The Legislation News pages have been updated where you can read more on the following:
  • The Management of Health and Safety at Work (Amendment) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2006
  • The Fire and Rescue Services (2006 Order) (Commencement No.1) Order (Northern Ireland) 2006
  • The Restriction of the Use of Certain Hazardous Substances in Electrical and Electronic Equipment Regulations 2006

12 June 2006

• The Legislation News pages have been updated where you can read more on the following:
  • Managing Workplace Transport Risk - A Route Map

13 August 2006 - Images of Disability Website Launched

13 August 2006 - Images of Disability Website Launched

A new website containing guidance about portraying disabled people in communications materials has been launched. The website, Images of Disability (IOD) - www.imagesofdisability.gov.uk, which is supported by the Prime Minister, is a cross-government initiative driven by a dedicated Steering Group. The group comprises representatives from Government, the advertising industry and the Disability Rights Commission (DRC), and meets regularly to give strategic direction and input to the initiative, monitor progress and disseminate good practice.

The website is aimed at providing support and guidance in producing effective and inclusive depictions of disabled people for use by communications professionals.

Anne McGuire, Minister for Disabled People commented:

“There are more than 10 million disabled people in Great Britain, including people with limiting longstanding illnesses2 – nearly one in five of the population. However, it remains extremely rare to see disabled people represented in mainstream media, which is why a website like this is necessary to redress the balance.

I’m sure that anybody involved in developing and delivering communications activities and products will find the website extremely useful in helping to ensure they represent today’s society fairly and accurately.”

13 August 2006 - Research Report Published - Code of Practice Access to Air Travel for Disabled People

13 August 2006 - Research Report Published - Code of Practice Access to Air Travel for Disabled People

The Department for Transport (DfT) has recently published the findings of a research project aimed at assessing how well the UK aviation industry is complying with the recommendations in the Department's voluntary Code of Practice Access to Air Travel for Disabled People.

The Department's voluntary Code of Practice, Access to Air Travel for Disabled People, was published in March 2003. The Code sets out minimum standards that should be met by airlines for aircraft design and service on board and provides tour operators, travel agents, airports, ground handling companies, retailers and other service providers with advice on how to meet their legal obligations under the Disability Discrimination Act 1995 (DDA).

The main findings of the report carried out on behalf of the DfT Research Laboratory shows that:

• the industry needs further encouragement to follow those parts of the Code that are already covered by Part 3 of the Disability Discrimination Act;
• there should be increased training for travel and booking agency and airline staff;
• procedures to increase pre-booking assistance, and provision of information in alternative formats, need to be promoted further;
• consistent policies need to be developed on the carriage of disabled people and on seating allocation; airlines and their handling agent staff should have the knowledge to assess suitable seating allocation for particular needs.

Aviation Minister Gillian Merron commented:

"I welcome this research. We want to see improved accessibility to all types of transport and it is important that we monitor the effectiveness of this Code of Practice so that disabled people can be confident of a positive experience when they travel by air.

"We now need to discuss the findings with stakeholders and consider whether further action is required, taking into account the new European rules on the rights of disabled persons and persons with reduced mobility travelling by air."

The report can be found by clicking the following link: Access to Air Travel for Disabled People: 2005 Monitoring study

6 August 2006 - DRC Proposes Change to Definition of Disability

6 August 2006 - DRC Proposes Change to Definition of Disability

The Disability Rights Commission (DRC) is recommending to Government that disability discrimination law moves away from protecting groups of ‘disabled’ people and in favour of protecting anyone who experiences discrimination on the grounds of an impairment they may have.

A consultation by the DRC between December 2005 and March 2006 favoured a change to the present definition within the Disability Discrimination Act 1995 (DDA), to one which gives protection from discrimination to everyone who has (or has had or is perceived to have) an impairment without requiring the effects of that impairment to be substantial or long-term as defined by the DDA.

The DRC commented:

"We do not underestimate the significance of this proposal, and have identified a number of potential areas of risk where further attention and action may be needed to mitigate those risks.

More specifically we recommend that the law should be changed:

• to protect all people from less favourable treatment on grounds of or for a reason related to their mental or physical impairment;
• to provide reasonable adjustments for people with impairments where barriers in society cause them substantial or unreasonable difficulties;
• to consider the exclusion of a limited number of trivial conditions from being counted as impairments;
• to consider what steps are needed to ensure that positive discrimination continues to be legal;
• to provide a definition of disability which will ensure the public sector duty to promote equality works effectively;
• to introduce explicit wording to reflect EU Directive’s coverage of people regarded as or associated with a disabled person."
  

The significant impact of the change would be to shift the focus of attention in disability discrimination disputes from the individual's medical condition to the fairness of the treatment that the person receives.

3 August 2006 - HSE Consultation on New Workplace Exposure Limits

3 August 2006 - HSE Consultation on New Workplace Exposure Limits

Workplace Exposure Limits (WELs) are concentrations of hazardous substances in the air, approved by the Health and Safety Commission (HSC). Employers have a responsibility to ensure that these limits are not exceeded in order to protect the health of workers.

These WELs have been published by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) in its publication - EH40/2005 Workplace Exposure Limits. The list of current WELs is also available on the HSE website, http://www.hse.gov.uk

The Health and Safety Commission (HSC) recently published a Consultation Document seeking comments on proposals to introduce new and revised Workplace Exposure Limits (WELs). The European Commission adopted the 2nd Directive on Indicative Occupational Exposure Limit Values (IOELVs) (2006/15/EC) in February, which lists 33 substances with exposure limits. Member States must introduce a domestic occupational exposure limit by September 2007.

The consultation document seeks to introduce WELs for 7 substances where one does not currently exist and reduce the limit of the WELs for 13 substances to be introduced on 6 April 2007.

The consultation document can be found by clicking the following link:

Proposals to implement the second list of indicative occupational exposure limit values (European Directive 2006/15/EC)

Comments on the proposals should be sent to:

Steve Mason

Health and Safety Executive

9SW Rose Court

2 Southwark Bridge

London

SE1 9HS

steve.mason@hse.gsi.gov.uk

Closing date for consultation: 27 September 2006.

2 August 2006 - New HSE Research Reports Published

2 August 2006 - New HSE Research Reports Published

The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) has published new research reports. Click the links below to read more.

• RR481 Recommended practice for magnetic flux leakage inspection of atmospheric storage tank floors
• RR480 The use of mass media interventions for health care messages about back pain
• RR454 Probability of detection (POD) curves
• RR482 Further development of an IIG/HSE e-learning health and safety risk education package
• RR474 The true cost of occupational asthma in Great Britain

2 August 2006 - HSE Statement on Barrow Legionella Prosecution

2 August 2006 - HSE Statement on Barrow Legionella Prosecution

The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) have issued a statement on the Barrow Legionella prosecution. We have highlighted the statement and provided a link to the HSE's website where you can read the full statement.

"HSE would like to express sympathy to people of Barrow, in particular the families of the seven residents who died following the outbreak in the summer of 2002 and the 180 people who suffered from Legionnaires’ disease. Our thoughts are with all those who are still trying to deal with the consequences of this tragic event."

HSE News - HSE Statement on Barrow Legionella prosecution

2 August 2006 - New HSE Guidance for Shiftworkers

2 August 2006 - New HSE Guidance for Shiftworkers

The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) has published new guidance which aims to raise awareness of the health and safety risks of shift work and suggests sensible measures employers, safety representatives and employees can use to reduce the negative impact of shift work.

Often, badly designed working patterns, shifts and long working hours do not allow time for rest and recovery which can result in fatigue, accidents, injuries and ill health. There are over 3.5million people in the UK who work shifts across a variety of sectors, including public services and heavy industry.

The publication - Managing Shift Work: Health and Safety Guidance - explains employers' legal duties and the risks associated with shiftwork. It provides advice on risk assessment, design of shift work schedules and the shift-work environment.

Trevor Shaw, Head of HSE's Human Factors Corporate Topic Group commented:

"It is important not to underestimate the risks of shift work. If shift workers are fatigued, their performance will be affected. As a result they may make more errors, which can lead to accidents and injuries. This guidance offers a wealth of practical help and advice to businesses on how to manage those risks."

Managing shift work: Health and Safety Guidance is a priced publication available from HSE Books at £9.95.

HSE priced and free publications are available by mail order from HSE Books

PO Box 1999

Sudbury

Suffolk

CO10 2WA

Tel: 01787 881165

Fax: 01787 313995

1 August 2006 - HSC's Proposal for Work at Height (Amendment) Regulations

1 August 2006 - HSC's Proposal for Work at Height (Amendment) Regulations

The Health and Safety Commission (HSC) has launched a 13-week consultation on a proposal to amend the current Work at Height Regulations 2005 (WAHR). The consultation sets out their application to those who work at height providing instruction or leadership to one or more persons engaged in caving or climbing by way of sport, recreation, team building or similar activities in Great Britain.

The proposed amendments apply only to people working in the sector and do not affect sport, leisure climbing or caving.

Sector specific guidance has been produced by the Health and Safety Executive working alongside the adventure activity sector. The guidance and draft regulation amendments are contained in the consultation document - Proposal for Work at Height (Amendment) Regulations (CD204).

The document can be downloaded from within the HSE's website by clicking the following link:

HSC Consultation 204 - Proposal for Work at Height (Amendment) Regulations

Comments should be sent by 31 October 2006 to:

Gloria Birchall
Falls Programme
Health and Safety Executive
Rose Court
2 Southwark Bridge
London SE1 9HS
Tel: 0207 717 6361 Fax: 0207 717 6437
E-mail: wah.adventure-manager@consultations.hse.gov.uk