Latest British Safety Council content

The British Safety Council has a wealth of useful information, reports, and articles relating to safety in the work place. New content is always appearing and below are the latest additions as sent out in their eAlerts helping you stay up-to-date.

Emergency Planning
The Emergency Planning topic has been updated to include information relevant to swine flu. A Employee Factsheet and policies on Pandemic Recovery Plan and Disaster Recovery Planning have been added.

Hats off to Protection — Special Feature
Head protection is arguably one of the least popular types of personal protective equipment. In this special feature, Benedict Ward of PPE manufacturer JSP looks at some of the most frequently asked questions about its selection and use.

Protective Clothing: Getting it Right — Special Feature
Protective clothing plays a vital role in protecting workers from hazards as diverse as the cold, heat, chemicals and moving vehicles. In this special feature, Nigel Alexander from PPE supplier Arco explains some of the types available and how to correctly select them.

Cancer and noise guides for reps
The TUC has launched two free guides designed to help safety reps protect their co-workers from cancer-causing substances and excessive noise.

Pandemic flu
With the current concerns over pandemic flu, I have been asked whether or not, in the event of a pandemic outbreak, we could issue face masks to staff to reduce the spread of the virus. How effective are face masks and is there any guidance on their safe use?

Managing latex allergy in workers
What steps can I take to avoid my employees developing latex allergy?

Damages for mesothelioma widow
The law firm, Thompsons Solicitors, recently announced the winning of 650,000 in damages by the widow of a businessman who died of mesothelioma, the asbestos-related disease.

New safety guide for local councillors
The Public Services Group of the Institution of Occupational Safety and Health has produced a new guide to help local councillors better understand their health and safety responsibilities within their local authority.

Report slams cost of health and safety failures
A new report by a professor at Scotland’s Stirling University claims that deadly conditions are persisting in Britain’s workplaces because firms only pay a small fraction of the costs of occupational injuries and diseases.

Factory fined after worker suffers injury to fingers
Ribble Packaging Ltd was charged with breaching s.2(1) of the Health and Safety at Work, etc Act 1974 for failing to ensure the safety of its employees.

New UK Pollutant Release and Transfer Register website
The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs has launched the UK Pollutant Release and Transfer Register website following development with the Environment Agency, the Scottish Environment Protection Agency, the Department for Environment (Northern Ireland) and the AEA.

Underground gas storage COMAH regulation changes
The storage of underground gas — once under the scope of the Borehole Sites and Operations Regulations 1995 — is now regulated under the Control of Major Accident Hazards Regulations 1999.

Swine flu — review your business continuity plan
Companies are being urged to review their business continuity plans amid warnings that the recent outbreak of swine flu could cause economic damage and lead to absenteeism rates of up to 40% if a pandemic takes hold.

First corporate manslaughter charge
The Crown Prosecution Service has authorised its first charge of corporate manslaughter against a geological survey company in relation to the death of a junior geologist, under the Corporate Manslaughter and Corporate Homicide Act 2007.

New official work disease
The Department for Work and Pensions has announced that it has recognised osteoarthritis of the knee, commonly known as “Miners’ Knee”, as an official occupational disease in the UK.