New legal pot laws in Canada and support for legalisation from Donald Trump may mark a seismic shift in global drug policy, and a conclusive end to the war on drugs. But how would cannabis legalisation or decriminalisation affect the workplace? What would your liabilities be as an employer in an area where drug use… Read More
The Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 requires that Fire Risk Assessments are carried out on all commercial premises and the communal areas of residential premises. The Order also requires the assessment are arranged by the ‘responsible person’ and carried out by a ‘competent person’. Who is the ‘Responsible Person’? The employer or owner/occupant of… Read More
Robots: they’re cold, calculating killing machines. Or helpful, durable workers – it really depends on who you ask. Our opinions of robotics and automation are coloured by science fiction, and the doom-laden proclamations of robots taking all our jobs have caused us to be even warier. But do we really have anything to fear from… Read More
People looking into going into construction as a career path often wonder why they should get a CSCS Card. What benefits are there? Why do I need one? How do I get one? All of these answers and more can be found below, in our extensive guide to the CSCS card. What is a CSCS… Read More
In every industry, there’s an expectation that technology will make things easier for everyone. Often, technology is expected to solve problems that could just as easily be solved with existing methods. What’s lacking is the application and adoption of methods and ideas, rather than any real technological gap. This could easily extend to the latest… Read More
The risks of operating vibrating machinery and other tools has been known about since the Industrial Revolution, but they remain under-appreciated. Yet the condition can be debilitating and the fines for breaches can be significant, as with the recent £150,000 lawsuit brought against Wrexham Council. Preventing hand arm vibration syndrome (HAVS) is relatively simple, assuming… Read More
Along with ‘political correctness’ and paying your taxes, health and safety has always been a bug bear of every free thinking individual. Lots of people don’t like being told what to do, especially when the rules that are being enforced seem obvious or trite. On the other hand, you have the culture of safety in the… Read More
In this day and age of social media and on demand cameras, which many people have on them, if you see someone acting dangerously would you: Talk to the person and explain why their act is dangerous Take a photo and put it up on social media to draw attention and see if it goes… Read More
When delivering Health & Safety training in Kent I find it is a very difficult subject to get right, so the correct approach is needed; you want learners to be engaged, relaxed and most of all able to learn. It’s a funny subject as not all learners feel the value, but have been told it… Read More
Businesses should always take the necessary precautions when it comes to an employee’s personal safety in the workplace. But accidents can’t always be avoided, so what should you do when someone gets injured? Workplace injuries Latest statistics for 2015/16 show that 144 workers were killed because of a workplace accident (source: RIDDOR), and an estimated… Read More