News

New campaign clears the air for outdoor workers

By on

British Safety Council launched Time to Breathe to a captive, if not surprised, audience of Oxford Street commuters and shoppers on Tuesday, this week.


Over 50 participants, dressed as couriers, construction and road workers, police and lollipop ladies, came together to highlight the health risks outdoor workers face from long-term exposure to ambient air pollution.

A campaigner at the Time to Breathe march in Oxford Circus on 12 March. Photograph: Harry Richards Photograph.

To the beat of Britney Spear’s Toxic, the Hollies’ The Air That I Breathe, Too Much Pollution by Natty Nation and many others, campaigners on a wet and windy morning repeatedly crossed Oxford Circus, shouting slogans, clanging dustbin lids and shovels, holding placards on high and distributed leaflets to the public. BBC London News and London Live were on site interviewing key spokespeople for the campaign, including Andrew Grieve, senior air quality analyst of King’s College London and British Safety Council’s head of campaigns, Matthew Holder.

Time to Breathe is a UK-wide campaign calling for employers, policymakers and regulators to take seriously the risk of air pollution to the health of outdoor workers and is providing free information and resources to help reduce their exposure. With a high degree of political and regulatory inertia putting the health of outdoor workers at risk, the launch in Oxford Circus aimed to make a lasting impression and engage the public to put pressure on their MPs and employers to act.

In a world’s first, British Safety Council also released Canairy, a free mobile app designed for employers and outdoor workers based in London. The app was made in partnership with experts at King’s College London and offers workers tips on how to reduce their exposure to toxic air. Employers, on request to British Safety Council, will be able to access the app.

The campaign is working with Friends of the Earth, BOHS, GMB, Prospect, British Heart Foundation, British Lung Foundation, Cross River Partnership and Client Earth. Canairy was developed with the support of Kier Services (Highways) and Tideway West.

Time to Breathe is a UK-wide campaign calling for employers, policymakers and regulators to take seriously the risk of air pollution to the health of outdoor workers. To apply for the app please contact [email protected]

Free posters and promotional materials can be found at: https://www.britsafe.org/campaigns-and-policy/time-to-breathe-air-pollution-campaign

Some of the photos from the day (credit: Harry Richards Photography)

NEWS


Smiley Faces Istock 1070828464

Workers report having to engage in ‘emotional labour’ to remain positive, finds study on emerging technologies

By Belinda Liversedge on 29 August 2025

Emerging technologies have the potential to fundamentally reshape the world of work. These technologies can enhance productivity and, in many sectors, improve occupational safety and health (OSH) outcomes for workers. However, they may also introduce new risks that are difficult to anticipate and manage.



First Aid Istock MED Peopleimages

Lack of first aid skills leave a third of workers feeling powerless, finds St John Ambulance study

By Belinda Liversedge on 29 August 2025

Four in five employees genuinely care for colleagues, but couldn’t help them in an emergency such if they had a cardiac arrest or were severely bleeding, new research from St John Ambulance has found.



Surveillance Of Workers Istock 2212934429 OLEKSANDR KOZACHOK

HSE defends use of AI for protecting workers at AGM

By Belinda Liversedge on 12 August 2025

Artificial intelligence (AI) and its impact on work practices was a significant feature of HSE’s AGM in which the regulator presented on its work and priorities.