With UK fire services now tackling at least three Li-ion battery fires a day, it’s clear that stronger regulation and enforcement is urgently required to prevent the sale, use and modification of poor-quality and potentially dangerous batteries used in e-bikes and scooters.
By Adrian Simmonds, QBE Europe on 01 July 2025
Eight years on from the Grenfell Tower tragedy, the UK continues to grapple with the complex and emotionally charged challenge of cladding remediation, with around half of affected residential buildings still yet to begin the process.
By George Edwardes, Fire Protection Association (FPA) on 01 July 2025
Workplace and facilities management professionals play a vital role in creating and maintaining a ‘Golden Thread’ of digital information to ensure the ongoing safety of occupied higher-risk residential buildings. Now, new tools and guidance have been published to ensure everyone adopts a standardised approach when drawing together the required data and information.
By Andrew Gladstone-Heighton, Institute of Workplace and Facilities Management (IWFM) on 01 July 2025
The powered height access equipment sector is increasingly developing intelligent technological solutions to prevent operators from acting in an unsafe manner and alert others to dangerous situations – and major contractors are now driving their take-up by mandating their adoption on sites.
By Paul Rankin, Nationwide Platforms on 27 May 2025
Powered access equipment is widely regarded as one of the safest methods for enabling work at height, but like any equipment, there is always scope for further improvements in its safe use. As a result, the industry’s trade body, the International Powered Access Federation, uses global campaigns, training, research and online incident reporting to encourage a culture where users of powered access are genuinely committed to safe working practices.
By Brian Parker, IPAF on 30 April 2025
PASMA cards are a reliable way of checking operatives have been properly trained to correctly build and safely use mobile access towers, tower scaffolds and low level access equipment. However, it’s essential to carefully check things like the type of tower they are qualified on before allowing them to begin work on-site.
By Don Aers, PASMA on 02 May 2025
Whether dealing with the public in their homes or working in remote locations, lone workers face a variety of risks to their health, safety and wellbeing. It’s therefore vital that employers systematically identify and assess the specific hazards lone workers face and then implement suitable measures to mitigate them.
By Naz Dossa, Peoplesafe on 06 June 2025
Environment, health and safety (EHS) software is a highly effective way of improving the management of EHS risks, by making it much easier to digitally record, analyse, share, update and act on all types of data and information. EHS software experts from Intelex Technologies tell Matt Burtney, senior content strategist at Interlex, how adopting digital EHS tools reaps productivity, reputational and ESG benefits for a business.
By Scott Gaddis and Charlie Knapp, Intelex on 04 June 2025
Conducting 150,000 interviews in 140 countries, Lloyd’s Register Foundation’s World Risk Poll is uniquely positioned to tell us about harm at work. But can information also spur change?
By Belinda Liversedge on 04 June 2025
Engineered stone dust contains up to 95 per cent silica, and younger workers are dying in its wake from a disease known as accelerated silicosis. Are we going fast enough to address the problem?
By Belinda Liversedge on 26 May 2025
The hazards and risks on construction sites constantly change as a project progresses, but carefully designed and placed signboards can both communicate crucial safety instructions and reinforce the employer’s expectations in terms of everyday safe behaviour.
By Kevin Rowe, SafetyBuyer on 20 May 2025
A free-to-access database of underground pipes and cables in the UK is helping contractors to avoid dangerous and disruptive accidental asset strikes during digging works – and looks set for further expansion as more utility owners sign up.
By Richard Broome, LSBUD (LinesearchbeforeUdig) on 19 May 2025
Virtual College by Netex speaks to Liz Longman, health and safety chartered professional and director of Terra Firma 360, to uncover how health and safety in the construction sector is advancing and hear about five key trends safety professionals should have on their radar.
By Liz Longman, Terra Firma 360 on 20 May 2025
