The new UK Government faces major hurdles on a number of fronts – not least the £22 billion ‘black hole’, which leaves little headroom for the Chancellor in her forthcoming Budget.
By Mike Robinson FCA, British Safety Council on 26 September 2024
Business in the Community (BITC) works to create a fairer world to live and work in. We believe gender shouldn’t act as an unfair help or hindrance to someone’s chances of professional or wider life success, but sadly this remains the case in workplaces up and down the country.
By Charlotte Woodworth, Business in the Community on 24 September 2024
Although employers may sometimes be worried about the cost and resource implications, reasonable adjustments to support disabled people to thrive at work are often inexpensive and easy to enact – and provide a major boost to staff productivity, engagement and loyalty.
By Faye Law, Acas on 26 September 2024
Clinicians at the Royal Brompton hospital in London have warned about the dangers of silica exposure in a recent study published in Thorax. They are currently treating the first identified cases of silicosis caused by working with engineered stone in the UK and have called for a ban on artificial stone to ward off the potential for an increase in silicosis cases.
By Jim Shannon MP on 04 September 2024
No doubt you have heard or seen the ads marking the 50th anniversary of that famous fast-food restaurant with the golden arches. Those of you who’ve been paying attention will also be aware that it’s the 50th year since the Health & Safety at Work Act was enacted in the UK. I am sure there is no significance in this. But when I started thinking about it, there are perhaps some parallels we can draw between the success of the aforementioned restaurant chain and the landmark 1974 Act.
By Mike Robinson FCA, British Safety Council on 02 September 2024
If you are in the market for a new kitchen, you will come across engineered stone or ‘quartz’ worktops. Cheap, premium, luxury are words that will be thrown around photos and videos lingering on expanses of shiny, multicoloured stone. But not in Australia, where since July new engineered stone worktops have been banned (although some states allow a six-month transition period).
By Baroness Bennett of Manor Castle on 30 August 2024
With a new Labour Government there is an opportunity for a new direction for occupational health and safety.
By Janet Newsham, Hazards Campaign on 19 August 2024
Cast your mind back to summer last year. Do you recall the almighty row about expanding the Ultra-Low Emission Zone (ULEZ) to the whole of Greater London? You may also remember just how vociferous, and political, the arguments became.
By Mike Robinson FCA on 31 July 2024
The Sentencing Council Health and Safety Offences, Corporate Manslaughter and Food Safety & Hygiene Offences Definitive Guideline (‘the Guidelines’) came into force nearly 10 years ago. The Guidelines sought to implement a proportionate approach to sentencing, ensuring that the levels of fines imposed are proportionate to the means of the offender and reflect the seriousness of the offence committed. This article will explore the sentencing process, provide an update on sentencing over the years and will explore some recent cases.
By Polly Geddes and Hannah Burton, Pinsent Masons on 29 July 2024
My name is Deepa Mistry and, by day, I am a chartered certified accountant in the not-for-profit sector. By night, I am a resident campaigner for building safety. My journey into this dual life started from a simple but profoundly impactful question: was the end user ever asked what they wanted?
By Deepa Mistry, Building Safety Crisis on 12 July 2024
Recent prosecutions of entertainment companies for health and safety failings are a reminder that the duty to safeguard the health, safety and welfare of employees and others applies to all workplaces, organisations and workers in whatever sector or business.
By Laura White, Pinsent Masons on 04 July 2024
The Grenfell tragedy uncovered serious fire and building safety defects in hundreds of thousands of flats across the UK, but in the seven years since, politicians, developers and the construction industry have failed to ensure that safety-critical remediation works are carried out quickly and at no cost to innocent leaseholders.
By Campaign team, End Our Cladding Scandal on 04 July 2024
Last month, I mentioned two big moments – the General Election and the 50th anniversary of the Health and Safety at Work Act (1974) on 31 July. The lack of attention given to health, safety, or even wellbeing by most political parties in their election manifestos, while not entirely unexpected, was disappointing. And it doesn’t reflect the real concerns of workers and leaders here and around the world.
By Mike Robinson FCA on 01 July 2024
