It is 50 years this year since I started an engineering apprenticeship with Black Country-based GKN Sankey, to be told upon walking into a very noisy high-speed blanking and piercing shop (with power presses running at 400 blows per minute), “don’t worry son, you’ll get used to it”.
By Neal Hill, consultant and member of UKHCA on 11 March 2024
Intelligent hearing protection technology is now available that provides personalised data about an individual’s noise exposure, making it easier to both spot workers at greatest risk of hearing damage and identify ways of reducing noise exposure.
By Neal Muggleton, Minuendo on 11 March 2024
Employers often wrongly assume that noise control techniques for machinery are both costly and impractical. In fact, simple, very low-cost engineering modifications that anyone can implement are often all that are required – and they may even be self-financing.
By Peter Wilson, Industrial Noise and Vibration Centre (INVC) on 14 March 2024
Smart hearing protection technology can provide feedback to workers on harmful noise levels and identify noise sources overlooked by conventional workplace risk assessments, as shown by recent research on the HS2 railway construction project.
By Dr David Greenberg, Eave on 06 March 2024
Tests show a significant amount of safety footwear on the UK market does not perform as advertised, potentially putting workers at risk of serious injury, but there is a quick way to check the products you purchase meet the required standard.
By Alan Murray, BSIF on 20 February 2024
With businesses increasingly keen to minimise their carbon footprint by selecting materials and products with the lowest carbon emissions, PPE specialist uvex has started offering data on the amount of greenhouse gases its products generate.
By Verena Keller, uvex on 09 February 2024
The problem of substandard safety products regularly made headlines during the Covid pandemic as poor quality and unusable products flooded the market, but the issue of substandard PPE and safety products existed long before Covid and remains a significant concern today.
By Alan Murray, CEO, BSIF on 01 April 2023
Health and safety practitioners are more confident since the pandemic that their company will protect workers and that staff will comply with safety rules, a report has found.
By Belinda Liversedge on 03 May 2023
Working in hot, cold and wet conditions can have a negative impact on a worker’s performance and comfort levels, so it’s vital to ensure that any protective clothing provides adequate insulation, weather protection and breathability.
By Anna West, GORE-TEX on 09 August 2023
Arc rated PPE provides vital protection against electrical arcing for people such as engineers working on electrical installations, but it’s crucial to consider factors like comfort, durability and weather protection when selecting it.
By Jonas Andersson, GORE-TEX on 15 August 2023
