Blog Archives

July 2007

HSE Advice - Working at Height and Fragile Roof Safety

Falls through fragile roofs and fragile rooflights are a major cause of death and injury at work.

A company director was recently sentenced to 16 months imprisonment for not acting to prevent a fatal fall through a fragile rooflight.

This link to a safety alert advises building companies on how to prevent injury and comply with legal requirements.

Follow this link for more on fragile roof safety..

Source: HSE Construction Infonet, July 2007

July 6, 2007 | Permalink | Comment

HSE Advice - Working at Height on minor roof work/roof edges

This Advice helps you identify the risks involved with minor roof work choose the right access equipment to do the job and considers Working conditions, Height, Surface, Ground, Weather and the type of task you are undertaking.

Follow this link for minor roof work/roof edges.

Source: HSE Construction Infonet, July 2007

July 6, 2007 | Permalink | Comment

HSE Advice - Working at Height & using tower scaffolds safely

This information sheet is aimed at users of mobile access towers (also known as tower scaffolds or towers). It will also help those who select and specify such equipment.

Select this link to find out more using ladders safely.

Source: HSE Construction Infonet, July 2007

July 6, 2007 | Permalink | Comment

HSE Advice - Working at Height & using ladders safely

On average 13 people a year die at work falling from ladders and nearly 1200 suffer major injuries. More than a quarter of falls happen from ladders.

HSE's key message is that that ladders should only be used for low-risk, short-duration work.

What do I need to know?

The Work at Height Regulations (2005) came into force in April 2005. Employers have a duty to assess the risks, plan and supervise all workers who work at height. You will find guidance about the regulations in the working at height regulations 2005, they cover the following:

  • What is 'work at height'?
  • What the regulations cover
  • Do the rules apply to you?
  • What you must do as an employer
  • When can ladders be used?

Ladders can be used if after assessing the risks the use of more suitable work equipment is not justified because of the low risk and short duration.

Short duration is taken to be between 15 and 30 minutes depending upon the task.

Ladders can also be used for low risk work where there are features on the site that mean a ladder must be used.

For more on this topic follow this link for using ladders safely.

Source: HSE Construction Infonet, July 2007

July 6, 2007 | Permalink | 1 Comment

Newsletter - July 2007

The July 2007 edition of the Ai Solutions Newsletter is now available.

In this issue:

  • HSE Continues to Cut Staff
  • Local Authorities and HSE Working Together
  • Keep a Sense of Proportion When It Comes To Risk
  • £135,000 Asbestos Claim
  • ToolKit CS™ September Release
  • ToolKit CS™ Training
  • Scheduled Events
  • Buying Electronic Copies of the ACoP

See our July Newsletter for more.

July 4, 2007 | Permalink | Comment

Peter looks to track down ex-colleagues

Peter Downing, aged 68, a life-long non-smoker from Newport Pagnell, is now in constant pain, short of breath and unable to walk long distances. He is visited weekly by a community nurse.

Mr Downing, who is married with four children, believes he developed mesothelioma after being exposed to asbestos.

He was a 16-year old apprentice carpenter in 1955 with the firm Tranfield & Co, then of Buckingham Road, Bletchley.

For the full story, see this Milton Keynes Citizen article.

Source: Milton Keynes Citizen, 2 July 2007

July 3, 2007 | Permalink | Comment