Newsletter May 2010

Art of Compliance: Annual Conference May 20th 2010

We are fast approaching the Ai Solutions Annual Conference 2010! With all that is happening in the news, the election and what the HSE will be doing over the rest of 2010, its never a better time to catch up on what is going on and hear the latest from those in the 'know'. This conference is all about 'the art of compliance' and how your organisation can actively demonstrate they are adhering to the regulations.

Now for some more good news! Ai Solutions are now able to offer an excellent deal on our annual conference places. We have listened to our customers and, as we all struggle out of recession, we would like to support our customers by providing a Buy Two Get One Free (BTGOF) offering. With a couple of weeks to go it is your opportunity to book your place.

To register for the Conference go to www.aisolutions.co.uk/register or call a member of the team on 01525 850080.

HSE Crackdown has begun in London

The Health and Safety Executive has now started their initiative to stop dangerous practices and raise awareness of risks on construction sites in London. Their aim is to stop these dangerous practices on building sites.

Richard Boland, construction operations manager for HSE London said: "While some sectors of the industry have made real improvements in recent years, we are really concerned about standards in the refurbishment sector, particularly on small projects. The HSE will focus on refurbishment or roofing work. Inspectors will make unannounced visits to ensure that sites are managing work at height safely.

Ai Solutions actively support any process that will stop unnecessary injuries and potentially save lives. 

Asbestos: Breakthrough in treatment for mesothelioma

This month we read an article (Clydebank Post) that indicated that scientists have safely tested a potential vaccine they hope can beat a deadly cancer linked to asbestos. The development has been described as the "most significant breakthrough in the battle against Clydeside's death dust ticking time-bomb". The news has been greeted with enthusiasm in Clydebank where thousands of workers were exposed to asbestos.

For anyone that is not familar, mesothelioma is an aggressive cancer affecting the lining of the lung which is associated with a history of asbestos exposure in about 70 to 80 percent of all cases.

This breakthrough is amazing news and, if all experiments are a success, it will be a very huge and welcome step forward in the treatment of this very serious and unfortunately prevalent disease.

World Asthma Day 2010

May 5th 2010 is World Asthma Day!

This is now an annual event and it was organised to improve asthma awareness and care around the world. The HSE have a number of activities happening in May, aimed at reducing occupational asthma and other work-related respiratory diseases.  For more information click here

Quick Guide for 'Clients'

We have noted that the HSE have published a 'Quick guide for Clients on the Construction (Design and Management) Regulations 2007'. Aimed to aid those clients who want to ensure that any construction work they have carried out is done 'safely'.

Site workers join 28 April protests

About 100 building workers in Stratford, east London, downed tools to remember two men who died at construction sites. The event at Westfield, near the Olympic Stadium, aimed to highlight the importance of health and safety on International Workers Memorial Day.

The memorial was organised by the Construction Safety Campaign and the Union of Construction, Allied Trades and Technicians (UCATT).  The event aimed to highlight the need for safety at work on the various projects being carried out ahead of the London 2012 Olympic Games.

Jerry Swain, from UCATT, said: "There are lessons to be learnt and it is important that we learn these lessons to make our industry a safe industry for workers to work in."

Tony O'Brien, the national secretary of Construction Safety Campaign, said: "The legacy of the London Olympics must not be that of even more construction workers having lost their lives."

There have been no deaths on the 2012 Olympic Park site. For more on this story go to http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/london/8648147.stm

More Information

We regularly receive updates from our customers and contacts about changes to legislation, the latest rumours and so on. We try to be selective with what we pass on and acknowledge our sources as appropriate. If you have information of general interest in the Health & Safety, and particularly, CDM and Asbestos Management arena, then please let us know by e-mail if possible.