Even though the Health & Safety Executive (HSE) statistics for 2012/13 have shown an overall decrease of occupational asthma cases in the UK over the past 10 years, there are still a relatively high number of new cases reported each year. Chris Beach, Chartered Occupational Hygienist and BOHS member puts occupational asthma under the spotlight.
Present an employer with the problem of protecting staff from an airborne pollutant and the chances are their first thoughts will be to provide some sort of respiratory protective equipment (RPE), such as a dust mask. There is good reason for this. The “CE-marked” RPE available on the market meets certain legal minimum requirements for design and manufacture and, when properly worn, RPE can be a simple, portable means of reducing the amount of pollutants breathed in.
With the recently reported increase in the number of fatalities in the construction industry, it is often the occupational ill health problems that are rarely stated and hidden from the public gaze. Mike Slater, BOHS President discusses the silent killer, construction dust and how it puts workers at greater risk of ill health.
Shirley Frost of the Health and Safety Laboratory (HSL) discusses the findings of a recent study which demonstrate that subjective fit-checks cannot be used as a substitute for a fit test on filtering facepieces (FFP), often called disposable masks.
Luke Rutterford and Dr Peter Barratt discuss the measures businesses can take to keep their premises clean and hygienic
The Lone Worker Safety Expo takes place on Tuesday, 25th November 2014 at the Olympia Conference Centre, London. Robert Kaiser, the event’s organiser, outlines what visitors can expect from the event.
The modern world moves quickly and the health and safety sector is no exception. It’s difficult to keep up with changes in the law, changes to technical legislation and changes to working practices. But, if you have responsibility for the health and safety of others it’s vital that you do keep up and it’s one of the reasons why the conference programme at Health and Safety North 2014 is so helpful. Here HSM looks at the recognised experts who are sharing their knowledge at this year’s event
Each issue, HSM speaks to a member of the BOHS about the challenges and rewards of working as an Occupational Hygienist. This issue we talk to Kate Cole, Manager for Occupational Health and Hygiene for Thiess Services.
Peter Harvey, chief executive of the Fork Lift Truck Association discusses the dangers of forklift trucks and explains what the FLTA is doing to address them.
Across various industries, workers are exposed to a number of hazards and health risks, often simultaneously. Employers must identify and address the hazards that staff face on a day-to-day basis and consider whether different Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) items are compatible, before a purchasing decision is made, says Jim Lilley.
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