From the CEO’s desk
Each year up to 40,000 new cases of dermatitis are diagnosed and thousands of people have to live with the pain and discomfort.
Each year up to 40,000 new cases of dermatitis are diagnosed and thousands of people have to live with the pain and discomfort.
As we move into and through the party political conference season, it will be very interesting to see what prominence, if any, health and safety receives. Will the parties ignore the issue? Make outlandish statements about its burden? Or recognise the true value of a healthy workforce?
To recognise his time in the health and safety industry and mark his retirement in 2014, David Lummis, CEO of the BSIF, will be presenting an award at the Federation’s annual Networking Event on 7 October. The award will be presented to an individual who he considers has made an outstanding contribution to the progress and reputation of the health and safety industry.
The Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) Directive is a fundamental piece of European legislation relating to occupational safety throughout Europe. The Directive is currently under review and the revised version is likely to come into effect fully by the end of 2016 or early 2017.
In July, the BSIF asked members for their comments on the HSE in response to the call for submissions on the HSE Triennial Review.
Work related skin diseases can be caused by the skin coming into contact with hazardous substances, this is preventable yet 40,000 new cases are recorded every year by the HSE and it’s only the tip of the iceberg based on anecdotal evidence.
If you are a user of Respiratory Protective Equipment (RPE) that requires a face seal, it is a requirement of the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) that each respirator is face fit checked to each user. This is to ensure that the mask is capable of achieving a satisfactory seal on each user’s face and will not allow inward leakage, when worn correctly.
The recent editorial comment from Georgina Bisby of Health & Safety Matters (How not to get stung!) highlights concerns about advice from safety suppliers which warrants some further comment.
The BSIF is reminding people about the importance of being vigilant when buying PPE, and in particular head protection, after Builders Merchant Jewson was fined £14,000 for supplying sub-standard safety helmets.
In March 2009 the Information Commissioner’s Office raided the offices of the Consulting Association and exposed the existence of a blacklist containing the details of 3,213 construction workers. The blacklist had been used by over 40 UK construction companies and news of its existence was a cause of great concern for the BSIF.
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