Safety Policies
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Safety Policies Articles
Below is a list of articles that have been published on this topic.
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Working Safely at Height - Method, Equipment and Training are Top Priorities [Aug 2010]
As the single biggest cause of workplace deaths and a major cause of accidents at work, Working at Heights presents many and varied problems. These can be overcome by ensuring all workers are properly trained in method and usage of the correct equipment for the task.
Height Safety [Jun 2010]
Industrial rope access developments in Singapore and South East Asia
At the Construction Safety, Health and Security campaign in Singapore, the minister of State for Trade, Industry and Manpower announced key initiatives to raise the safety and health standards of the construction industry in Asia. The speech stressed the responsibility of all stakeholders in ensuring safety in the workplace.
At the meeting, the minister addressed the need for a Fall Protection Plan, highlighting that over the last three years Singapore’s construction and marine sectors accounted for more than 70% of the fall from height accidents. The HSE substantiated this claim reporting 34 fatalities in the six months to September 2008 for the sector including construction.
Air Quality - an Overview [Jun 2010]
The importance of regulation and the accumulation of reliable data cannot be overestimated
Air quality continues to become a more and more pertinent issue to people as they get on with their busy lives. The quality of the air that we breathe means different things to different people. Of concern to all of us is the potential for negative effects to our health. Both UK and EU legislation1 recognises the ‘worst offenders’, namely sulphur dioxide, oxides of nitrogen, carbon monoxide, particulate matter and heavy metals including mercury and lead. Epidemiological studies, past and present have made the link between increased levels of pollution in the atmosphere and mortality rate. The ‘Great’ London Smog of December 1952 was accountable by some estimations for the premature death of up to 12,000 people2. The causes were stable atmospheric conditions, cold weather, but pertinently the release of enhanced masses of sulphur dioxide and particulate matter from domestic and industrial burning of coal and other solid fuels. The likelihood of such an event happening in the western world today is remote. The use of ‘cleaner’ fuels and tighter industrial regulation ensure that even under the most unfavourable meteorological conditions, major urban centres are not prone to the pea-soup conditions of yesteryear.
Chromatography - The Science of Separation [Jun 2010]
Measuring the radioactive noble gas Krypton using chromatography
Chromatography is the science of separation, with the analyte of interest being in a mobile phase, passing through a series of stationary phases. This allows the analyte to be isolated for quantification through a wide variety of techniques. This article looks at how chromatography is used to separate the noble gas krypton from air.
Breathe Easy - The How Why and When of RPE Selection [Nov 2009]
Respiratory Protective Equipment (RPE) has been placed firmly at the bottom of the hierarchy of control and is often referred to as a control measure of last resort. The Control of Substances Hazardous to Health (COSHH) Regulations have enshrined the hierarchy in legislation for over 20 years. This hierarchy indicates the relative desirability and efficacy of various forms of control.
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Confused or Confined? [May 2009]
A Background on Confined Spaces
In the 26 years I’ve been working in confined spaces, the practices we employ to ensure our safety have changed little. Attitudes and legislation, however, have changed dramatically and sometimes I wonder why.
Fall Arrest [May 2009]
Calculating the Total Fall Distance (TFD)
It is well documented and acknowledged within the HS industry that falls account for the majority of HS related fatalities and injuries in the workplace and foremost in the construction sector. However, certainly in the Middle East, we all see instances where proper fall arrest measures are either ignored or just not in place, nearly on a daily basis. But saying this we must remember that fall arrest systems used poorly can be as dangerous as no protection at all.
Ranking PPE [Apr 2009]
Protective clothing used in the explosives industry
Part 1 of this paper1 considered the ranking of body clothing employed as personal protective equipment (PPE) for explosives workers, when evaluated using a moving manikin. The apparatus, explosives sources used and calculation method were all the same in the present study, which examines the performance of a range of protective headwear.
Detecting Gases [Apr 2009]
What you can't smell can hurt you
Walking through a drill-site area, a worker smells rotten eggs and stops for a minute or two to assess where a gas leak might exist. Rubbing his itchy eyes as he investigates further, he notices that he no longer smells the tell-tale hydrogen sulphide odour. He does not realize that the gas has deadened his olfactory senses and unless he leaves the area within seconds, he could lose consciousness and possibly his life. A well-researched and planned gas-detection strategy can help reduce the likelihood of situations such as this.
Heightened Safety [Jan 2009]
Safe working can never be assumed
- It has to permeate through every element of the workplace, including the all-important training.
Height and safety (yes, the title of this article is a play on words) are often enforced bedfellows when they should be inseparable. Of course, no-one should be working at height without extensive training and strict operational procedures but the ebb and flow of the annual HSE accident statistics for this sector suggests the battle for the routine delivery of responsible behaviour when operating at great height or in areas of difficult access has not yet been won.
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Welding Precautions [Jan 2009]
Risk to the health of workers must be minimal
This article looks at the safety aspects of different types of welding processes and assesses precautions to be taken. Welding necessitates careful risk assessment and the provision of good procedures, but it is not difficult to provide protection for welders that makes the job no more hazardous than any other workshop practice.
Inherent Safety [Sep 2008]
An introduction to the methodology of inherently safe practices
Inherent safety means addressing identifiable hazards so that the probability of a mishap is reduced.
Going Down in the World - Safely [Jul 2008]
A look at descending devices' most comprehensive standard
In April 2007, a new International Standard for descending devices, ISO 22159, was published, without fanfare, after development over a period of nearly six years. This article gives an insight into the work involved in producing what is probably the most comprehensive standard for descending devices ever published.
Slips, Trips and Falls Lead to Shattered Lives [Jul 2008]
HSE campaign aims to change attitudes
'Accidents can shatter lives.' That's the key message of a campaign launched by the Health and Safety Executive this February. The campaign - 'Shattered Lives' - encourages a step-change in the attitudes of employers and their employees, to help them reduce the number of serious injuries to themselves and their colleagues. The duty of care for employees rests with employers but anyone at work can help to reduce slips, trips and falls from height in the workplace.
Working at Height [May 2008]
A Problem or an Opportunity? Part 2
In my earlier article, (February 2008), I looked at the problem and some of the solutions of working at height.
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Creating a Safe Welding Environment [May 2008]
Methods, Dangers and Solutions
Welding shops were traditionally noisy, dirty places (Figure 1). Smoke filled the air, which always had that tangy smell of ozone to it and you needed constantly to avert your eyes from blue flashes as arcs were ignited. Periodically on a walk through any fabrication shop you would need to step carefully over trailing electrical and welding power leads, duck under protruding metalwork and dodge showers of sparks from grinding.
HSI's Height FORUM [Apr 2008]
An insight into the height safety arena
We offered height safety manufacturers the opportunity to explain what they think are the most essential considerations when selecting this important area of PPE, what developments they are particularly proud of and how they see the market progressing in the future.
Face Fit Testing RPE [Apr 2008]
The final defence in hazardous situations
UK Face Fit Testing Legislation is now nearly five years old. All UK employees who wear tight-fitting respiratory protective equipment (RPE) should, by now, have a certificate to prove that the protective equipment they wear during work not only fits them, but also affords them the effective protection necessary for the task being performed. However, research indicates that this is not the case.
Portable Safety Lighting [Apr 2008]
ATEX safety lighting and LED technology
Portable safety lighting for use in explosive atmospheres has undergone many changes in recent years. Design standards have been subject to regular review and update, the ATEX Directives have been introduced; combined, these have brought about more onerous design and manufacturing requirements and greater standards of safety. Technology is moving at a pace, the development of battery, electronic control and LED technology offering real benefits to users.
Safety Eyewear [Jan 2008]
Protecting eyes against high speed particle impact
Most forms of safety eyewear available in Europe have been assessed for protection against high speed particles. SATRA's Austin Simmons explains the testing process and the context of European legislation and standards.
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Fall Arrest [Jan 2008]
Then, now and tomorrow
Height safety equipment, a brief history
Over the past five decades the Height Safety Industry has undergone a progressive change to deal with situations where personnel are required to work in areas once deemed safe, but now considered to need regulation. There have been a constant series of developments, from the use of waist belts with short rope lanyards and chain lanyards in the 1980's to the vast array of different shock absorbing devices and full body harnesses now available. Only a handful of key manufacturers have consistently provided the innovations that have led the Height Safety Industry to where is it today.
Fall Arrest Equipment [Oct 2007]
The science behind the myth
Of all the sectors of the safety market Fall Arrest is one of the most complex, with every different scenario requiring a different solution and a different level of understanding. It is also one of the least understood and most often poorly addressed areas of personnel safety, whilst remaining one of the few sectors where the result of a wrong product decision or poor working method will almost certainly result in the death of a worker should a fall occur.
Slips and Trips [Oct 2007]
Workers views on this important issue
This report presents baseline findings from a survey on IOSH members’ views on the issue of slips and trips. The findings build a picture of how the issue is currently perceived, what’s being done about it and what additional support IOSH members feel they’d like. Annual surveys in 2007 and 2008 will provide both IOSH and HSE with further valuable information on how the situation is changing.
Respiratory Hazards [Sep 2007]
Defending against the hazards of contaminated air
When the very air that we breathe is contaminated how can we protect ourselves and defend against its hazards?
Safe Flooring [Jul 2007]
A step in the right direction
The UK Health & Safety Executive is currently concentrating on the assessment of floor surface slipperiness as part of its “Revitalising Health and Safety” strategy. Dr. Paul Lemon and Dr. Marianne Loo-Morrey, scientists at HSE’s Health & Safety Laboratory, discuss the methods of assessment currently favoured by HSL ... and the problems associated with the use of many alternative test methods.
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Duty to Manage [Jul 2007]
System built buildings and the control of Asbestos Regulations 2006, Regulation 4
Regulation 4 'Duty to Manage' was introduced in the Control of Asbestos at Work Regulations 2002 and has been law since May 2004.The regulations have recently been replaced by the Control of Asbestos Regulations 2006 effective from 13th November 2006.
Workers Height Safety [Jul 2007]
The risk factors and inspection regimes
In recent years there has been an increasing requirement for industrial process operators to use equipment and services which comply with the standards of the Environment Agency MCERTS scheme. The benefits to process operators are evident in more reliable and appropriate monitoring data.
Diffusion of Light [Apr 2007]
Testing the components of safety eyewear
A complex measurement
One of the most sensitive and complex measurements on protective eyewear is that of the diffusion of light through the lens. Diffusion must be tested for all eyewear certified to EN 166:2001. It occurs when light passing through a transparent ocular (lens) is scattered and spreads in all directions.
VOC Detection and Measurement Techniques [Jun 2006]
Outlining the application of laws surrounding Volatile Organic Compounds
Asbestos Testing & Airborne Fibre Monitoring [Sep 2005]
Quality control requirements and scientific testing methods
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Something in the Air Monitoring Air Pollution [Sep 2005]
Furthering air quality modelling and research
Field and Continuous Measurements [Mar 2005]
Making Sure We Make the Best Use of Them
The specification and use of online/field instruments and test kits can be a complicated business. Making the wrong choice could prove expensive.
Tim White explores the range of International Standards and related guidance which can help when specifying equipment and validating the data against required performance set by standard methods advocated by regulatory bodies.
The Unseen Threat of VOCs [Mar 2005]
How photoionisation detection is used for worker protection, fenceline monitoring and environmental remediation.
Organic compounds are chemicals that contain carbon and are found in all living things. Volatile organic compounds, often referred to as VOCs, are organic compounds that easily become vapours or gases.
Slim Down Your Waste And Pile on the Pounds [Mar 2005]
How innovative waste water treatment and removal can benefit your bottom line and the environment
Waste management goalposts are on the move again, with many businesses playing ‘catch up’ in an effort to make sure their waste water is removed, recycled and replaced with minimum environmental damage and minimal cost.
Protecting Refinery Employees [Jan 2003]
How to achieve operator excellence: The then and now of refinery worker safety
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Handling HazMat Emergencies [Jan 2003]
Six Simple Steps to Successful Chemical Emergency Planning
Planning for emergencies is one of the most critical elements of the emergency response effort. However, planning involves more than drafting a written document.
