Category Archives: Risk Management

Risk Management, including Health and Safety, Business Continuity etc…

Low Risk Businesses exempt from Health and Safety Inspections

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Under new proposals by the UK government “low risk” businesses will become exempt from health and safety inspections from April 2013. The requirement for routine inspections of offices, shops, pubs and clubs will be removed unless the business is known to have a poor safety record. Construction and food production and other “higher risk” sectors will continue to be inspected. The government are also proposing to abolish up to 3,000 other regulations to reduce “red tape” for businesses.

Read more about the UK Government “Red Tape Blitz” here: http://news.bis.gov.uk/Press-Releases/Government-red-tape-blitz-to-boost-business-growth-67fc9.aspx

Broader Learning from Fall From Height Prosecutions….

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On 26th July 2012, the UK Health and Safety Executive posted details of the prosecution of two firms after a worker suffered serious injuries when he was struck by a pipe and fell from a stepladder.

This short article poses a couple of potential “defence statements” that some organisations may have tried to use to avoid the consequences of the case, and then extracts some broader learning…. LearningFromFallFromHeightProsecutions

PAT Testing – is your organisation overdoing it……?

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Last November (2011) the government commissioned a report (now referred to as the Löfstedt Report) with the remit “…to look into the scope for reducing the burden of health and safety regulation on business, whilst maintaining the progress that has been made in health and safety outcomes.”

Amongst it’s many recommendations the report said that: “The requirement for portable appliance testing should be further clarified (including through changes to the wording of the Electricity at Work Regulations 1989 if necessary) by April 2012 to stop over-compliance and ensure that these messages reach all appropriate stakeholder groups.”

The HSE have reissued it’s guidance (http://www.hse.gov.uk/pubns/indg236.pdf ) which makes it clear that not all appliances have to have formal TESTING and that many appliances in low risk office environments only need VISUAL inspection every 2-4 years.

If you would like help in reviewing your arrangements then we would be happy to advise.