reduce form filling - have your say

Take the opportunity to influence health and safety policy. Participate in the current public consultations and discussions below, and help make a difference. For more information visit the HSE's website http://www.hse.gov.uk/consult/live.htm

www.she.ltd.uk

Myth: Children need to be wrapped in cotton wool to keep them safe

The reality

Health and safety law is often used as an excuse to stop children taking part in exciting activities, but well-managed risk is good for them. It engages their imagination, helps them learn and even teaches them to manage risks for themselves in the future. They won’t understand about risk if they’re wrapped in cotton wool.

Risk itself won’t damage children, but ill-managed and overprotective actions could!

go to http://www.hse.gov.uk/myth/nov08.htm to download the poster

www.she.ltd.uk

Death fall - firms fined

Two firms are fined £130k

Maidstone Crown Court heard, on 30 October, that the workman had been fitting floor gratings around three newly installed boilers, at a new facility for converting waste to energy, when the incident occurred on 19 July 2005. Many of the floor gratings were not correctly secured, while others had been displaced by pipe fitters. This resulted in one of the displaced gratings giving way, causing the workman to fall 23 metres to his death

The principal contractor, Lentjes UL Ltd, pleaded guilty under section 3(1) of the HSWA 1974 and was fined £45,000, with costs of £25,000. Rafako S.A. was sub-contracted to install the boilers and pleaded guilty to breaching regulation 6(3) of the Work at Height Regulations 2005. The firm was fined £85,000 and ordered to pay costs of £35,000.

source SHP

www.she.ltd.uk

Underfunded HSE

The unions have attacked the government over it's funding of the HSE. A report suggests that major injury investigations have decreased by 43-per-cent between 2001 and 2007. It also reveals that there has been a 69-per-cent reduction in the number of ‘over three-day’ injuries investigated, and a 31-per-cent fall in ‘dangerous occurrences’ investigations.

The trade union believes the reduction in investigations is due to a lack of resources in the HSE rather than a decrease in the number of incidents reported. The group is now demanding the Government provides extra funding to allow the HSE to employ additional inspectors to handle the need for investigation.

source: SHP

www.she.ltd.uk

black hole hazards

This video clip highlights the hazards involved when a black hole appears in the office.. Follow the link to the YouTube clip.

www.she.ltd.uk

she ltd are nominated for an environmental award

she ltd have been nominated for an environmental award. We will be one of four companies in this category at the Northamptonshire Business Excellence Awards 2008. For more information go to:

http://www.northantset.co.uk/custompages/CustomPage.aspx?PageID=73144&sectionID=14657

www.she.ltd.uk

VSH achieve ISO14001

Below is a transcript of an e-mail sent by VSH

Dear All

For those who have not been in Kettering over the last few days, I am very pleased to advise you that subject to the LRQA Technical Review, Visser and Smit Hanab (UK) Ltd will be awarded theLRQA BS EN 14001 Environmental Management Systems (EMS) certification in the next few weeks.

We have over the last three days gone through our stage two audit, and have come through it with only a few minor non conformities and a few findings relating to the EMS that has been worked on over the last year and a bit, we have already made many improvements in the last three months when we underwent the first stage audit.

I would like to thank everyone who has helped with any part of the EMS, from the onsite toolbox talks and training that they undertook through to the audit sites, both Kettering and Gunfleet Sands, without your input and help we would not have achieved this second stage.

Kevin Jones from SHE Ltd, who has lead us through the many internal and external audits and who has produced the overall EMS package, has asked me to also thank you all as well, I would like to on behalf of everyone at Visser and Smit Hanab (UK) Ltd say a big thank you to Kevin and to Mike of SHE Ltd for all that they have done to get us through to certification. Thank you.

We will keep you updated on the EMS as soon as we can.

Kind regards,

Dave.......

David Fish
Planning, Procurement & SHE Manager