Last month, I mentioned two big moments – the General Election and the 50th anniversary of the Health and Safety at Work Act (1974) on 31 July. The lack of attention given to health, safety, or even wellbeing by most political parties in their election manifestos, while not entirely unexpected, was disappointing. And it doesn’t reflect the real concerns of workers and leaders here and around the world.
By Mike Robinson FCA on 01 July 2024
In my previous piece for Safety Management last summer (‘A new Building Safety Remediation Scheme would hold developers and builders to account for all fire and building safety defects in homes’) I set the scene on the unfolding world of building safety remediation and described how I was attempting to change things in the interests of consumer safety. Now with a general election called, there is an opportunity to influence the policies of a new, incoming administration.
By The Earl of Lytton on 28 June 2024
Recent prosecutions of entertainment companies for health and safety failings are a reminder that the duty to safeguard the health, safety and welfare of employees and others applies to all workplaces, organisations and workers in whatever sector or business.
By Laura White, Pinsent Masons on 04 July 2024
The pandemic has accelerated the demand for change and created opportunities to make work better. We have seen rising levels of mental ill health, a trend that is likely to be long lasting, particularly among younger and more disadvantaged employee groups.
By Louise Aston on 14 March 2022
The health, safety and wellbeing of construction workers has been a focus of government and employer attention in recent years because of its critical importance to preventing accidents. A sign of the success of this focus is that fatal incidents in the sector are now at their lowest level.
By Sarah Meek and Stephen Bevan on 15 March 2022
Given I am going to say that it helps us all if people can be open about their mental health, I am going to start by saying I have a mental health condition. I have depression and generalised anxiety.
By Simon Stephen on 30 March 2022
The ban on the importation and use of asbestos in the UK by a Labour government back in 1999 was welcomed by those who had campaigned for it and by health and safety professionals who had to deal with the deadly substance on a daily basis.
By John McClean, Joint Union Asbestos Committee on 04 May 2022
Do we value regulations enough, or are we better off without them? Most of the time, many of us never pause to think about the rules that govern us, so embedded are they in our daily life.
By Mike Robinson on 12 April 2022
The Building Safety Bill in its current form is an altogether better solution for leaseholders than we could have hoped for during the passage of the Fire Safety Act 2021.
By Royston Smith MP on 20 April 2022
Thirty businesses have recently announced their participation in the UK’s biggest ever four-day week pilot, trialling a 32-hour, four-day working week with no loss in pay from June this year.
By Grace Robinson, 4 Day Week Campaign on 12 April 2022
When does something designed to protect you from danger become something that restricts your freedom and a cost you would rather avoid?
By Mike Robinson FCA on 03 May 2022
A third of employers do not feel well equipped to support women going through the menopause, according to an Acas poll. This is by no means an isolated finding – a long tail of research reminds us that the menopause still sits low on the list of workplace priorities.
By Simone Cheng, Acas on 01 April 2023
Over seven years ago the Sentencing Council’s guideline for the sentencing of health and safety offences, corporate manslaughter and food safety and hygiene offences (‘the Guideline’) came into force.
By Liam Jagger, Pinsent Masons on 14 July 2023
