Careering into it As a health and safety tutor I routinely meet people who already work in the field of occupational health and safety (OHS). And one thing that always strikes me is that they are a diverse bunch with a very wide range of ages, educational backgrounds, workplaces and work/ life experiences. From 21 to over normal retirement age. From left school at 16 with diddly-squat to PhDs in biomechanical engineering. From building society office to offshore oil and gas platform. From none at all to 35 years in the chemical engineering and manufacturing industries. And some of them have had life experiences that have made the hairs on…
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The Sun Has Arrived and It Is Great For Us, Isn’t It?
We wait for them during the entire winter and most of spring, but finally they have arrived, those nice, warm sunny days. They get us thinking about holidays and sunbathing; they boost our moral and make us feel happier. This is the time of the year where we start to envy those working outdoors such as construction workers, gardeners and postmen… We think they’re lucky because they get to enjoy all those benefits the sun brings all day long, but are they? Overexposure, as well as regular and prolonged exposure, to the sun can cause sunburns, skin ageing, eye damage and skin cancer. It may also affect the immune system.…
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Finding Health and Safety Guidance and Trusted Information
When I was studying for my NEBOSH Diploma and as a consultant, I always wanted to find additional information on various Health and Safety topics. However finding good, relevant, reliable and trusted information is not always easy, especially if you are new to the health and safety world. In this article I’m going to share some of the sources I use. It won’t be an exhaustive list, (there’s always more to discover yourself!), but hopefully you’ll find something useful. If you work in The UK, with the UK or if you intend to do so, your main source of guidance is the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) (1). Even if…
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Health and Safety Practitioner Skills
In February 2001 Christopher Hooper, an independent Health and Safety Consultant, carried out a risk assessment for a client on a wood jig boring machine. Two years later, an employee of his client injured their hand while operating the machine. And, after investigation, the HSE decided to prosecute Mr Hooper under S.36 of the Health & Safety at Work etc. Act 1974. The case took a while to come to court, but in 2004 the Magistrates’ Court was told that Mr Hooper’s risk assessment fell significantly short of the standards required and, in effect, contributed to the accident as it failed to identify the danger of the machine snatching at pieces…
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Safety and Health Expo London 2014
We are all gearing up here at RRC International to attend the Safety and Health Expo being held in London Excel Centre from the 17-19th June. This is labelled as the largest Safety Show the UK has seen for 10 years so it really is gathering momentum. If you haven’t yet registered and you want to, click on the link below for our promotional code.
