Copyright

(c) 2010-2024 Jon L Gelman, All Rights Reserved.
Showing posts with label HSE. Show all posts
Showing posts with label HSE. Show all posts

Wednesday, July 23, 2014

Deadly silica standard is killing UK workers



Photo: Jawad Qasrawi

Today's post is shared from hazards.org. Silica exposure was the the trigger in the US during the 1059's that incorporated occupational diseases into the workers' compensation acts throughout the US.
Silica exposures kill over 1,000 workers a year in the UK and leave many more fighting for breath. But, unlike its US counterpart, finds Hazards editor Rory O’Neill, the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) is following the industry line and says our deadly silica exposure standard is just fine.
When the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) visited Teesdale Architectural Stone Ltd (TASL) in September 2007, it discovered workers were facing unacceptably high exposures to crystalline silica, a dust that can cause lung cancer, the breath-stealing disorder silicosis and other serious diseases.
In two letters, the regulator told the Barnard Castle firm to clean up its act. Then it did nothing. After all, the company had written twice to assure the watchdog improvements had been made.
Only they hadn’t. Five more years passed before a return HSE visit discovered workers were still facing a lung-clogging and potentially deadly daily dose of dust.
What’s the problem?

The US regulator says clear the air, the UK regulator says eat dust
In the UK, the official workplace safety regulator the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) is resisting behind closed doors any shift to a more stringent silica exposure standard that would help prevent cancers, lung and kidney diseases and other potentially fatal conditions. Affected workers have no say.
In the US, the official workplace safety regulator, OSHA, is arguing at public hearings...
[Click here to see the rest of this post]

Monday, January 13, 2014

British Revised guidance on managing and controlling asbestos

The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) has revised guidance to help businesses understand how to work safely with asbestos.
The Approved Codes of Practice (ACOPs) L127 (The management of asbestos in non-domestic premises) and L143 (Work with materials containing asbestos) have been consolidated into one single revised ACOP – L143 Managing and working with asbestos.
L143 has been revised to make it easier for businesses and employers to understand and meet their legal obligations. It also reflects the changes introduced in The Control of Asbestos Regulations 2012 (CAR 2012) on the notification of non-licensed work with asbestos, and consequent arrangements for employee medical examinations and record keeping.
Highlighting the benefits of the change, Kären Clayton, Director of HSE’s Long Latency Health Risks Division, said: “The two ACOPs have been updated and brought together to help employers find the information they need quickly and easily and understand how to protect their workers from dangers of working with asbestos. The revised ACOP also provides better clarity on identifying  dutyholders for non-domestic premises and the things they must do to comply with the ‘duty to manage’ asbestos.
ACOPs L127 and L143 were among several identified for: review and revision; consolidation; or withdrawal, following a recommendation made by Professor Ragnar Löfstedt in his report ‘Reclaiming Health and Safety for All’.
...
[Click here to see the rest of this post]