EU SPRUCES UP ‘SIX PACK' DIRECTIVE
A consolidated Directive has superseded Directive 89/655/EC on safety and health requirements for the use of work equipment. The new-look Directive includes amendments made to the 1989 Directive during the past 20 years. 89/655/EC was published in the Official Journal of the European Union in December 1989 - it was the second Directive under the European health and safety ‘framework Directive' (89/391/EC) and it led to the UK ‘use of work equipment' Regulations, one of the so-called ‘six pack' of Regulations brought in by the HSE in the 90s.

Directive 2009/104/EC of 16 September 2009, Official Journal of the European Union (OJ) ref: L 260/5 is at: http://eur-lex.europa.eu/LexUriServ/LexUriServ.do?uri=OJ:L:2009:260:0005:0019:EN:PDF

CLEANING GUIDANCE
A lengthy report from the European Health and Safety Agency contains recommendations on health and safety and cleaning.

Common hazards, risks, and health outcomes for cleaners include:

• risk of slips, trips and falls, particularly during ‘wet work';
• exposure to dangerous ingredients in cleaning materials;
• biological hazards such as moulds or human wastes;
• psychosocial issues including work- related stress, violence and bullying;
• risk of musculoskeletal disorders; and
• risks, such as electric shock, from work equipment.

The report recommends:

• carrying out cleaning during normal working hours;
• selecting a cleaning service by value, not price;
• valuing the cleaners and the work they do;
• seeing cleaning as an essential task which can expose the workers to particular hazards and risks;
• assessing the risks to cleaning workers and implementing preventive measures;
• sharing knowledge with all relevant parties, including the client company, the cleaning contractor and the workers themselves.

Copies of ‘Preventing harm to cleaning workers' can be obtained from the European Health and Safety Agency's website: http://osha.europa.eu/en/publications/reports/TEWE09006ENC/view

OFFICIAL FIRE RISK ASSESOR SCHEME
Officials from the Communities and Local Government (CLG) department have said they are urgently considering a quality scheme for risk assessors to carry out fire risk assessments.

‘Fire Safety Engineering' magazine reported that the head of the fire safety policy team, Louise Upton, told an industry forum: "We recognise that it is an issue and we are looking at coming up with some sort of quality scheme for risk assessors. It's urgent but it's a complex issue". Brian Martin of the Building Regulations division of CLG also confirmed that the government was responding to concerns about the role of private approved building inspectors, as part of its review of the effectiveness of building control. This includes proposals for a more risk-based approach to enforcement to ensure better compliance with the regulations, potentially giving credit to construction companies that use competent contractors.

www.fseonline.co.uk/articles.asp?article_id=9460&viewcomment=1&OmniTest_CampName=fseeditorial-06.11.09

HIGHER ENVIRONMENT FINES CALLED FOR
The Environment Agency has urged courts to issue tougher fines for businesses that pollute in order to help continue a downward trend in the number of serious incidents.

Chief Executive, Dr Paul Leinster, said: "We want to see higher fines for pollution incidents to provide a greater deterrent. There are still an average of two serious pollution incidents a day and this is too many".
L
ast year, the Environment Agency successfully brought 722 cases against companies and individuals for environmental offences, resulting in fines and costs of £5.3m. The average fine against companies in 2008 was £10,080 - up from £8,229 the previous year. The number of cases of serious pollution in England and Wales dropped 13% from 827 in 2007 to 723 in 2008 - down 44% from the 1,854 major incidents recorded in 2001.

CHEMICAL EXPOSURE HEARING HAZARD
The Canadian Centre for Occupational Health and Safety (CCOHS) has detailed how some chemical exposures can pose a potential risk to hearing. These exposures may cause ‘ototoxic' effects, that is: damage the hearing and balance functions of the ear. Chemicals associated with hearing loss include:

• Benzene;
• Carbon disulfide;
• Carbon monoxide;
• Ethylbenzene;
• Hydrogen cyanide;
• Lead;
• Mercury;
• n-Hexane;
• Solvent mixtures;
• Styrene;
• Trichloroethylene;
• Toluene;
• Xylene.

The CCOHS suggests that workers can be protected through measures including:

• removing the source of hazardous exposures from the workplace;
• substituting ototoxins with less hazardous chemicals;
• taking steps to minimise potential ototoxin exposures through inhalation, ingestion, and/or skin absorption;
• minimising exposure to these chemicals through process changes, ventilation, and/or skin or respiratory protection;
• reducing noise levels through engineering or administrative controls;
• wearing hearing protection when exposed to noise, or when exposed to ototoxins to prevent the combined effects of noise and solvent exposure.

More detail can be found at:
www.ccohs.ca/newsletters/hsreport/issues/2009/10/ezine.html?id=22555&link=1#inthenews

EARPLUG RESEARCH
An HSE research report contains advice for those using or intending to purchase custom-moulded earplugs:

• a certain level of skill, training and experience is required to take ear impressions for custom-moulded earplugs - use skilled, trained and experienced personnel to make ear impressions for custom-moulded earplugs;
• users should be aware that the actual attenuation afforded by custom- moulded earplugs might be less than the manufacturer's published data; and
• if comfort is an issue, take up the offers made by some manufacturers and suppliers to have uncomfortable earplugs modified.

Copies of RR727 ‘Market surveillance of custom-moulded earplugs' can be found at www.hse.gov.uk/research/rrhtm/rr727.htm?ebul=noise/nov09&cr=1

DIRECTOR FINED FOR REPEATED NEGLIGENT SAFETY PRACTICES
A businessman has been fined £60,000 for two separate incidents where two employees were severely injured.

Northampton Crown Court heard that Paul James was a director of James Environmental Ltd when both incidents occurred at the company's premises. He put the company into voluntary liquidation three days
after the case was committed to the crown court.

The first incident occurred in 2006 when an employee was cleaning near an unguarded roller on a conveyor belt. His right arm was drawn in by the belt and was crushed as it was forced around the roller. His arm had to be amputated just below the shoulder.

In 2007 the employee's replacement at the firm reached into the conveyor belt. The guard which covered the roller was not properly fixed in place and his arm was pulled in by the belt and around the roller. Although he did not lose his arm he is still undergoing operations on it.

James pleaded guilty to two breaches of reg.11(1) of PUWER, brought under s.37 of the HSWA. He was ordered to pay costs of £17,500.

LIFT TRUCK ACCIDENT
A fork lift truck driver has been fined £500 after pleading guilty to a charge under s.7 of the HSWA at Livingston Sheriff Court following a serious accident in which a banksman suffered a broken back and ankle.

The court heard that Damon McLachlan had been employed at a house construction site as a telehandler
operator for only a few weeks and the evidence he had provided of his training and experience was partly fraudulent. He operated telehandling machinery without the stabilisers deployed which led to the machine losing its three tonne load.

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