BACTERIAL SPILLAGE LEADS TO FINE FOR HEALTH PROTECTION AGENCY
The Health Protection Agency (HPA) was fined £25,000 last month for exposing several employees to the risk of infection from E.coli O157.

The prosecution followed bacteria being spilled as it was being disposed of onto the floor of a site waste discard facility.

The HSE's investigation found an overall failure to ensure safe handling of the bacteria which is classified as Hazard Group 3 waste. The HPA had failed to assess the risk involved in the waste transfer and disposal process of E.coli O157 and had not properly trained employees involved in this work to ensure it was carried out in accordance with standard operating procedures.

The HPA previously pleaded guilty to breaching s.2(1) of the HSWA at City of London Magistrates court and was fined in July and ordered to pay £20,166.10 in costs.

CRUSHING DEATH COSTS COMPANY £309,204
A worker who had only been on site for two weeks was killed when his head was crushed between concrete blocks and a metal platform, Warwick Crown Court was told last month. Hanson Building Products Ltd was fined £280,000 after pleading guilty to breaching s.2(1) HSWA and ordered to pay costs of £29,204.

In 2008 the employee was working next to a conveyor that transferred groups of concrete blocks from a kiln to a packaging area. He was standing next to a low bridge over the conveyor when he leaned forward to remove some blocks from the machine. Another worker changed the direction of the conveyor, crushing the employee's head between the concrete blocks on the conveyor and the metal platform.

The operator of the conveyor could not see the employee because his view was obscured.

RUDENESS CAUSES MISTAKES
If someone is rude to you at work or if you witness rudeness you are more likely to make mistakes, according to an editorial published in the ‘British Medical Journal'.

Rhona Flin, Professor of Applied Psychology at the University of Aberdeen, believes that the link between rudeness and mistakes is particularly concerning in healthcare settings, where it can pose a threat to patient safety and quality of care.

Research suggests that in confined areas, such as operating theatres, even watching rudeness that occurs between colleagues might impair team members' thinking skills.

In a survey of 391 NHS operating theatre staff, 66 per cent of respondents said they had "received aggressive behaviour" from nurses and 53 per cent from surgeons during the previous
six months. See: www.bmj.com/cgi/doi/10.1136/bmj.c2480

WORKER INJURED BY CACTUS SAP
A worker who wasn't wearing any protective equipment while pruning cactus plants at the centre:mk in October 2008 had liquid sap squirted into his right eye. The sap also splashed his face, neck and arm which resulted in a rash. In the longer term the injury to his eye resulted in the employee suffering from glare and having to wear glasses with an anti glare lens fitted.

He was working for Ambius, a subsidiary of Rentokil Initial UK Ltd. The company was fined £12,000 under s.2(1) HSWA, reg.3 of the Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999 and reg.3(1)(b) RIDDOR by Milton Keynes magistrates and ordered to pay costs of £3,967.26.

The local authority's investigation into the accident showed that Rentokil had failed to provide adequate information, instruction and training to ensure the safety of its staff carrying out their work.

TOILET BREAKS
Research published by the Labour Research Department (LRD) says that many British workers are suffering because of inadequate toilet facilities and restrictive toilet break rules.

The LRD surveyed unionised workplaces and found that the transport sector was particularly badly affected, along with industries such as mining, construction and quarrying. Bus drivers, for example, struggled to find time between routes to use the toilet, and complained of a lack of public toilets in many cities. Those with health problems such as irritable bowel syndrome experienced particular difficulties. While most office workers did not experience problems, there were still some areas - for example call centres - where restrictive practices and surveillance meant that workers could be penalised for taking time off to go to the toilet. See: www.lrd.org.uk

BUILDING HEATWAVE TIPS
Briefing sheets from the Chartered Institute of Building Services Engineers have practical advice on keeping cool in the workplace, helping managers to communicate with building users and take action in key areas such as reducing internal gains and checking the effectiveness of windows, blinds and ventilation. There are tips on keeping building users and their workspaces cool, with extra guidance for managers.

‘Keeping Cool in a Heatwave: Top Tips for Building Users' is available from www.cibse.org/index.cfm?go=publications.view&item=400 The briefing sheets are based on information contained in the upcoming CIBSE publication KS16: ‘How to manage overheating in buildings - a practice guide to improving summertime comfort in buildings', produced in conjunction with the HSE.

SAFETY CAMPAIGN
The Hazards Campaign has launched a national ‘We didn't vote to die at work' campaign, including a dedicated Facebook group. This declares the campaign is "against the Con-Dem government attacks on workplace safety and health".

WORK AND DEPRESSION
People with common mental health problems do not have to be completely well to return to work according to a research review conducted by the Sainsbury Centre for Mental Health and published with support from the British Occupational Health Research Foundation. For many, going back to work actually helps their recovery. The response of supervisors and line managers when a person becomes unwell can have a big impact on their chances of staying at work.

People with depression and anxiety should be offered specialist support to return to work as well as psychological therapy, says ‘Common Mental Health Problems at Work'. The review examines recent international research evidence on how to help people with depression and anxiety to stay in work or to return after a period of ill health.

Expert, third-party employment advice can be as important as psychological therapy in helping people remain in work, and get back to work quickly after sickness absence.

Both are needed to achieve success the review says.

The research can be downloaded from www.centreformentalhealth.org.uk

REGULATION CHALLENGE
More than half of businesses questioned for a Local Better Regulation Office survey feel the overall level of regulation in the UK is an obstacle to their success. One in six businesses rated complying with regulation as their single greatest challenge.

Those questioned also said that they are not confident that local councils would take a consistent approach to enforcement (38 per cent of respondents).

Respondents to the Business Perceptions Survey 2010 of 2,000 businesses also said that the biggest burdens for business were keeping up to date with new legislation and changes to existing legislation.
The report can be obtained from: www.lbro.org.uk/publications-external-research.html

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