Standards & Regulations

‘GREEN JOBS’ FUTURE HEALTH AND SAFETY

European health and safety body EU-OSHA has issued a ‘future scanning’ report, which considers the potentially serious implications of ‘green jobs’ for worker health and safety.

May 2013 · Volume 36 · Number 5

REASSURING ADVICE ON HIV AT WORK

The Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD) has updated its factsheet giving advice on HIV to employers. The factsheet says there are no health and safety risks associated with employing someone with HIV and for most people, HIV has no impact on their working life.

May 2013 · Volume 36 · Number 5

FIRE DETECTION SYSTEMS STANDARD

The BS 5839 Standards series covers the design, installation, commissioning, maintenance and use of fire detection and alarm systems.

May 2013 · Volume 36 · Number 5

PAS 91 TO BECOME FLAGSHIP FOR CONSTRUCTION PQQs

As we went to press the first revision of PAS 91: ‘Construction Pre-qualification questions’ was likely to be available from the BSI by the end of March.

APRIL 2013 • VOLUME 36 • NUMBER 4

REVISED HEALTH SURVEILLANCE GUIDANCE

The HSE has issued new online guidance for employers on health surveillance. The guidance replaces HSG61 ‘Health Surveillance at Work’.

APRIL 2013 • VOLUME 36 • NUMBER 4

EMPLOYER’S FIT NOTE GUIDANCE

The Government has issued ‘fit note’ guidance for employers.

APRIL 2013 • VOLUME 36 • NUMBER 4

YOUNG PERSONS’ WORK PLACEMENTS GUIDE IMMINENT

The HSE is putting the finishing touches to guidance on managing work placements for young people. Its aim is to tackle what it sees as “over-bureaucratic and burdensome” requirements by those who are choosing work placements, and to stop “over-interpretation of the law”.

APRIL 2013 • VOLUME 36 • NUMBER 4

GOVERNMENT SETS OUT CORONER REFORMS

There may be less delay in inquests taking place under Government proposals, though mandatory time limits are not suggested. However, it is likely that a target date will be set within which coroners should complete most inquests. The proposal comes in a consultation on implementing reforms to the coroner system contained in the Coroners and Justice Act 2009.

APRIL 2013 • VOLUME 36 • NUMBER 4

EU TO HARMONISE CHEMICALS DIRECTIVES WITH GHS

The European Commission aims to amend five EU health and safety Directives relating to the protection of workers from exposure to harmful chemicals, to align them with the classification, labelling and packaging of chemicals Regulation (1272/2008).

APRIL 2013 • VOLUME 36 • NUMBER 4

BSI PITCHES 18001 TO ISO AGAIN

The BSI has once again approached the International Standards Organisation (ISO) and proposed the development of an ISO Standard on ‘Occupational health and safety management systems’.

APRIL 2013 • VOLUME 36 • NUMBER 4

Recent articles