A US federation of health and safety committees has voiced its concern that the loss of 11 lives following the BP Deepwater Horizon oil-rig explosion in April has been forgotten amid the subsequent environmental disaster in the Gulf of Mexico.

The code of practice governing the design, installation, commissioning and maintenance of emergency voice communications is currently being fully revised and stakeholders are invited to comment.

Politicians have demanded the reintroduction of emergency beacons used to help rescuers locate offshore workers if they end up in the sea.

Fuel storage facilities similar to Buncefield are generally complying with standards relating to management systems, good practice, emergency response measures and staff competence, according to the HSE.

Klaxon Signals says its new software is set to revolutionise emergency warning systems in offices and factories wherever staff have access to PCs.

The Court of Appeal has ruled against high-street retailer New Look after the company appealed that the £400,000 fine it received last year in relation to fire-safety breaches was excessive.

A SUBSIDIARY of engineering firm Jarvis was fined £400,000 on 5 July at Sheffield Crown Court after a goods train was derailed by a piece of track left after emergency repair work.

Can the Police Service fully comply with the Health and Safety at Work, etc. Act (HSWA) and, at the same time, deliver the service level expected by the general public? Chris Roberts and Richard Booth explore the situations in which police officers can act bravely and yet, by doing so, expose themselves and their management to prosecution.

Dr Andrew Fowler investigates how the potential for human failure is present throughout the entire lifecycle of a plant – from design right through to decommissioning – and determines the workability of instructions and emergency plans within this context.

The Work at Height Regulations 2005 specify inclusion of emergency and rescue planning, so Terry Oliver explains how the property developer he works for got together with its naval neighbours to carry out a rescue exercise in Portsmouth docks.

In an emergency situation everybody in the workplace must be able to evacuate the premises quickly and safely. For physically disabled members of staff this may be more difficult, so it is up to the employer to ensure that adequate provision is made for them to be able to escape alongside their able-bodied colleagues. Barry Scholes explains how.

Engineers at Sheffield Hallam University have been working with firefighters from South Yorkshire Fire and Rescue to design firefighting robots.

The Government has issued two new Fire and Rescue Service operational guidance documents – the first of 40 such documents to be produced following the most comprehensive review of such guidance for the Service in ten years.

Sembcorp UK’s Protection Group has joined up with the Great Northern Air Ambulance to identify safe landing zones at high-hazard industrial sites throughout the north east of England.

AED Solutions will be exhibiting Rescue Mate®, described as an interactive voice-guided instrument that incorporates a new platform for education/training and emergency treatment.

Following a review of first-aid training in the workplace, the HSE has revised its training regime for first-aid provision.

PEL Services Ltd has launched its Refuge Call System to help building occupiers comply with British standards and the Disability Discrimination Act.

Skyguard says it is leading the way in the lone-worker protection market with the launch of its subscription-only emergency-response service, for only £17.75 a month.

Memco Ltd is launching a new emergency-lift alarm device – Memcom. The company describes it as a high-quality product that offers a flexible solution to the demands set by compliance regulations, and which is easy to install and programme.