From 1 January 2011 the HSE will no longer acknowledge the British Standard BS5973:1993 as a recognised standard for the design of tube-and-fitting scaffolding structures.

The Health and Safety Laboratory is currently seeking views on managing common health problems in the workplace to identify the types of support and guidance needed in this area.

New guidance is now available for those who produce and collect commercial waste, in a bid to prevent people who shelter in bins from being killed or injured.

A guide to human behaviour in the shipping industry has been launched by a consortium led by the Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA).

The HSE has teamed up with a retail trade body to produce a ‘quick-reference factsheet’ on abestos for retailers. Its aim is to help those in the retail sector understand their legal responsibilities and ensure their workers, customers or any contractors are protected from exposure.

IRATA – the Industrial Rope Access Trade Association – has produced a new International Code of Practice (ICoP), which reflects current best working practices on safe rope access.

The HSE has announced it is to revise its guidance for the events industry to reflect legislative changes and improvements in industry practices.

The HSE has published new guidance to help clarify the legal duties of local authorities with respect to procuring and managing waste and recycling services.

Guidance relating to the forthcoming Notification of Conventional Tower Cranes Regulations 2010 has been published. The Regulations, which come into force on 6 April 2010, require certain information about conventional tower cranes used on construction sites to be notified to the HSE.

In 2007, the European Union social partners reached an autonomous agreement on the need to tackle workplace harassment and violence. The UK equivalents – the Trades Union Congress (TUC), the Confederation of British Industry (CBI), and the Partnership of Public Employers (PPE) have now issued guidance that implements this agreement in the UK.