Popular content on SHP has been by and large positive, with features celebrating people in the profession, and focused on improvement. Prosecution articles have also made the top 10.
The UK general top 10 is dominated by stories which vilify health and safety, are in follow-up to the Grenfell Tower fire or involve children. Most of these articles are from mainstream press and have predominantly been shared on Facebook, as opposed to LinkedIn
10. HSE annual figures: Deaths down but ill-health costing UK £14.9bn a year
For the first time, stress became the UK’s biggest work-related illness, overtaking musculoskeletal disorder cases. 1.3 million workers suffered from work related ill-health, and there were 609,000 workplace injuries in 2016/17. There were 137 fatal injuries in Britain’s workplaces – a decrease on 2015/16 (144) and 2014/15 (142).
9. Asbestos: £1m-worth of fines following incident
Three companies were fined a total of more than £1m after workers were exposed to asbestos while refurbishing a school in Waltham Forest. A worker removed part of a suspended ceiling in a school and identified suspect asbestos containing materials. Asbestos fibres were subsequently found in numerous areas in the school.
8. Judgments and emotions: taking the risk out of decision-making
Looking at the psychology behind so-called “intuitive” decisions that affect work safety. Faced with a critical, complex situation that requires a split-second reaction, how likely is it that two people will make the same decision? This is a situation many industrial companies have to plan for.
7. Time to Talk Day: conversations about mental health change lives
Sue Baker, director of Time to Change, said: “Mental health problems are common and can affect any one of us, yet too often people are afraid to talk openly about mental health. for fear of being judged.” Therefore this year’s theme focussed on how positive conversations about mental health change lives. It urged people to start up a conversation, whatever the hour, on Time to Talk Day itself.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nCJr1HIygVs
6. Hackitt review: RIBA calls for repeal of Fire Safety Order
In October this year the Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA), called for The Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order (RRFSO) to be disposed of. “The RIBA welcomes Dame Judith Hackitt’s review but we believe it must be more comprehensive, addressing the details of Building Regulations guidance as well as the broader regulatory system” said Chair of the RIBA Expert Advisory Group on Fire Safety.
5. Finalists announced for 2017’s rising stars in health and safety
Supported by the Association of Project Safety, BOHS, IIRSM, NEBOSH, RoSPA and Thames Water, the Rising Star Awards are designed to recognise the achievements of people new to the profession, making a difference in their organisation. The awards had three categories; Biggest Impact, Rising Star UK and Rising Star International.
4. Jail for boss who ‘couldn’t care less’ about health and safety
The owner of a skip hire and waste disposal firm was investigated following a fire which took 25 firefighters to put out. The HSE found several safety breaches and numerous enforcement notices were issued in the next three years but were not acted upon. The court heard how he acted so ‘aggressively’ toward the HSE that police officers were required whenever inspectors visited the site.
3. Second careers: How did I get here? Steven Platts
Steven Platts talks about his time as working in Saudi Arabia as an HSE manager. He said the biggest challenge was working in a diverse multicultural environment and having to understand that health and safety is relatively new in the Middle East region. Generally, the workforce came from countries where health and safety was not considered as important.
2. Full story: jail for bosses who tried to cover up details of 25-year-old’s fatal fall
Three company bosses were jailed following the death of 25-year-old father of one, Benjamin Edge, who fell from a roof he was working on, without safety equipment and in windy conditions. Following the incident safety failings were covered up, a new risk assessment was written and an employee was “sent home to collect harnesses to make it look like the accident was Mr Edge’s fault, because he had not worn safety equipment” it was reported.
1. SHP announce the 15 most influential in health and safety 2017
John Green, Director HSE of Laing O’Rourke was recognised as the most influential person in health and safety 2017 for his work on Safety Differently. The list, which was put together following a public vote and put to an industry judging panel, also included representatives from Proud2BSafe, Pinsent Masons, NEBOSH, Mace, Royal Mail, NCRQ, Land Securities, Acre, Middlesex University, Costain, Thames Water, Sellafield and Head Together.
10. SHP announce the 15 most influential in health and safety 2017
SHP are delighted that ‘most influential’ was among the top 10 most shared health and safety articles on UK social media this year. Had we just looked at LinkedIn, ‘most influential’ would have been #1. Every other article in the top 10 had few shares on LinkedIn, but a lot on facebook. Presumably ‘most influential’ had a large professional following, whereas all the other articles were popular with the general public.
9. Three hospitals fail fire safety checks
Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt ordered urgent fire safety checks on hospitals as part of the response to the Grenfell Tower fire. London’s King’s College Hospital, Sheffield’s children’s hospital and the North Middlesex Trust were all exposed for having combustible cladding. According to the BBC’s article, steps were soon under way at all three to improve safety.
8. Lib Dem ‘Brexit sleepover’ blocked by Parliament on health and safety grounds
The Lib Dems ordered 90 camp beds for politicians to use in their offices. It was at the time when votes on the Brexit Bill were due to go on throughout the night. However, the ‘sleepover’ could not go ahead because it would have been impossible to know how many people were in the building in case of an evacuation. A Lords spokesman said: “Due to fire and safety requirements Members are not permitted to sleep overnight in their offices.”
7. More than half a million social homes in England do not meet basic health and safety standards
Not long after the Grenfell Tower tragedy, the government-commissioned English Housing Survey revealed that almost one in seven social homes in England were not meeting the national Decent Homes Standard. 525,000 properties were found to be unsafe. Of them, 244,000 were deemed to have a category one safety hazard – the highest category of risk.
6. Fuming mum told son’s £30 new school shoes breach ‘health and safety’ regulations
The school boy’s mother described the shoes as ‘sturdy black boots’ yet the school claimed the school stated the footwear did not confirm with school uniform rules. When the school was pushed, they later admitted: “There has been a bit of miscommunication – there is no health and safety issue at play here although this was initially mentioned.” At SHP we advise the HSE myth buster to anyone who thinks health and safety is being used as a lazy excuse, giving the profession at bad reputation.
5. Children denied chance to develop ‘resilience’ by too strict health and safety rules, warns Ofsted chief
The chief inspector of schools is quoted as saying children must stop being forced to wear hi-vis jackets on school trips “like troupes of mini-construction workers minus the hard hats”. She went on to say, “Trying to insulate your pupils from every bump, germ or bruise, won’t just drive you to distraction, it will short change those pupils as well – limiting their opportunity to fully take advantage of the freedom of childhood, and to explore the world around them.”
4. Cineworld cinema in Sheffield closed for health and safety reasons
The cinema complex in the centre of Sheffield, South Yorkshire, was closed temporarily closed to the public for undisclosed health and safety reasons. A Cineworld spokesman said: “Due to unforeseen circumstances Cineworld Sheffield will be unable to open until further notice.” The cinema has since reopened.
3. Ban tackling in school rugby for safety, experts demand
Last year the UK’s chief medical officers (CMOs) rejected a call for a ban on tackling in youth rugby. However this year a professor from Newcastle University presented suggesting it would reduce concussion, head and neck injuries, and she urged the CMOs to reconsider. In Canada a similar ban was introduced in under-13 ice hockey, and it led to a 67% reduction in concussion risk.
2. Nursery defies elf ‘n safety killjoys and gets top Ofsted rating
The Daily Mail article refers to today’s health and safety rules as ‘suffocating’ and celebrates a school which apparently defies health and safety culture. The school is situated in a forest with no running water or electricity and its children are said to have ‘unusually high levels of confidence and independence’. Teachers shun modern technology, encourage children to get outdoors, lets them roll around in the mud and even let them cut wood using a huge saw.
1. Teachers ordered schoolgirl with alopecia to remove wig for PE for health and safety
A school made a five-year-old girl remove her wig during PE because it ‘breached health and safety rules’. The schoolgirl’s wig covered up bald patches on her head, caused by alopecia. She wore the wig to give her confidence after being bullied for her hair loss in the past.
