Safety Policies
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Safety Policies Articles
Below is a list of articles that have been published on this topic.
Click on the title to view the whole article
Ranking PPE [Apr 2009]
Protective clothing used in the explosives industry
Part 1 of this paper1 considered the ranking of body clothing employed as personal protective equipment (PPE) for explosives workers, when evaluated using a moving manikin. The apparatus, explosives sources used and calculation method were all the same in the present study, which examines the performance of a range of protective headwear.
Detecting Gases [Apr 2009]
What you can't smell can hurt you
Walking through a drill-site area, a worker smells rotten eggs and stops for a minute or two to assess where a gas leak might exist. Rubbing his itchy eyes as he investigates further, he notices that he no longer smells the tell-tale hydrogen sulphide odour. He does not realize that the gas has deadened his olfactory senses and unless he leaves the area within seconds, he could lose consciousness and possibly his life. A well-researched and planned gas-detection strategy can help reduce the likelihood of situations such as this.
Heightened Safety [Jan 2009]
Safe working can never be assumed
- It has to permeate through every element of the workplace, including the all-important training.
Height and safety (yes, the title of this article is a play on words) are often enforced bedfellows when they should be inseparable. Of course, no-one should be working at height without extensive training and strict operational procedures but the ebb and flow of the annual HSE accident statistics for this sector suggests the battle for the routine delivery of responsible behaviour when operating at great height or in areas of difficult access has not yet been won.
Welding Precautions [Jan 2009]
Risk to the health of workers must be minimal
This article looks at the safety aspects of different types of welding processes and assesses precautions to be taken. Welding necessitates careful risk assessment and the provision of good procedures, but it is not difficult to provide protection for welders that makes the job no more hazardous than any other workshop practice.
Slips, Trips and Falls Lead to Shattered Lives [Jul 2008]
HSE campaign aims to change attitudes
'Accidents can shatter lives.' That's the key message of a campaign launched by the Health and Safety Executive this February. The campaign - 'Shattered Lives' - encourages a step-change in the attitudes of employers and their employees, to help them reduce the number of serious injuries to themselves and their colleagues. The duty of care for employees rests with employers but anyone at work can help to reduce slips, trips and falls from height in the workplace.
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Going Down in the World - Safely [Jul 2008]
A look at descending devices' most comprehensive standard
In April 2007, a new International Standard for descending devices, ISO 22159, was published, without fanfare, after development over a period of nearly six years. This article gives an insight into the work involved in producing what is probably the most comprehensive standard for descending devices ever published.
Portable Safety Lighting [Apr 2008]
ATEX safety lighting and LED technology
Portable safety lighting for use in explosive atmospheres has undergone many changes in recent years. Design standards have been subject to regular review and update, the ATEX Directives have been introduced; combined, these have brought about more onerous design and manufacturing requirements and greater standards of safety. Technology is moving at a pace, the development of battery, electronic control and LED technology offering real benefits to users.
HSI's Height FORUM [Apr 2008]
An insight into the height safety arena
We offered height safety manufacturers the opportunity to explain what they think are the most essential considerations when selecting this important area of PPE, what developments they are particularly proud of and how they see the market progressing in the future.
Face Fit Testing RPE [Apr 2008]
The final defence in hazardous situations
UK Face Fit Testing Legislation is now nearly five years old. All UK employees who wear tight-fitting respiratory protective equipment (RPE) should, by now, have a certificate to prove that the protective equipment they wear during work not only fits them, but also affords them the effective protection necessary for the task being performed. However, research indicates that this is not the case.
Safety Eyewear [Jan 2008]
Protecting eyes against high speed particle impact
Most forms of safety eyewear available in Europe have been assessed for protection against high speed particles. SATRA's Austin Simmons explains the testing process and the context of European legislation and standards.
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Fall Arrest [Jan 2008]
Then, now and tomorrow
Height safety equipment, a brief history
Over the past five decades the Height Safety Industry has undergone a progressive change to deal with situations where personnel are required to work in areas once deemed safe, but now considered to need regulation. There have been a constant series of developments, from the use of waist belts with short rope lanyards and chain lanyards in the 1980's to the vast array of different shock absorbing devices and full body harnesses now available. Only a handful of key manufacturers have consistently provided the innovations that have led the Height Safety Industry to where is it today.
Slips and Trips [Oct 2007]
Workers views on this important issue
This report presents baseline findings from a survey on IOSH members’ views on the issue of slips and trips. The findings build a picture of how the issue is currently perceived, what’s being done about it and what additional support IOSH members feel they’d like. Annual surveys in 2007 and 2008 will provide both IOSH and HSE with further valuable information on how the situation is changing.
Fall Arrest Equipment [Oct 2007]
The science behind the myth
Of all the sectors of the safety market Fall Arrest is one of the most complex, with every different scenario requiring a different solution and a different level of understanding. It is also one of the least understood and most often poorly addressed areas of personnel safety, whilst remaining one of the few sectors where the result of a wrong product decision or poor working method will almost certainly result in the death of a worker should a fall occur.
Respiratory Hazards [Sep 2007]
Defending against the hazards of contaminated air
When the very air that we breathe is contaminated how can we protect ourselves and defend against its hazards?
Safe Flooring [Jul 2007]
A step in the right direction
The UK Health & Safety Executive is currently concentrating on the assessment of floor surface slipperiness as part of its “Revitalising Health and Safety” strategy. Dr. Paul Lemon and Dr. Marianne Loo-Morrey, scientists at HSE’s Health & Safety Laboratory, discuss the methods of assessment currently favoured by HSL ... and the problems associated with the use of many alternative test methods.
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Duty to Manage [Jul 2007]
System built buildings and the control of Asbestos Regulations 2006, Regulation 4
Regulation 4 'Duty to Manage' was introduced in the Control of Asbestos at Work Regulations 2002 and has been law since May 2004.The regulations have recently been replaced by the Control of Asbestos Regulations 2006 effective from 13th November 2006.
Workers Height Safety [Jul 2007]
The risk factors and inspection regimes
In recent years there has been an increasing requirement for industrial process operators to use equipment and services which comply with the standards of the Environment Agency MCERTS scheme. The benefits to process operators are evident in more reliable and appropriate monitoring data.
Diffusion of Light [Apr 2007]
Testing the components of safety eyewear
A complex measurement
One of the most sensitive and complex measurements on protective eyewear is that of the diffusion of light through the lens. Diffusion must be tested for all eyewear certified to EN 166:2001. It occurs when light passing through a transparent ocular (lens) is scattered and spreads in all directions.
Protecting Refinery Employees [Jan 2003]
How to achieve operator excellence: The then and now of refinery worker safety
Handling HazMat Emergencies [Jan 2003]
Six Simple Steps to Successful Chemical Emergency Planning
Planning for emergencies is one of the most critical elements of the emergency response effort. However, planning involves more than drafting a written document.
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