|
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Mental Health Matters Ltd, a North East-based registered charity, has been fined £30,000 with costs of £20,000 after one of their employees was killed by a service user. Ashleigh Ewing, 22, was employed by the charity as a support worker. On May 19, 2006, Ashleigh was visiting Ronald Dixon, a service user, at his home in Heaton in Newcastle-upon-Tyne. During her visit, Dixon attacked her and stabbed her to death. The attack happened on the final day of Ashleigh’s probation period. Mental Health Matters provides support and housing services for people who suffer from mental health problems. They pleaded guilty to a charge brought by HSE for a breach of Section 2(1) of the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974 for failing to do all that was reasonably practicable to ensure Miss Ewing’s safety. The prosecution told Mr Justice Keith that Ashleigh’s employment exposed her to certain obvious risks, particularly in the context of her dealings with Mr Dixon. His mental health was known to be deteriorating and Mental Health Matters had failed to respond to a number of warning signs. They also failed to afford Ashleigh the level of protection that the nature of her job required. It is vital that those working alone are protected from the very real risks particular to the nature of their work – and this pertains not just to mental health support workers, but delivery people, utilities engineers, door-to-door sales, estate agents and many others. RoSPA is ideally-placed to help you ensure that your lone workers stay safe in the course of their jobs. As well as online guidance, RoSPA’s consultants can advise on policies and documentation, provide tailored bespoke training to managers, facilitate risk assessments as well as tailoring our Stress and Violence Course to deliver in-company. RoSPA also offers a DVD entitled Lone Working which explores the health, safety and personal security issues faced daily by the thousands of people who work alone.
|
||||
Do you want to further your current career in health and safety? In the current economic climate, professional qualifications can seem like a big investment – but RoSPA can help you achieve your goals at excellent value for money - and if you become a RoSPA Member you would benefit from significantly reduced training rates as well as much more. The NEBOSH National General Certificate is the most widely-held health and safety qualification in the UK. It helps managers, supervisors and staff from all types of organisation gain a broad understanding of key health and safety issues. RoSPA offers several study routes, so you can choose the most appropriate one for you:
NEW! Also available is the NEBOSH International General Certificate which follows the same format and content as the National General Certificate, but with a focus on operations in the international arena. Offered on an in-company basis, tailored around your policies and procedures, this new qualification can be offered in the UK or internationally. |
||||
 Corporate Manslaughter - First prosecutionThe next couple of weeks will see the first prosecution under the Corporate Manslaughter and Corporate Homicide Act, involving Cotswold Geotechnical Holdings Ltd. Definitive guidelines were published on February 9 to help courts deal with organisations that cause death through a gross breach of care, or where a health and safety offence is a significant cause of a death. These guidelines come into force retrospectively, so will influence the outcome of this prosecution. Organisations guilty of corporate manslaughter can be given up to a seven-figure fine, and rarely less than £500,000 according to the Sentencing Guidelines Council. The Council emphasised that “punitive and significant fines should be imposed both to deter and to reflect public concern at avoidable loss of life”. Various factors are taken into account when sentencing takes place, including an organisation’s previous good safety record and their existing health and safety policies and procedures. Although penalties should not be linked to company turnover or profit, account is taken of the financial circumstances of offending organisations as well as the impact on employment of innocent parties, and the extent to which the fine could inhibit public service delivery (e.g. in the case of a local authority or health trust). The new definitive guidelines make it very clear that penalties for causing the death of a person under the Corporate Manslaughter and Homicide Act will be very stiff, and will include a compulsory publicity order to ensure organisations cannot hide their actions. RoSPA’s one-day Director Involvement in Health and Safety course will provide you with everything you need to know about organisations’ responsibilities under the Act. Book now for May 5, 2010 as places are in demand.
|
||||
| RoSPA Seminars - Manufacturing & engineering shows
In June 2010 the Birmingham NEC is set to be the focus of the largest manufacturing and engineering event of 2010. Drives and Controls, Air-Tech, IFPEX, and Plant and Works Exhibition, taking place on June 8-10 at the NEC in Birmingham, will form part of the manufacturing and engineering show series alongside MACH 10, Subcon, and Electrex. Two comprehensive and focused seminar programmes have been confirmed by RoSPA in association with DFA Media. One will take place at the Drives and Controls/Plant and Works Exhibition; the other at the International Fluid Power Exhibition (IFPEX)/Air-Tech. Each theatre will have its own relevant and distinctive programme. The free industry-focused seminar programme, run over the three days of the shows (8-10 June 2010), will include a variety of presentations ranging from technical seminars to marketing strategy and even an insight into the financial world to help visitors understand the often-misunderstood concept of lending criteria and what banks are looking for in manufacturers in today’s financial world. For more information on the shows and the seminars please click the relevant logo below.
|
||||
In September 2009, the law relating to vocational drivers changed. All vocational licence holders are now required to hold a Driver Certificate of Professional Competence. Driver Certificate of Professional Competence (Driver CPC) training is continuing professional development, which is ongoing on throughout a professional driver's career. Its aim is to improve road safety and should also help to enhance the industry’s image, ensuring that drivers are professionally-qualified. RoSPA offers a range of approved courses which will not only improve your fleet’s performance but will also help your drivers work towards achieving their Certificate of Professional Competence.
|
||||
Over 2 million people are employed in the construction industry in the UK; as a result of the type of activities involved in this work, there is a high incidence of occupational ill health.
As a leading provider of workplace health and safety training and consultancy services, RoSPA understands the challenges faced by those working in the construction industry and is ideally placed to give you guidance on how you can reduce the risks to workers’ health. Courses to suit your industry:
RoSPA can also offer bespoke in-company training on topics such as:
|
||||
If the answer is yes, then why not come and take part in our competition to win a red Samsung digital camera. All you need do to enter is give your business card to our friendly RoSPA trainer on stand D25. The chance to win a funky new camera is not the only thing on offer on RoSPA’s stand this year – IOSH visitors will be able to take advantage of exclusive discounts on membership, products, and much more! This year’s IOSH 2010 Conference and Exhibition is being held at the Scottish Exhibition and Conference Centre, Glasgow on March 24-25, 2010. If you’re planning to visit IOSH 2010, and would like to meet up with RoSPA, please come along to stand D25 – we look forward to meeting you! |
||||
Managing occupational road risk is a priority for HSE, and for many organisations it represents their key safety risk. A RoSPA MORR Review will help you identify and minimise these risks. A RoSPA consultant will spend time with your organisation, assessing systems, procedures, control measures and documentation in order to build an accurate picture of the existing crash risk and safety performance of your fleet.
Undertaking an MORR Review can help to ensure that your organisation is up to scratch when it comes to managing occupational road risk, and keeping your employees safe on the road. |
||||
Grass-roots groups which help raise awareness of the safety and health of workers across the country have had their commitment honoured at a national awards ceremony. The Alan Butler Awards for Excellence scheme was established to recognise and reward best practice among local safety groups. All winners are part of the Safety Groups UK movement, a long-established part of the country’s occupational health and safety system. The groups provide forums for communicating safety and health information nationwide and offer help to employers, especially small businesses. Winners in the 2009 awards round, which has been sponsored by BT for the past 14 years, were honoured at the House of Lords at the end of January:
Awards were presented at a luncheon hosted by Lord Brougham & Vaux, President of Safety Groups UK. Health and Safety Minister Lord Mckenzie addressed the morning meeting of SGUK which preceded the Awards ceremony. The Minister said: “I want to pay tribute to the hard work that safety groups throughout the UK do, contributing to making this country one of the safest places to work in the world. In particular, these awards acknowledge the very real contribution to worker safety and occupational health of these outstanding safety professionals.” RoSPA supports Safety Groups UK, provides its secretariat and hosts its website (www.safetygroupsuk.org.uk). The movement comprises around 70 local groups, whose contact details can be found on the website. |
Are you attending this year’s IOSH conference and exhibition?
Having performed these detailed tasks we will produce a report advising your organisation of the degree of compliance with existing standards and areas where standards are absent, inadequate or in need of refinement.
