Links & Information

Health & Safety

COSHH Essentials -  Control Of Substances Hazardous To Health

For an outline of Health & Safety Rules try IOSH

New Database of Health & Safety to be on towards end of year.  check www.hse.gov.uk/ 
Tel 0541 545500 for more details.

Childrens Safety
Guide to Safety and School Trips from Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents

Health and Safety of Pupils on Educational Visits -
Government Advice
Very comprehensive information on what you need to to do.

Royal Society For the Prevention of Accidents Home Page
with information on Occupational Safety, Water Safety, Home safety, Educational Safety, Road Safety

Fireworks
UK Firework Safety Website

Community Safety
Fife Community Safety Project

Further Links

• Department for Transport guidance on the correct use of tactile paving [PDF]
  Tactile paving is used to help the visually impaired to identify certain hazards, for example, dropped curbs at pedestrian crossings. However, HSE have come across examples of the "blister" pattern, which is to identify a dropped curb, being used at the top of a flight of stairs. Someone relying on these tactile pavings would not be expecting a step, and could fall down a whole flight of stairs - a frightening prospect.
• HSE Website: Food Manufacturing - Slips
• Health and Safety Laboratory - Pedestrian Safety Section
• UNISON - Health and safety information sheet: Slips and trips [PDF]
• TUC website/slips and trips
• HELA Training website
  This website is only accessible to local authorities
• RoSPA website
• Worksafe, Department of consumer and employment protection, Western Australian
• Contact Group for Slips, Trips and Falls
• Tile association - Slip Resistance of Hard Flooring
  The tile association have produced a short guide to slip resistance which is available on their website.

Government Statistics

• Office for National Statistics
• Department for Work and Pensions
  • Industrial injuries disablement benefit statistics
• Department of Trade and Industry
  • Home safety statistics
• Department for Transport
  • Transport safety statistics
• Department of Health
  • Health statistics
• Small Business Service
  • Small and medium size enterprise statistics
• The Home Office
  • British Crime Survey
• The Health & Safety Executive for Northern Ireland

International

• EuroStat (Statistical Office of the European Union)
• European Agency for Safety and Health at Work
• European Foundation for the Improvement of Living and Working Conditions

More

• The Health and Occupation Reporting Network

  Responsible for the collection of specialist-based work-related ill-health data.

• Public Health Observatories

  Established to improve the health of the population as a whole and to improve the health of the worst off in society.

• The Industrial Injuries Advisory Council
  Provides independent advice to the Secretary of State for the Department of Work and Pensions on matters relating to the industrial injuries benefit scheme.

DOUBLE STANDARDS TO BLAME FOR INCREASING WORKPLACE FALLS IN SCOTLAND
HSE survey reveals over a third clear up at home but not at work -
Double standards are exacerbating the incidence of workplace falls in Scotland, according to an opinion survey published today by the
Health and Safety Executive (HSE) as part of its Watch Your Step
campaign.

Already the biggest cause of workplace injuries in Scotland with 3,727 incidents reported to the authorities last year, the opinion survey reveals that an attitude of 'It's not my responsibility' is to blame for ignoring slip and trip hazards at work, with over a third of those surveyed admitting that they are more likely to clear up a spillage or mess in their own home than at work.

"When one in six of the employees surveyed in Scotland has suffered an injury from a slip or trip incident at work, the extent of the problem is plain to see and it can have an acute effect on both the individuals and businesses involved," said Justin McCracken, Acting Chief Executive, HSE.

Nationally, a slip or trip incident takes place every three minutes and every hour someone breaks a bone. All in all, it is estimated that workplace falls cost the UK economy approximately £800 million each year, of which £500 million is directly borne by businesses.

According to the survey, tripping over an uneven floor covering is the most common cause of a slip or trip incident in Scotland accounting for nearly a quarter of workplace falls - a hazard that can easily be removed at little cost to individual businesses.

"To address the problem there really needs to be a shift in workplace attitude from 'ignore it' to 'do something about it'. Every employee needs to take this on board so that incidents are prevented before it's too late. Our message is clear - don't just see it, sort it," Justin McCracken continued.

Watch Your Step is a cross-industry campaign in partnership with other stakeholders, including Local Authorities, which aims to combat the increasing number of workplace falls by highlighting the scale of the problem for UK businesses; encouraging people to take the risks seriously; and raising awareness about cost-effective measures that can be put in place to reduce incidents and keep the costs to a minimum.

More information and practical tips on how to minimise risks can be
found by visiting www.watchyourstep.hse.gov.uk  or calling 0845 345 0055.

1. The Health and Safety Executive
The Health and Safety Commission (HSC) and the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) are responsible for the regulation of almost all the risks to health and safety arising from work activity in the UK.

2. Watch Your Step campaign
The HSE's Watch Your Step campaign is a major national initiative that focuses on raising awareness about the financial and personal costs and causes of slip and trip incidents at work. The campaign involves a partnership programme with Local Authorities and other stakeholders which helps encourage cost-effective and sensible ways of reducing incidents.

Pedestrian slipping and tripping is the most common cause of workplace injuries in the UK. Each year slips and trips cause over 40,000 serious injuries. Cumulatively, this costs the UK economy and employers an estimated £800 million and £500 million respectively and can cause considerable distress for those affected.

3. UK Workers Slips and Trips Opinion Survey 2005
The UK Workers Slips and Trips Opinion Survey 2005 was conducted by The Survey Shop on behalf of the Health and Safety Executive. The survey was designed to investigate  awareness and opinion relating to workplace slips and trip incidents amongst employees. In conducting the survey, 1,016 interviews were carried out over the period 12-18 August 2005.

4. Health and Safety Statistics Highlights 2003/04
This sets out the latest statistics on work-related fatalities, injuries and ill health in the UK. The key new statistics this year are 2003/04 data on non-fatal injuries notified under the Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations (RIDDOR), along with injury data from the Labour Force Survey (LFS) and ill health data from the 2003/04 Self-reported Work-related Illness (SWI) survey. The report and further statistics from the Health and Safety Executive can be found at www.hse.gov.uk/statistics.

UK Split Over Safety Of Using Hands-free Phones In Cars
With the UK revving up to a ban on using handheld mobile phones whilst driving, more of us are likely to turn to the hands-free kit. But health and safety expert Croner warns of the dangers of talking at the wheel, and reveals that the nation is split over the issue.  Croner, the UK's leading supplier of business information, support and advice, asked health and safety professionals if hands-free kits should be banned at the wheel. 51% were in favour of a total ban, 47% thought we should be able to talk hands-free while driving, and just 3% were unsure.