Latest News in Health, Safety & the Environment

Provisional annual data released by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) reveals 142 workers were fatally injured at work between April 2014 and March 2015 (a rate of 0.46 fatalities per 100,000 workers). This compares to last year’s all-time low of 136 (0.45 fatalities per 100,000 workers). Fatal injuries at work are thankfully rare events and as a consequence, the annual figures are subject...

The Control of Major Accident Hazards (COMAH) Regulations 2015 came into effect on 1 June 2015. The aim of the Regulations is to prevent and mitigate the effects on people and the environment of major accidents involving dangerous substances. One thing to watch out for is the list of substances covered by the Regulations has been updated/ aligned to the CLP Regulations and some definitions have been...

NEBOSH have formally launched the Environmental Awareness at Work Qualification. Peak HSE Ltd are accredited to deliver the course. The new one day qualification can introduce your workforce to environmental issues and the role they play in improving organisational environmental performance. During the pilot we found that employers deemed the introductory level qualification useful...

The Deregulation Bill has now been passed into an Act of Parliament and came into force from 26th March. The aim of the Deregulation Act 2015 is to reduce the legislative and regulatory burdens affecting businesses, organisations and individuals, as well as repealing legislation that no longer has practical use. The Act covers a wide range of topics; the main sections that relate to health...

The Construction (Design and Management) Regulations 2015 (CDM 2015) came into force on 6 April 2015, replacing CDM 2007. Key changes relate to:• Replacing ACoP with targeted guidance;• Replacing CDM-C with ‘Principal Designer’;• Removing explicit competence requirements;• Domestic Clients; and• Appointment and notification thresholds. The definition of Construction...

 Section 85 of the Legal Aid, Sentencing and Punishment of Offenders Act 2012 ("LASPO") allows for the removal/amendment of caps on fines which can be imposed for offences dealt with in Magistrates' Courts in England and Wales.  The Legal Aid, Sentencing and Punishment of Offenders Act 2012 (Commencement No 11) Order 2015 means that from 12th March 2015 offences committed and sentenced after...