The Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005, which was to take effect in April of this year, has been put back to allow businesses and fire safety experts more time to get ready for the new regulations. The minister responsible for fire, Jim Fitzpatrick, stated that it had become clear that all the guidance documents associated with the new regime would not be ready until about three months after the changes were due to take place.

In the last issue of Safety News (November 2005) we outlined the new food safety legislation that came into effect on 1 January. The regulations lasted just 11 days before they were replaced with the Food Hygiene (England) Regulations 2006. Parallel replacement regulations are to be made for Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.

Ministers’ excuses were that additional requirements from the EU had not been notified to them in time for inclusion within the 2005 update, and also that they had received adverse reaction to the concept of Remedial Action Notices, which have now been withdrawn.

The Health and Safety Commission has evaluated responses to the consultation document on the adequacy of the current regulations relating to first aid. They have accepted recommendations that the Regulations and Approved Code of Practice should not be changed, but will consult further on certain issues that require clarification and updating.

Archant Print Limited has been fined £8,000 with £4,000 costs by Norwich Magistrates Court after a trainee printer was seriously injured. The 17-year-old had his arms drawn into a machine whilst he was trying to clear a paper jam.

The court heard that the accident arose because the Company did not have a safe system of work and had not carried out a risk assessment. The prosecution was made under s.2 of the Health and Safety at Work etc Act 1974, and a guilty please was entered.

Wayne Davies, who ran a construction business called A & E Buildings, was given an 18-month prison sentence by Hereford Crown Court in January. This followed a joint investigation between the Police and the Health and Safety Executive into the death of Mark Jones.

Two men had been constructing a barn on a farm in Staffordshire, and had used a ‘home-made’ basket balanced on the forks of a telehandler supplied by Mr Davies. The device collapsed and both men fell 8 metres to the ground. Mr Jones sustained fatal injuries from which he died. Although Davies had admitted breaches of the Health and Safety at Work etc Act 1974 and the Provision and Use of Work Equipment Regulations 1998, the sentence was for a separate charge of manslaughter and no extra penalties were awarded for the health and safety breaches.

The Coroner has opened and adjourned an inquest into the death of 58-year-old Peter Cook, who was killed at Nordic Recycling’s site at Chatham Dockyard on Friday 13 January.

Mr Cook was crushed to death when a ton of paper being loaded on to a lorry fell on him. Police and the Health and Safety Executive are investigating the circumstances.

Fines totalling £43,000 were collected from bus operator Stagecoach and DW Tilley Limited. Tilley, who had been contracted by Stagecoach to renovate the roof at Plumstead Garage, sent some of their scaffolders onto the roof to install edge protection. One, Mr Slater, fell through a fragile rooflight and sustained serious injuries. He was on a life support machine for nearly a fortnight.

Southwark Crown Court heard that the roofing company did not have a safe system of work for its scaffolders. Stagecoach had failed in its duty to ensure that the contractor had a proper method statement, and also contributed by allowing an untrained employee to issue a permit-to-work without following the firm’s own procedures.

Maintenance personnel were exposed to brown asbestos during work at Hanham School in Gloucestershire. Northavon. Magistrates fined South Gloucestershire Council and one of its contractors, Ashcroft Services Limited, £25,000 and £11,000 respectively.

The exposure arose when the contractors took down ceiling tiles during weekend work. They knew the asbestos was present when they began, but did not hold a licence for work with this particular material. The penalties were for offences under s2 of the Health and Safety at Work etc Act 1974, and the Asbestos (Licensing) Regulations 1983.

PHSC's Group Accounts Administration Manager Amanda Pound will be taking part in Cancer Research UK's Race for Life 2006 at Maidstone on 14th May 2006. Amanda's target is to raise at least £500 in sponsorship.

PHSC are proud to be supporting Amanda's efforts, and would be delighted if any of our website visitors would also like to contribute.

You can sponsor Amanda online by clicking here.