Our HSE April Update explores the focus area from the Health and Safety Executive (HSE), as they continue to visit workplaces across the UK for spot checks and inspections. We also provide a roundup of prosecutions from the previous month, highlighting the commonly identified issues for employers to avoid.

April is Stress Awareness Month

This month, the HSE is highlighting the effect of stress in the workplace and promoting their five steps in five weeks programme. These steps include the 5 Rs:

  • Reach out with conversations
  • Recognise the signs and causes of stress
  • Respond to the risks identified
  • Reflect on actions agreed and taken
  • Make it Routine

Over £4.2m in fines and 9 workplace fatalities

The HSE issued fines of over £4.2m in March and reported on 9 workplace fatalities. Many of these fatalities were due to a crushing incident with the remaining as a result of falling from a height.

A manufacturing company was fined £120k after a worker was fatally crushed whilst using an overhead travelling crane. He became trapped between 2 beams. The HSE found that there was not a suitable and sufficient risk assessment conducted by a competent person and appropriate training hadn’t been provided. In another case, a company was fined £18k and the director was ordered to complete 120 hours of unpaid work. The employee was crushed by two granite slabs whilst also using an overhead crane. The HSE found a lack of training and a failure to implement safe systems of work.

The HSE issued a fine of £366k to another manufacturing company after a worker was crushed to death when he became trapped between a crane and roof truss. It was found that the risk hadn’t been adequately assessed.

In another case, a construction firm was fined £25k after a sub-contractor fell 2 metres through a scaffold opening. This resulted in severe injuries which he later died from. The HSE found that an appropriate person with the necessary skills, knowledge, experience and training had not been appointed and suitable site management hadn’t been implemented.

Following these events in our HSE Update April, employers should ask themselves:

  • Are all your risk assessments routinely reviewed?
  • Are they still suitable?
  • Are your employees up to date with all their training needs?

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