What's new at HSE » Research

Risk leadership and organisational type

HSE — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 07:40:47 +0000

The anecdotal experience of new entrants in the UK offshore industry is that they are not, as a group, safer or less safe than established organisations.

Similarly, the organisational arrangements that are sometimes associated with new entrants - such as the separation of ownership and operation - are not clearly less safe than more traditional arrangements. What seems to matter more is a deeper capacity to make chosen ways of organising work.

View full research report ‘RR756 - Risk leadership and organisational type’

Validation of the Shallow Water model “SPLOT” against experimental data on bund overtopping

HSE — Thu, 12 Nov 2009 07:40:45 +0000

The objective of this work was to validate SPreading Liquid Over Terrain (SPLOT), LSMS and OVERTOP against experimental bund overtopping data, in order to gain confidence in the model and/or highlight any possible shortcomings.

Bunds around liquid storage tanks are generally designed so that they will retain more liquid than is contained in the tanks within them. A slow leak will therefore be contained. However, a sudden catastrophic tank failure will result in a surge of liquid, some of which may overtop the bund. Analysis of hazards allowing for this possibility therefore requires an estimate of how much liquid will overtop the bund.

View full research report ‘RR755 - Validation of the Shallow Water model “SPLOT” against experimental data on bund overtopping’

Review of occupational hygiene reports on suitability of RPE

HSE — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 07:40:07 +0000

This report provides an evidence-base for factors influencing the use (or non-use) of Respiratory Protective Equipment (RPE) in the workplace and on how well RPE programmes are currently implemented.

Although the remit was RPE, the study adopted a wider remit of personal protective equipment (PPE), on the basis that, although there will be equipment specific issues, the underlying principles influencing the use of any PPE will be essentially the same as those specifically relating to RPE.

View full research report ‘RR746 - Review of occupational hygiene reports on suitability of RPE’

Slip and trip workshops for NHS staff

HSE — Fri, 23 Oct 2009 13:30:34 +0000

During the period 2004 - 2007, HSE carried out a targeted initiative to reduce slips and trips accidents in NHS Trusts. A key element of the initiative was a one-day Slips and Trips Workshop, customised for the healthcare sector, and delivered regionally in 23 locations around the UK.

View full research report RR731: Slip and trip workshops for NHS staff

Assessment of slips safety information/literature provided by flooring and footwear suppliers

HSE — Thu, 22 Oct 2009 10:00:25 +0000

Nearly 11,000 workers suffered serious injury as a result of a slip or trip in 2007. A key element of HSE’s work to reduce slips and trips is to raise awareness of how slip risks can be controlled through the use of suitable flooring and footwear.

View full research report RR747: Assessment of slips safety information/literature provided by flooring and footwear suppliers

Review of sickness absence data in the waste and recycling industry

HSE — Thu, 22 Oct 2009 08:00:07 +0000

While injury rates have been calculated and reduced in the waste and recycling industry in recent years (HSE Research Report 701), little is known about the prevalence of ill health for this industry. The main objective of this project was to review sickness absence data for the industry and provide estimates of the occupational ill health rate and the annual number of days absent from work.

View full research report RR750: Review of sickness absence data in the waste and recycling industry

Automated system for indicating spray clearance times of MVR spray booths/rooms

HSE — Wed, 21 Oct 2009 09:00:34 +0000

This report describes the design and assembly of an automated device that will alert sprayers of isocyanate based paints of the presence of spray mist inside paint spray booths /rooms used in the motor vehicle repair (MVR) and other industries.

View the full research report RR742: Automated system for indicating spray clearance times of MVR spray booths/rooms

A Monte Carlo approach to joint probability of wave, tide and surge in EWL calculations

HSE — Tue, 20 Oct 2009 13:00:04 +0000

Extreme Water Level (EWL) is the total level of the water arising from wave crest, storm surge and tidal level acting in combination with each other throughout an extreme event. EWL is a key parameter in the design and safe operation of offshore installations, particularly with respect to bottom founded structures.

View the full research report RR740: A Monte Carlo approach to joint probability of wave, tide and surge in EWL calculations

Comparing subsurface migration of LPG with natural gas

HSE — Tue, 20 Oct 2009 11:30:40 +0000

A programme of experiments assessed differences in behaviour between leaks of natural gas and Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) from buried pipes, to inform opinion on whether an existing (Advantica) model of the risks from buried natural gas pipework could be useful in assessing the risks associated with buried metallic LPG pipes.

View the full research report RR736: Comparing subsurface migration of LPG with natural gas

RR737 - COSHH and current practice

HSE — Tue, 20 Oct 2009 10:00:04 +0000

Guidance on the Control of Substances Hazardous to Health Regulations (COSHH) has been recently revised (INDG136 Rev4). Before publication, HSE wished to test whether this new format would properly engage and inform the target audience of Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (SMEs) and, especially, micro-businesses. .

View the full research report RR737: COSHH and current practice

Leading indicators for assessing reduction in risk of long latency diseases

HSE — Tue, 20 Oct 2009 06:40:31 +0000

The HSE need meaningful ‘leading indicators’ that provide a real-time measure of progress in reducing long latency occupational disease. This report provides a review of potential leading indicators for long latency occupational disease.

View the full research report RR734: Leading indicators for assessing reduction in risk of long latency diseases

Building firms fined after scaffolder burnt by power cables

HSE — Thu, 15 Oct 2009 16:00:28 +0000

HSE is warning builders to be careful when working near overhead power cables after a scaffolder was seriously injured on a site in Worcestershire.

View building firms fined after scaffolder burnt by power cables press release

RR730 - The Asbestos Survey

HSE — Thu, 24 Sep 2009 08:45:42 +0000

The Asbestos Survey was established to monitor the long-term health of workers covered by regulations to control occupational exposure to asbestos.

The aim of this report was to provide an updated analysis of mortality among asbestos workers, to investigate which causes of death were associated with exposure to asbestos, and to undertake a more detailed analysis of the stripping/removal workers.

RR730 - The Asbestos Survey

RR729 - Establishing the requirements for internal examination of high hazard process plan

HSE — Wed, 23 Sep 2009 10:08:18 +0000

This report centres on how low pressure cryogenic storage vessels are routinely left in service for long periods of time without examination of the internal surfaces.

RR729 - Establishing the requirements for internal examination of high hazard process plan

Projection of mesothelioma mortality in Great Britain

HSE — Mon, 24 Aug 2009 10:00:14 +0000

There has been an increase in mesothelioma mortality in Great Britain, with 1705 deaths recorded in 2006. In 2005, a statistical model was developed based on a simple birth-cohort model, which assumes that the risk of mesothelioma depends on age and years of exposure and that an individual’s asbestos exposure depends on the year of exposure. In this report, the model has been refined and refitted using the MATLAB’s fminsearch function and the Metropolis-Hastings algorithm, a Markov Chain Monte Carlo technique.

Read RR728 - Projection of mesothelioma mortality in Great Britain research report

MALDI/TOF/MS analysis of isocyanates and other hazardous workplace chemicals

HSE — Thu, 06 Aug 2009 13:45:00 +0000

Mass spectrometry is the most widely used analytical detector in forensic science,industry and research. Mass spectrometry has long been used to analyse samples taken in the workplace, and can be combined with other techniques to increase sensitivity, selectivity and accuracy.

The work summarised in this report examines the application of the recently developed Matrix Assisted Laser Desorption Ionization/ time-of-flight/ mass spectrometry (MALDI/TOF/MS) technique to the analysis of isocyanates and biocides.

View MALDI/TOF/MS analysis of isocyanates and other hazardous workplace chemicals research report

The usefulness of Critical Incident Technique (CIT) in eliciting plant competencies

HSE — Thu, 06 Aug 2009 11:00:32 +0000

The research was contracted to examine the relationship between competencies and the reasons for accidents and incidents involving construction plant operators. The present research is the Pilot Phase of the project and is meant to establish the efficacy of a critical incident technique method.

View the usefulness of Critical Incident Technique (CIT) in eliciting plant competencies research report

Real world use and performance of hearing protection

HSE — Thu, 06 Aug 2009 07:00:45 +0000

This report considers the effectiveness of hearing protectors in everyday work situations., the study was undertaken in two parts. The first consisted of interviews with employers to discuss management of noise and hearing protector use, and on site observation of hearing protector use. The second part was objective laboratory measurements of hearing protector insertion loss.

View the real world use and performance of hearing protection research report.

Influences on safe/unsafe practices

HSE — Wed, 05 Aug 2009 10:20:49 +0000

In order to understand more about the influences on safe and unsafe farming practices BOMEL was commissioned to explore the source and strength of these influences with two distinct farmer groups (the self-employed and farm employers/employees) using the Influence Network technique.

With a better understanding of these influences HSE will be able to design interventions appropriate to the target group that will have maximum impact across the sector. The results of this study will also provide a benchmark against which the sector team can compare their own observations of the critical influences.

View the Influences on safe/unsafe practices research report

Horizon scanning short report on globalisation

HSE — Wed, 05 Aug 2009 09:30:01 +0000

Globalisation is the growing interdependence between the economies and businesses of different countries. Globalisation has been growing for centuries and in particular since the end of the World War II. It is driven by many factors, but key amongst those that have driven the major increase over the last decade or so are improved communications, cheap travel and transport, deregulation of trade barriers and development within individual economies.

The former Department for Trade and Industry (now the Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform) considers globalisation to be good for the UK and to benefit developing countries too.

Read this report on globalisation in full