HSE RSS feeds » Safety alerts

Safety notice – Potential failure of window restrictors

HSE — Mon, 19 Mar 2012 11:37:54 +0000

Potential failure of window side-stay restrictors in health and social care premises. Action required where there are people vulnerable to the risk of falls to prevent falling from height due to failure of the window side-stay mechanism.

Dr Garry Fawcett MBE vs the Health and Safety Executive – Outcome of Judicial Review Hearing

HSE — Thu, 01 Mar 2012 12:00:33 +0000

Dr Garry Fawcett MBE applied for permission to judicial review 10 “decisions” relating to a HSE Safety Alert regarding the ‘Crazy Frog’ fairground ride.

Safety notice – Provision of key clinical information on laboratory specimen request forms

HSE — Fri, 09 Dec 2011 10:42:06 +0000

Recent investigations have identified there has been lack of sufficient relevant clinical details being provided on specimen request forms. This has resulted in samples being handled at the wrong biological containment level with resulting increased risk of infection to laboratory staff.

Safety notice – Use of Mobile Phone “Expert XP-Ex-1″ in potentially explosive atmospheres

HSE — Fri, 09 Dec 2011 10:40:42 +0000

The European Commission (DG Enterprise and Industry) requires Member States to prohibit the placing on the market and withdrawal from the market of mobile phone “Expert XP-Ex-1″ manufactured by Intrinsic Safety specialists, Netherlands.

Safety notice – Mobile crushing plant

HSE — Wed, 02 Nov 2011 12:38:10 +0000

There is potential, on some mobile crushers, for unintended movement of a machine track if an earth/ground fault occurs because of damage to the outer sheath and insulation of the electrical cable that controls the proportional control valve for the track.

Safety Notice – Supply of flail-type cutting attachments on portable hand-held brush cutters

HSE — Fri, 30 Sep 2011 12:30:27 +0000

Non-standard metal brush cutting accessories fitted to petrol driven brush cutters can fail catastrophically in-service. There is a risk of death or serious injury to operators and others in vicinity from ejected metal components. Suppliers of such equipment should immediately discontinue supply of flail-type cutting attachments for portable hand-held brush cutters.

Safety alert – Preventing inrushes at underground mines

HSE — Fri, 23 Sep 2011 14:01:48 +0000

The purpose of this safety alert is to remind owners and managers of producing mines of the precautions to be taken against inrushes and request owners confirm that appropriate measures to protect against inrush are in place at their mines.

HSE issues gas detector safety alert

HSE — Tue, 23 Aug 2011 10:52:50 +0000

This alert is to warn workers using a Status Mentor PGD2 gas detector that some of them may be giving false readings due to software configuration. None of these gas detector should be used until its software and configuration has been verified.

Safety alert – HSE warns of dangers of diving for shellfish following two recent tragedies

HSE — Wed, 22 Jun 2011 12:27:03 +0000

There have been two recent fatalities involving shellfish diving in inshore waters. This safety alert is to remind those working in this sector of HSE’s guidance and their legal responsibilities.

Safety notice – Risks to users from firewood processing machines

HSE — Wed, 25 May 2011 09:46:03 +0000

Recent accident investigations indicate that some firewood processing machines may be unsafe because the guards provided are too short or the other safety devices provided may be easily overcome.

General safety notice – Powered perimeter gates

HSE — Fri, 21 Jan 2011 11:21:51 +0000

The purpose of this General Safety Notice is to advise Landlords, Commercial owners or facilities managers what they must do to ensure the safety of people in the vicinity of powered perimeter gates.

Scissor lift safety warning following fatal overturns

HSE — Wed, 05 Jan 2011 15:30:27 +0000

Users of certain types of scissor lifts are being advised to make daily safety checks after five people were killed in three separate incidents when they overturned.

Safety alert – Overturns of JLG 500RTS scissor lifts

HSE — Wed, 05 Jan 2011 15:21:08 +0000

The purpose of this Safety Alert is to alert the target audience above about the need to regularly maintain, inspect and test safety related equipment on Mobile Elevating Work Platforms generally, and also specifically to remind owners, users and others involved in the use of JLG 500RTS and 400RTS scissor lifts, of this need.

This alert also highlights to the target audience the requirement to follow the specific instructions for daily inspection and function testing outlined in the current Operation and Safety Manual for JLG Model 500RTS and 400RTS scissor lifts. Failure to follow the instructions contained within the Operation and Safety Manual can result in serious or fatal injuries.

View safety alert ‘Overturns of JLG 500RTS scissor lifts’

Safety notice – Waterlogic water dispensers

HSE — Mon, 20 Dec 2010 12:37:07 +0000

Modifications to Waterlogic water dispensers with a UV system or WL 3000 Cold only model are required to prevent moister ingress to the UV ballast windings and/or internal water pipe leaks.

Failure to do so could lead to an electrical short circuit, arcing and/or overheating with the potential to catch fire.

View safety notice ‘Waterlogic water dispensers with a UV system or WL 3000 Cold only model’

Safety notice: Gas boilers – flues in voids

HSE — Thu, 02 Dec 2010 12:03:13 +0000

This Safety Notice provides updated information to that in the safety alert that was issued by HSE on 2nd October 2008 following a death earlier that year.

The purpose of the original alert was to raise awareness of the potential dangers from certain types of flues connected to gas-fired central heating installations in some properties that may not have been installed properly, or may have fallen into disrepair.

View safety notice ‘Gas boilers – flues in voids’

Safety notice – ‘False’ engagement of tipping hooks on ‘builders’ skips

HSE — Fri, 19 Nov 2010 12:39:55 +0000

This safety notice highlights a potential danger whereby fabrication of the skip can result in a lip on which tipping hooks may ‘falsely’ engage and provides advice on corrective actions

View safety notice ”False’ engagement of tipping hooks on ‘builders’ skips’

Employers warned about explosion risks from cutting of drums and containers

HSE — Thu, 18 Nov 2010 15:00:13 +0000

Employees contemplating ‘hot work’ on used containers, and managers overseeing it, are being urged to check that the correct working procedures are followed after two people were killed in separate incidents in North East Scotland whilst cutting up drums.

‘Hot work’ includes any process that generates a source of ignition, such as naked flames, heat or sparks arising from working methods such as welding, flame cutting, grinding and using disc cutters.

View press release ‘Employers warned about explosion risks from cutting of drums and containers’

Safety alert – Deadly explosions during cutting of drums and containers

HSE — Thu, 18 Nov 2010 14:24:02 +0000

Duty holders are being reminded of the dangers of undertaking hot work on containers that contain, or have contained, flammable or combustible substances following two recent fatal accidents in North East Scotland where employees were killed whilst cutting up drums.

‘Hot work’ includes any process that generates a source of ignition (eg naked flames, heat, sparks) arising from working methods such as welding, flame cutting, grinding and using disc cutters.

View safety alert ‘Deadly explosions during cutting of drums and containers’

Safety alert – Deterioration and failure of cold / frozen food store ceilings

HSE — Tue, 09 Nov 2010 16:47:47 +0000

HSE has recently completed a fatal accident investigation following the failure of the ceiling of a frozen food store. Two men fell to the floor of the store when insulation panels separated from the steelwork, which supported the ceiling. One of the men died from his injuries.

Following the accident, the investigation revealed that the bolts had consistently failed at the point where the thread entered the metal nut which secured them into the supporting frame. Tests have identified fatigue and corrosion (due to oxidation and exposure to chlorine) as the main reasons for the deterioration of the bolts.

View safety alert ‘Deterioration and failure of cold / frozen food store ceilings’

HSE Podcast – Electric gates safety warning

HSE — Fri, 24 Sep 2010 15:48:59 +0000

In this episode: We speak to David Ashton, HSE’s Director of Field Operations, about the new warning that has been issued to the manufacturers and installers of electric gates.

HSE Podcast – Electric gates safety warning