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Property developer prosecuted following multiple failures
A LONDON property developer has been fined £63k plus costs after Britains workplace regulator found multiple failures at a construction site in Dalston.
Survey of Nordic workplaces reveals mixed results
WHILE 80% of Nordic employees feel safe at work, gaps in chemical safety training, digital solutions, and regional consistency highlight the need for stronger health and safety strategies.
New research from the Future Insights Team at EcoOnline, a leading SaaS provider of safety and sustainability solutions, reveals that living in the happiest countries doesn’t always mean working in the safest places. The How Safe & Sustainable Is Your Workplace? survey, based on insights from 3,600+ employees across Sweden, Norway, Finland, and Denmark, found that half of all workers have been directly or indirectly impacted by workplace accidents or work-related illnesses. Despite having some of the world’s most comprehensive worker protection regulations, the findings show there is still room for improvement in workplace safety.
Nordic countries consistently top global well-being indexes, and this sense of security is partly reflected in workplaces, with 80% of employees feeling safe at work. Yet that still leaves 20% who do not. Norway leads the region with 83% safety perception and 74% employer engagement in safety initiatives, demonstrating a strong safety culture. However, safety practices vary widely across regions, particularly in chemical safety training. While 79% of Norwegian workers receive chemical safety training, this drops to 60% in Denmark. To create consistent safety standards where 100% of workers feel safe, businesses must invest in safety practices and close knowledge gaps across the region.
Research highlights mental health crisis among tradespeople
NEARLY A third of tradespeople are considering leaving the industry, which adds to the UK’s already critical shortage of skilled workers, says new research.
There were two particularly impactful presentations during the event, the first of which was on the subject of the risks around lithium batteries and e-bikes delivered by Tara Joe, public affairs manager at Electrical Safety First.
Tara spoke about the rise of safety concerns around e-bikes, with 15 deaths linked to lithium battery breakdown since 2020. This has included devastating fires in Cambridge in 2023 where a woman and her two children died and an incident in November last year where a Coventry couple and their dogs were killed. Both incidents involved e-bike battery fires.
Tara also spoke about recent “near misses” at train stations in London where e-bikes have caught fire on platforms, potentially “catastrophic” incidents should they have happened on the trains themselves. Unions representing tube workers and train drivers have now called for a ban of e-bikes on the London Underground.
Council fined following carbon monoxide leak at school
A SCOTTISH local authority has been fined more than £13k after a carbon monoxide leak at a primary school in Bishopbriggs. East Dunbartonshire Council pleaded guilty following the incident at Balmuildy Primary School in February 2020. A number of staff and pupils attending the school on 19 February 2020 reported feeling ill, experiencing symptoms such as headaches and nausea. Throughout the day, several pupils were sent home and staff had to take medication to relieve symptoms. The following day, testing for a gas leak revealed high levels of carbon monoxide present in areas of the school. The building was immediately evacuated.
New partner joins HSE campaign to tackle stress
THE HEALTH and Safety Executives (HSE) campaign aimed at preventing or combatting stress in the workplace has welcomed a new partner ahead of stress awareness month in April.