WOBO recognises the activities of the UK Health and Safety Executive many of which may be applied in the global setting.
Commission your LEV system – A new webpage has been launched on commissioning LEV systems.
LEV helps control exposure to gas, vapour, dust, fume and mist in workplace air by extracting the clouds of contaminant at source before people breathe them in.
‘Commissioning’ is proving that the LEV system is capable of providing adequate control. As an employer, you should commission your LEV system to make sure it adequately protects people from breathing in harmful substances.
Under the Control of Substances Hazardous to Health Regulations, 2002 (COSHH) dutyholders must adequately control exposure to substances in the workplace that cause ill-health.
In Great Britain, occupational lung disease accounts for around 12,000 annual deaths, estimated to be linked to past exposures at work. A crucial part of our 10-year strategy ‘The HSE Strategy – protecting people and places’ is to reduce work-related ill-health, with a priority of tackling occupational lung disease.
Read our new webpage: Commission your LEV system.
Updated building control guidance – We’ve made some improvements to our guidance for building control approval for higher-risk buildings.
Visit GOV.UK to view:
- Building control approval for higher-risk buildings
- Preparing information for a building control approval application
- Making changes to a higher-risk building project
- Applying for a completion certificate
After listening to the experiences of people using the guidance, the updates will better support the needs of those preparing to, or applying for, building control approval from BSR.
Risks highlighted during Global Asbestos Awareness Week – Despite being banned for 25 years, asbestos still causes around 5,000 deaths yearly in Great Britain.
Earlier this month was Global Asbestos Awareness Week. Asbestos can be found in any pre-2000 buildings, hidden in:
- lagging on plant and pipework
- insulation products such as fireproof panels
- asbestos cement roofing material
- sprayed coatings on structural steel work to insulate against fire and noise
HSE is running 2 crucial campaigns to raise awareness of the risks, providing free advice, downloadable resources and videos to help prevent exposure to asbestos fibres:
- Asbestos and You for tradespeople
- Asbestos – Your Duty supports those with the legal duty to manage asbestos
Updated health surveillance guidance: respirable crystalline silica (RCS) – HSE has refreshed its guidance publication ‘Health surveillance for those exposed to respirable crystalline silica’.
The publication has been refreshed to emphasise:
- where workers are regularly exposed to RCS dust and there is a reasonable likelihood that silicosis may develop
- worktop manufacturing and installation are stated as high-risk occupations and provision of health surveillance must be considered
- health surveillance is a risk-based scheme of repeated health checks and is required under the COSHH Regulations for those exposed to hazardous substances to detect ill-health effects early and show whether review and revision of risk assessment and control measures are necessary
- occupational health professionals should be consulted to identify when additional health surveillance is needed, for example where over-exposure to RCS dust has already occurred
You can read the updated publication on our website: Health surveillance for those exposed to respirable crystalline silica (G404)
No Falls Week 2025: 12 to 16 May – Falls from height continue to be the most common cause of fatal accidents to construction workers.
HSE’s construction industry statistics show that falls from height were the cause of over half (52%) of the construction worker fatalities in 2023 to 2024.
The No Falls Foundation is launching its annual No Falls Week, a campaign dedicated to promoting safe working at height.
Sign up to get involved and get access to the No Falls Week resources hub where you can download materials to support the campaign.
View the details of 2 recent HSE prosecutions following fatal falls from height during construction activity on our website:
- Bradford builder sentenced after fatal fall of asylum seeker
- Fines for company and operations manager after death from 20-foot fall
Visit HSE’s website for more guidance and information on working at height.
HSE launches revised bloodborne virus guidance – HSE has published extensively revised guidance on managing bloodborne virus (BBV) hazards in workplaces.
The guidance has been refreshed following feedback from the National AIDS Trust and other topic experts. It will help employers identify if BBV hazards exist in their workplace and provides practical tips on risk assessment.
The updated guidance also:
- outlines simple preventative measures
- explains actions to take following accidental workplace exposure
- includes information for specific groups of workers that may be exposed to BBVs due to the use of sharps, such as those working in healthcare, beauty and tattooing
Content not directly relevant to workplace settings has been removed and the revised guidance now features:
- a streamlined structure for easier navigation
- references to authoritative clinical sources, including the NHS and UK Health Security Agency
Visit the revised guidance on bloodborne viruses..
Electrical safety at work – Electricity is a part of everyday life, but it can kill or severely injure people and cause damage to property.
Our electrical safety at work webpages have guidance and resources on how to help reduce the risk of electrical injury.
There are simple precautions when working with electricity to significantly reduce the risk of electrical injury to you and others around you.
The website also has a range of helpful resources, including our guidance publication The Electricity at Work Regulations 1989: Guidance on Regulations.
Our training course HSE Inspectors’ Guide to Electrical Safety is being held live online over 2 half-days on 17 and 18 June. This paid-for course will give you a practical understanding of what our inspectors are looking for in the control of general electrical safety risks.
Domestic work guidance – HSE has produced a new webpage on domestic work, which includes information on:
- when you are a domestic servant and excluded from health and safety law
- when you are considered a domestic worker and covered by health and safety law
- where you can get other support including employment law and social protection measures
Visit the new guidance page: Domestic work.