Groundwork business briefing

There has been a significant increase in the number of people who are killed at work. The HSE has released the latest official figures for the six months up to last September, which show 124 workers died. If the same trend continues until the reporting year ends this month, it would push figures to a five year high, with an increase of 17% from the previous year.

Fatality rates have increased dramatically in workers employed in the extraction, utilities, construction and service industries, but have fallen in agriculture and manufacturing.

The increase in the number of deaths has been linked to cuts in resources available to the HSE. The number of HSE inspections, improvement and prohibition notices notices, safety prosecutions and convictions and inspector contact time have all dropped markedly in recent years.

Construction (Design and Management) Regulations
Following extensive consultation with the construction industry, the new Construction (Design and Management) Regulations 2007 (CDM 2007) came in to force on Friday 6 April 2007.

Construction remains one of the highest risk sectors, with over one fatality occurring each week despite the improvements made in recent years. The revised CDM Regulations aim to improve the level of health and safety performance in the construction industry by clarifying the responsibilities of each duty holder and focusing on effective planning and risk management.

Fixed penalty notices for environmental crimes
Waste cheats beware: as of Monday 2 April 2007 the Environment Agency are able to issue £300 fines to any businesses found to be illegally carrying waste.

The Environment Agency is implementing powers to issue fixed penalty notices (FPNs) for certain environmental offences including failure to provide evidence of being a registered waste carrier and compliance with laws on the Duty of Care, and for some offences relating to managing hazardous wastes. These are set out in the Clean Neighbourhoods and Environment Act 2005 and the Hazardous Waste Regulations 2005.

Don’t waste it – we all need it
Experts are warning people in the North West that they are using more water today than a decade ago. But, in the light of climate change and the growing number of households, we all need to start using less.

The campaign is being run jointly by the Environment Agency and United Utilities, who both will feature water saving tips and advice on their websites. The “Don’t waste it: we all need it” message is being backed up by radio adverts depicting a future where water is in such short supply that it has become a guilty pleasure to drink it in public.

Tony Dean, of the Environment Agency said “We’re not trying to shock people, but we do want them to think. Doing something as simple as turning the tap off when you brush your teeth can make a huge difference if we all do it.”