Safety And Security Roundup – February 2019

Each month, lone worker solution specialists, First2HelpYou round up and discuss big stories in the world of safety and security. Here are some of the biggest stories from February.

Asbestos Focus

The Health and Safety Executive continued to focus on the hazards posed by asbestos exposure in February – visiting building firms to see how well employees are educated on the dangers of the killer dust and what employers are doing to protect their workers. Essential Site Skills, a safety training operator that specialises in the construction industry, have been reporting on this for a few months. You can check out their blog on the HSE campaign here.

image shows a sign warning of the danger of asbestos

New Taxi-licensing Laws?

This month the government launched a consultation on new rules for licensing authorities outlining how they should use their powers to protect vulnerable passengers from harm. The proposed guidelines would improve safety with enhanced standards for taxis and private hire vehicles, consistently across the country. New safety measures proposed include recommending councils ensure every driver undergoes an enhanced criminal record and background checks.

Lone Worker Theatre Back For The Health and Safety Event 2019

The Health and Safety Event announced this month that the lone worker theatre will be back for this year’s event.

Nicole Vazquez the organiser of the lone worker theatre education programme commented “We want to ensure that we offer an educational programme that reflects the variety of risks associated with lone working and that many organisations have to manage” she continued “All our speakers bring a depth of knowledge on their subject which is second to none. We are excited to be able to bring focus onto this important issue again this year at The Health and Safety Event”.

Click here to register for tickets for the event.

Missing Claudia Turns 45

This February, Claudia Lawrence should be celebrating her 45th birthday. The chef, from Malton in North Yorkshire, disappeared in York on March 18 in 2009 whilst on her way to work.

Martin Dales, a spokesperson for the Lawrence family, said: “I cannot believe that Claudia, having been missing for nearly ten years, is 45 years old today and her father Peter Lawrence and I have been reflecting on what she would be like at 45. I hope that whoever is responsible for her disappearance will also be reflecting on the information they have been withholding for over 3,500 days and recognise the agony this is causing for both family and friends alike.”

Two Million Accident-Free Hours For Motorway Team

Workers on motorways and major A roads in Kent and Sussex reached a major landmark this month – working more than two million hours without an accident. A-One+, who are Highways England’s main operations and maintenance supplier in Kent and Sussex have worked since July 2017 without any of its employees on the road network suffering a work-related injury.

The team managed this feat with a number of steps, including embedding safety culture through a Wellbeing, Improvement, Safety and Environmental Strategy known as WISHES.

image shows a motoroway