Health and safety strategic planning events - Shaping Local Priorities
Our regional strategic planning events are selling out quickly. Do not miss your opportunity to attend one of these important events. The dates and locations are as follows:
- London Wednesday 24 October
- Birmingham Thursday 8 November
- Bristol Wednesday 14 November
- Manchester Tuesday 20 November
- York Thursday 29 November
Most events will run from 10.00am to 3.00pm approximately. (London and Bristol events will start at 10.30am)
Separate events are being organised for Scotland (12 November, organised by REHIS) and Wales (4 December).
These events will be aimed at Local Authority Heads of Service and Safety Managers and Elected Members attend free of charge when accompanying a health and safety professional. The agenda will address the influence of Local Area Agreements, Local Strategic Partnerships and the impact of the Rogers Review and the Local Better Regulation Office.
If you require further information, please contact:
Sean Edwards-Playne, HSE/Local Authority Unit
Tel: 020 7717 6438
Email: sean.edwards-playne@hse.gsi.gov.uk
Better Backs 2007/08
Over the last two years, Local Authorities (LAs) have made a major contribution to the Better Backs campaign, carrying out large numbers of inspections and running many stakeholder events. If your LA is looking to be further involved this year, please find details of two initiatives below together with contact points for further information:
For information on Better Backs, for this year and beyond, please look out for further updates on:
Upper limb disorder (ULD) risk assessment tool
A new ULD risk assessment tool is currently being developed and will be piloted, in a limited inspection initiative, in early 2008. Training in the ULD tool, for use in the pilot, will take place in the second half of January 2008 with the pilot itself scheduled for three weeks beginning the 11 February 2008. Training will be available to both HSE and LA visiting staff on a divisional basis and for limited numbers. We expect to train some 60 HSE staff for the pilot, in all, and a similar number of LA visiting staff. At the moment, cascading of training to others is not appropriate.
In view of the limited availability of training places, and the complex nature of both ULDs and the tool itself, those wishing to apply for the training will need to be able to demonstrate the following:
- significant upper limb disorder issues in their particular locality;
AND - involvement in the Backs! 2005 and/or Better Backs 2006 campaigns;
OR - familiarity with the "MAC" (Manual Handling Assessment Charts);
OR - attendance at one of the user trials recently held for the ULD tool.
Note that the February 2008 inspection initiative will also include options for carrying out DSE (Display Screen Equipment) inspections (although the ULD tool itself does not extend to the assessment of DSE-related risks).
For further information regarding this training, please contact Dr Paul Franklin before 30 November 2007.
Dr Paul Franklin, HSE MSD Programme
Tel. 0131 247 2096
Email: paul.franklin@hse.gsi.gov.uk
Better backs stakeholder events 2007/08 - Funding available
As in previous years, there will be funding for a limited number of Better Backs stakeholder events. All such events will need to be held and accounted for before end-March 2008 and, this time, funding will be available for HSE- and LA- run events only.
The event funding process will be administered locally in each geographical region by HSE's Local Authority Partnership Managers (PMs).
If you intend to apply for funding , please follow the instructions on the HELex and submit your application form to your local PM as soon as possible and in any event by 15 November 2007.
In addition, a new Better Backs stakeholder pack will be available from mid October 2007, both to support stakeholder events and for use as a hand-out during inspections.
LACORS Health and safety policy forum - 18 September
A brief list of actions and points to note from the recent Policy Forum meeting were as follows:
- Revised paper on the CDM regulations is now on the LACORS website
- LACORS to consult Local Authorities on LAU proposals for rationalising and simplifying planning and reporting arrangements
- LAU would report to HELA and back to LACORS on future proposals for LAC 67/1
- Brief updates were given on the Science & Technology initiative and draft Regulatory and Enforcement and Sanctions Bill
- Need for improved dissemination of the Policy Forum papers to liaison group representatives was identified
- Request from HSE to LACORS and LAs for feedback on the Competency Framework;
- LA comments on possible HSC/E merger should be submitted to Charles Loft by 22 October LACORS would request feedback from LAs on the Fit3 portfolio for 2008/09.
Further details from Sarah Bull or Charles Loft at LACoRS
Sarah.bull@lacors.gov.uk
Charles.loft@lacors.gov.uk
Comments on the Competency Framework should be submitted to lau.competency@hse.gsi.gov.uk ahead of full consultation in early 2008. Comments should be also copied to Charles Loft.
Immediate recall of blowers purchased from Event Depot and Inflamat
We have received this safety notice from Event Depot and Inflamat regarding the use of blowers. These products are used by the inflatable play industry and others to keep their inflatables (bouncy castles, slides, trucks, zorbs, spheres, water walkers, etc.) inflated.
“We are writing to tell you that Intertex, Inc./B-Air Blower has discovered that several of their blowers sold in Europe do not comply with European Safety Standards. In order to correct this problem and bring these particular blowers into compliance with current Safety Standards your blowers must be returned to the current distributor (Event Depot) in order that arrangements can be made to correct the existing problem.
You cannot use any of the blowers that are listed below until they are repaired.
What are the blowers that are involved in this Recall and Repair program?
The blowers affected by this problem are the following models:
- Panda 1.5HP (#PP230V) Thru serial # PP230-12655
- Big bear vortex fan ¾ HP (BB-1 230V) Thru serial # BB-1-13742
- Super bear 2.0 HP (BP-2 230V) Thru serial # BP-2-10297
- Grizzly 1.0 HP (GP-1 230V) Thru serial L # GP-1-13513
Why are the blowers being replaced?
The problem that exists deals with the cord/plug and the absence of the ground wire portion of the plug. Unfortunately, if the cord/plug is forced into the receptacle incorrectly, it can cause electric shock and is very dangerous and could be life threatening. Changing the plug/cord to include the correct grounded cord will fix this problem.
What do I need to know about the recall and repair of the blowers?
At our cost, we ask that you immediately contact Event Depot or Inflamat to arrange to have your blowers picked up and returned to them in order that your blowers can be repaired. Once repaired, the blowers will be returned to you at our cost. We estimate that this process of repairing your blower[s] will not take longer than a couple of weeks. All costs associated with shipping and repairing the blower will be paid by Intertex, Inc./B-Air Blower. Event Depot’s telephone number is +49(0)6352-700850. Inflamat’s telephone number is (0034) 964 65 70 93. Intertex, Inc./B-Air Blowers telephone number is (818) 242-2441.
It is extremely important that you cease using these blowers immediately so that no one is exposed to risk of injury. We apologize for this inconvenience.
If you have received this notice, your blower needs to be repaired immediately.
What do I do if I, or my customers, have questions?
Please do not hesitate to call Event Depot, Inflamat, or Intertex, Inc./B-Air Blowers in order that we can all assist you in completing these necessary repairs. On behalf of all of us, we would like to thank you in advance for your support in this matter and for your business over the years”.
Sincerely,
Intertex, Inc. / B-Air Blowers
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