HSE release new online Manual Handling Assessment Chart (MAC) Tool
This tool has been designed to simplify the process of completing each assessment, with a logical step-by-step approach, saving your assessors time in populating and interpreting the results manually.
Simple visit the link below and follow the instructions on screen to create an assessment
Free Manual Handling Assessment Chart (MAC) Tool (hse.gov.uk)
For those who require a larger licence, please contact the HSE directly
HSE and the Department for Transport work with stakeholders to create new ‘Driving and riding safely for work’ webpages.
Although the risks cannot be completely controlled, employers or companies who engage drivers and riders must take all reasonable steps to manage these risks and do everything reasonably practicable to protect people from harm in the same way as they would in a fixed workplace
The webpages contain clear, simple guidance
Driving and riding safely for work – HSE
Stress., depression and anxiety are the second biggest cause of work-related ill health in the construction industry. Recognising the signs of stress will help employers to take the necessary steps to prevent, reduce and manage stress in the workplace.
If you already have a risk assessment in place, consider whether you need to re-assess the situation due to changes and challenges brought about by covid-19. Social distancing, working from home (where possible) and all the other safeguards that have been put in place may have changed or created new stress.
Starting the conversation is an important first step in preventing issues. The HSE Construction Stress Talking Toolkit is aimed at small businesses with a regular workforce (employed and contracted) who want to start looking at this issue. It will also help site managers wanting to identify project-specific issues.
Download the toolkit for practical step-by-step guidance on how to begin and structure those difficult conversations.
Some work can cause life-threatening lung diseases. Find out how to protect your workers when they do these tasks:
Regularly lifting, carrying or handling materials and items can cause serious injuries. Do not accept these injuries as an inevitable part of your work. This page tells you how to control these risks and why. More detailed information is available on the main HSE manual handling page.
The Manual Handling Operations Regulations 1992 says you must prevent or reduce risks from lifting, carrying and handling loads.
The Manual Handling Assessment Chart (MAC) tool has been developed to help you identify higher risk tasks.
HSE publish revised version of an asbestos publication.
The new edition of ‘Asbestos: The Analysts’ Guide’ (HSG248) provides clarification on technical and personal safety issues, especially in relation to sampling and 4-stage clearances. New information on sampling soils for asbestos is also included.
Young people are more likely to be new to the workplace and could be facing unfamiliar risks. Workers are as likely to have an accident in the first six months at a workplace as they are during the whole of the rest of their working life.
See HSE Guidance to assist young people and those employing them understand their responsibilities.
This guidance builds on the necessity to identify and act in poorly ventilated areas. It includes factors to consider as part of an assessment to provide sufficient ventilation for reducing the risk from aerosol transmission.
Areas covered in the expanded guidance include air cleaning and filtration units, and ventilation in vehicles.
Read the updated guidance and find out how you can provide adequate ventilation in your workplace, helping to protect workers and other people from transmission of coronavirus
HSE’s Noise exposure calculator helps you to estimate and record workers’ exposures to noise and compare them with the exposure action and limit values in the regulations as part of a noise risk assessment.
It combines the previous daily exposure calculator and weekly exposure calculator in one calculator with separate tabs to help simplify the process. More importantly, advice on actions that should be taken when certain action values are exceeded is also provided.
The calculator contains a new exposure limit value calculator to take into account the attenuation provided by the hearing protection worn when compared with the exposure limit value. Advice is also given in terms of the suitability of hearing protector provided in relation to attenuation.
The revised calculator can be accessed at the HSE website
With many sectors of the economy preparing to reopen following COVID-19 lockdown, businesses are reminded to remain cautious and make sure their COVID-secure measures, including other health and safety measures, are in place to ensure the ongoing protection of workers, visitors and others.
COVID-secure involves being adaptable to the current guidance and having procedures in place to manage the risk of COVID-19.
Key points for businesses to consider:
Further information on COVID-secure is available
https://content.govdelivery.com/accounts/UKHSE/bulletins/2cac02d