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A plastics manufacturer, which specialises in the manufacturing of traffic barriers and cones, has been fined after an employee’s finger was severed due to inadequately guarded machinery.
Manchester Magistrates’ Court heard how, on 5 November 2018, the 36-year-old employee of Melba Products Limited had been refilling the hopper of a blow moulding machine with plastic granules from bags at their site on Manchester Road, Bury. Work gloves that had been inside one of the bags fell into the hopper and through the guard. Whilst reaching through a large gap in the top of the hopper guard to retrieve the gloves, his middle finger contacted dangerous parts of the blender resulting in it being severed down to the knuckle of his second finger.The HSE’s investigation found that the blender had not been sufficiently guarded to prevent access to dangerous parts of machinery. There was a large gap of approximately 4 x 5 inches towards the top of the hopper guard. The injured employee had only been operating the machine for one week prior to the incident.Melba Products Limited failed to carry out a risk assessment of the blender, to put in place appropriate control measures to prevent access to dangerous parts and to implement a suitable system of training and supervising of new starters.Melba Products Limited of Bury, pleaded guilty of breaching section 2(1) of the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974. The company was fined £125,000 and ordered to pay costs of £5,387.HSE Inspector Alex McFarland said after the hearing: “This injury was entirely preventable and could have been avoided by ensuring the machine was being operated safely, with a suitable guard in place. Adequate supervision should also have been in place to ensure the machine was being used safely by newer operatives.“Employers should make sure they properly assess and apply effective control measures to minimise the risk from dangerous parts of machinery.”
from: https://www.shponline.co.uk/in-court/melba-products-limited-fined-after-employee-was-injured-by-mach... -
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Lightwater Valley Attractions Ltd has been fined £333,344 and ordered to pay costs of £16,183 after a child was left with life-changing head injuries after being thrown from a ride.
The incident happened at the theme park in North Yorkshire on 30 May 2019. The child was ejected from the Twister ride. North Yorkshire Police responded to a call at approximately 11:30am. A statement released at the time read: “The child was conscious when officers arrived at the scene and has been taken to hospital. His condition is not believed to be life threatening.According to the HSE investigation, the theme park’s procedures for the ride stated that anyone between 1.2m and 1.5m tall must wear seat belts, but the procedure was not always followed. This was proven by CCTV footage and was mentioned in statements by members of the public. On examination of the restraining systems, many belts were not functioning correctly. On several occasions, the final position of the lap bar restraint allowed significant gaps to remain in the containment and did not fully contain smaller passengers.Speaking after the hearing, HSE Inspector Andrea Jones said: “Our investigation found that the theme park did not implement suitable operating procedures and monitoring of ride operators in relation to the ride restraints.“This was an entirely avoidable incident. Several children were put at risk and Lightwater Valley has now been held to account for their failings.”The child’s mother said “the little boy I took to Lightwater Valley that day is not the same boy that woke up after the surgery. I still grieve for my little boy.”At the time of the incident, the theme park issued the following statement: “We can confirm that following an incident on one of our rides this morning, a child is receiving treatment at a local hospital.“We take the health and safety of our visitors very seriously and are committed to providing support to the affected family. We will continue working closely with the HSE and emergency services.“The ride concerned will remain closed until a full investigation has taken place.”In the days following the incident Ian Cunningham, Lightwater Valley’s Chief Executive, apologised to the boy’s family. He said: “Everyone at Lightwater Valley Theme Park is very pleased to hear that the condition of the young boy who fell from our Twister ride is improving.“As a father myself, I can imagine only too well how it must have felt for everyone involved when the incident happened, and in the hours since. Our thoughts and concerns are completely focused on the child and his family at this difficult time.“I would like to say how sorry I am personally for the upset and anxiety that this incident has caused. We are committed to offering our full support to the family.“Establishing the cause of the incident is now in the hands of the authorities — we are co-operating fully with the Health & Safety Executive investigation that is now underway.“Until the investigation is complete it will be too early and inappropriate for us to speculate on any aspect of the incident, or answer any specific questions about it.”Woman killed on same rideIn 2001, a 20-year-old woman was killed on the same ride when she suffered head and neck injuries as two carriages collided.A hearing in 2004 heard that faulty wiring was to blame for the incident. The park’s owners and an electrician admitted breaching health and safety laws and were fined a total of £157,000.In 2017, owners of Lightwater Valley were fined £40,000 after a girl suffered horrific injuries on one of its rides. The five-year-old suffered crushing injuries to her ankle after her leg was caught in a gap between the carriage and the edge of a disembarking platform on a children’s rollercoaster.Earlier this month, SHP reported that a fairground ride inspector had been fined after he issued a safety certificate for a rollercoaster without ensuring he had a crucial safety report for it. The ride at M & D Theme Park subsequently derailed causing serios injury to those on board.
from: https://www.shponline.co.uk/leisure-and-entertainment/leisure-and-entertainment-lightwater-valley-th...
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Euro NCAP, the consumer vehicle safety testing organisation, has launched a ‘Euro RESCUE app’, giving rescue workers easier access to ‘rescue sheets’, detailed information for different car models on how to quickly and safely extricate occupants.
The immediate moments following a collision, referred to as the ‘golden hour’ can mean life or death for injured parties. It’s the time following a traumatic injury during which there is the highest likelihood that prompt medical and surgical treatment will prevent death. Therefore, it’s critical that first responders can access the injured to emergency care as quickly and safely as possible.One of the major challenges in that process following a road traffic accident, is accessing the information to know where and how to cut vehicles open to safely extricate occupants. The development of modern vehicles has seen the introduction of devices such as airbags and electrical vehicle batteries, which have only added to the complexity, and the dangers for rescue teams. With thousands of different vehicle models on the roads, of varying ages, getting up-to-date access to the correct rescue sheet is also a technical and logistical challenge.Euro RESCUE App
To combat this, Euro NCAP has launched a new ‘Euro RESCUE App‘, available for phones and tablets running Apple or Google Android software. The app includes all vehicles models tested since the beginning of 2020 will be available and will eventually be available in the 23 EU languages. It has launched in English, French, German and Spanish.A newly agreed ISO international standard for rescue sheet design is also helping bring consistency to the information.Ensuring better availability of vehicle rescue sheets was one of the points repeatedly raised during ETSC’s Revive project, a collaboration between road safety actors and emergency services, which looked at improving emergency response in Europe.
from: https://www.shponline.co.uk/road-safety/euro-rescue-app-launched-to-help-rescue-workers-extricate-ve... -
Three construction companies have been fined after a worker suffered fatal injuries while demolishing a two-storey building in preparation for a development project.
Portsmouth Crown Court heard how David Shayler, an employee of Ryde Demolition Limited, was removing roof timbers by hand with a colleague, when a gable wall partially collapsed causing him to fall backwards striking his head against a stack of roof tiles.An investigation by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) into the incident which occurred on the 13 October 2016, found that the work was inadequately planned and managed by all the duty holders involved in the project, the technique used to remove the roof timbers was done out of sequence, and the brick gable had been left unstable. In addition, inadequate provision was made to prevent falls from height, despite concerns raised by workers in the days leading up to the incident.Ryde Demolition Ltd of St Johns Hill, Ryde have pleaded guilty to breaching two counts of Section 2(1) of the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974 and have been fined £80,000 and ordered to pay costs of £12,132.02.HJ Bennett Ltd of Pyle Street, Newport have pleaded guilty to breaching two counts of Section 3(1) of the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974 and have been fined £120,000 and ordered to pay costs of £12,057.62.Stoneham Construction Limited of St Johns Place, Newport have pleaded guilty to breaching Regulation 13(1) of the Construction (Design & Management) Regulations 2015 and have been fined £56,667 and ordered to pay costs of £12,004.42.Speaking after the case, HSE inspector Dominic Goacher said: “This was a tragic and wholly avoidable incident, caused by the companies’ failure to implement safe systems of work.”“Demolition is a high-risk activity whose safe execution is complex and technical and where expertise is vital. The risk of unintended structural collapse is well known within the industry. Demolition requires careful planning and execution by contractors who are competent in the full range of demolition techniques.”“Falls from height remain one of the most common causes of work-related fatalities in this country, and the risks associated with working at height are well known. In this case the risks of structural collapse and falling from height were not controlled, which led to the preventable death of a father-of-two.”
from: https://press.hse.gov.uk/2020/08/27/isle-of-wight-worker-dies-during-demolition-project/?utm_source=... -
The Ministry of Defence (MoD) has been issued with a Crown Censure by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) after a military diver died during training.On 26 March 2018, 27-year-old Lance Corporal George Partridge was brought back to surface after he stopped responding to lifeline signals while he was underwater. He was sadly pronounced dead after CPR was performed. He had been on a training course at the National Diving and Activity Centre in Chepstow. Lance Corporal Partridge and his dive buddy were tasked with attaching a distance line from the base of a shot line to the underwater wreck of a helicopter at a depth of 27m. When he was recovered his cylinders were found to be empty.HSE served two Crown Improvement Notices relating to the failure to train all army divers how to undertake air endurance calculations and to assess the risk of a diver running out of air.Julian Tuvey, a HSE inspector who specialises in diving, said:“This was a tragedy for all concerned however just like any other employer, the MoD has a responsibility to reduce dangers to its personnel, as far as they properly can. The scenario of a diver running out of air is a very real risk that needs to managed.”Today, at Whale Island, by accepting the Crown Censure, the MoD admitted breaching its duty under Section 2(1) of the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974 in that they failed to ensure, so far as was reasonably practicable, the health, safety and welfare at work of all its employees, including George Partridge, in relation to the risks associated with diving exercises.
from: https://press.hse.gov.uk/2020/09/02/hse-issues-mod-with-crown-censure-following-death-of-military-di... -
A trio of construction companies have been fined after a worker suffered fatal injuries while demolishing a two-storey building in preparation for a development project.
David Shayler, an employee of Ryde Demolition Limited, was removing roof timbers by hand with a colleague, when a gable wall partially collapsed causing him to fall backwards striking his head against a stack of roof tiles, Portsmouth Crown Court was told.The HSE’s investigation found that the work was inadequately planned and managed by all the duty holders involved in the project, the technique used to remove the roof timbers was done out of sequence, and the brick gable had been left unstable. In addition, inadequate provision was made to prevent falls from height, despite concerns raised by workers in the days leading up to the incident.The incident occurred on the 13 October 2016.Ryde Demolition Ltd of St Johns Hill, Ryde pleaded guilty to breaching two counts of Section 2(1) of the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974 and have been fined £80,000 and ordered to pay costs of £12,132.02.HJ Bennett Ltd of Pyle Street, Newport have pleaded guilty to breaching two counts of Section 3(1) of the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974 and have been fined £120,000 and ordered to pay costs of £12,057.62.Stoneham Construction Limited of St Johns Place, Newport have pleaded guilty to breaching Regulation 13(1) of the Construction (Design & Management) Regulations 2015 and have been fined £56,667 and ordered to pay costs of £12,004.42.Speaking after the case, HSE Inspector Dominic Goacher said: “This was a tragic and wholly avoidable incident, caused by the companies’ failure to implement safe systems of work.”“Demolition is a high-risk activity whose safe execution is complex and technical and where expertise is vital. The risk of unintended structural collapse is well known within the industry. Demolition requires careful planning and execution by contractors who are competent in the full range of demolition techniques.”“Falls from height remain one of the most common causes of work-related fatalities in this country, and the risks associated with working at height are well known. In this case the risks of structural collapse and falling from height were not controlled, which led to the preventable death of a father-of-two.”
from: https://www.shponline.co.uk/in-court/three-construction-firms-hit-with-fines-totalling-256k-after-wo... -
Living through the coronavirus outbreak has been a trying time for everybody, bringing with it a series of overarching questions regarding how long the pandemic is going to last, the impact it might have on the economy, and the total number of people it’s likely to affect. Up to this point, the deadly virus has already killed tens of thousands of people and forced millions more to self-isolate in their own home, in order to halt its spread. However, rather than dwell on the doom and gloom associated with the virus, this unparalleled situation has also brought out the best in people and seen the world come together like never before. From Captain Tom Moore raising much-needed funds for the NHS to millions of people throughout the UK joining in on the ‘Clap for our Carers’ movement, there have been numerous examples of people standing up and showing their dedication towards helping where they can.The engineering industry has been no exception either.How the engineering industry is helping combat COVID-19
In the battle against COVID-19, many engineering companies have had no choice but to forget about their various planned conferences and put their production procedures on hold, investigating alternative ways to use their resources within the aid effort. Join us as we take a detailed look at some of the key ways engineers have helped combat the coronavirus outbreak over the past few months.Ventilators
Since the coronavirus is a respiratory-based infection, it largely affects the lungs and the ability of affected people to breathe correctly. As a result of this, ventilators are required to help aid breathing and ensure enough oxygen is being pumped around the body. However, with the numbers of COVID-19 at an unprecedently high level, there haven’t been enough ventilators to go around, leaving thousands of people vulnerable to succumbing to their infection. That was until the engineering industry decided to step in and help. Since the government called on the engineering industry to help with the shortfall of ventilators at the backend of March, many companies have worked tirelessly to assemble thousands more of the life-saving devices. This has included manufacturers who aren’t even explicitly known for designing or developing medical supplies – companies such as Dyson, which normally produce vacuum cleaners, and Bindatex, which typically cut advanced materials. Engineers from UCL even went one step further to help the efforts as well, working alongside doctors at the University College London Hospital and engineers at Mercedes Formula 1 to create specialist devices that actually avoid the need for invasive ventilators in the first place. PPE equipment
While on the topic of manufacturing lifesaving equipment, engineering companies haven’t stopped at producing ventilators. The lack of PPE equipment for frontline NHS workers has been well-documented in recent weeks and, as a result, the engineering industry decided to step up to the plate, helping manufacture protective equipment for doctors, nurses and other medical staff to use.Having engineers step-in in this way has proved to be a no-brainer in light of the pandemic. In one example, a collaboration between companies based in Inverness found that it only took a week to design, develop and deliver more than 1,000 face-shields for staff to use in the nearby hospitals. This will have helped not only save many lives but also reassure medical staff that protective equipment can be readily available if and when required.Medical testing
Since COVID-19 is so contagious, staying a safe distance away from those who are affected is an important step towards avoiding infection. With this in mind, some engineers in China have developed a robot capable of treating and testing COVID-19 patients, while enabling healthcare workers to remain safely away from the infection themselves. The remote-controlled machines can perform many of the jobs that healthcare workers do, including taking mouth swabs, performing ultrasound scans and listening to organs with a specialised stethoscope.What’s more, the medical staff are always in control – using a remote control and on-board cameras, they can operate the robots from a safe distance to monitor the patient. Even more remarkably, the robots have been designed by Chief Designer Professor Zheng Gangtie to disinfect themselves after performing any actions that require contact with an infected individual. Final thoughts…The COVID-19 pandemic has been a trying period for everyone throughout the globe but, as the examples listed prove, we are really are all in this together.By coming together to help those in need at a time when they need it most, the engineering industry has not only demonstrated how adaptable it can be in times of trouble, but it has also saved the lives of hundreds upon hundreds of potentially vulnerable people as well.
from: https://www.shponline.co.uk/blog/how-the-engineering-industry-is-helping-combat-covid-19/ -
The Home Office has released its latest fire and rescue incident statistics, for the year ending March 2020, with some of the key results summarised here.The report covers statistics about incidents attended by fire and rescue services (FRSs) in England for 2019/20 (or the year ending March 2020). The statistics are sourced from the Home Office’s online Incident Recording System (IRS) and include statistics on all incidents, fire-related fatalities and casualties from fires, with long term comparisons.Key results
- FRSs attended 557,299 incidents in 2019/20. This was a 3% decrease compared with the previous year (576,391). Of these incidents, there were 153,957 fires. This was a 16% decrease compared with the previous year (182,915) with falls in all types of fires but particularly driven by a 23% fall in secondary fires now that the hot, dry 2018 summer is in the comparator year;
- There were 243 fire-related fatalities in 2019/20 (the lowest number of fire-related fatalities in the annual series) compared with 253 in the previous year;
- Of all incidents attended by FRSs, fires accounted for 28%, fire false alarms 42% and non-fire incidents 31%. This compares with fires accounting for 35%, fire false alarms 42% and non-fire incidents 23% 10 years ago;
- Fire and rescue services attended 775 fires in purpose-built high-rise (defined as 10+ storeys) flats, which was a 6% decrease compared with the previous year (821).
from: https://www.shponline.co.uk/fire-safety-and-emergency/2019-20-england-fire-and-rescue-statistics-sho... -
A maritime freight and logistics company has been fined after a worker suffered multiple bone fractures to his foot when a forklift truck was driven over it.A worker was injured when a 15-tonne forklift truck drove over his foot during unloading and stacking of steel coils in a shed at premises in Corporation Road, Newport, Newport Magistrates Court was told. The incident happened on 5 January 2018.The HSE’s investigation found that there was inadequate control of workplace transport risks. The company had also failed to conduct a suitable and sufficient assessment of controls for workplace transport.Simec Ports (UK) Limited, formerly known as Cargo Services (UK) Ltd, was found guilty of breaching Section 2(1) of the Health and Safety at Work etc Act 1974. The company has been fined £200,000 and ordered to pay costs of £8,732.04.Speaking after the case, HSE Inspector, Sian Donne said: “Failure to ensure that workplace transport is managed safely is a serious breach of fundamental health and safety duties.”
from: https://www.shponline.co.uk/in-court/200k-fine-for-simec-ports-after-employee-fractures-foot/ -
A manufacturer of adhesive tape has been fined after a worker was fatally injured while operating a rewind slitting machine.Mr Brett Dolby was operating the machine, designed to cut a large roll of adhesive material into narrower rolls, when he was drawn into an in-running nip between a rotating roller and the adhesive material. Mr Dolby’s colleagues found him trapped in the machine at the factory in Dunstable, having suffered fatal crush injuries. The incident happened on 10 April 2018.The HSE’s investigation found that Mr Dolby was required to work close to an unguarded in-running nip whilst the rewind slitting machine was in operation, which presented a hazard due to rotating parts. The risk assessment for the machine was inadequate because it failed to identify the in-running nips and other hazards on the machine. Therefore, machine operators were provided with inadequate information and training relating to the risks associated with this operation; and employees were placed at severe risk of injury.The company previously received advice in 2012 from both the HSE and an external consultant in relation to the guarding of machinery on site, but had failed to take action to ensure the necessary guarding of the rewind slitting machine prior to the incident in April 2018.Scapa UK Limited of Ashton Under Lyne, Manchester, pleaded guilty to breaching Section 2(1) of the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974 and was fined £120,000 with full costs of £15,192.68.After the hearing HSE Inspector Emma Page said: “This tragic incident could easily have been prevented if the company had properly assessed and applied effective control measures to minimise the risks from dangerous parts of the machinery.“The dangers associated with in-running nips are well known, and a wealth of advice and guidance is freely available from HSE and other organisations.”
from: https://www.shponline.co.uk/in-court/120k-fine-for-scapa-uk-limited-after-employee-fatally-crushed/ -
‘Tipping point’ reached, in terms of safe digging in Britain, as searching revolution leaves workers safer than ever, according to LSBUD Digging Up Britain 2020 report, but there remains ‘work to be done to ensure total safety’.
The Digging Up Britain 2020 report, produced by LSBUD, which provides a free to use online underground asset search facility, has provided a welcome safety boost to UK excavation work, by revealing that 71% of all digging work that takes place in the UK is now preceded by a thorough search for pipes and cables.The report details that a record 2,832,027 enquiries were registered on its collaborative portal in 2019. This is a 10% increase on the previous year, and almost double that of just five years ago. A search enquiry was placed every 3.7 seconds during the average working day.Richard Broome, Managing Director of LSBUD, comments: “We have reached a ‘tipping point’ in terms of safe digging – both for the UK’s underground pipes and cables, and those who dig near them. Asset searching on the LSBUD portal has rapidly become second nature for people. It’s now a standard step in the vast majority of excavation projects. It’s great to see it now such an intrinsic part of safe working practices.”LSBUD has also identified changes in behaviour from asset owners. 2019 saw more utility companies using the data generated by the portal to manage risk, futureproof their networks, and better identify areas of potential weakness. They are increasingly using historical data to predict who is likely to work within the vicinity of their network, the type of work they are going to do, when they are going to do it and the exact locations – to better target advice, support and supervision.
Increase in ‘emergency searches’Digging Up Britain 2020 not only analyses the volumes but also the type of digging work taking place. It reports that ‘emergency searches’ increased by 59% on the previous year and 197% on two years ago with 316,922 searches deemed as urgent in 2019. This is a key consideration for health and safety professionals as emergency projects are more likely to result in an asset strike of a more severe nature.Richard Broome adds: “This continued growth in emergency projects is worrying. While our portal delivers results often in minutes, if an asset isn’t registered with us, the firm doing the digging will need to deal with the asset owner directly and that can take up to 28 days. This time scale does not fit with the idea of an ‘emergency’ – so corners may be cut, and assets struck due to the need for speed. That’s a real health and safety concern, which is why it’s so important for all asset owners to come on board.”The Report also identifies whose workers are doing the majority of digging and therefore provides an indicator of the workforces most vulnerable to asset-strikes. As in previous years, the majority of digging work is done on behalf of the telecoms sector, with its contractors and operators completing 911,455 searches and making up 32% of all searches in 2019. The water industry followed with 592,126 searches, accounting for 21% of the total.Whilst the telecoms and water industries did more searches than ever before, their overall share of the total fell. This is due to a 10% increase in enquiries by private individuals, and a surge by agricultural businesses, where searches increased by 42%.
Richard Broome continues: “It is good to see the number of searches increasing, but there is still work to be done in order to ensure total safety of workers, contractors and the general public when it comes to digging. In 2019 there were still 1,230 safety related electrical incidents reported to the HSE, 73 of these were injury related. Gas related incidents have steadily come down since 2013, but still there were 1,248 reported to the HSE.”Digging Up Britain 2020 suggests safety could be improved through all asset owners getting involved in the collaborative search portal. Whilst the number is growing, just 10% of water companies currently share their asset information via the LSBUD portal. This means the water sector remains incredibly vulnerable to asset strikes, and those digging near its assets are doing so without a full picture of what is beneath them. This is in stark contrast to gas and electricity companies where 80 and 70% respectively share their network data.Richard Broome concludes: “We have seen significant strides taken in terms of the volumes of assets which can now be easily found, and the numbers of thorough searches taking place before a spade hits the ground. But there is more that can be done.“On the asset owner side, we hope the remaining utility companies recognise the benefits of sharing their information through our portal. In terms of searching, we want to keep the momentum going and get even more people who are doing the digging, be they employees, contractors, or private individuals, to complete a search before any digging work begins. If we have change like this from both sides, and have everyone pulling in the same direction, assets and people will be safer.”
from: https://www.shponline.co.uk/construction/71-of-all-uk-excavation-work-is-now-preceded-by-a-thorough-... -
The Ministry of Defence (MoD) has been issued with a Crown Censure by the HSE after a military diver died during training.Lance Corporal George Partridge, aged 27, was brought back to surface after he stopped responding to lifeline signals while he was underwater. He was sadly pronounced dead after CPR was performed. He had been on a training course at the National Diving and Activity Centre in Chepstow on 26 March 2018. Lance Corporal Partridge and his dive buddy were tasked with attaching a distance line from the base of a shot line to the underwater wreck of a helicopter at a depth of 27m. When he was recovered his cylinders were found to be empty.HSE served two Crown Improvement Notices relating to the failure to train all army divers how to undertake air endurance calculations and to assess the risk of a diver running out of air.Julian Turvey, a HSE Inspector who specialises in diving, said: “This was a tragedy for all concerned however just like any other employer, the MoD has a responsibility to reduce dangers to its personnel, as far as they properly can. The scenario of a diver running out of air is a very real risk that needs to managed.”By accepting the Crown Censure, the MoD admitted breaching its duty under Section 2(1) of the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974 in that they failed to ensure, so far as was reasonably practicable, the health, safety and welfare at work of all its employees, including George Partridge, in relation to the risks associated with diving exercises.The MoD cannot face prosecution in the same way as non-Government bodies and a Crown Censure is the maximum sanction for a government body that HSE can bring. There is no financial penalty associated with Crown Censure, but once accepted is an official record of a failing to meet the standards set out in law.
from: https://www.shponline.co.uk/in-court/hse-issues-crown-censure-following-mod-death/ -
A poll of more than 40,000 police officers in England and Wales has said that almost four in ten said they had been assaulted in the last year, while latest government figures show that attacks on firefighters in England have surged by 66% in four years.
The research, carried out by the College of Policing, also found that 88% of officers said they had been assaulted at some stage during their career and three-quarters stated a desire to carry Taser stun guns every day.Earlier this year, SHP reported that the maximum sentence for assaulting an emergency worker would be doubled, following a consultation by Government. It was also announced in April by Director of Public Prosecutions that Anyone using coronavirus to threaten emergency and essential workers would face serious criminal charges.This latest research was commissioned by National Police Chiefs Council Head Martin Hewitt, who said he was shocked by the scale of the assaults and added that a third of officers said they were unhappy with the personal safety training they received.The BBC reports that, in 2018-19, there were 31,000 assaults on officers – equivalent to 328 assaults per 1,000 constables, up from 284 per 1,000 the previous year.The College of Policing report also found:- More than two in five police officers killed between 2008 and 2019 died while travelling to and from work. Police chiefs are researching links between shift work and road accidents;
- Every chief constable will review whether frontline officers and staff have enough Tasers, body armour, spit and bite guards, protective gloves and high-visibility clothing;
- Trials of new technology and equipment to prevent assaults will be speeded up, including changes in police vehicles and remotely operated devices to immobilise vehicles;
- A “hard-line” approach will be taken into investigations of assaults against officers, with the default position that the alleged offender will be arrested.
The Local Government Association has called for tougher sentences to help tackle a ‘sickening’ rise in attacks on fire crews.Attacks on firefighters in England have surged by 66% in the last four years, from 578 in 2014/15 to 961 in 2018/19, according to the latest government figures. The number of firefighters injured following attacks during this period have soared by 175%, from 24 to 66. The data also showed that attacks have increased during lockdown in some areas.Attacks on emergency workers became a specific crime in 2018, but only 17% of the 9,000 offenders who have since been sentenced for this offence have received an immediate jail term, according to the National Fire Chiefs Council.Cllr Ian Stephens, Chair of the LGA’s Fire Services Management Committee, said: “It’s completely unacceptable for emergency service workers to be subject to attacks, aggression or acts of vandalism while protecting the public. The rising trend in violence towards firefighters is sickening.“Our firefighters, like all emergency service workers, do a fantastic job in protecting our local communities and saving lives and should deserve our completely respect.“The senseless violent actions of a minority of people puts firefighters at risk of injury or even worse and can also stop them from attending an emergency where lives may be at risk.“Firefighters deserve complete protection. Increasing the maximum sentence for assaults on firefighters will show that these attacks will not be tolerated.”
from: https://www.shponline.co.uk/workplace-violence/four-in-10-police-officers-say-they-were-assaulted-la... -
Accidents in 20mph zones rise nearly 150% in three years - FleetPoint - Speed Limits -
Lambasts industry for fostering ‘don’t say no’ culture 30 years after his father’s death on-setRory Kinnear, whose father died on a set 32 years ago, has lambasted the industry for failing to improve health and safety practices and fostering a ‘don’t say no’ culture.The Years and Years star’s father Roy fell off a horse while filming in Spain for The Return of the Musketeers in 1988, a stunt he performed after trained stuntmen had refused.
Roy KinnearHis son used yesterday’s Steve Hewlett Memorial Lecture to criticise the slow progress made since, pointing to the death of cameraman Mark Milsome whilst filming in Ghana for BBC2/Netflix drama The Forgiving Earth [later called Black Earth Rising] in 2017.A supporter of the Mark Milsome Foundation, Kinnear contrasted the situation with the “seismic shift” the industry has made in sex and intimacy filming over the past two years, which has seen a rise in specialist intimacy co-ordinators and standardised guidelines such as those published by Directors UK last week.“More than 30 years after my dad died, people are still saying yes to doing scenes when they should be saying no,” he said. “I gain no pleasure from repeating my story on every set I’m on but it’s a burden I wear quite willingly if it will help young actors to say no.”Two key factors, according to Kinnear, are that many dramas are shot abroad and that the precarious nature of the industry sees extras scared to “make a fuss”, lest they be turned down for work in future.On the former, he said: “The safety legislation we have over here evaporates when you film abroad. As an actor I barely know the laws that are permissible in my own country let alone in South Africa or Lithuania.”‘Just say no’Kinnear stressed that “no shot is so important” that it needs to be completed if an actor is uncomfortable performing it.“Saying no to a director doesn’t limit their artistic capabilities or vision - it can be an enabler of a more rewarding vision,” he added. “The lasting impact of my dad dying hugely outweighs the lasting impact of not being able to film a scene.”Kinnear was joined by Hartswood Films boss Sue Vertue, who floated the use of a compulsory health and safety passport that production companies would have to sign up to.She hailed the work of Netflix and Sky in the space and praised the outfits’ anonymous hotlines, which cast members can ring if they feel unsafe on set.“We bust a gut making TV but you have to remind yourselves that it’s just TV. Nothing is worth the risk,” said Vertue.
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