Health and Safety Feature Library

Operations Engineer's library catalogues editorial features going back five years.

Access to all archive material is free to all, including non-members of IPlantE (the Institution of Operations Engineers) or BES (Bureau of Engineer Surveyors), under the umbrella of SOE (Society of Operations Engineers). However, to discover the many benefits of becoming an SOE member, please click here.

15/04/2013 Education and innovation The forthcoming Safety & Health Expo promises to deliver a broad educational content, as well as a showcase of the latest products and services. We look ahead to the event and find out what visitors can expect to see and hear. » Read More

18/02/2013 A regulation tie-up? As part of its review of health and safety legislation, the government has been considering whether regulations covering related topics such as lifting and loading operations could be pulled together. Is a merger of PUWER and LOLER still ... » Read More

12/02/2013 A head for heights Falls from height cause half of major injuries in the workplace, with most accidents occurring from a very unspectacular two metres or below. Max Gosney asks why the Working at Height Regulations are so badly misunderstood. » Read More

16/01/2013 Human shield Keeping employees safe from workplace risks or hazards is a daily challenge for manufacturing employers. That's where personal protective equipment comes in, as Laura Cork reports. » Read More

05/10/2012 Absorbing practice Staying on the right side of the law might mean paying more attention to absorbents, spill kits and the professional services around them to prevent problems. Brian Wall reports » Read More

05/10/2012 Hidden assassins Every year, thousands of people in Great Britain develop occupational asthma or die of lung diseases, because of airborne contaminants they inhale at work. Brian Wall reports » Read More

01/08/2012 Herculean effort or Olympic gold? As we go to press, with London on the final countdown to the 2012 Olympics, plant engineers – although excited by the spectacle and impressed by the scale of the interdisciplinary project engineering that has made it all happen – will ... » Read More

01/08/2012 Accidents waiting to happen? Although blessed with one of the best industrial health and safety records on the planet, statistics reveal that the UK cannot afford to become complacent. Brian Tinham examines problems and solutions » Read More

01/08/2012 Silence is golden To avoid effects such as occupational deafness and hand-arm vibration, plants must adopt a best practice approach to noisy environments and processes. Steed Webzell reports » Read More

01/08/2012 To protect and serve Personal protective equipment is clearly a must in all sorts of plant and factory environments, yet problems with adoption are still reported. Brian Wall advises that PPE needs to be carefully monitored and regulated » Read More

08/06/2012 Intrinsically safe? Hazardous areas and electrical/electronic circuits have been treated with caution ever since the Senghenydd colliery disaster of 1913. Brian Tinham provides a technology update » Read More

05/04/2012 Safe operation of escalators and moving walks SAFed's guidelines for the safe operation of escalators and moving walks was published in May last year. In the first of a two-part feature, Vince Sharpe reviews key elements for owners and operators » Read More

05/04/2012 Is your boiler house safe? As de-manning on steam and hot water boiler plant continues to gain momentum, operators need to consider best practice and their legal duties in respect of operational safety, warns S Moore Holmes » Read More

05/04/2012 Falling foul of the law Slips, trips and falls remain a problem are across a wide range of facilities and industry types. Leigh Carter spells out the regulatory position and examines issues and solutions » Read More

06/02/2012 Shock tactics About 1,000 accidents at work involving electric shock or burns – of which around 30 prove fatal – are still reported to the HSE annually. Brian Wall investigates procedures that could prevent needless deaths » Read More

06/02/2012 DSEAR hazards Although DSEAR (Dangerous Systems and Explosive Atmospheres Regulations) was enacted back in 2003, its implications for hazardous plant are still misunderstood. Barrie Church explains » Read More

07/12/2011 Extracting rewards Avoiding risk, safeguarding the workforce and complying with health and safety regulations are key goals of dust and fume extraction equipment. But there's also a financial reward to be reaped, reports Brian Wall » Read More

07/12/2011 Maintain your guard Health and safety regulations continue to be breached, with sometimes tragic, as well as costly consequences. David Lewis reviews the legal landscape and some salutary cases » Read More

06/10/2011 Gorgon’s Ex-lighting saves local sea turtle population Cooper Crouse-Hinds reports that it has engineered an explosion-proof fluorescent light fitting for the Chevron-operated Gorgon project, at Barrow Island, that specifically minimises disturbance of the local sea turtle population. » Read More

06/10/2011 Hazardous electrics Hazardous areas demand properly certified equipment – and that applies to maintenance kit, too. But cost and efficiency are also key. Gordon Low examines the issues » Read More

06/10/2011 Dust explosion Running motors and low voltage ac drives on plants with dusty environments has been regulated under the ATEX directives since 2006. Steve Ruddell explains the detail » Read More

06/10/2011 Laying down the law European directives are continuously forcing changes to UK legislation around health and safety. Brian Wall reports on what plant engineers and managers need to know » Read More

06/10/2011 Plant safety at any cost? Don't get me wrong: it's hard to argue with current moves to streamline health and safety legislation, in line with Lord Young's 'Common Sense, Common Safety' report – especially given that chief among the aims is to reduce the ... » Read More

08/08/2011 Health and Safety North Health and Safety North, the third in the regional series this year, claims to offers plant engineers a valuable learning and networking experience. Brian Wall reports » Read More

08/08/2011 Sound measures Noise and vibration beyond allowable limits can leave managers on shaky ground. No wonder then these issues are climbing plant engineers' priority lists. Steed Webzell reports » Read More