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.

01/08/2006 Measuring up to noise Noise-induced hearing loss can occur to people at low levels of noise. An HSE survey in the 1990s indicated that in excess of two million workers were exposed to noise levels between 80db and more than 142db, averaged over the working day ... » Read More

01/08/2006 Hands-on sensing A novel vibration dose meter is being developed that can be worn on the hand, in order to measure exposure to damaging hand-arm vibrations from machinery. In its present form, it can advise of excessive risk levels and store information ... » Read More

01/08/2006 Don't stand for pain The position of standing is one many of us take for granted in our daily lives. It is not until we start to feel the odd ache and pain that we become more aware of how much pressure the standing posture creates on our bodies. Although it ... » Read More

01/06/2006 Why bespoke speaks for itself When installing cable management products, getting all the equipment you need from stock is not always possible. After all, specific production facilities cannot be picked from a stock catalogue. Often, production lines within a facility ... » Read More

01/04/2006 Prevention & protection There are only two ways in which workers can be protected from environmental, chemical and biological hazards. One is by giving them protective clothing - gloves, boots and, where appropriate, ear and eye protection. The other is by ... » Read More

01/04/2006 Planting seeds of recovery There is a part of all of us that agrees with the notion 'if it ain't broke, don't fix it'. But, equally, when it comes to plant maintenance and operations, the purpose of this activity is to minimise the risk to the business of expensive ... » Read More

01/02/2006 Safety and savings Compressed air continues to offer many advantages in process industry applications, especially in hazardous areas, but often continues to be used inefficiently. Help - much of it free - is readily available to help reduce energy costs and ... » Read More

01/02/2006 Pollution Solution Whether you look at the heavy engineering manufacturers, pharmaceutical, petro-chemical, or continuous process industries, copious volumes of dust and fumes are generated. These fumes and dusts have to be processed before they can be ... » Read More

01/02/2006 Maintenance means business Maintec 2006 promises everything for today's maintenance professional, whether in industry, commerce or the public sector. It takes place from 14-16 March at the NEC, Birmingham. » Read More

01/12/2005 Smooth a path to silence There shouldn't be any significant problems meeting the requirements of the new noise and vibration regulations, but there are issues which employers need to consider - and they should be wary of figures quoted by some equipment ... » Read More

01/10/2005 Don't trust to luck While the risk of a prison sentence as a result of an accident resulting from the non-observance of safety regulations remains small, it is a possibility. The legal complications and potential damage to a business as a consequence of a ... » Read More

01/10/2005 Copycat scaffolding poses major threat Although perhaps more readily associated with building and construction, scaffolding is widely used throughout industry. Whether to meet a short-term access requirement or as part of a larger scale refurbishment project, the need to retain ... » Read More

01/08/2005 Noise and Vibration - Shake, rattle and hum All employers, operators and users of equipment that causes noise and/or vibration need to take very serious notice of the new regulations relating to vibration that come into force on July 6th 2005 and the corresponding noise regulations ... » Read More

01/08/2005 Flooring - Don't slip up on safety Slips and trips cost British industry millions of pounds a year, can result in expensive legal actions and, most significantly, can inflict great physical and mental pain on the injured party. » Read More

06/06/2005 Lifting & handling - Tell tail signs 'One of the most highly-regulated pieces of ancillary equipment currently available for fitment to a vehicle, with specific responsibilities placed on the equipment manufacturer, installer, specifier and/or operator.' These words appear in ... » Read More

05/04/2005 Health and Safety - Protect and survive If people are a business's greatest asset, then ensuring their safety not only saves injuries and lives, it also makes sound economic sense. Across the whole spectrum of industry, the consequences of not providing safety equipment have ... » Read More

05/04/2005 Fire Safety - That looks like smoke... By observing the behaviour of smoke as it rises, a vision system can give early warning of a fire developing, long before it becomes serious. It is especially useful in large areas, such as big factories and aircraft hangars, and where ... » Read More

01/02/2005 Dust and Fume Control: Clearing the Air Implementing dust and fume control measures is key to providing a safe working environment, with current legislation and best practice extending the scope of control well beyond the factory. Where activity is undertaken that gives rise to ... » Read More

01/10/2004 Pumps & Valves - Process Machinery - a troubleshooting guide Every piece of process machinery is purchased to be installed, operated, and play its part in making a profit for the plant operator. When a problem arises with a piece of equipment that causes concern to the operator and starts to affect ... » Read More

01/10/2004 Lifiting and Handling - The LOLER lowdown Wherever there is lifting equipment there will be safety issues. In December 1998 the Lifting Operations and Lifting Equipment Regulations (LOLER) came into force to help reduce the risk and occurrence of accidents through the continuing ... » Read More

01/03/2004 Inhaling fumes should not damage your health A new laboratory in a leading research institute in the UK has just been dedicated to improving the welding working environment and making it safer. » Read More

01/03/2004 Chemicals Legislation - A regulatory route map There is an abundance of regulatory requirements for the safe use of chemicals within factories, warehouses and other facilities, most important of which are the Control of Substances Hazardous to Health Regulations (COSHH) 2002. ... » Read More