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.

20/03/2023 We find solutions As this text is being written, the rescue effort is winding down in southern Turkey and northern Syria, following devastating earthquakes there. It is painful to watch a human disaster unfold. And it’s frustrating that logistical and ... » Read More

19/12/2022 H&S standards: changing of the guard ISO 45001, occupational health and safety (OH&S), management is intended to help develop a framework to improve safety, reduce workplace risks and create safer working conditions. It has supplanted OHSAS 18001 since March 2021. By David ... » Read More

13/04/2022 PPE changes for the workforce: guidance for employers With new PPE regulations that came into force on 6th April, under the Personal Protective Equipment at Work (Amendment) Regulations 2022, employers that supply safety equipment to employees must carefully assess their health and safety ... » Read More

23/09/2021 She who watches the watchers Jane Nash is Allianz Engineering’s new health, safety and quality manager for its 600 engineering surveyors in engineering, construction and power business that inspect plant and equipment across industry for safety and compliance ... » Read More

08/04/2021 The enemy in the room In a further move to protect the workforce, HSE inspectors are targeting firms that flout the rules on dealing with dust hazards. And high on the list of offenders is hardwood. By Brian Wall » Read More

07/01/2021 A nation alone - protecting the safety of lone workers Since March, many office staff have switched to work at home most or all of their time, many of whom are essentially lone workers. Merely relying on the day-to-day business activity may not be enough to protect all members of staff » Read More

03/08/2020 Watch your distance As UK industry tries to get back to some form of working normality, social distancing measures are still to be encouraged. Adam Offord finds guidance and products to help with social distancing in an industrial setting? » Read More

30/03/2020 Handy advice Irritant contact dermatitis is an eczema that can be triggered by a range of substances used across industry. This article focuses on employee hands and looks at what measures can be put in place to prevent it » Read More

05/08/2019 Comment: Ripple effect Provisional annual data released by the Health & Safety Executive (HSE) recently has revealed that 147 workers were fatally injured between April 2018 and March 2019 – an increase of six workplace fatalities from 2017/18. » Read More

05/08/2019 Listen ear Noise exposure from tools and equipment can be damaging to personnel. A range of PPE and other solutions can mitigate the risks » Read More

30/04/2018 Plant protectors Facilities managers look after buildings, but how can they mitigate the likelihood of a terrorist attack? Adam Offord examines guidance from the British Institute of Facilities Management » Read More

20/03/2014 Fit for purpose Keeping your people and your balance sheet healthy – that is the central challenge of occupational health and safety, as Ian Vallely explains. » Read More

27/02/2014 Fee for Intervention or fining for HSE income? Police, prosecutor, judge and jury. » 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

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

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

07/06/2011 Good for everyone Workplace regulations may not be facing radical change, but their implementation and policing certainly are. Brian Tinham reports on the price of the cuts » Read More

07/06/2011 A case of too little, too late With the HSE's consultation period now closed on the proposal to change employers' statutory reporting requirements, under RIDDOR (Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations), from over three days to seven for ... » Read More

01/04/2008 Field of dreams Ever thought about EMFs - electromagnetic fields caused by everything from power lines to mobile phones and arc welding gear? If not, you should, because a little-reported European directive that seeks to restrict exposure of workers to ... » Read More

01/03/2008 State of the nation Health and safety in the workplace is not only about PUWER (Provision and Use of Work Equipment Regulations) and LOLER (Lifting Operations and Lifting Equipment Regulations), important though both are. It's also not just about precautions ... » Read More

01/06/2007 Safe passage UK employees suffered 10,835 major injuries as a result of slipping and tripping in 2005/06, according to the HSE, so such accidents remain serious problems - accounting for 38% of all major injuries. » 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

01/08/2006 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