CDM Regulations & Revised F10 Notification Form
What work needs to be notified?
CDM 2007 requires most construction work to be notified to HSE.
Notification will be required if the project, commonly referred to as a ‘construction project’ is likely to:
Last longer than 30 days or
Involve more than 500 persons days of construction work.
Any day on which construction work is carried out (including holidays and weekends) should be counted, even if the work on that day is of short
duration. A ‘person day’ is one individual, including supervisors or specialist trades, carrying out construction work for one normal working shift.
Construction work for a domestic client is not notifiable.
A domestic client is someone who lives, or will live, in the premises where the work is carried out. The premises must not relate to any trade,
business or undertaking.
The new F10 form may be completed online and the data will automatically transfer to HSE systems.
https://extranet.hse.gov.uk/lfserver/external/f10
Local exhaust ventilation website launched
Thousands of British workers contract occupational asthma and other occupational lung diseases each year. They develop them because they breathe in too much dust, fume or other airborne contaminants at work.
A new website has been launched to complement HSE guidance on how to apply and use local
exhaust ventilation (LEV) to remove airborne contaminants from the workplace before people breathe them in.
This website complements HSE guidance on how to apply and use local exhaust ventilation (LEV) to remove airborne contaminants from the workplace before people breathe them in.
Designers, installers and examiners of LEV will find this website helpful as will employers and their employees who
depend on LEV for the continued protection of their health at work.
http://www.hse.gov.uk/lev/index.htm
The Corporate Manslaughter and Corporate Homicide Act 2007
In July this new Act reached Royal Ascent and will come into force on 6th April 2008.
I sets out a new offence that allows a corporate body to be prosecuted where there is a gross failing by an organisation’s senior manager(s) to take reasonable care for the safety of their employees or members of the public, which causes death.
Wood Working Industry - HSE Noise Control Programme 2007-2008
HSE has launched an inspection programme on control of noise. During the year inspectors will visit woodworking premises and will expect to see evidence that noise risks have been eliminated or reduced to the lowest level that is reasonably practicable.
Where noise risks remain, inspectors will be looking for evidence that the risks are being well managed and that suitable health surveillance is in place. Remember, hearing protection is normally the last line of defence – where possible, it is always better to control noise at source
December 2006 - Legionnaires Disease (New Guidance Leaflet)
Barrow Borough Council has launched an inquiry into the legionnaires disease outbreak in Barrow during July/August 2002 which killed at least five people. The councils design service manager was cleared of manslaughter in July 2006, but she was fined £15,000 for breaching the Health and Safety at Work Act. Barrow Council also pleaded guilty to health and safety charges and was fined £125,000.
Outbreaks linked to poor management of wet cooling systems still occur; often leading to prosecutions by HSE. August 2006 saw 127 reported cases of Legionnaire’s disease, a twofold increase on the figure for August. Up to the end of August 2006, there were 273 reported cases as opposed to 205 for the corresponding period in 2005.
The HSE released a new guidance leaflet in December 2006 which can be freely downloaded from the HSE website at http://www.hse.gov.uk/pubns/web23.pdf
December 2006 - Working With VDU's - New Guidance
The HSE have released a new free guidance leaflet for people who work with visual display units and their employers. The leaflet:-
- answers questions that are most often asked about VDU’s and health
- gives a summary of the law on VDU work (the health and safety (display screen equipment) Regulations 1992), and outlines what employers and employees should do to comply
- suggests some simple adjustments that users can make to workstations and screens to make them more comfortable and easy to use; and
- explains how employers and users can get further information.
The new guidance leaflet was revised in December 2006 and can be downloaded from http://www.hse.gov.uk/pubns/indg36.pdf
December 2006 - Health And Safety Starter Pack
If you have recently set up in business or are new to health and designed to provide a comprehensive and low cost introduction to health and safety for new and small businesses.
Priced at just £35, the pack updated in 2006 contains most of the basic health and safety advice businesses need to help them comply with the law and protect their workers. It also includes copies of the HSE Accident Book and the Health and Safety Law Poster, which must be displayed in business premises, by law.
The pack is available from HSE Books (01787) 881165
ISBN 0-7176-6210-1 Priced £35.
The Control of Asbestos Regulations 2006
These Regulations came into effect on 13th November, 2006. The main changes to the Regulations are that:-
“A licence is no longer required for the removal of Textured Coatings”
“A new single control limit of 0.1 f/ml over a 4 hr period has been introduced for all types of asbestos”
“A new Maximum Peak Level of 0.6 f/ml over a 10-min reference period has been introduced”
“Licence exemption has been withdrawn for employees working on their own premises”
“Action Levels have been withdrawn”
“All persons working with asbestos must be trained”
Training must be provided to all demolition workers and those workers in the refurbishment, maintenance and allied trades where it is forseeable that their work will disturb the fabric of the building because ACM’s may become exposed during their work.
Exemptions from this requirement would apply only where the employer can demonstrate that work will be carried out in or on a building free of asbestos containing materials (ACMs).
Training Is Now Mandatory for maintenance activities, non-licensed works, as well as licensed works.The asbestos training providers code of conduct has been accepted by K.S.Safety Ltd, and we shall be providing training courses as detailed in Group 2 and Group 3— namely non-licensed works training and awareness courses for maintenance workers.
Training Courses are programmed to run throughout January, February and March 2007. Please book early. Contact us for further details and course dates.
We are also able to deliver in-house training programmes, including Management of Asbestos In Buildings
13/10/06 - HSE Better Backs Campaign 2006
13/10/06 - Control of Asbestos Regulations 2006
The Control of Asbestos Regulations 2006 are scheduled to come into force at the end of November 2006. They will combine all previous regulations:-
- Control of Asbestos at Work Regulations 2002
- Asbestos Licensing Regulations 1983
- Asbestos (Prohibitions) (Amendment) Regulations 1999
- ACOP L27 Work With Asbestos Which Does Not Normally Require A Licence
- ACOP L28 Work With Asbestos Insulation, Asbestos Coatings And Asbestos Insulating Board
Mandatory Training will be required for licensed works, non-licensed works and maintenance activites.
The asbestos training providers code of conduct has been accepted by K.S.Safety Ltd, and we shall be providing training courses as detailed in Group 2 and Group 3. We are also able to deliver in-house training programmes.
Please contact us for further details.
10/10/06 - CDM Regulations Postponed Until April 2007
The revised CDM Regulations will replace the exisitng CDM Regulations 1994 and the Construction Health Safety and Welfare Regulations 1996 and will bring them together in a single format.
The implementation of the new Regulations has been postponed from October 2006 until April 2007.
The proposed new Regulations have a basic requirement for all persons involved in construction work to be competent. This falls into three main groups:-
- the competence of organisations, inclucing principal contractors, designers and co-ordinators. The competence assessments are likely to be carried out in two stages:organisation and arrangements
- experience and track record
- competence of professional duty holders, those working for the contractor and the self-employed
- competence of site workers e.g. as can be demonstrated by a touch screen test, NVQ/SVQ, CSCS/CPCS card.
K.S. Safety Ltd provide both on-site safety audits and health and safety awareness courses. Please contact usfor further details.
3/10/06 - HSE Launches Silica Essentials
The HSE have launched the Silica Essentials website, with important new and updated guidance for Construction, Brick-Making, Quarries etc. The guidance is released to co-incide with the new Workplace Exposure Limit for crystalline silica of 0.1mg/m3. Without adequate control measures in place, this new "safe" limit will be difficult to achieve. The Guidance documents (which can be downloaded freely from the HSE website) provide the details of good work practices, which if adhered to should ensure that the exposure limits are met.
The links for the appropriate industries are:-
K.S.Safety Ltd are equipped to assist with personal monitoring measurements and to advise on health and safety issues. Please do not hesitate to contact us should you require assistance.