The COVID-19 pandemic continues to impact every aspect of our lives, including the ways in which we enhance our Continuing Professional Development (CPD). One significant impact that COVID-19 has had on learning and development is the number of people signing up to undertake or refresh their Asbestos Awareness training, with course uptake experiencing considerably lower numbers than usual.…
From 1 January 2021, a number of legislative changes will take place with regards to the movement of chemical substances in the Great British market, which many businesses will need to take note of. These can be broken down into two key pieces of legislation – the CLC Regulations and the REACH Regulations, both of which will replace those currently in place within the EU and European Economic Area (EEA).…
Food production requires a significant volume of water, with around 25,000 litres required to grow and produce a day’s supply of food for a family of four (Save the Water, 2019). Due to the rapid growth in human development and population numbers, the value of water as a precious and finite resource is being increasingly recognised, particularly within the food and beverage manufacturing industry where it is heavily relied upon.…
While there is no doubt that 2020 has proven particularly challenging for the rail industry, we would like to take a moment to look back at some of the ways in which SOCOTEC has supported the rail sector and kept the country moving throughout the pandemic.…
While COVID-19 continues to take centre stage when it comes to the prevention of respiratory illness in the workplace, there remain a host of airborne hazards that pose an equally high level of risk that employers cannot afford to overlook. Each of these must be assessed and controlled so as to prevent workers from contracting lung illnesses associated with working activities, such as occupational asthma, silicosis, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, mesothelioma and lung cancer.…
With cases of COVID-19 continuing to increase across the UK, many employers are struggling to determine whether or not any positive cases within their workforce are reportable under the Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations (RIDDOR). It is important to note that reporting requirements under RIDDOR relating to cases or deaths from COVID-19 under RIDDOR apply only to occupational exposure (as a result of a person’s work).…
Earlier this year, testing, inspection and compliance provider, SOCOTEC, introduced a new eco-friendly initiative for taking oil samples. Forming a key part of the organisation’s sustainability agenda, the new method encourages clients to switch to reusable sample pumps instead of single-use syringes. Any remaining oil-contaminated waste will be recycled into low-grade plastics by an approved waste carrier, creating a significant saving on waste disposal costs, as well as reducing the overall level of plastic consumption.…
Over the years, SOCOTEC’s Contaminated Land Consultancy has been involved in a range of reclamation and redevelopment projects that have required the investigation of potentially contaminated sites, many of which are located on existing or former railway land. Contaminated land tends to be encountered through previous or current activities carried out on maintenance depots, stations, engineering works, stabling sidings and marshalling/goods yards, all of which can have a detrimental impact on the site’s occupants, workers and the surrounding environment – particularly during ongoing renovations, construction works and essential maintenance.…
One of the most frequently used geotechnical monitoring instruments, piezometers have measured pore water pressures and water levels on the majority of major construction projects, including Crossrail, the Channel Tunnel Rail Link (CTRL) and Dover Western Docks Revival (DWDR) land reclamation, to name a few. They continue to be a crucial sensor in a geotechnical engineer’s arsenal. In this blog, Dave Jones - senior project manager at SOCOTEC Monitoring – covers what a piezometer is and how they are used, the different methods of installation and the benefits of each, as well as common installation pitfalls to avoid to ensure the accuracy of your data.…
From having instrumentation caught in customs in Morocco, to carrying out monitoring activities at the Topolobampo ammonia plant in Mexico's Sinaloa state, over the years, Justin Roffey’s route to operations director at SOCOTEC Monitoring has taken him to some far-flung destinations. Using the skills he gained at Portsmouth University when studying Engineering with Geology and Geotechnics, Justin continues to solve a range of monitoring challenges for SOCOTEC Monitoring’s UK client base, and now mostly gets his travel-fix outside of work.…
