The risk of asbestos goes beyond the presence of Asbestos Containing Materials (ACMs) in buildings. Due to its strength and heat resistant properties, asbestos has been widely used in many products and objectives for hundreds of years.…
With engineering and science built into the modern methods of occupational hygiene and workplace monitoring, there’s a common misconception that occupational hygiene can’t be more than 100 years old. But occupational hygiene has a much longer (and more interesting) history than you would think – and plays a vital role in how occupational hygiene has evolved to modern day standards.…
The presence of Legionella in water systems – whether that’s in buildings or on board trains - is a serious issue, as it has the potential to cause Legionnaires’ disease.…
If managed carefully, asbestos in a hospital does not pose a risk to patients or staff. However, any disturbance of the material has the potential to endanger lives. In fact, the BBC found “352 claims were made against health trusts between January 2013 and December 2017 by people who had developed asbestos-related diseases in NHS buildings” – resulting in £16.4million of compensation paid out to victims.…
There are a variety of materials commonly found within the rail environment which are classified as hazardous materials The presence of such materials may pose a risk to the health of staff or members of the public, and while some are fairly innocuous unless disturbed or released, others present a greater risk due to their presence.…
As anybody involved in the UK ground investigation industry knows, our day-to-day works are very heavily influenced by numerous UK and European standards and specifications. Given that the works we undertake are of such importance to the success and prosperity of the country, you can see why this is necessary.…
Growing consumer awareness and increasingly stringent regulatory demands have resulted in renewed emphasis on the quality of water and selection of disinfectants used for the washing and preparation…
Following the launch of the Health and Safety Executive’s (HSE) ‘DustBuster’ campaign, aimed at tackling occupational lung disease caused by construction dust and other hazardous substances, Mary Cameron, occupational hygiene team leader at SOCOTEC, takes a closer look at the initiative and how you can ensure compliance.…
Up until its ban in 1999, asbestos was used widely for its insulating and fire resistant properties - with use in the rail industry no exception. Buildings in the rail sector as well as the train rolling stock were – and continue to be - commonplace for asbestos containing materials.!…
Unknown materials and substances found on-site, in products, or during processing can be a major cause for concern. Being able to effectively and precisely identify them enables public and private sector organisations such as corporations, police, hospitals and councils to take action to prevent risk.…