Renewable energy is now created in many forms, with an important contributor being the energy generated from biomass. Using systems such as gasification, anaerobic digestion, pyrolysis, bioenergy and biofuels have developed considerably over recent years.…
With most of the UK railways electrified, the rail environment has the potential to create high electromagnetic fields (EMFs) as part of its day-to-day operation. All employers are required to assess risks in the workplace and implement control measures to reduce any identified risk – and EMF is no exception to this rule. Therefore, without proper controls in place, the high electrical voltage on the railway has the potential to expose workers to EMFs.…
COSHH stands for the Control of Substances Hazardous to Health, first introduced in 1988 by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE). Aiming to reduce accidents and minimise the risk to employee health in the workplace, COSHH was introduced to ensure any business using hazardous substances does so in a controlled and safe way.…
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…