Blog

Hand-arm vibration syndrome (HAVS) is a widespread injury affecting tens of thousands of workers across the construction, engineering, road, rail and utilities sectors. While there has been a general reduction in the number of HAVS claims made between 2009 and 2018, 180 new cases were reported in 2018 alone, as well as a 33% increase in HAVS breaches on construction sites in 2018. In this blog, SOCOTEC's Occupational Hygiene Team Leader, Robert Preston, discusses Complaince and Control Measures for HAVS.…

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A Local Exhaust Ventilation (LEV) system can help employers effectively control exposure to gas, vapour, dust, fumes and mist generated in the workplace by extracting the contaminant cloud before the workers breathe it in. An LEV system should be able to effectively capture fugitive hazardous substances, removing them from the workplace and thereby aiding in hazardous substance exposure control for the workers. SOCOTEC's Occupational Hygienist, Mary Cameron, discusses LEVs from a technical perspective.…

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Our annual event, the Railway Environmental Forum (REF), is around the corner once again, with only three weeks to go, we’re looking forward to welcoming delegates to discuss a range of health and safety-related topics, including legionella, asbestos, occupational air monitoring and the importance of health and safety-related training.…

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The generic term ‘Occupational Exposure Limit’ refers to an established, acceptable maximum concentration of an airborne hazardous substance to which employees can be repeatedly exposed at work, and this serves as a valuable tool in assessing and managing risk.…

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Employers in the UK must risk assess and manage employee exposure to electromagnetic fields (EMFs) in order to comply with the Control of Electromagnetic Fields at Work Regulations 2016 (CEMFAW). Many employers may not know where to start and will therefore choose to outsource the risk assessment process, but this can be relatively simple to complete in-house.…

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The United Kingdom has consistently remained at the forefront of health and safety, with one of the best combined records in the world. This glowing report stems from the UK’s extensive history of health and safety regulations, all of which are enforced by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) and local authorities. There is a plethora of information on worker health protection available through the HSE and similar organisations, which provide guidance on a range of workplace health initiatives, campaigns and collaborations. Awareness of workplace health hazards and a greater comprehension of how workers can manage the risks is becoming increasingly commonplace among organisations, thanks to the growing number of worker health protection initiatives available. This guide provides a brief overview of a series of initiatives, campaigns and partnerships designed to promote and enforce worker health protection.…

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Exposure to radon gas not only increases the risk of lung cancer but radon is the second highest cause of lung cancer in the UK with over 1100 annual deaths each year (smoking being the highest cause) and as such, understanding the level of radon and potential exposure in the workplace is fundamental to determining and managing the risk. David Gilmour, business manager for the Environment & Safety team aims to outline the process and explain the importance of monitoring radon exposure in the workplace.…

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The Health and Safety Executive’s (HSE) ongoing ‘DustBuster’ campaign is aiming to tackle occupational lung disease caused by construction dust and other hazardous substances. Mary Cameron outlines how occupational hygienists and occupational health can collaborate to help workplaces stay complaint.…

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The storage and use of chemical products is a key feature in many day-to-day railway activities.  Even in common and well known forms such as cleaning agents, pesticides, lubricants, paints and solvents, the storing of chemicals in some capacity is highly likely. As part of a business’ duty to protect employees, there must be procedures in place for correctly using chemicals.…

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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.…

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