HEALTH & SAFETY
The Bulletin
Employers Kept in Loop HSE makes a u-turn on occupational disease reporting The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) has announced it will retain the requirement for employers and duty holders to report occupational diseases under the Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrence Regulations 1995 (RIDDOR). THE SAFETY watchdog had initially proposed to remove the requirement for bosses to continue to report occupational cancers, diseases attributable to biological agents and six short-latency diseases in the workplace. However, following the public consultation exercise, which started in August
Don’t Miss the Signs BFFF members need to be aware that EU legislation standardising workplace safety signage across Europe is now law in the UK. UNTIL JANUARY THIS year, EU legislation only promoted the use of internationally recognised symbols on safety signs. All that changed when the standard - ISO 7010 - became the EN 7010 and what was a recommendation became written into EU law and, by extension, UK law. The EN 7010 replaces the BS 5499, the previous British Standard on safety signage.
and ended in November 2012, the HSE has decided to reverse its plans. The reform of RIDDOR initially arose from the HSE’s ‘fundamental review’ of the regulations, which was recommended by the Young Review in 2010 and endorsed by the Löfstedt Review in 2011. The HSE’s decision was welcomed by the British Occupational Hygiene Society (BOHS), which had opposed the original HSE plans, citing its three main concerns as focusing on the following: n A lack of surveillance data for epidemiological purposes, i.e. if employers and duty
Martyn Lowe, QESH Advisor at Slingsby, explains: “The motivation for these changes is that every country has a growing population of non-native speaking employees so text-based signs, or those with unfamiliar pictures, might not be understood.” The legislation aims to create a universal safety language that doesn’t rely on words and uses refined safety pictograms that are less ambiguous than those previously used on safety signage. Signs may still use text but the pictogram must comply with EN 7010. “Standard signs featuring highly comprehensive symbols will be used on all signage throughout Europe,” says Lowe, “so an emergency exit sign in Birmingham looks exactly the same as it would in Budapest.” Please note that it is not necessary to immediately replace all signage (despite what suppliers of safety signs might say!) but members are advised to follow our tips below.
SAFETY SIGN TIPS n A balanced approach to replacement is needed based on what is reasonable and proportionate in terms of risks, costs, money, time and effort vs. the benefits.
holders did not have to report incidents of occupational disease there would have been no data available and therefore no real understanding of the number of people exposed to dangerous working environments. n A lack of intelligence for HSE inspection, because removing the requirement to report occupational diseases would have left the HSE without valuable information. n The message to industry about priorities, arguing that the removal of the requirement to report diseases would have sent an incorrect message to industry about how HSE perceives its importance.
It is sensible to have a strategy and plan that you can work to and can demonstrate evidence to enforcing authorities such as the fire service. n The need for signage is identified through the risk assessment process so it is wise for a competent person to revisit and review any risk assessments that cover signage. Responsible persons must implement the program of change. n Signage relating to higher risk issues should be replaced first e.g. fire fighting/ alarm/evacuation. n In practical terms, the risk in some places may determine the time scale to be 12 months or more. In high-risk workplaces it might be sooner. Whatever is decided it should be substantiated and recorded as part of the formal health and safety management arrangements. n Signs bought in the last few years may already be EN 7010 compliant as most manufacturers have been producing signs to the standard for some time. THE BULLETIN I JULY/AUGUST 2013 71