Drivers' Use of Mobile Phones on the Increase

We return to the topic of using hand-held mobile phones whilst driving.

The latest news is that it is on the increase, in spite of the fact that it can be clearly demonstrated to be an extremely dangerous practice.

As well as being an endorsable offence, anyone who is caught by the police faces a hefty fine.

If you are involved in an accident whilst using a phone, the police have access to incontrovertible evidence with which to prosecute you, regardless of who may appear to be responsible for the accident according to other evidence.

Mobile phone offences whilst driving are primarily dealt with under road traffic legislation, but employers need to be aware that under health and safety legislation they carry a degree of responsibility for the actions of their employees whilst driving.


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European Eco Design Regulation

The climate change summit that is now underway in Copenhagen has raised the media profile for everything to do with global warming, saving the environment and energy conservation.

Expectations vary widely as to what will be achieved by the summit, which is looking at many major issues that may prove difficult to resolve, both politically and financially.

Meanwhile, there are many other initiatives that are going on in parallel. Their goals may be much less ambitious but it is often the smaller actions which, when adopted by large numbers of people, deliver the practical benefits.

One such initiative is an Energy Regulation that is part of the European Eco Design Directive and which comes into force early in January 2010.

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New Guidance for First Aid

The dust has now had time to settle after new guidance on First Aid in the Workplace was introduced by the Health and Safety Executive in October 2009.

After years of talking about it, the HSE announced changes to its guidance in April 2009. The result is that the burden of training is less onerous for the majority of workplaces. Even organisations that are deemed to be high risk, only need to release their staff for a three day training course instead of four, as previously.

For most businesses that are assessed as being low risk, they only need to send their people on a one day Emergency First Aid at Work course.

What does the new guidance mean for your organisation? Don't be taken in by some who would tell you that all your First Aiders need to be retrained immediately. Read on for a fuller explanation of the new guidance.

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Energy Management

If energy management is not on your list of things to investigate, then we strongly recommend that you consider it.

For decades we have been enjoying relatively ample and cheap forms of energy, but now we are being faced with the real cost in terms of dwindling supplies, damage to the environment and the consequential cost increases.

However, because times are difficult doesn't mean you cannot fight back

Read on to learn how you can achieve major savings on your energy usage and realise both a financial and environmental benefit from doing so.

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Effective Risk Assessments

The approach to occupational health and safety that is employed in the UK and throughout the European Union is to design safety precautions around the results of risk assessments.

When done well, risk assessment is a powerful and effective tool for reducing fatalities, accidents and ill health arising from hazards in the workplace.

This has been highlighted recently by the publication of two reports – one covering experiences throughout Europe and the other dealing specifically with the UK.

One message that rings out loud and clear from the reports is that risk assessments must be done carefully and accurately if they are to be effective, but when they are, the rewards are well worth the effort.

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New Hazardous Waste Strategy for England

The media is reporting more and more emphasis by government and other agencies on how we can manage the waste that we produce in a more effective manner

For their part, the European Union has issued a number of directives that member states are required to transpose into local national regulations.

The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (“Defra”) is playing a central role in this drive for better management of waste and as part of their efforts they have recently conducted a consultation about a revised strategy for dealing with hazardous waste.

It might affect you if your organisation handles any wastes that are classified as hazardous, so read on for more about the consultation and proposed new strategy.

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National Stress Awareness Day

Wednesday 4th November 2009 has been designated as National Stress Awareness Day (see the International Stress Management Association UK website).

In the spirit of this initiative, we thought it timely to revisit the whole area of stress in the workplace.

This time, to be a little bit different, we asked a guest author,
Suzanne Cook to write the article for us.

Suzanne is an Independent Consultant who has worked with EDP on well-being programmes for the last two years. You can find a short bio for Suzanne at the end of the article.

The style is a little different than usual and we hope it will strike a chord with you and perhaps encourage heightened interest in this year's National Stress Awareness Day.

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