Health and Safety Archives - Page 5 of 11

Building Inspectors Extension

by Oscar Venus | 21 Mar, 2024 | Building Safety Act, Health and Safety

HSE Director of Building Safety, Philip White, has officially announced in a public letter to the industry an extension to the deadline for experienced Building Inspectors in England to finish their competence assessment. Qualified Building Inspectors must meet the following criteria and will now have until July 6 to complete their assessment:

Current Building Inspectors
Register as a Class 1 Registered Building Inspector (RBI) by April 6
Undergoing competency assessment by an approved scheme by April 6
Not informed by an approved scheme of failing the competency assessment twice

Building Inspectors meeting these conditions can continue their building control duties for the RBI class they are assessed for until July 6, by which they must upgrade their registration to Class 2, 3, or 4. The transitional arrangements are now part of the Code of Conduct for RBIs, and as of March 14, 3,261 Building Inspectors had applied for registration.

The Welsh Government has stated that Building Inspectors in Wales must register by April 6 and now have until September 30 to complete their registration.

Government confirms plans to permanently remove RAAC from all schools and colleges in England

by Clair Mooney | 16 Feb, 2024 | Building Safety Act, Health and Safety

Measures to permanently remove Reinforced Autoclaved Aerated Concrete (RAAC) from all affected schools and colleges, have been confirmed this week by the government. A final list of schools and colleges with confirmed cases of RAAC in schools and colleges in England has also been published. There are 234 education settings, out of 22,000, with confirmed RAAC in some areas of their buildings – around 1%. Click here to read more.

Changes to Working Time Regulations: guidance for employers

by Oscar Venus | 4 Jan, 2024 | Health and Safety

On January 1, 2024, the UK government implemented amendments to the Working Time Regulations, which are outlined in this document. Please note that this guidance cannot provide definitive answers to all individual queries or be used in place of personalised legal advice. Employers must negotiate the changes in terms and conditions with their workers or representatives.

The main focus of this guidance is on the minimum entitlement of 5.6 weeks’ paid holiday. However, workers may have contractual entitlements to additional paid leave beyond this statutory minimum. Therefore, employers should first review individual contracts and consult independent legal advice if necessary.

It is important to note that all illustrative holiday pay calculations in this guidance are based on gross pay data (before any taxes or deductions).

Additionally, this guidance refers to ‘workers’ as individuals whose employment status is either as a ‘worker’ or an ’employee’, entitling them to paid leave.

See the guidance here

Join Citation on Wednesday, January 10th at 11am for an informative webinar on changes in employment law. Our discussion will focus on a range of topics including new regulations around carers’ leave, flexible working, and holiday entitlement and pay for irregular hours/part-year workers.

Be one step ahead this year by attending this webinar.

Revisions to GAI DHF Code of Practice for Hardware for Fire and Escape Doors

by Oscar Venus | 6 Dec, 2023 | Health and Safety

The GAI DHF Code of Practice is a significant document that is often cited in Approved Documents and equivalent regulations throughout the UK and Ireland.

Recently, the code underwent a revision process, and it is now open for public comment by industry experts. If you’re interested in providing feedback, please use the commenting template provided via the link below.

CODE OF PRACTICE

Please send your completed forms to technical@gai.org.uk by Friday 15 December.

Prioritise the Safety of Your Team with Our Free Online Fire Safety Training Course

by Oscar Venus | 4 Dec, 2023 | Health and Safety, Skills

Sign up for our free online fire safety training course and start learning today! Gain the knowledge and skills necessary to identify and mitigate potential fire hazards, all from the comfort of your own home. This course is specifically designed for those working in the construction industry but it is open to everyone who is interested in improving their awareness of fire safety in the workplace.

Importance of Fire Safety Awareness

Fire safety awareness is crucial for everyone. Being responsible and aware of potential fire hazards can reduce the risk of a fire taking place, improve evacuation procedures, and minimise harm to people.

Course Benefits

By enrolling in our course, you’ll have access to a range of benefits, including:

12-month access to interactive online course materials
Certification upon passing the end-of-course exam
Learn at your own pace – complete the course in as little as 2 hours or take your time to explore the content fully
Study with flexibility – you’ll have 12 months of unlimited access to the eLearning portal
You decide when to learn – fit your learning around your lifestyle, whether that’s in the morning, afternoon, or evening
100% online learning, no tutor involvement – get started right away, no need to travel or take time off work
Become safer on site – upon completing the course, you’ll gain a five-year fire safety awareness qualification

Is This the Right Course for You?

If you work in construction, live in the UK, want to improve your knowledge of fire safety awareness, or want to demonstrate to your employer that you are committed to a positive health and safety culture, then this is the course for you!

Access the course here

Concepts, Principles, and Innovation in IFE Fire Testing

by Oscar Venus | 30 Aug, 2023 | Health and Safety

Are you interested in the latest developments in the fire testing industry? The IFE Fire Testing webinar may hold the answers to some of the challenges faced in this field. During this webinar, experts will analyse the latest research and suggest how digital innovation could provide solutions. Participants will also learn about fire testing procedures in accordance with key BS and EN standards and discuss the potential impacts of removing BS 476 from Approved Doc B.

If you are a client organisation, housing provider, architect, design/multi-disciplinary firm, fire engineering firm, fire test house, testing, inspection and accreditation body, or a regulator, this webinar is for you. You will gain insights into the latest market research, an overview of current fire test types and relevant standards, and information on future solutions that can enhance capacity, competence, and capability. The event will conclude with a post-event copy of the presentations and a recording of the webinar for future reference. Join us to learn more about the exciting developments in the fire testing industry.

Register for the webinar here