As part of the UK Government’s drive to cut bureaucracy, Professor Löfstedt’s 2011 report and the need for the UK to fully implement EU Directive 92/57/EEC, some major changes have been made in relation to the management of health and safety within the construction industry. It has been recognised that the majority of fatalities within the construction sector occur in smaller construction sites. It is with this in mind that the HSE focused on the simplification of the Construction (Design and Management) Regulations 2007, so they are easi... Continue reading

Sudden Cardiac Arrest is one of the leading causes of deaths in the UK. In a new blog for International Workplace, Defibshop explains how defibrillators work and why businesses are investing in them. Employers, do you need a defibrillator? Sudden Cardiac Arrest (SCA) is a leading cause of death in Europe, according to the Resuscitation Council (UK), with around 700,000 individuals affected each year. Therefore, it comes as little surprise that more and more employers are choosing to invest in defibrillators. How do defibrillators work? Sudd... Continue reading

Last year, Linda Reinstein, President/CEO, Asbestos Disease Awareness Organization (ADAO) produced a blog post for us in the lead up the Global Asbestos Awareness Week 2014, and again this year, Linda has offered her views as Global Asbestos Awareness Week kicks off today. The Asbestos Disease Awareness Organization (ADAO) is pleased to be launching Global Asbestos Awareness Week (GAAW) for the 11th year in a row. ADAO is dedicated to education, advocacy, and community support, and this week (1-7 April, 2015) is a critical element of our organ... Continue reading

Last week we updated you on the changes to shared parental leave, which takes full effect from 5 April 2015. While this is possibly the most significant development for April 2015, there are other employment law changes that organisations must be aware of. Additional paternity leave On 5 April 2015, the right of fathers to take additional paternity leave is abolished (as it is replaced by shared parental leave). Employers who have not already done so should update policies and handbooks to remove references to additional paternity leave. Unp... Continue reading

The cost of waste crime to the UK economy is reported to be in the order of £568m a year according to a recent Environment Services Association report (Waste Crime: Tackling Britain’s Dirty Secret, 2014). Some of this cost is being borne by landowners required to clean up waste illegally deposited by their tenants. In response, Defra is consulting on proposed enhanced enforcement powers and other measures to tackle waste crime and entrenched poor performance of operators.  The consultation includes consideration (section 13) of how landown... Continue reading