SPOTLIGHT
World Day for Safety and Health at Work
28 April 2016 Theme : Workplace Stress : a collective challenge
This year , “ Workplace Stress : a collective challenge ” is the theme of the campaign of the World Day for Safety and Health at Work . The report will draw attention to current global trends on work-related stress and its impact .
Today , many workers are facing greater pressure to meet the demands of modern working life . Psychosocial risks such as increased competition , higher expectations on performance and longer working hours are contributing to the workplace becoming an ever more stressful environment .
ALTRINCHAM BUILDING CONTRACTOR SENTENCED OVER BLOCK COLLAPSE AND MULTIPLE UNSAFE WORKING PRACTICES
A Cheshire building company has been sentenced for safety failings at a building site in Altrincham where they were building residential houses and apartments .
Altin Homes Limited was running the building works at the former petrol station on Woodlands Road , Altrincham , Cheshire . The company was in control of all construction works and acted as client and main contractor employing numerous trade workers and labourers on site . The site first came to HSE ’ s attention in June 2014 following the collapse of building blocks across the pavement and cycle lane on Woodlands Road .
When HSE investigated the collapse of building blocks it was noted that there were other poorly stored blocks on site which were at risk of crashing through the hoarding for
Work-related stress is now generally acknowledged as global issue affecting all countries , all professions and all workers both in developed and developing countries . In this complex context , the workplace is at the same time an important source of psychosocial risks and the ideal venue to address them in order to protect the health and wellbeing of workers .
The World Day for Safety and Health at Work is an annual international campaign to promote safe , healthy and decent work . It is held on 28 April and has been observed by the International Labour Organization ( ILO ) since 2003 .
28 April has also long been associated with the world ’ s trade union movement ’ s commemoration of the victims of occupational accidents and diseases .
Every year some two million men and women lose their lives through accidents and diseases linked to their work . In addition , there are 270 million occupational accidents and 160 million occupational diseases each year , incurring US $ 2.8 trillion in costs for lost working time and expenses for treatment , compensation and rehabilitation . Fatalities , accidents and illness at work are highly preventable and we have an obligation to act .
A national occupational safety and health culture is one in which the right to a safe and healthy working environment is respected at all levels , where governments , employers and workers actively participate in securing a safe and healthy working environment through a system of defined rights , responsibilities and duties , and where the highest priority is accorded to the principle of prevention .
a second time . The company was told to remove them as soon as possible to reduce this risk .
The HSE inspector served two Prohibition Notices and two Improvement Notices , along with a Notification of Contravention during the first site visits .
Trafford Magistrates ’ Court heard that some of the issues had been satisfactorily dealt with by Altin Homes following HSE ’ s first intervention but on a second visit a fortnight later , they had failed to remove the unsafe blocks which had caused the original incident . In essence they had ignored the recommendations of the inspector and had put their own workers and members of the public at continual risk .
Altin Homes were charged with failing to protect the safety of their employees , failure to protect the safety of others including subcontractors and members of the public and one count of failing to plan , manage and monitor construction work so that it was carried out in a safe manner .
Altin Homes Limited of Altin Court , 1a , Woodlands Road , Altrincham , Cheshire , WA14 1HG pleaded guilty at Trafford Magistrates Court to breaching Sections 2 ( 1 ) and 3 ( 1 ) of the Health and Safety at Work etc Act 1974 and Regulation 22 ( 1 )( a ) of the Construction ( Design and Management ) Regulations 2007 and was fined £ 40,000 with £ 3,000 costs . HSE inspector Matt Greenly said after the case : “ Altin Homes Limited failed in their duty to protect their workers , subcontractors and members of the public passing by this site from a foreseeable risk of serious harm .
“ Luckily no one was injured when the blocks fell through
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HSE INTERNATIONAL