Editorial

Editorial Archive

11pm 31/1/2020 brought BIG CHANGES for United Kingdom

February 2020
Sheila Pantry OBE

The UK is now officially out of the European Union, three-and-a-half years after a referendum on membership of the bloc was unexpectedly won by the Leave side. The poll uncovered deep divisions in British Society, and caused political paralysis until a decisive victory by Boris Johnson and the Conservative Party in the 12 December 2019 general election called to resolve the deadlock. At 11 p.m. U.K. time (midnight European time) on Friday, 31 January 2020, the country officially left the European Union, triggering celebrations and commiserations across the country and continent from those on each side of the Remain-Leave divide.

One thing that should NOT change – but should IMPROVE is to be even more aware that the challenges of various kinds – accidents, injuries and ill health that present themselves daily in our workplaces and environment and can strike at any time. So, the watchword is to be careful not only at work, but also when travelling and in your own home.

Remember that the very first piece of health and safety legislation in the UK is over 200 years old – Factory Act 1802 – Act for the preservation of the Health and Morals of Apprentices and others employed in Cotton and other Mills, and Cotton and other Factories 1802 – visit https://www.historyofosh.org.uk/themes/legislation.html

This is the first Act of the Parliament in the UK intended to protect the welfare of people at work. Towards the end of the 18th century the increasing pace of industrial revolution and its concentration of labour in factories and mills utilising powered technology had brought with it growing publicity about the conditions of those – in particular children) employed in such establishment.

Sir Robert Peel introduced the Bill in 1802, passed the same year with little or no opposition, largely in consequence of the revelations of the abuse of children in textile mills.

Help is available in many different sources. Remember You will find many examples of good practices, information, guidance and advice, research reports, leaflets and much more that has been brought together in the long-established OSH UPDATE + FIRE www.oshupdate.com – which is THE key tool to all your health, safety and fire information requirements!

OSH UPDATE + FIRE is:

• long established from mid 1990s with some of the databases in the collection service having information going back over 80 years or more.
• easily searchable by keywords, titles, journal names, standard number, authors, organisations, and will keep you and your colleagues alerted to hot topics such as air pollution, robots in the workplace, stress and aggression in the workplace, workplace health risks, lone workers, preparedness and business continuity, risk assessment, bio-terrorism, management of road risks, all aspects of fire and related fire topics, workplace health and safety and much more.
• arguably the largest electronic collection in the World with very wide range of subject areas from worldwide sources. There is a special collection of OSH legislation, guidance and advice within OSH UPDATE and FIRE! And the subscription is very budget friendly!

The 26 databases and contents are from worldwide class organisations such as the US NIOSH, the UK Health and Safety Executive, the European Agency for Safety and Health at Work and many more similar global organisations.

This time of the year is a good time for all organisations worldwide to review their health and safety goals for 2020 and decide on the training or re-training that is needed for all levels of staff and definitely update their information resources.

Check out these successful efforts that are in OSH UPDATE + FIRE and OSHWORLD and introduce them into your workplace!

It is always good to keep researching and finding out if there are services and other ways of keeping up to date in this fast-changing world of ours.

Time is precious and many people are really stretched in their jobs and find it difficult to keep ahead in current knowledge that they should have for their jobs.

So, help is at hand for those working in health, safety and fire and fire related industries which are brought together in an easy to use web service entitled OSH UPDATE + FIRE www.oshupdate.com that is constantly updated.

Then try these long established Practical, Affordable Solutions for your health, safety, fire and environment information needs from Sheila Pantry Associates Ltd.

For a 15-DAY FREE NO OBLIGATION TRIAL contact: Sheila Pantry Associates Ltd | email: sp@sheilapantry.com | or fill in the Interest form www.sheilapantry.com/interest.html

Update your OSH and FIRE knowledge in 2020

Help in keeping you up to date is near to you …

To help organisations – managers, directors, supervisors and workers and especially those teaching in colleges and universities there is OSH UPDATE + FIRE – the long-established electronic collection of 26 databases of full text and bibliographic authoritative and validated information on all aspects of working life. OSH UPDATE + FIRE is constantly updated with worldwide information.

If you need information on all aspects of workplace health and safety and much more – then have a look at OSH UPDATE + FIRE which is a unique collection of information sources collected together in one place.

Information seekers will find a wealth of authoritative and validated advice from these global sources. Full text documents and references on research results, best practices, case studies, journal articles, reports, advice and guidance, legislation and much more are in OSH UPDATE + FIRE.

Information seekers will find a wealth of authoritative and validated advice from these global sources. Full text documents and references on research results, best practices, case studies, journal articles, reports, advice and guidance, legislation, accidents and incident reports and much more are in OSH UPDATE + FIRE.

Why not try OSH UPDATE + FIRE for yourself? Why be without quality OSH and fire information?

Contact Sheila Pantry Associates Ltd. for 15-day FREE trials for all services that are very cost-effective and easy to use. Why pay more for information? Go to: www.sheilapantry.com/interest.html

It is always good to keep researching and finding out if there are services and other ways of keeping up to date in this fast-changing world of ours.

• Time is precious and many people are really stretched in their jobs and find it difficult to keep ahead in current knowledge that they should have for their jobs.
• So help is at hand for those working in health, safety and fire and fire related industries which are brought together in an easy to use web service entitled OSH UPDATE + FIRE www.oshupdate.com that is constantly updated.

Then try these long established Practical, Affordable Solutions for your health, safety, fire and environment information needs from Sheila Pantry Associates Ltd.

For a 15-DAY FREE NO OBLIGATION TRIAL contact: Sheila Pantry Associates Ltd | email: sp@sheilapantry.com | or fill in the Interest form www.sheilapantry.com/interest.html

Update your 2020 diaries and calendars with training events for workers at all levels

Whether you are a manager, director, safety representative, supervisors or worker it is time to

• check out the training needed in your workplace.
• look at the latest additions to the Diary of Events in OSHWORLD and you will see plans have been made already worldwide well into 2020 offering training courses, symposiums, webinars and conferences in many places in the world on a wide range of subjects.
• make sure you do not put off training for yourself and your staff. In these days of tighter budgets perhaps training may be put on the “back-burner” – but think again how you can keep up with the latest techniques and training opportunities.
• remember accidents and ill health in the workplace is costly.

Remember that even if you cannot attend these many events, speakers and organisers are often willing to share their knowledge. Look at the details – where possible, we add in the web sites of these events so you can request further information. And do let me know if you are organising any OSHE events so that these can be added to the OSHWORLD Diary.

FOCUS

This month’s OSHWORLD FOCUS is entitled Smokers with mental health conditions who successfully quit call on health professionals to do more to help others do the same.

OSHWORLD – your portal to some great OSH and FIRE web sites in the world

Wherever you are in the world have a look at your health, safety, chemical, fire and environment procedures in your workplace and update them. Your review may also indicate training requirements and re-thinking how systems and services can be improved. This is where the free-of-charge OSHWORLD can help you.

Resources

In addition to the above we hope that you find the information in OSHWORLD useful in your daily work. Globally there are continually new titles, news items, new products so remember to look at the News to find the latest information from a range of worldwide sources.

Use OSHWORLD as your portal to many hundreds of validated and authoritative web sites that you can find in the Country and Subject links we offer. New subject topics are constantly brought together on web sites, e.g. nanotechnology and the workplace.

Most information services have a reference shelf where you can quickly check the reference sources – so OSHWORLD brings you a collection of Reference sources and also teaches you how to Search the Internet.

Visit the various Bookshops to order any new document as they are being published. Many of these Bookshops have a constant stream of new titles available.

Please send any suggestions or comments about OSHWORLD – your portal to validated and authoritative information. Remember also to look at our other really useful sites – www.sheilapantry.com and why not make a free entry about your company’s products in www.shebuyersguide.com.

Don’t forget to learn from history – visit www.historyofosh.org.uk
An invaluable resource for students, lecturers, trainers, health and safety professionals and others with a general interest in industrial history, the site sets out developments from the 1802 Factory Act all the way through to the most recent regulatory changes made by the UK Health and Safety Executive (HSE). Also visit www.sheilapantry.com/memorial

Don’t work harder – work smarter! Be ahead of the game.

Well did you have a zero accident, incident-free and healthy 2019 in your workplace? Some would argue that this is not possible! But keep on trying again in 2020.

And do continue to make plans for your campaigns for 2020 and beyond!