22nd December 2015

EU Consultation

European Commission.  22nd December. The European Commission is consulting on an evaluation of the Environmental Noise Directive to determine regulatory fitness.  Consultation closes 28th March.  http://ec.europa.eu/smart-regulation/roadmaps/docs/2016_env_065_noise_evaluation_en.pdf

21st December 2015

Essex manufacturing company fined £750,000 following workplace fatality

An Essex manufacturing company has been fined £750,000 and ordered to pay costs of £29,511 following an incident, in September 29013, when a worker was fatally crushed after his arm was caught in a powered roller. The incident occurred because a critical guard was not in place.

21st December 2015

Merthyr Tydfil based manufacturer fined £50,000 HAVS cases

A Merthyr Tydfil based manufacturer has been fined £50,000 and was ordered to pay £14,793.60 in costs after twenty-one employees were diagnosed with hand-arm vibration syndrome (HAVS). HSE established that from 2000, when the factory opened, until its closure in 2013 there was never a fully compliant management system for hand arm vibration.

Employees were exposed to the risk of hand arm vibration on a daily basis yet the company failed to recognise this. There was no health surveillance to identify employees who might already have some vibration damage even though they employed ex-miners and experienced fitters, or to pick up whether someone was suffering symptoms before they became serious

18th December 2015

SI 2015/2045

SI 2015/2045. The Feed-in Tariffs (Amendment) (No. 3) Order 2015. Comes into force 15th January. The Order amends the Feed-in Tariffs Order 2012. (SI 2012/2782)