View this story on IOSH.co.uk A new global model for defining competency in occupational safety and health (OSH) was presented today at an international conference in London. Developed by the Institution of Occupational Safety and Health (IOSH) and a cross-sector group of industry experts, IOSH Blueprint is a competency framework, designed for both the OSH professional and any organisation. For the first time, individuals and businesses will have a shared framework for safety and health skills and capability, available online and free ... Continue reading

The EU General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) is the most important change in data privacy regulation in 20 years. After four years of preparation and debate the GDPR was finally approved by the EU Parliament on 14 April 2016 and will be directly application in all member states from May 2018 – at which time those not complying will face heavy fines. The EU General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) replaces the Data Protection Directive 95/46/EC and is designed to harmonise data privacy laws across Europe, to protect and empower all EU ci... Continue reading

Illegal disposal of waste is a significant burden to the UK economy, diverting up to £1bn per annum from legitimate business and the HM Treasury, as well as presenting a significant risk to human health and the environment. However, recent research has indicated that over half (56%) of UK companies are not complying with their legal duty of care to ensure that the waste they produce is managed safely and responsibly.  Of these, 94% are SMEs with fewer than 250 staff. Mat Crocker, Deputy Director of Waste and Illegals at the Environment Agenc... Continue reading

As of January 2016, BS EN 12845: 2015 and the Loss Prevention Council Rules states that is a legal requirement for owners / operators to ensure that their sprinkler systems are audited for compliance by an independent third party on an annual basis. The inspection should cover the whole system including water supply, operation and hazard classification. This means the 3rd party accreditation cannot be carried out by the, owner, occupier, installer or service maintenance provider. Inspections undertaken by insurers for their commercial and under... Continue reading

It’s only 10 March, and it’s been a pretty hectic month already from an employee relations point of view! There have been a number of critical case law decisions regarding vicarious liability which could have a far reaching impact on employers, which makes them much more liable for staff misdemeanours. What is ‘vicarious liability; you might ask?  Well, this is the legal concept where an employer is held responsible for the criminal acts of its employees.  The consequences for any organisation, but particularly larger ones, have the po... Continue reading