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There are two versions of the safety brief – a video version and a text version.
Please watch or read the version that you prefer, and then click at the bottom of the page to confirm that you have understood it.
Congratulations to this month’s See it, share it winner. The award goes to the M25 emergency refuge area team. Client Skanska has praised them for raising observations and closing them out at site level. They take safety really seriously on site and deserve their award.
Please share observations and good practice by emailing besafe@vgcgroup.co.uk.
If you commute to work by company or private vehicle, please follow government advice.
You should travel alone, or only with other members of your household.
Make sure the air is not on recirculate.
If you can't get to work without sharing a vehicle, you must discuss this with your line manager before you travel.
Rail Wellbeing Live 2020 online is on 4-5 November. You can register free to attend any of a range of sessions, and if you can’t watch at the time, you’ll get the recordings afterwards.
Themes include fatigue, healthy cultures, mental wellbeing, and musculoskeletal disorders. See www.railwellbeinglive.co.uk for more information.
The European Agency for Safety and Health at Work has begun a two-year Healthy Workplaces campaign. ‘Lighten the Load’ focuses on work-related musculoskeletal disorders, and ways to prevent them.
Nicolas Schmit, the European Commissioner for Jobs and Social Rights, says that three in five workers have had backache, sore necks and sore muscles as a result of work. These MSD are bad for mental as well as physical health.
Dr Christa Sedlatschek, Director of the European Agency for Safety and Health at Work, says musculoskeletal disorders are the most common health problem in workplaces right across Europe.
She named construction as one of the industries where workers are more at risk.
It is simple to prevent MSDs: you have to be aware of the risks and take action to look after your health.
If you don’t feel comfortable about a manual handling task, don’t do it.
You also need to take care if you operate plant or work at a desk: sitting has been identified as a major risk.
Every year, people are injured from fireworks at home. In 2018 nearly 2,000 people ended up in A&E due to firework injuries like burns and smoke inhalation.
Injuries are most often to hands, followed by eyes and faces. Some people have been so severely injured they still need ongoing treatment over a year later. Others have lost eyes and fingers, and even their lives.
The Fire Service says
With people not able to go to organised events this year, there could be even more injuries this year. Please don’t let one of them be you.
If you have questions about any part of this brief, or want to raise any observations of good practice or things that could be improved, please email besafe@vgcgroup.co.uk or fill in the online form at vgcgroup.co.uk/whistle.
Please confirm that you have watched or read the safety brief and understood it.
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If you have any questions about the safety brief, contact your line manager or the HSQE team on 01895 671 892 or besafe@vgcgroup.co.uk.
