The BPIF is the principal business support organisation representing the UK print, printed packaging and graphic communication industry and is one of the country's leading trade associations. We are a not-for-profit-distribution organisation.
Health & Safety News
Tips for Winter Driving
17 December 2009
For most it is a grim though of heading in to winter months with the limited day light hours and adverse weather conditions being predicted by the Met office on a daily basis. How about those who have to drive for the employer! The following points in this article highlights some basic top tips for those who drive and have to drive during hazardous conditions, whether it is making deliveries to the clients with the finished printed articles, attending meetings or just general deliveries.
Slips and Trips and Falls from Height - updated information within the GRIP Tool
17 December 2009
Phase 3 of the HSE Shattered Lives campaign will be running from February 2010 for a period of 5 weeks.
A survey following the last phase found that:
- 34% of direct line managers thought they were likely to have a slip and trip accident in the workplace and 19% thought they were likely to have a falls accident in the workplace.
Click here for more information from the survey and on the Grip Tool.
Health and Safety Alert - Guarding on folder-stacker
07 December 2009
Stahl KD78 Folder/Stacker Unit Incident
The Incident
On 18th November 2009 an accident occurred at Hobbs the Printers in Totton, Southampton. The incident involved a 21 year old apprentice who was operating the Stahl folder/stacker unit. The operator's right arm was drawn in between the delivery rollers whilst trying to remove an unwanted article. The area where the incident occurred was unguarded (see photograph).
HSE European week of health and safety
16 October 2009
This year the European Week of Health and Safety takes place on 19 - 25 October 2009. This has been a 2-year campaign (2008/2009) aimed at stakeholders, including employers, workers and safety representatives, and is intended to promote the benefits of completing and implementing a risk assessment. The focus of the second year of the campaign is promoting good practice in risk assessment.
Workplace Signage
24 September 2009
blank_pageAs you are aware legislation requires that risk from hazards in the workplace are minimised, but where risk assessments shows that residual risk is still significant, signage is required to indicate the type of hazard and any control measures that are in place. Are you complying with the requirements?
Thinking of buying a new machine? Have you thought of all the safety issues?
11 September 2009
It is all too common for organisations to purchase equipment that does not always meet their expectations and may not be as safe as one thinks, or misled into believing the machine is totally safe because it displays a CE mark!
Safety signs and signals: the health and safety (safety signs and signals) regulations 1996
10 August 2009
As your company's safety representative concerned with safety signs, you may wish to know that the second edition is now available.
L64 Safety signs and signals: the health and safety (safety signs and signals) regulations 1996. Guidance on regulations.
Second edition June 2009, ISBN 978 07176 6359 0, 44 pages, £9.50
Waste batteries: do you know what to do with them?
10 August 2009
You may or may not be aware that new legislation is in place to deal with the management of waste batteries produced within your organisation, as it will be illegal to send them to land fill. There is also a need to have different arrangements for collecting different types of battery.
Hand Fed Platen Presses
03 August 2009
You may or may not be aware that the industry has experienced a number of fatalities over the last two years involving employees operating medium to large Hand Fed Platen Presses.
Pregnancy at Work
25 June 2009
The Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999 require employers to carry out a specific risk assessment when a women of child bearing age, or a new or expectant mother may be at risk from a work process, a working condition or any physical, chemical or biological agents that may be presenting the workplace.
Environmental damage regulation - If you pollute, you pay...
25 June 2009
The "polluter pays" principle is being implemented through the recently enforced Environmental Damage (Prevention and Remediation) Regulations (the Environmental Liability Directive) in England and Wales to ensure that potentially polluting organisations prevent environmental damage occurring and repair any damage that they does occur.
Unsafe Reel Handling - could your company be open to prosecution?
25 June 2009
Following the prosecution of a West Yorkshire printer after a visiting driver suffered serious injuries when he was struck by a moving reel of paper whilst helping to unload a delivery to a print company in June 2008, the BPIF and Health and Safety Executive (HSE) are reminding the print industry of the dangers of loading and unloading reels of paper from delivery vehicles.
New workplace Health & Safety Law poster
25 June 2009
As from 6th April 2009, the HSE has published its new versions of its approved health and safety law poster and leaflet.
The new versions are modern, eye-catching and easy to read. The new design is set out in simple terms, using numbered lists of the basic and key points, on what employers and workers must do, and tell you what to do if there is a problem.
Printing press guarding - safety alert
25 June 2009
This alert has been drawn up by the BPIF and Unite to provide information and advice on a recent accident in the printing industry. It does not seek to attribute blame in any way, and is based on information current at the time of the alert. This accident is still under investigation and therefore it is possible that additional information may become available at a later date.
HSE to publish fatalities on the web
25 June 2009
The HSE has announced that it will publish the names of people killed in workplace accidents on its website following a ruling by the Information Commissioner last year. The HSE had argued that providing the names of people killed at work would breach the European Convention on Human Rights, as the families could be adversely affected But in July 2008 the Commissioner rules in favour of the Centre for Corporate Accountability requiring the names to be published once the Coroner's inquest had been opened.
Names and details of fatalities are available at www.hse.gov.uk/foi/fatalities/in-year-names.htm
Calls for maximum work temperature continues!
25 June 2009
The TUC has recently warned that factories and offices across the UK will become increasingly uncomfortable and potentially hazardous as the summers in the UK get hotter. In a new report the TUC is calling for the introduction of a new upper limit on workplace temperature to protect workers.
SAFETY WARNING - Printing Press Guarding
26 May 2009
This alert has been drawn up by the BPIF and Unite to provide information and advice on a recent accident in the printing industry. It does not seek to attribute blame in any way, and is based on information current at the time of the alert. This accident is still under investigation and therefore it is possible that additional information may become available at a later date.
The Incident
On the morning of Tuesday 6th May 2009 a 49-year-old man’s arm was dragged into a printing press while he was operating the first unit of a four colour, Heidelberg Speedmaster 72 VP press. His arm was drawn into the press between the plate cylinder and the inking roller.
Emergency services were unable to free the injured person's arm and therefore, doctors decided to amputate his arm at the scene of the incident.
The incident is currently being investigated by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) and information is limited as it is in the early stages of the investigation. However, the HSE has confirmed that a Notice to Leave Undisturbed had been served on the company.
The injured person was working alone and there were no direct witnesses to the accident. However it is believed that he may have been trying to remove a hickie from the rotating plate, using a stiff piece of card, while the machine was at operating speed.
It is believed that the guarding of the machine was inadequate, and that at each print unit the extension guard which normally sits below the "guard in front of the inking unit at the feeder side" was missing.
According to Heidelberg the following guarding arrangement should be in place on this type of machine:Shattered Lives 2009 STEP this way - what''s in it for you ?
24 March 2009
Shattered Lives 2009 campaign is focusing on promoting action in the workplace.
To help you do this HSE's new, free on line STEP eLearning package is full of additional resources for you to use to endorse people's learning and prevent slip and trip accidents in your workplace!
Managing fire, water and major spillages
24 March 2009
Most printing companies have the potential to cause significant environmental harm and to threaten water supplies and comprise the public's health and safety because of the nature or products used the in the various printing processes. Spillages of chemicals and oil are the obvious threats. However, materials, which are non-hazardous to humans, such as milk and beer, may also cause serious environmental problems, as can the run-off generated in the event of a fire.
Risk assessment, how compliant are you?
23 March 2009
You may or may not be aware that the requirement for carrying out and recording the findings of your workplace risk assessments (five employees or more) have been about since 1992, under the Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations, which was later amended presenting the 1999 regulations. So looking back over the last 16 years within the Printing and Packaging Industry, have employers learnt what is required of them to demonstrate a ‘suitable and sufficient' risk assessment?
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