Latest Health & Safety legislation News

Companies still fail to take necessary health and safety steps to avoid prosecution under the Corporate Manslaughter Act
posted on 16/05/2011

New research by G4S Monitoring & Response Services, part of G4S Secure Solutions (UK), reveals that a high proportion of companies are not taking the necessary measures to ensure the safety of their staff, with an estimated 38 instances of employees being attacked or threatened each year whilst working alone at a typical medium-to-large sized company. Indeed, two thirds (66%) of companies questioned admitted to not having put in place new measures and procedures designed to protect lone workers since the Corporate Manslaughter Act was introduced in 2007. Less than a third of respondents (29%) said they were confident that their organisation had taken all possible health and safety steps to avoid future prosecution under the Corporate Manslaughter Act. G4S is advising companies to ensure that they have the correct health and safety measures in place to mitigate the risks faced by staff who are deployed alone. The research also showed that, based on an average-sized company employing... [more]

A lone worker should not be at more risk than any other employee
posted on 16/03/2011

Changing work patterns and the need for businesses to 'downsize' are resulting in more and more staff becoming classified as lone workers. According to the Health & Safety Executive lone workers are those who work by themselves without close or direct supervision. They work in a wide range of professions within a number of sectors. Most UK companies will have lone working staff and therefore a duty to ensure their safety. According to the Health & Safety Executive from the 2008/9 British Crime Survey, there were approximately 305,000 threats of violence and 321,000 physical assaults by member of the public on British workers during the 12-months prior to the interviews. This represents a worrying rising trend facing many lone workers. Employers have responsibilities for the health, safety and welfare at work of their employees and the health and safety of those affected by the work e.g. contractors and self-employed people who companies may engage. These responsibilities cannot b... [more]

Boiling Frog app is one of the most cost effective ways to reduce the risk of both accidents and illness
posted on 17/02/2011

Any organisation must provide proper health and safety information for its employees, particularly those travelling to high risk areas. The continuing threat of terrorism, the recent civil unrest in Arab countries, floods and other natural disasters coupled with tighter legislation, make it essential to provide an effective health and safety programme. Last year 800,000 employees went on trips to high or extreme risk destinations, meanwhile new legislation puts a greater responsibility on organisations to provide an effective Duty of Care programme – but many fail to do so. The new Boiling Frog app provides highly practical travel, safety and first aid advice for all travellers but particularly for those travelling to high risk areas, making it the perfect first step in meeting the new legal obligations. Boiling Frog encourages people to be prepared – reducing the risk of things going wrong but also helping to minimise the severity, inconvenience and cost if they still do. Created b... [more]

Code Accurately to Reduce Denial of Claims
posted on 29/11/2010

What is coding? In short, the process of coding the documents of physicians in his office or clinics is termed as medical coding. The definition is quite simple but the process of coding isn’t that simple. It requires a pool of talents to become a perfect medical coder. No physician’s clinic or office will be without medical coders because they are compulsory for the improvement of their business. Role of coders: A coder is a trained professional with stupendous knowledge of medical terms. Coders code the document of the physicians based on the disease and treatment noted for the patients. They analyze the record scrupulously to grab the exact details from the document to furnish an accurate and perfect coding. It is with the help of the coding performed by coders, the claims are evaluated by the insurance companies and exact fee is rendered to the health care sectors. Coding and billing: A mess up in coding leads to denial of claims by insurance companies. An accurate coding may... [more]

The security sector cannot ignore the Corporate Manslaughter Act
posted on 23/09/2009

The Corporate Manslaughter and Corporate Homicide Act 2007 took effect on 6 April 2008. The first charge under the Act was authorised by the Crown Prosecution Service in April 2009 against Cotswold Geotechnical Holdings as a result of a fatal accident involving an employee who had been collecting samples in a pit. A corporate manslaughter charge is against the organisation rather than an individual. However, under the common law, individuals – including directors and senior managers – can still commit an offence of manslaughter through gross negligence. The two types of cases can be run concurrently. The main penalty specified is an unlimited fine. The Act also introduces ‘publicity orders’ – it will allow courts to require convicted organisations to publish details of offences and penalties. In addition, the Court may make binding recommendations called ‘remedial orders’. The Corporate Manslaughter Act makes it easier than previous measures to initiate a prosecution against mor... [more]

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