It's that time of year again, which means that Road Safety Week is back, to provide us with reminders and motivation to stay safe on the roads. As you may remember from last year's blog post, 2015's theme focused on reducing the number of people using the roads, in an attempt to cut the number of driving-related fatalities.

This year, Brake (the charity who organise the RSW), are encouraging people to focus on six elements of their 2016 pledge:

Slow, Sober, Secure, Silent, Sharp & Sustainable 

You can make and share this pledge online, whether you're a business, an organisation or an individual; it's even open to non-drivers. All you have to to, is follow the six rules set out on the Break website, in order to protect yourself, as well as the people around you. Here's a bit more about each rule:

Slow - For drivers this means staying under the speed limits, and slowing down in bad weather, as well as for brows and bends. It also means adjusting your speed to protect pedestrians, in areas with schools, shops and homes. For everyone, this means speaking out for reducing speed, and helping drivers to understand the dangers posed by excess speed.

Sober - For drivers, this means never driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs, while for everyone else, it means planning ahead to ensure that this never happens.

Secure - This means ensuring that everyone is belted up when driving, including small children, who should be in the correct restraint. Everyone else should to the same as a passenger themselves, and when accompanying family and friends.

Silent - This means never taking/making calls, or reading/typing whilst driving, and ensuring that you never chat on the phone to someone else who's driving.

Sharp - This means staying focused on safe driving, and taking regular breaks when needed. Drivers should also never drive when tired, stressed or when using medication that could impact their ability. Drivers should also wear any required glasses/contacts, and get their eyes tested every 2 years. We should all look out for friends and family whilst driving, and advise them if we don't think they're up to it.

Sustainable - This reiterates last year's point about aiming to drive less, or not at all, using cycles, public transport or walking as much as possible.

Need some additional motivation? Here are some of the facts that led to this year's theme choice:

• Breaking the speed limit or travelling too fast for the conditions contributes to one in four fatal crashes in Great Britain.
• In 2013, one in ten drivers killed in a crash had alcohol in their system, despite being under the legal limit, while one in seven road deaths are caused by a drink driver.
• Seatbelts reduce the chances of dying in a crash by 50%, while 21% of those who do die, were not wearing a seatbelt.
• When using a mobile or similar, you are three times more likely to crash.
• Poor vision cause and estimated 2,900 casualties, and cost £33 million per year.
• There are an estimated 29,000 pollution-related deaths in the UK every year, with 5,000 down to road transport.

The advice is simple: Stick to the legal guidelines, along with the advice given by safety signs, and take responsibility for your own actions whilst driving. If you're a non-driver, look out for those who are, and encourage them to follow these rules at all times.

In the last couple of days a new Press Ganey report has come to light; that highlights the impact of nurses' perceptions of workplace safety and their ability to assess and a accurately treat patients. The main focus of the report was the nurses' perception of workplace safety and their ability to monitor, evaluate and act on their patient's change in health. Nursing practice is vitally important to ensure that a high-quality and empathic care is provided for both patients and caregivers. Christy Dempsey, chief nursing officer at Press Ganey pointed out that integrating workplace safety and surveillance programs throughout the healthcare facility improves outcome measures, whilst also encouraging a commitment to nursing excellence.

The report noted that for healthcare facilities where nurses experienced high workplace safety:

• A 52% lower rate of missed care, as perceived by nurses.
• 27% of nurses at these facilities expressed greater job satisfaction.
• A 22% higher CMS Overall Hospital Quality Star Rating 
• There was also 26% decrease in hospital-acquired pressure alcers (also known as bedsores) at facilities where nurses felt that they were able to respond quicker to their patients' changing status.

These stats are very promising, and they back up Christy's point that workplace safety and surveillance programs helps improve outcomes in healthcare facilities. To help improve nurse safety, the report recommends organizations to: 

• Carry out adequate unit staffing that takes into account patient volume, nurse-skill mix and the intensity of care each patient requires.
• Ensure that uninterrupted, and sufficient meal and rest breaks are taken.
• Use patient data to improve scheduling and decrease extended work shifts.
• Develop a stable core of nurse leaders and nurses with leadership potential through taining and/or formal programs to develop these skills.
• Hire and retain a high percentage of RNs with a bachelor's degree or higher, and nursing specialty certifications.

If your organization meets these guidelines then they're certainly going to see an increase in nursing excellence, which will in part, improve nurse and patient outcomes.

For more H&S news and insight, be sure to follow Label Source on Twitter.

With both workplace deaths and health and safety prosecutions on the rise here in the UK, it appears that Britain's businesses need all the help they can get when it comes to protecting their workers and staying on the right side of the regulations. With that in mind, we should all welcome the announcement that global law firm Clyde & Co have launched a new app - named ClydeCovered - that aims to make workplace safety incidents a little easier to manage.

The ClydeCovered app is free to download, and in the firm's own words, it is "designed to take the guesswork out of whether a workplace incident is notifiable or not...and what steps an individual or business should take following an incident". More specifically, the app allows you to:

• Find out what jurisdiction you are in and who the local health and safety regulator is (e.g. the HSE in Scotland, England and Wales, and the HSENI in Northern Ireland)
  
  
• Identify whether or not an incident needs to be reported to the relevant regulator
  
  
• Create an incident report that can be saved and sent via email
  
  
• Take immediate action (e.g. first aid) in the event of a serious incident
  
  
•  Contact Clyde & Co's emergency response team

At time of writing, the app only covers incidents in Singapore, Australia and New Zealand, but Clyde & Co have said that they will be rolling it out "globally" over the next few months. This hopefully means that UK businesses will soon be able to download the app and benefit from its capabilities in the event of a workplace incident.

Of course, while the ClydeCovered app sounds like the perfect tool to have at your disposal in a health and safety emergency, one thing it can't help you to do is stop incidents from occurring in the first place. As American Founding Father Benjamin Franklin once said, "an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure", and it's better for everyone if you work hard to prevent incidents rather than relying on an app to see you through when something happens.

Preventing workplace incidents:

• Carry out a full risk assessment of your working environment
   
• Take any necessary measures to minimise risk (e.g. using safety labels and signs to warn of hazards)
   
• Remain vigilant and carry out regular re-assessments to ensure that no new risks have arisen

For more health and safety news/insight, be sure to follow @LabelSourceUK on Twitter!

A few days ago, the Financial Times reported that the Health & Safety Executive (HSE) prosecuted more than three times as many companies for health and safety offences in the year ending 31 March 2016 as in the preceding year. During that period, the HSE took a total of 46 company directors and managers to court over safety breaches (most involving the injury or death of an employee), whereas the total for the year before was just 15.

So does this mean that the UK's health and safety standards are slipping? Possibly - we did learn a few months ago that UK workplace deaths are on the rise. However, this latest stat is probably indicative of a more positive trend: companies who violate health and safety rules are increasingly likely to be prosecuted and brought to justice. The Financial Times article contains the following quote from Chris Morrison, the UK Head of Safety, Health & Environment at international law firm Clyde & Co:

"The data confirms what we have been seeing in practice, with the HSE displaying an incrased zeal to prosecure the most senior individuals. By making senior management responsible for the health and safety failings of their business and their staff, the increased enforcement is a serious boardroom issue."

And that, we feel, is a very good thing. Prosecuting and putting pressure on the people at the very top of businesses with poor safety records will force those company heads to make H&S a priority throughout the whole organisation, rather than just a concern for the people on the factory floor. Recent changes to UK law enable the HSE to issue fines exceeding £20 million in some cases, so hopefully we are now approaching a point where all company owners realise that taking a relaxed approach to workplace health and safety simply isn't worth the risk.

For more health and safety news and insight, be sure to follow Label Source on Twitter and Facebook!

Today marks the final day of Great Britain Health and Wellbeing Week 2016, so we thought that we would take some time to reflect of the aims of the movement, and what this means for workplace health. In recent times, it has come to light that the 'health' aspect of 'health and safety' has been somewhat neglected over the years, which has led to a call for increased awareness about the health issues facing British workers.

In order to encourage lasting and continual improvements to workplace health in the UK, this week has been all about encouraging individuals to take responsibility for their own health and wellbeing, as well as that of others. This has included a particular emphasis on the workplace, where employees will need to understand the possible impact that ill health could have on their working life. For employers, this also calls for a need to monitor and prevent workplace health issues, which may arise from hazards and working conditions.

Here are Just Some of the Most Prominent Workplace Health Issues:

Respiratory Diseases 

(Breathing protection signs)

Cause: Respiratory diseases are caused by hazardous substances in the air, such as dusts, fumes, gases and more. 

Effects: Inhalation of these substances can cause damage to the lungs and airways, and can sometimes lead to damage in other parts of the body, should hazardous agents spread to other areas. Illnesses caused by this damage include, asthma, rhinitis, COPD, pneumoconiosis, cancer and more.

Prevention: These diseases can be prevented by conducting regular inspections of workplaces, following recommended guidelines, educating employees, and providing the correct PPE.

Musculoskeletal Disorders

(Manual handling signs) 

Cause: These disorders are often caused by the repetitive bending, twisting or lifting involved with handling heavy items, as well as by certain postures and repetitive behaviours. 

Effects: Tendon strain, tension neck syndrome, epicondylitis and degenerative disc disease, are just some of the conditions caused by manual operations. These can not only be incredibly painful, but can also lead to a loss of mobility and range of motion.

Prevention: These conditions can be prevented in the workplace, by using a combination of tailored information and equipment, to encourage safe and healthy working practices.

Occupational Cancers

(Asbestos Signs)

Cause: Occupational cancer can be cause by exposure to radiatation, chemicals and other dangerous substances, and is closely linked with the previously mentioned respiratory issues.

Effects: Exposure to certain materials can cause lung, breast, liver and skin cancers, as well as a variety of other, rarer forms of the disease. In many cases, this also causes the disease to spread to other parts of the body.

Prevention: Develop a programme which regulates and controls the presence of carcinogens in the workplace, while monitoring possible exposure. As always, the proper equipment and working procedures should be followed.

Skin Disorders 

(Hand protection signs)

Cause: Like many workplace health issues, these are also caused by exposure to certain materials and chemicals, which can happen in almost all workplaces.

Effects: One of the most common skin issues experienced in the workplace is dermatitis, but this can also range to issues such as urticaria, and in the most deadly cases:skin cancer.

 Prevention: The most simple and effective solution to this issue, is to provide protective equipment and clothing, in order to prevent dangerous chemicals from coming into contact with the skin. If possible, these substances should be avoided altogether, but if this is not possible, symptoms of possible skin issues should be regularly monitored.

Vibration-Induced Disorders 

(Vibration Safety Signs) 

Cause: Vibration injuries are a rather common workplace injury, usually caused by the use of vibrating power tools for extended periods of time.

Effects: Symptoms of these injuries can include numbness, whitening of the fingers, and a loss of dexterity/movement.

Prevention: Vibration injuries can be reduced by limiting exposure, providing specialised equipment to reduce vibration, and using the correct protective apparel, such as anti-vibration gloves.

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