Here are the most notable health and safety news stories of the week:

HSE to Prosecute Alton Towers Owners After Crash

Without a doubt, one of the biggest health and safety news stories of this week, and possibly this year, is the news that HSE will be prosecuting the owners of Alton Towers.This comes after passengers suffered serious physical injuries and psycologial trauma on The Smiler rollercoaster last June, when a full carriage collided with an empty, stationary carriage on the same track. The most serious injuries were suffered by two female passengers, who both had to have a leg amputated as a result of the impact. HSE have said that there is sufficient evidence that the prosecution is in the public interest, and that the comany had breached Section 3(1) of the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974.

Didcot Power Station Collapse Prompts Health and Safety Questions 

Since the defunct Didcot power station building collapsed on Tuesday, it has been revealed that the company demolishing the building had no previous experience of working on a similar project.  The incident which has claimed at least one life already, occurred whilst the Coleman Group were preparing the building for demolition. With a further 5 injuries, 47 cases of dust inhalation, and 3 more people reported to be missing (presumed dead) under the wreckage, there is no doubt that this tragic incident will raise serious questions as to whether it could have been prevented. While the rescue operation remains a priority, the rescue team must take extreme care to ensure that they are prepared for the possibility of further collapse. 

Waste Management Firm in Court Over the Death of a Young Man

Rainbow Waste, a firm based in Derbyshire, has been prosecuted by the HSE after a worker was crushed by the bucket of a motorised loading shovel. The 24 year old worker suffered fatal injuries to his head and spine, a tragic incident which prompted the HSE to examine the working practices of the firm. On examination of CCTV footage, it was revealed that over two hundred examples of unsafe working practices had been captured in the days leading up to the incident. The firm were fined £136,000 and ordered to pay 64,770 in costs, for breeching Section 2(1) of the Health and Safety at Work act.

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A few days ago the BBC reported that Berlin's innovative 'public fridges' were at risk of being closed, due to health and safety concerns. The fridges are indented to lower food waste and provide nourishment for the homeless, by allowing people to leave leftovers and unused food that would otherwise go to waste. While this sounds like a fantastic and progressive idea, there have been some concerns regarding health and safety which could cause the fridges to shut for good.

Local food safety authorities were not pleased by the hygiene standards of some of the fridges, stating that unpackaged and partially torn items were unhygienic, and suggesting that the fridges should be classed as food businesses. The organisers of course insisted that their fridges had never posed a health risk, angered by the suggestion that their project is putting public lives at risk. Fears that the fridges will have to close as a result of these comments has sparked an online petition, in which thousands have expressed their support for the scheme and its continuation.

While we are usually in support of any campaign which intends to improve awareness of food hygiene and public safety, it seems ridiculous to attack a scheme that not only prevents food waste, but also provides the needy with a nutritious portion of food. In many cases, it's likely that the most desperate members of this community would turn to even more unhygienic methods to retrieve food during their lowest points, so isn't it better to provide them with a service which is monitored than to leave them to their own devices?

Although we can't fault the inspectors for raising concerns, their efforts would be better spent in working with the program organisers as opposed to against them. This way, they could organise regular checks and tests of the fridges, and ensure that the proper food safety guidelines were being used and adhered to. If schemes like this are to continue and become more widespread, it's vital that health and safety professionals work alongside coordinators to make the programme both safe and successful.

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We've heared of some pretty creative ways to teach fire safety, but this 'Fire Safety Theme Park' in Tianjin, China has to be the most bizarre and inventive of them all!

Named 119 after the Chinese emergency number, the park features a maze that is filled with orange smoke in order to emulate the conditions of a real fire. Visitors are instructed to attempt to vacate the maze in 30 seconds or under, while covering their mouths and noses as they would have to do to prevent carbon monoxide innhilation. Another feature encourages people to have a go at aiming a fire hose, demonstrating the physical strength required to become a firefighter.

Intended to be as informative as possible, the park also teaches its visitors about fire safety procedures, as well as the history of the fire service. This comes in the wake of the Tanjin warehouse chemical explosions, which brought the importance of fire safety into the public consciousness. 

Although it is great to see that something negative has translated into a positive, productive action, it shouldn't take incidents like those of the Tanjin explosion to prompt people to act and take fire safety seriously! Although the 2015 statistics have not been released yet, in 2013-14 there were 22,000 recorded fires in non-dwelling buildings throughout the UK, most of which were workplaces and retail units. There were also 322 fire-related deaths in Great Britain during that time, some of which could have been prevented by fire safety awareness.

Part of ensuring the safety of civilians and staff is displaying clear fire safety signs, which give warnings and instructions regarding the correct safety procedures to follow in the event of a fire. Our equipment can help you deliver the message of fire safety, and is far simpler than building your own theme park!