It's the height of summer, the sun is shining, school is out and life is good. We all love making the most of summer, especially here in the UK, but that doesn't mean letting the heat go to your head! In terms of health and safety, the summer months (especially during the school holidays) are always a tough time for the emergency services. There's just something about the euphoria and freedom of the season, combined with unusually warm weather, that tends to make people neglect common sense, and forget health and safety. 

One of the biggest dangers to the public, vulnerable children and strong swimmers alike, is water. Whether it's an inland waterway, the beach, or even a public swimming pool, each of these spaces present their own unique hazards. To protect the public, it is essential that holidaymakers, day trippers, and even those just looking for a way to cool off, are reminded of the dangers posed by water,  whether it's the open ocean or a pleasure pool.

Here are a few of the water safety signs we stock at Label Source, along with their corresponding hazards:

No Swimming 

For some reason, the combination of heat and too much free time always drives people to swim in places they shouldn't. This is highly dangerous to even the most confident of swimmers, and is especially lethal to more vulnerable individuals, such as children and the elderly. Whether it's the threat of strong currents, thermal sock from exposure to cold water, or even the risk of illness from polluted water, certain areas should be made completely off-bounds to the public, as they are far too hazardous and unpredictable to guarantee a safe swimming experience. 

Do Not Run

Whether it's a poolside walkway or lakeside deck, water presents just as much of a hazard for those of us on dry land, as it does to those actually in the water! Anyone who's ever seen a lifeguard furiously whistling at a group of unruly children legging it to the pool, knows that the risks of slipping are ever-present around damp areas, and are even magnified if the flooring is shinny or covered in alge! To combat this, and reduce the chances of someone falling and injuring themselves, there should always be clear messages to warn individuals against rapid movements in slippery areas.

No Inflatables 

Some spaces just aren't suitable for certain types of aquatic equipment, and if this is the case, signs should be displayed to prevent members of the public from mistakenly taking them into the water. Inflatables, for example, can present a unique set of hazards in both open and enclosed bodies of water. If used in the sea, with the risk of wind and strong tidal changes, swimmers can soon be carried out to open water, where even experienced divers can come unstuck. In relation to small pools, the water may simply be too shallow to accommodate them, leading to accidents if people trip or fall from them. Their use could even cause the crowding and obscuring of water in small areas, which could make it difficult to spot an individual in distress. 

Lifejacket Warning Sign

Watersports are always popular during warmer months, and while enjoyable, they also present a plethora of health and safety hazards that must be addressed. From hitting rocks, to falling in open water, there are many risks to an individual's safety when taking part in water-based activities. This is why participants and activity providers should always be reminded of how important it is to be equipped with a lifejacket, which can act as an invaluable lifeline when things go wrong in unpredictable situations, which can go from fun to fatal in a matter of minutes. 

Don't forget to stay water-safe this season! Browse our full range of water safety signs here.

Any moving machinery or equipment in the workplace has the potential to cause injury to users. Even fully trained operatives following procedures, with fully maintained machines, with prescribed safety features and using appropriate protective clothing and equipment, have to be mindful that things can go wrong.

A whole range of differing injuries can be sustained including:

Entanglement between moving or rotating machinery, whether this be contact with hair, hands, jewellery or clothing. This can include equipment utilising rollers, belts or pulley drives.

Crush injuries from pinch points, or from being struck by moving parts.

Entrapment can result from being ensnared between different parts of the equipment, or between equipment and walls or other objects.

Cut and abrasion injuries can be caused by blades, shears or other sharp pointed component parts.

Electric shock injuries from direct exposure to machinery powered by mains voltages.

Burns and scalds from contact with hot surfaces, or ejected fluids or hot gases.

In the UK between the period, 2010/11 and 2014/15, 20% of all fatalities from accidents through contact with machinery in the manufacturing sector (Riddor). Annually around 70,000 self-reported injuries are recorded annually, and almost 29% of these result in absences of over 7 days duration (Labour Force Survey). The higher incident of above average workplace injuries can be found in firstly, skilled metal, electrical and electronic trades, and secondly, process, plant and machine operatives.

One key area to reinforce the message of vigilance when using such machines, equipment or tooling is to clearly mark the dangers during operation or maintenance and servicing is to use recognised safety signs and machine labels. Label Source has a comprehensive range of such products for use on machinery or their areas of operation. These include; electrical hazard safety signs; lockout products; general hazard warning signs; personal protective safety signs; chemical hazard safety warning signs; and safety labelling.

For more information on these products, together with customised labelling please contact Label Source by e-mail (sales@labelsource.co.uk) or by telephone 0800 3761693 (in UK) or +44 (1443) 842769 (outside UK).

Health and safety helps countless people all over the world every day. It helps people to stay safe at work, in public places, and even in their own homes, and it ensures that those who put the safety of others at risk don't get away with it. Health and safety is an important and useful industry with a vital role to play in the modern world.

Sadly, as we've seen time and again, many people seem to think that health and safety's primary purpose is to serve as an all-purpose excuse for any occasion. The latest manifestation of this attitude came just yesterday, when a hotel in Llangollen, Denbighshire closed down without notice and pinned the blame on - you guessed it - "health and safety concerns" (source). The Wild Pheasant's management have cancelled all bookings, including wedding receptions, and placed the business into the hands of administrators, but no explanation appears to have been given beyond the one token mention of H&S.

This sort of thing is incredibly damaging to the health and safety industry, and especially to public opinion thereof. Many UK citizens are already far too sceptical of health and safety measures (or 'red tape'), and stories like this don't help at all. The closure of the Wild Pheasant will no doubt cause a good deal of disruption to numerous people's plans, and those individuals will now have to seek refunds and entirely reorganise their holidays or even their weddings. It's not hard to see how the people in that position might end up resenting the "health and safety concerns" that we're told led to this closure.

So, business owners of Britain, it's time to make a pledge: please do not blame health and safety for problems that have nothing to do with measures that, at the end of the day, are only there to protect people. And if you do genuinely feel that H&S is somehow the root of your troubles, at least give a more specific explanation than 'we're closing due to health and safety concerns'!

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Photo by Josie Campbell (geograph.org.uk)

It states in the Health and Safety (Safety Sign and Signals) Regulations 1996 the following "The regulations to ensure that safety signs are provided (or are in place) and maintained in circumstances where there is significant risk to health and safety that has not been removed or controlled by other methods" so in order to comply with the regulations you must ensure that there is safety and warning signs in place or you could face some serious penalties. But what if there is space restrictions stopping your from putting these signs in place? These Small Safety Signs are perfect for that exact reason!

These Small Safety Signs are made from semi-rigid plastic and have an adhesive backing allowing them to stick to any surface with ease! These labels cover the full range of safety sign classifications from Fire Equipment (e.g. Fire Extinguisher, Fire Alarms and Fire Assembly Points) to Mandatory Signs, such as "Wear Eye Protection" signs and "Wear Mask" signs. Each sign is colour coded and complies with ISO1070 and the Safety Sign and Signals Regulations 1996. These signs are perfect if space restrictions are stopping you from placing safety and warning signs in the area. 

Click here to view our full range of Small Safety Signs.

A few days ago, it emerged that Tata Steel had been fined over £2m, after two serious incidents occurred at its Northamptonshire site. Both of these involved workers sustaining severe hand injuries, as a result of avoidable contact with dangerous machinery.

The first of these incidents involved a 26 year old worker, who lost the middle and ring fingers on his left hand, after trying to clear a blockage on a manufacturing line with unsuitable guarding. The second incident occurred in 2015,  when a 52 year old lost part of his little finger after it became caught in a lathe, again, due to unsuitable guarding on the machinery.

Although a spokesman for Tata was quoted as stating that health and safety is the company's most important priority, serious questions must be raised after two near identical incidents took place within months of one another, on the same premises no less! It is clear from the evidence found upon inspection by the HSE, that there was an obvious neglect of duty in terms of properly identifying the serious risks posed to Tata workers, as well as a failure to resolve this issue after the first incident occurred. 

It shouldn't take a serious injury or fatality to make a company take their health and safety procedures seriously, and one would hope that it wouldn't take multiple incidents for a company to implement serious changes. Perhaps the only consolation going forward, is that other companies will be struck by the severity of the issue, and therefore implement better prevention strategies in their own workplaces. 

For anyone concerned with avoiding the mistakes made by Tata, remember to follow a simple but impactful health and safety strategy:

• Educate - Ensure that staff are thoroughly trained before operating dangerous machinery, or performing hazardous tasks without supervision.
• Inform -  Make staff aware of the risks involved in their operations, displaying safety signs and warnings to keep the message fresh in people's minds.
• Protect - Ensure that the correct safety features are in place to minimise potential risks, and provide the required personal protective equipment.
• Asses - Regularly evaluate the level of safety in your workplace, and identify any potential risks that require preventative action.

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