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The Health and Safety Executive have completed an inspection initiative focussing on the prevention and management of sharps injuries in forty NHS organisations. Health and safety breaches were found in 90% of the services visited and inspectors issued improvement notices to 45% of those NHS organisations. In this article Richard Griffith sets out the key findings of the inspection initiative and considers their impact on district nursing practice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A cross-industry occupational hygiene survey was commissioned by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) to determine the levels of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH) exposure in UK industry and to determine if one or more target analytes were suitable as markers for assessing total exposure to PAHs. There were no broadly applicable UK exposure standards for assessing total exposure to PAHs. Until 1993 a guidance value for assessing exposure in coke ovens only, where PAH exposure is known to be the highest, was based on gravimetric analysis of cyclohexane-soluble material. Biological monitoring based on urinary 1-hydroxypyrene (1-OHP) is widely reported to be an effective indicator of exposure by both dermal and inhalation routes but there was no UK guidance value. The survey involved an occupational hygiene study of 25 sites using both airborne monitoring of a total of 17 individual PAHs and biological monitoring. The results showed 8 h TWA levels of total PAH in air ranged from 0.4 to 1912.6 μg m−3 with a GM of 15.8 μg m−3. The profile of PAHs was dominated by naphthalene, the most volatile 2-ring PAH. Airborne benzo(a)pyrene (BaP) correlated well (r2 = 0.971) with levels of carcinogenic 4–6 ring PAHs and was an effective marker of exposure for all industries where significant particle bound PAH levels were found and, in particular, for CTPV exposure. The 8 h TWA levels of BaP ranged from <0.01 to 6.21 μg m−3 with a GM of 0.036 μg m−3; 90% were <0.75 μg m−3 and 95% were <2.0 μg m−3. Two hundred and eighteen urine samples collected from different workers at the end of shift and 213 samples collected pre-shift next day were analysed for 1-OHP. Levels of 1-OHP in end-of-shift samples were generally higher than those in pre-shift-next-day samples and showed a good correlation (r2 = 0.768) to airborne BaP levels if samples from workers using respiratory protection or with significant dermal exposure were excluded. Urinary 1-OHP in end-of-shift samples ranged from the limit of detection (0.5 μmol mol−1 creatinine) to 60 μmol mol−1 creatinine with a mean of 2.49 μmol mol−1 and a 90th percentile value of 6.7 μmol mol−1 creatinine. The highest 1-OHP levels were found in samples from workers impregnating timber with creosote where exposure was dominated by naphthalene. If the 11 samples from these workers were excluded from the dataset, the 90% value for end-of-shift urine samples was 4 μmol mol−1 creatinine (n = 207) and this value has since been adopted by the HSE as a biological monitoring benchmark value. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Estimation and Assessment of Substance Exposure (EASE) is a computerized expert system developed by the UK Health and Safety Executive to facilitate exposure assessments in the absence of exposure measurements. The system uses a number of rules to predict a range of likely exposures or an ‘end-point’ for a given work situation. The purpose of this study was to identify a number of inhalation exposure measurements covering a wide range of end-points in the EASE system to compare with the predicted exposures. Occupational exposure data sets were identified from previous research projects or from consultancy work. Available information for each set of measurements was retrieved from archive storage and reviewed to ensure that it was adequate to enable EASE (version 2) predictions to be obtained. Exposure measurements and other relevant contextual data were abstracted and entered into a computer spreadsheet. EASE predictions were then obtained for each task or job and entered into the spreadsheet. In addition, we generated a random exposure range for each data set for comparison with the EASE predictions. Finally, we produced exposure assessments for a subset of the data using a structured subjective assessment method. We were able to identify ∼4000 inhalation exposure measurements covering 52 different scenarios and 28 EASE end-points. The data included measurements of solvent vapours, non-fibrous dusts and fibres. In 62% of the end-points the EASE predictions were generally greater than the exposure measurements and in 30% of the end-points the EASE estimates were comparable with the measurements. The random allocation of exposure ranges was, as expected, less reliable than EASE, although there were still about one-third of the cases where the randomly generated exposure ranges generally agreed with the measurements. The structured subjective assessments undertaken by a human expert produced exposure estimates in better agreement with the measurements with about two-thirds of the end-points derived from these assessments in good agreement with the data. We argue that the inhalation exposure estimates from EASE could be improved by incorporating some of the parameters included in the structured subjective assessment methodology. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The estimation and assessment of substance exposure (EASE) model has been under development and in use since the early 1990s. It is a general model that can be used to predict workplace exposure to any substance hazardous to health. The current EASE model (version 2.0) has been used widely in the risk assessment of new and existing chemicals by the UK Health and Safety Executive (HSE) and other regulatory agencies. EASE has also been distributed globally to over 200 users and therefore may have been used for many other purposes. Despite widespread use of the model, neither the development of its structure nor its underlying concepts and principles have been published in the open literature. Using surviving documentary evidence and discussions with key personnel, the creation and development of the model from 1992 to 2002 is described. The role of the HSE's National Exposure Database (NEDB) as the principal data source for the development of the model output exposure ranges is described. A number of problems and limitations of the model have been identified and the description of the model's development provides some explanation of their presence. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Estimation and Assessment of Substance Exposure (EASE) is an artificial intelligence program developed by UK''s Health and Safety Executive to assess exposure. EASE computes estimated airborne concentrations based on a substance''s vapor pressure and the types of controls in the work area. Though EASE is intended only to make broad predictions of exposure from occupational environments, some occupational hygienists might attempt to use EASE for individual exposure characterizations. This study investigated whether EASE would accurately predict actual sampling results from a chemical manufacturing process. Personal breathing zone time-weighted average (TWA) monitoring data for two volatile organic chemicals—a common solvent (toluene) and a specialty monomer (chloroprene)—present in this manufacturing process were compared to EASE-generated estimates. EASE-estimated concentrations for specific tasks were weighted by task durations reported in the monitoring record to yield TWA estimates from EASE that could be directly compared to the measured TWA data. Two hundred and six chloroprene and toluene full-shift personal samples were selected from eight areas of this manufacturing process. The Spearman correlation between EASE TWA estimates and measured TWA values was 0.55 for chloroprene and 0.44 for toluene, indicating moderate predictive values for both compounds. For toluene, the interquartile range of EASE estimates at least partially overlapped the interquartile range of the measured data distributions in all process areas. The interquartile range of EASE estimates for chloroprene fell above the interquartile range of the measured data distributions in one process area, partially overlapped the third quartile of the measured data in five process areas and fell within the interquartile range in two process areas. EASE is not a substitute for actual exposure monitoring. However, EASE can be used in conditions that cannot otherwise be sampled and in preliminary exposure assessment if it is recognized that the actual interquartile range could be much wider and/or offset by a factor of 10 or more. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background Organizations must manage occupational health risks in the workplace and the UK Health & Safety Executive (HSE) has published guidance on successful health and safety management. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

The article focuses on industrial health and safety in Europe. The British Health and Safety Executive (HSE) has expressed concern over the increasing volume of hydrocarbon releases in the offshore industry. Figures released showed that there had been no improvement in this type of incident in 2007-2008. Among the main causes of injuries were related to slips or falls, being trapped, struck by or striking against equipment, among others. To this end, the Health & Safety At Work Etc. Act was implemented and since its introduction, safety performance has improved by over 70%. In Germany, a new version of the Chemical Law porives several guideines into German right. It aims to protect people and the envirnmental against the harmful influence of dangerous chemicals and mixtures.

Presents news briefs on industrial safety as of March 2001. Details on the water quality research award to be given by the Water Environment Research Foundation; Proposal for increased penalties on safety violations in Australia; Information on safety improvement program initiated by Chevron Phillips Chemical Co. LP; Launching of a government web site by the Health and Safety Executive of Great Britain.

The article discusses the advantages of preventive plant maintenance to improve productivity and reliability of manufacturing companies in Great Britain. The advantages include avoidance of unplanned plant shutdown and disruption, prevention of equipment failure and industrial safety. The accompanying Control of Substances Hazardous to Health (COSHH) regulations of the Health and Safety Executive are also discussed.

The article focuses on the issues of work-related illness and fatalities in Great Britain. It notes that the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) recorded 2.1 million of people having an illness caused or made worse by their work. According to the article, emerging risks of chemicals include ultra-fine particles and exposure to nanoparticles. The transition of the British government in classifying hazardous substances is also discussed.

This article explores the growing risks of workplace exposure to chemical carcinogens in Great Britain. Data showed that more people died of cancers resulting from exposure to carcinogens in the workplace than murders and road fatalities combined. The 1998 Carex Report for Great Britain concluded that a fifth of workers in the country were exposed to carcinogens at work. According to the Health and Safety Executives, asbestos will be the main cancer risk in coming decades, but many more chemicals are involved.

The article offers news briefs related to medical care in Great Britain. The National Health Services (NHS) is planning to reform the complaints procedure and incorporates it with the Commission for Healthcare Audit and Inspection (CHAI). The revised guidelines of the Codes of Practice by healthcare professionals under the Police and Criminal Evidence Act of 1984 has been found to be effective. The Health and Safety Executive has published a pamphlet on minimizing workplace health risks.

This article examines the latest Annual Report of the Health and Safety Commission and Executive in Great Britain, as of February 1979. In their report, the commission stress that two themes run through everything they do, prevention of risks must take preference over remedies after the event and the public as well as workpeople must be protected from the hazards of the workplace. The revised plan of work of the commission for 1978 to 1983, published as an appendix to the report, consists of nearly 200 projects, ranging from the preparation of regulations on all aspects of the transport of dangerous substances to research into developing instruments and techniques for monitoring vibration as well as noise in the workplace and from the provision of a centralized system for testing and certifying escape-type breathing apparatus for use in mines to an examination of the use of epidemiological surveys in occupational health services. The comprehensive review of health and safety legislation envisaged in the Health and Safety at Work Act of 1974 is gathering momentum, the report says. Elsewhere in the report the commission stress that they are continuing to press for changes in the law so as to allow legal sanctions to be used against the Crown. The commission are concerned that everyone engaged in broadly equivalent work and liable to equivalent hazards to their health and safety should be protected by equivalent rules and guidance. John Locke, Director General of the Executive, has chosen better information as a dominant theme for his report. The report describes the approach of the Executive to research and the factors taken into account when particular research projects are considered.

The article reports on the issuance of a revamped risk assessment guide to simplify risk assessments by Health and Safety Executive (HSE) in Great Britain. According to Jonathan Rees, HSE's deputy chief executive, good risk assessment is the way to save lives. Five Steps to Risk Assessment has been revised and simplified for the average business person. Advice and tips on five key elements to an effective risk assessment is provided in the 11-page booklet. The booklet can be downloaded at www.hse.gov.uk/risk.

Reports on the consideration of the British Health & Safety Executive (HSE) to take actions following the settlement and record fine for safety violations of British Petroleum (BP) at its Texas City Oil refinery in March 2005. Reason behind the discussion of HSE with BP according to Kevin Allars, head of the Chemical Industries Division of the HSE Hazardous Installations Directorate; Criticism on the settlement of BP with the Occupational Safety & Health Administration of the U.S. Department of Labor; Remarks from Gary Beevers, director of the United Steelworkers, on the fine imposed to BP.

The article presents information about the launch of a debate on the causes of risk aversion in health and safety, organized by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) in the House of Lords in Great Britain. Lord Philip Hunt of Kings Heath said that since 1974 when the Health and Safety at Work Act was passed, the rate of workplace fatalities has dropped by two thirds. The hazards in construction have, if anything, got greater since the 1970s, but the rate of fatal accidents has fallen dramatically. But yet there is a perception that things are getting worse. As part of HSE's determination to build an integrated debate, the launch includes a new Web forum and discussion document which provide an opportunity for everyone to be involved in the debate and take part in live discussions which will ultimately benefit the British society as a whole. The HSE is seeking to involve key opinion formers from all areas, including the media, CBI and Local Government through round table events, a Web forum and other events designed to get people communicating and get to the root causes of risk aversion.

The article reports on the British Health and Safety Executive's (HSE) warning that many workers are being exposed to fluids which could lead to diseases such as asthma. HSE emphasized that fluids used in the metalworking industry, which could be contaminated, can be hazardous when inhaled or rubbed into the skin.