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The article discusses the techniques for occupational health and safety (OSH) risk assessment applied to zero harm projects and for similar OSH strategies and expectations among stakeholders. Topics discussed include the goal of zero occupational illnesses and injuries, differences between zero-harm and traditional safety programs, and the concept of as low as reasonable practicable (ALARP) created by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) in Great Britain.

Process safety competency is subject to regulation in some jurisdictions, such as in the United Kingdom by the Health and Safety Executive (UK HSE) under the Control of Major Accident Hazard regulations. Process safety competency is one of 20 elements in the risk-based process safety (RBPS) management system developed by the Center for Chemical Process Safety (CCPS). However, competency as used in this RBPS element is not the same as the competency regulated by the UK HSE. The RBPS competency element addresses managing a knowledge base of process information and not competency as defined by other CCPS publications which use the term with a similar meaning to the UK HSE. This makes for a confusing situation for companies interested in improving their management of process safety competency. The scope of the RBPS element should be revised to address true competency. Currently, the U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration's Process Safety Management Standard and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's Risk Management Program rule do not address competency. However, both regulators are considering revisions to these regulations, including the incorporation of additional elements from the CCPS RBPS management system that are not currently in the regulations. One of these elements is process safety competency, as defined in the CCPS RBPS management system. This action would result in an inadequate treatment of competency. If a competency element is incorporated into the regulations, it should address true competency. © 2015 American Institute of Chemical Engineers Process Saf Prog 35: 171-175, 2016 [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article discusses barrier-based and tier-based approaches for selecting process safety performance indicators (PSPIs) and illustrates how they are used. It states that barrier-based approach was defined by Great Britain Health and Safety Executive (HSE) in Health and Safety Guidance 254 and tier-based approach was defined by Center for Chemical Process Safety and American Petroleum Institute. It also mentions Swiss cheese model for barrier-based and safety pyramid model for tier-based.

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]

In Britain the law places duties on employers and suppliers to provide information to ensure health and safety of employees, so far as is reasonably practicable, and there are regulations for the appointment of employees' safety representatives which employers are required to consult. A recent survey by HSE has shown that suppliers are the most important source of information on substances. However, the flow of information is often obstructed by barriers between the suppliers and the companies, and within organisations. Safety representatives, where they exist, are often better informed than employers, and in companies with safety representatives accident rates are lower. Information from suppliers can be inappropriate for the end use, and the goal-setting approach which has dominated in recent years may not help the non-expert employer. We welcome HSE's move to more specific control guidance for chemica © 1998 British Occupational Hygiene Society. Published by Elsevier Science Ltd. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Control of Substances Hazardous to Health Regulations 1994 (COSHH), provide the main British legislation to protect against health risks arising from hazardous substances used at work. Under the regulations, employers have a duty to carry out a suitable and sufficient risk assessment and take steps to ensure exposure is adequately controlled. The paper by Topping et al. (1998) concluded that small firms need more basic, readily available advice on how to effectively control hazardous substances. To meet this need the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) and the Advisory Committee on Toxic Substances (ACTS) have developed a new scheme for the UK. It involves a simple system of generic risk assessments to identify appropriate control strategies and a series of control guidance sheets providing good-practice examples of those strategies for common operations. The approach builds on earlier industry risk banding schemes and HSE's general approach to risk assessment and risk management. To help ensure the advice reaches small firms, HSE is seeking to involve key intermediaries in its dissemination. This paper describes the rationale for the new UK scheme, how it sits in the legal framework, and proposals for its dissemination. The papers by Brooke (1998) and Maidment (1998) set out in detail the technical basis for the scheme. Crown copyright © 1998. Published by Elsevier Science Ltd on behalf of BOHS. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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 informs that newest advisory network has been released by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) of Great Britain to provide all areas of the construction industry a platform for sharing good practices and behavior as well as by improving safety and health performance in the workplace.

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 provides information related to safety and environmental protection in Europe. The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) has conducted a stakeholder conference in a bid to reduce the risk of exposure to chemical carcinogens in the workplace. HSE has issued a Prohibition Notice on the transportation of acetylene cylinders to an employer after the explosion in County Durham, England. The German Commission of Radiological Protection (SSK) has published three recommendations for safety and environmental health.

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.