The 22-page booklet, Little Book of Big Ideas, has been written by RoSPA’s occupational safety and health policy adviser and immediate past president of IOSH, Dr Karen McDonnell, together with RoSPA’s partnership consultant Roger Bibbings. It is available for download now.

The booklet is designed to aid understanding of the increasingly complex and debated ideas at the heart of occupational health and safety, and can be used as a gateway to further reading, a handy reference guide to remind about essential terms and concepts, or as a resource to support teaching.

It can be used to help experts and non-experts alike, to refresh knowledge and understanding, and seeks to enable the reader to answer questions such as 'when, where, how, why, and to whom do accidents happen?' and 'what do we mean by risk and how do we assess it?'

Karen McDonnell said: “The RoSPA principle of ‘as safe as necessary, not as safe as possible’ is underpinned by those commonly-used but sometimes misunderstood terms including hazard, risk, probability, and preventability. Anyone attending a health and safety training course or reading guidance material will routinely hear the words used and often engage in debate on their meaning and applicability.

“For this reason RoSPA has produced the Little Book of Big Ideas: a ready-reckoner, a quick recap or a step into new topics. As a practitioner you can use its content to dispel health and safety myths.”

The booklet is available as a free download from: http://www.rospa.com/occupational-safety/advice/little-book-of-big-ideas

 

Designed to raise awareness of driver behaviour and encourage safe decision making, the bespoke course enables managers to meet their specific business needs and those of their individual drivers.

While the physical skill involved in driving for work is important, factors which affect driver behaviour such as stress and fatigue can put safety at risk. The Driver Development Course will encourage drivers to be honest about their own behaviour, to develop coping strategies for themselves as well as for the behaviour of other road users.

On booking, managers can request a focus on road risk priorities such as stress, rear-end collisions, slow-speed manoeuvring, fatigue, and speed. Trainers will then emphasise the topic that concerns managers most, while giving an overview of the other areas of risk.

Frances Richardson, RoSPA’s director of operations, said: “The course is tailored to meet the needs of the individual delegate, so is suitable for all drivers regardless of experience.

“It will enable organisations sending delegates to reduce the frequency and cost of accidents, lower down-time due to maintenance, repairs and injuries, conduct more reliable vehicle scheduling, save on fuel, tyres and spares, and enhance their reputation.”

The Driver Development Course is run over a full or half-day, at RoSPA’s Birmingham training centre or a mutually-agreed location. It can be conducted on either a 2:1 or 1:1 delegate to trainer ratio, and is available in a wide range of vehicle types.

To coincide with the Health and Safety Executive’s (HSE) strategy, titled Helping Great Britain work well, and in response to a consultation exercise undertaken by RoSPA’s National Occupational Safety and Health Committee, the Awards Excellence Forum is being set up to formalise the network of higher performing organisations.

It will act as a research and reference facility for generating opinions on key health and safety topics and messages as well as current health and safety news and changes. 

Members of the forum will also help RoSPA with occupational health and safety policy formulation and shaping future strategy.

Karen McDonnell, RoSPA’s occupational health and safety policy adviser, said: “Sharing success has been central to RoSPA’s Health and Safety Awards for the last 60 years.

“Working with and through higher performing organisations is a familiar position for RoSPA. This forum will represent a considerable hub of commitment, expertise and experience which can be channelled to help raise awareness and standards in workplaces throughout the RoSPA Awards community and its associated supply chain.

“Our award winners have demonstrated an appetite to get more involved. An example of this is our recent consultation on the health and safety needs of apprentices which sought the opinion of 60 top RoSPA Award winners.”

The RoSPA Awards Excellence Forum will be one of RoSPA’s contributions towards achieving the aims of the new HSE strategy.

All organisations successful in this year’s RoSPA Health and Safety Awards will be eligible to participate.

 

A Victorian law stipulating that women and children aged 13-18 could only work 63 hours per week in factories, and another setting out the first compensation structure for injured workers are among those listed on the History of Occupational Safety and Health website - www.historyofosh.org.uk.

The site, set up by the Royal Society for the Prevention of Accident’s National Occupational Safety and Health Committee (NOSHC), charts more than 200 years of industrial history and was launched to coincide with World Day for Safety and Health at Work, also known as Workers’ Memorial Day.

Already acclaimed in many parts of the world, the website is fast becoming an invaluable resource for students, academics, health and safety professionals and others with a general interest in industrial history. It sets out developments from the 1802 Factory Act to various regulation changes made by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) in recent times.

Karen McDonnell, RoSPA’s occupational safety and health policy adviser, said: “Contrary to what some might believe, the management of safety and health at work is not a 21st Century phenomenon. With roots stretching all the way back to the turn of the 19th Century, this is an area at the heart of the UK’s industrial history.

“Numerous pieces of legislation have come on to the scene over more than 200 years, covering a wide array of different industries, but their shared aim has been to ensure that workers can go home to their families safe and healthy at the end of each day.

“It is important to value the history of occupational safety and health, not just to honour its pioneers but to develop a sense of perspective about what needs to be done today to continue to tackle preventable harms associated with work, not just in Britain but around the world.”

Teresa Budworth, chairman of the committe, said:  "The site is an invaluable resource for those studying all aspects of occupational safety, health and fire in workplaces for their qualifications. It shows how we have developed systems and good practices over many years. Sheila Pantry, the site's editor, was a pioneer in her field of safety information. The site not only features the pioneering work of the first women factory inspectors but also how safety professionals today stand on the shoulders of giants."

The comprehensive downloadable resource 'Learning how to learn from accidents' encourages employers to think about how well their organisation copes with unplanned accidents and incidents, and its ability to stop them happening again and to learn lessons.

The report, which focuses on how to respond to accidents effectively, has been designed to support accident investigation training and covers subjects such as behavioural safety, getting clarity about objectives and thinking harder about accidents.

It has been put together by RoSPA’s National Occupational Safety & Health Committee (NOSHC).

Karen McDonnell, RoSPA’s occupational safety and health policy adviser, said: “This resource is extremely useful in helping organisations to cope with unplanned and adverse events that can cause unnecessary harm and loss. It is packed full of guidance on what to do in the hours following an accident.

“Accidents and incidents are damaging to people and organisations - but they also present important opportunities for everyone to learn lessons, which, if acted on, will not only help prevent recurrence of similar events but will also help to improve the way risks are managed generally.”

The document is available for download at www.rospa.com/occupational-safety/affiliated-groups/noshc/#learning.

Safety First, by design expert Dr Paul Rennie of Central St Martins College of Art and Design, features scores of RoSPA accident prevention posters and slogans that evoke nostalgia for a bygone era.

It is being published as part of RoSPA’s forthcoming centenary, which will be marked extensively in 2016/17 – 100 years since the charity’s work began.

Dating from the 1930s to the 1970s, the posters were created by some of the foremost graphic designers of their time, including Fougasse, who produced the famous World War II Careless Talk Costs Lives poster campaign. An extensive archive of the artwork was discovered when an old warehouse was being cleared.

Covering occupational, road, leisure and home safety, the posters, which are of great historical value, are clever, striking and often amusing. For many people, they will bring back childhood memories - on road safety, for example, who can forget the simple message to "Stop, Look and Listen” or the antics of Tufty Fluffytail?

Safety First will be published on 18th June, priced £16.99, and will be available from bookshops and www.saraband.net. Visitors to Safety and Health Expo (June 16-18) and the RoSPA Occupational Health and Safety Awards (June 16), both taking place at ExCeL London, will be able to see a preview of the book and order copies from RoSPA directly for a special event price of £12.99, plus postage.        

Lord McKenzie of Luton, president of the Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents (RoSPA), who has written the book’s foreword, said: "Even in this information-saturated age of social media and 24-hour news, there is much that these now ‘vintage’ posters can tell us about the power of accident prevention: that a little effort, a little forward planning - and above all, a little knowledge, can make a big difference in our quest to get the balance right between carelessness on the one hand, and risk-aversion on the other.

"It is fitting that as our charity prepares for its centenary, the rediscovery of these posters should stand at the intersection of a proud past and a promising future - promising, because RoSPA stands ready to serve the nation again, by providing our families, colleagues and friends with all of the skills and confidence they need to lead more fulfilling lives - free of the fear of accidental injury.”

Tom Mullarkey, RoSPA’s chief executive, said: "We always knew that we had some poster artwork in storage, but it was only when we cleared our old warehouse that we discovered the sheer extent of our collection and the quality and age of the items. These posters would have carried simple yet important safety messages into homes and workplaces, helping people to prevent accidents to themselves, their loved ones and colleagues. Many of the messages are just as valid today as when they were created decades ago.”

The pinnacle of health & safety excellence

The 2013 RoSPA Occupational Health and Safety Awards are now underway, sponsored by the premier health and safety examining body NEBOSH, these awards recognise effective health and safety management.

Defying the effects of recession, the RoSPA Awards experienced another record breaking year in 2012 with almost 2000 entries. The scheme continues to grow in numbers, importance and prestige - its inclusive nature makes it the most sought after accolade in the industry.

Why enter?
Looking for a business case to enter? Read RoSPA's blog to help get your organisation on board and learn how to make the most of your awards success.

• Recognition of health and safety achievement


• Increased staff motivation


• Differentiation over competitors


• Effective benchmarking


• Win tenders and new clients


• Internationally recognised

Register on or before 31st October and save with the early registration discount - what's more RoSPA Members will also receive a generous membership discount. Join RoSPA today.

New Online Entry System
Constantly evolving, the RoSPA Awards has invested heavily in an online entry system which means that the whole entry process is now online from registration to payment to submission. Want to find out more - why not attend one of our Award Entrant Seminars which will offer more information about the new online entry system and key advice on how to maximise your submission.

Two new awards have also been launched in 2013, the RoSPA Academies Safety Award and Leisure Sector Award - find out more today.

Register today for the 2013 RoSPA Occupational Health and Safety Awards and don't miss out on the opportunity to prove you're on top of health and safety.

Call: 0121 248 2090

Email: [email protected]

Visit: www.rospa.com/award

In three days of RoSPA Occupational Health and Safety Awards ceremonies about 1500 organisations were recognised for their commitment to continuous improvement on accident and ill health prevention.

Among the highlights was the presentation of RoSPA's highest competitive accolade - the Sir George Earle Trophy, which dates back to 1956 - to Finning (UK).

Another highlight was the presentation of a special award to the Olympic Delivery Authority to mark the Diamond Jubilee of Her Majesty the Queen, RoSPA's patron.

The Awards, sponsored by NEBOSH, recognise entrants' overarching health and safety management systems, including practices such as strong leadership and workforce involvement, and encourage continuous improvement.

Almost 2000 entries were submitted for this year's Awards, a record for the scheme.

The Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents has brought its moving and handling training up to date with the introduction of an electronic device that helps trainees adopt - and keep - good manual handling habits.

The movement tracking device is worn on a belt and monitors the wearer's movement and posture, picking up on movements such as stooping which are known to be a risk factor in back injury. The technology can be tailored to individual needs and has built-in activation thresholds which vibrate and make a sound to alert the wearer to their risky behaviour, gradually conditioning employees to make changes to their handling routines.

RoSPA is introducing the device into all its manual handling and safer people handling training courses. It is hoped that the system will bring a new dimension to moving and handling training, enabling delegates to take control of their own learning and correct mistakes in posture and movement when they are out of view of the trainer.

Manual handling is responsible for more than a third of all workplace injuries, many of which can have painful, long-lasting consequences.

In addition to improving regulatory 'housekeeping', the Löfstedt Review of health and safety must consider how businesses - particularly smaller firms - can be helped to avoid accidents and ill health, says the Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents.

RoSPA is contributing to the review, led by Professor Ragnar Löfstedt of King's College London, which is considering opportunities for "reducing the burden of health and safety legislation on UK businesses while maintaining the progress made in improving health and safety outcomes."