The Forum comprises the nine principal trade associations and federations committed to advancing safety, best practice and competency when working at height. At IOSH 11 it will promote its key message of ‘Work safely and competently at height using appropriate equipment with personnel professionally trained to industry-recognised standards’.
From its stand, F95, all 9 members will be on hand to provide advice and guidance on all matters relating to working at height.
On day 1 (15th March) through out the whole day the AIF will also present various topics relating to current working at height topical matters in Spotlight Theatre 2. At 3.30pm in the theatre the NASC will be detailing the changes to the recent guidance introduction SG4:10 and also reiterate the implications of TG20:08. The NASC will also be taking part in the “Ask the Experts” question and answer session at 12.30pm.
IOSH is the chartered body for health and safety professionals. With more than 35,000 members in 85 countries, it is the world’s biggest professional health and safety organisation. Founded in 1945, it is a registered charity with international NGO status and an independent not-for-profit organisation.
Via: www.nasc.org.uk U.K. Edition
A lorry has crashed into scaffolding in Eastgate louth today
One of the problems of a thriving but still medieval designed town is the odd accident. Eastgate gets cluttered with cars and here a lorry has backed into scaffolding outside Argos on Eastgate. The whole of the town centre including Mercer Row, Cornmarket, Market Place and Eastgate was out of action for two hours no injures was reported.
OSHA has issued willful and serious citations to NER Construction Management Inc. for exposing workers to fall, scaffolding, and other hazards at a worksite in Boston. The Wilmington, Mass., building restoration and masonry contractor faces a total of $235,500 in proposed fines.
OSHA’s inspection found NER employees exposed to falls of up to 17 feet due to a lack of fall protection while power washing the side of a building and while dismantling scaffolding. An additional fall hazard stemmed from the employer’s failure to fully plank the scaffolding from which the employee performed the power washing.
“A fatal or disabling fall can end a life or a career in seconds,” said Brenda Gordon, OSHA’s area director for Boston and southeastern Massachusetts. “Scaffolding is an essential tool—and fall protection a basic and required safeguard—for this type of work. There’s no reason for an employer’s failure to have proper and effective protections in place and in use at all times at all jobsites.”
As a result of these conditions, OSHA has issued the company three willful citations with $210,000 in proposed fines. A willful violation exists when an employer has demonstrated either an intentional disregard for the requirements of the law or plain indifference to employee safety and health.
NER also has been issued six serious citations with $23,500 in fines for improper scaffold erection; missing guardrails; failure to certify that employees had been trained and evaluated to safely operate powered industrial trucks; lack of emergency eyewashing facilities; and failure to ensure the use of eye, face, and head protection. Finally, NER has been issued two other-than-serious citations with $2,000 in fines for inadequate recordkeeping. OSHA issues a serious citation when there is substantial probability that death or serious physical harm could result from a hazard about which the employer knew or should have known. An other-than-serious violation is one that has a direct relationship to job safety and health, but probably would not cause death or serious physical harm
Via: 
The company employs 450 people at sites across the UK, providing scaffolding, painting and blasting, thermal insulation and a range of other industrial services.
Managing director Mike Carr attributes the safety milestone to the firm’s behavioural safety scheme, Watch What You’re Doing, which was created and implemented by shop floor staff.
He said: “Watch What You’re Doing started from the workers on the ground, as we wanted them to take responsibility for their colleagues’ and their own safety.”
To mark the achievement staff were given £5,000 to donate to a charity of their choice, with the Shrewsbury House Youth and Community Centre in Everton being picked as the recipient. 
The Magpas Helimedix team were called to the emergency at 9.15am and were on the scene in just 15 minutes. They were flown by Police Helicopter.
When the Helimedix arrived, the ambulance crew were already on the scene. The Helimedix team assessed the patient and he was taken by land ambulance to Bedford Hospital, where on arrival his condition was stable.
This illustrates how effective the joint service between Magpas, Cambridgeshire Police and the East of England Ambulance Service Trust is. Magpas Helimedix Team: Volunteer consultant Vijayasankar with EEAST Critical Care Paramedic Dan Cody.
Magpas is the country’s only dedicated night time and day time Air Ambulance with specialist Doctors and Paramedics Magpas was dispatched to over 950 Medical Emergencies in the East of England in 2010 alone. Magpas receives no state funding and relies wholly on generous donations from you the Public.
Via: 
Following a four-day hearing a High Court judge has reserved his decision on whether scaffolding erector Graham Wood should receive the huge payout.
Mr Wood, 42, from Doncaster, claims he has suffered from breathing problems since a gas leak at the refinery in June 2005.
His barrister, Jonathan Clarke, told the court: “Ever since a few hours after this happened he has been plagued by respiratory symptoms and, to this day, remains on the strongest inhalers available.”
Mr Wood is suing Esso Petroleum for damages – mainly for lost earnings, plus “pain and suffering”.
But Esso has denied liability, saying none of the other people in the same area as Mr Wood suffered any problems.
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