Page 26 - PWM2025_OCTOBER EBOOK

BETTER BUSINESS

Health and

safety

Protecting your most valuable asset – your people –
is a key concern for organisations of all stripes, and
failure to meet the regulatory standards can be very
costly, by Adam Bernstein
H employees and others who may be

ealth and safety law
revolves around legisla-
affected by the work and to provide a
tion that is now over 50
safe environment”.
years old. But the sub-
Mandy Robson, head of profes-
ject has been tackled by
governments over the
same line. She outlines the law and
last two and a quarter centuries fol- sional services at the BPIF, takes the
that “employers need to assess risks
lowing the first Factory Act in 1802.
However, mistakes and accidents to their employees and others who
still occur in the workplace – and may be affected by their operations
these mistakes can be expensive to and then take reasonable and practi-
resolve for companies. cal action to control these risks.”
Consider the £2.5m fine levied on But beyond the 1974 Act itself, she
Industrial Chemicals, which makes says that when managing risk firms
chemicals used by the paper indus- must also observe other legislation,
try, that Printweek reported on in namely, the requirements of The
April (2025). The fine followed two Management of Health and Safety at
uncontrolled releases of acid at a site Work Regulations 1999, the Manual
in Essex via poorly maintained pipe- Handling Operations Regulations prisingly, she states out the need for machinery safety and sufficient guard-
work. 1992, the Provision and Use of Work ing, and says that “injuries such as lacerations, fractures and crushing have
And then in May (2025), Equipment Regulations 1998, the occurred within print companies over the years as a result of guarding
Printweek noted that East Riding which may be absent or inadequate, or maintenance which has been car-
Sacks had been fined (with costs) Display Screen Equipment
£539,066 after a worker fell to his Regulations 1992, the Control of ried out and guarding not fully replaced”. As a result, she consider it
death during a night shift. The com- Substances Hazardous to Health “essential” that regular inspections of guarding and emergency stop but-
pany had failed to provide a robust Regulations 2002, The Regulatory tons happen to ensure that “machinery is safe to operate”.
safe system of work. Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005, Worryingly, Robson is aware of the HSE conducting unannounced visits
and The Control of Noise at Work to ensure that companies have controls in place in relation to noise,
The basics outlined Regulations 2005. COSHH, air quality, and asbestos controls, management and planning.
Dale Collins, a partner in the crim- In fact, it’s the unannounced HSE visits that Robson says “are guaran-
inal compliance and regulatory Recent regulatory trends teed to place the look of dread on any employer’s face, whatever time of the
tTeam at Browne Jacobson, is well From reports it appears that cer- day, for whatever reason as to their visit”. Such visits often lead to the loss
aware that printing businesses, like tain sectors are finding themselves of time which the company cannot spare, resources which the company
all manufacturing sector businesses, under intense scrutiny from the struggles to provide, or the expenditure of funds which are often short. The
have evolved exponentially over the Health and Safety Executive (HSE). employer can feel exhausted and stressed.
last fifty years following greater use Saying this, Robson reckons that “HSE inspectors are human just like
of technology and automated pro- And one that Collins singles out is
duction lines. manufacturing “which remains a tar- everyone else and aim to highlight safety improvements to protect workers
Yet he says that despite this, “the get with safety concerns related to within the workplace”.
1974 Act remains the basis for pro- chemical exposure, machinery, and Even so, she advises that preventative planning should be in place with
tecting those working in the sector, slips and trips being an ongoing pri- documented surveys, inspections and staff health records on file.
with its duties placed upon employ- ority”. And on the topic of records, she adds that “it’s important to note that if
ers to ensure the health and safety of Robson sees that same. Not unsur- an employee leaves the business, records should remain on file, archived

24 PrintWeek MENA October 2025 www.printweekmena.com